公开(公告)号：US11846525B2

公开(公告)日：2023-12-19

申请号：US17476913

申请日：2021-09-16

Applicant: Apple Inc.

Inventor： Tong Chen ,  Mehmet Mutlu ,  Mark T. Winkler

IPC: G01C3/08 ,  G02B5/20 ,  G03B11/00 ,  G03B13/20 ,  G01S17/08 ,  G01S7/481 ,  G02B7/02 ,  G01S17/04

CPC classification number: G01C3/08 ,  G01S7/4813 ,  G01S17/04 ,  G01S17/08 ,  G02B5/208 ,  G02B7/021 ,  G03B11/00 ,  G03B13/20

Abstract: An optical sensing system can be integrated into a camera module. In particular, an optical element of an optical sensing system can be disposed entirely or partly within a barrel of a camera module. The optical element can be oriented toward a reflective surface, such as an infrared cut filter, such that an optical path is defined between free space and the optical element via at least one reflection off the reflective surface.

公开(公告)号：US20230333371A1

公开(公告)日：2023-10-19

申请号：US18105709

申请日：2023-02-03

Applicant: Apple Inc.

Inventor： Tong Chen ,  Mark T. Winkler ,  Edward Vail ,  Xibin Zhou ,  Ahmet Fatih Cihan ,  Walter Nistico

IPC: G02B27/00 ,  G02B27/01

CPC classification number: G02B27/0093 ,  G02B27/0172 ,  G02B2027/0138

Abstract: An eye tracking device includes a head-mountable frame, an optical sensor subsystem mounted to the head-mountable frame, and a processor. The optical sensor subsystem includes a set of one or more SMI sensors. The processor is configured to operate the optical sensor subsystem to cause the set of one or more SMI sensors to emit a set of one or more beams of light toward an eye of a user; to receive a set of one or more SMI signals from the set of one or more SMI sensors; and to track a movement of the eye using the set of one or more SMI signals.

公开(公告)号：US20230087691A1

公开(公告)日：2023-03-23

申请号：US17903840

申请日：2022-09-06

Applicant: Apple Inc.

Inventor： Tong Chen ,  Edward Vail ,  Mark T. Winkler ,  Yongkang Gao

IPC: H04B10/079 ,  H04B10/294

Abstract: An optical sensing system includes a transmitter side and a receiver side, and is configured to be positioned below a display of an electronic device. The transmitter side includes a light emitter. The receiver side includes an array of photodiodes. The light emitter of the transmitter side and the array of photodiodes of the receiver side are optically coupled via a waveguide. As a result of this construction, the optical sensing system can be operated as an interferometric optical sensor.

公开(公告)号：US20230087411A1

公开(公告)日：2023-03-23

申请号：US17483660

申请日：2021-09-23

Applicant: Apple Inc.

Inventor： Xiaofan Niu ,  Tong Chen ,  Mark T. Winkler ,  Zachary M. Beiley ,  Andras G. Pattantyus-Abraham

IPC: H01L25/16

Abstract: An electronic device may include an infrared sensor with light sources and a quantum film photodetector. The light sources may emit short-wavelength infrared (SWIR) light through a display panel and the photodetector may receive the SWIR light through the panel after reflection off an object. The light sources and an integrated circuit may be mounted to a wall of a sensor module mounted to the panel. The module may include a lens. The photodetector may be disposed onto the rear wall, lens, integrated circuit, or display panel. The photodetector may include multiple types of quantum film to absorb different wavelengths of SWIR light. The SWIR light may pass through the display panel without distorting images emitted by the display panel. Using a quantum film in the photodetector may allow the photodetector to extend across a large surface area without unnecessarily increasing manufacturing cost for the device.

公开(公告)号：US11487859B2

公开(公告)日：2022-11-01

申请号：US16945174

申请日：2020-07-31

Applicant: Apple Inc.

Inventor： Tong Chen ,  Mark T. Winkler ,  Ruonan Yang ,  Tsu-Hui Lin ,  Wenrui Cai ,  Xiao Xiang

IPC: G06F21/32 ,  G02F1/1335 ,  G06F3/041 ,  G02F1/13363 ,  G06F1/16

Abstract: Configurations for display stacks of an electronic device and methods for mitigating crosstalk are disclosed. The display stack may include a transceiver module, which may be located under or behind the display. The transceiver module may include a transmitter module, which may provide polarized light from the transmitter that may suppress module crosstalk. The transceiver module also may include a receiver module, which may include polarization control elements and an analyzer for differentiating between a target signal and a crosstalk signal. The polarization control on both the transmitter module and receiver module sides may suppress the crosstalk signals, which may be due to the reflections between and within the elements of the display stack and resulting from positioning the transceiver module behind the display.

公开(公告)号：US11327237B2

公开(公告)日：2022-05-10

申请号：US16905664

申请日：2020-06-18

Applicant: Apple Inc.

Inventor： Tong Chen ,  Mark T. Winkler ,  Michael K. McCord ,  Tingjun Xu ,  Xianwei Zhao

IPC: G02B6/35 ,  G02B6/04 ,  G02B6/42 ,  H04B10/40 ,  H04B10/25 ,  G06T7/20 ,  G06T7/70

Abstract: An electronic device includes a housing and a display. The housing defines an interior cavity and includes an optically-transmissive housing component. The display is disposed in the interior cavity and is viewable through the optically-transmissive housing component. An optoelectronic component is disposed in the interior cavity. An optical fiber extends between a first end positioned adjacent the optoelectronic component and a second end positioned adjacent the optically-transmissive housing component. The optical fiber defines a non-linear optical path between the first end and the second end. At least a portion of the optical fiber is laterally offset from a lateral edge of the display.

公开(公告)号：US11243068B1

公开(公告)日：2022-02-08

申请号：US16773827

申请日：2020-01-27

Applicant: Apple Inc.

Inventor： Mehmet Mutlu ,  Mark T. Winkler ,  Tong Chen ,  Omid Momtahan

IPC: G01B9/02 ,  H01S5/14 ,  H01S5/06 ,  H01S5/026 ,  G01S7/4912

Abstract: A sensor system includes a self-mixing interferometry sensor; a drive circuit configured to apply a modulated drive signal to an input of the self-mixing interferometry sensor; a mixer circuit configured to mix a modulated output of the self-mixing interferometry sensor with a local oscillator signal that is orthogonal to the modulated drive signal over a period of time; an integrator circuit configured to integrate an output of the mixer circuit over the period of time; and a processor configured to determine, using an output of the integrator circuit, at least one of a round-trip propagation time of electromagnetic radiation emitted by the self-mixing interferometry sensor and reflected back into the self-mixing interferometry sensor by an object or medium, or a velocity of the object or medium.

公开(公告)号：US11067884B2

公开(公告)日：2021-07-20

申请号：US16723850

申请日：2019-12-20

Applicant: Apple Inc.

Inventor： Tong Chen ,  Mark T. Winkler ,  Meng-Huan Ho ,  Rui Liu ,  Xiao Xiang ,  Wenrui Cai

IPC: G03B21/62 ,  H01L51/50 ,  G06F3/044 ,  G02B5/128 ,  G03B21/10 ,  G03B21/625 ,  G03B21/56 ,  H04N9/31 ,  H04B10/40

Abstract: A device includes a display stack and an optical receiver. The display stack includes a set of opaque elements defining a translucent aperture. The translucent aperture extends through the display stack. The optical receiver is spaced apart from and behind a back surface of the display stack. At least one micro-optic element is formed on the back surface of the display stack, between the display stack and the optical receiver. The at least one micro-optic element includes a micro-optic element having a focal point located within the translucent aperture. The optical receiver is configured to receive light through the translucent aperture and the at least one micro-optic element.

公开(公告)号：US20210011577A1

公开(公告)日：2021-01-14

申请号：US17025872

申请日：2020-09-18

Applicant: Apple Inc.

Inventor： Mehmet Mutlu ,  Tong Chen ,  Mark T. Winkler ,  Omid Momtahan

IPC: G06F3/042 ,  G02B6/42

Abstract: Disclosed herein are structures, devices, and systems for detecting touch and force inputs at multiple sensing locations on a surface of an electronic device using waveguide-based interferometry. A laser light source, such as a VCSEL, inserts light into a waveguide positioned adjacent to the sensing locations, and an input at a sensing location alters the inserted light in the waveguide allowing for determination of the input's touch or force at the sensing location. Wavelength modulation of the inserted light allows isolation in frequency of the signals from each sensing location. Optical phase locking can be used to lock an absolute distance beat frequency corresponding to a stationary reference point in the waveguide.

公开(公告)号：US20230255214A1

公开(公告)日：2023-08-17

申请号：US18139835

申请日：2023-04-26

Applicant: Apple Inc.

Inventor： Tong Chen ,  Mark T. Winkler

IPC: A21B3/13 ,  A47J37/12 ,  A21D13/31 ,  A21D13/60 ,  A21D13/80 ,  A21D13/20

CPC classification number: A21B3/13 ,  A47J37/1295 ,  A21D13/31 ,  A21D13/60 ,  A21D13/80 ,  A21D13/20 ,  A23V2002/00 ,  A23G2220/12

Abstract: A optical communication system including a source device and an endpoint device. The source device include an array of laser diodes and is configured to drive the laser diodes to project a sequence of patterns into the field of view of the source device to define a set of serially-projected codes, each of which isolated to one respective angular division of the field of view of the source device. The endpoint device receives a serially-projected code from the source device which varies based which angular division of the field of view of the source device is occupied by the endpoint device.