Cylindrical Retroreflector Array for Rotation Tracking

    公开(公告)号:US20230086536A1

    公开(公告)日:2023-03-23

    申请号:US17480636

    申请日:2021-09-21

    Applicant: Apple Inc.

    Abstract: An electronic device is described. The electronic device may include a housing, a rotatable crown, and a self-mixing interferometry (SMI) sensor positioned within the housing. The rotatable crown may include an array of retroreflective surface features that reflect incident light back to a light source. Each retroreflective surface feature of the array of retroreflective surface features may be formed as a corner-cube with three perpendicular faces. The SMI sensor or associated processing electronics may compare originally emitted light with reflected light to identify a movement or distance of the rotatable crown with respect to the SMI sensor.

    Electronic Devices Having Ambient Light Sensors With Electrostatic Shields

    公开(公告)号:US20190098748A1

    公开(公告)日:2019-03-28

    申请号:US15713378

    申请日:2017-09-22

    Applicant: Apple Inc.

    Abstract: An electronic device may be provided with a display. An opaque layer may be formed on an inner surface of a display cover layer in an inactive area of the display. An optical component window may be formed from the opening and may be aligned with an ambient light sensor such as a color ambient light sensor. The color ambient light sensor may have photodetectors on a light detector integrated circuit. Electrostatic shielding may be incorporated into the color ambient light sensor to prevent perturbations in the output of the color ambient light sensor due to the presence of electrostatic charge in the vicinity of the optical component window. The shielding may include a grounded shield layer on a surface of an ambient light sensor support structure that faces the display cover layer and may include a transparent shield layer overlapping the photodetectors.

    Optical Crosstalk Compensation for Optical Sensors

    公开(公告)号:US20240159884A1

    公开(公告)日:2024-05-16

    申请号:US18382786

    申请日:2023-10-23

    Applicant: Apple Inc.

    CPC classification number: G01S7/497 G01S7/4813

    Abstract: An optical sensor module includes a housing, an optical emitter, a photodetector, a sensor circuit, and an optical crosstalk compensation circuit. The optical emitter is configured to emit electromagnetic radiation toward and through the housing. The photodetector is configured to provide a photocurrent to an output node. The photocurrent is responsive to a receipt of first portions of the electromagnetic radiation redirected by an intended target and received through the housing, and second portions of the electromagnetic radiation redirected by an unintended target or received directly from the optical emitter. The sensor circuit is connected to the output node and configured to generate a sensor output. The optical crosstalk compensation circuit is configured to inject a bias current into the output node or the sensor circuit.

    Electronic devices having ambient light sensors with electrostatic shields

    公开(公告)号:US10512157B2

    公开(公告)日:2019-12-17

    申请号:US15713378

    申请日:2017-09-22

    Applicant: Apple Inc.

    Abstract: An electronic device may be provided with a display. An opaque layer may be formed on an inner surface of a display cover layer in an inactive area of the display. An optical component window may be formed from the opening and may be aligned with an ambient light sensor such as a color ambient light sensor. The color ambient light sensor may have photodetectors on a light detector integrated circuit. Electrostatic shielding may be incorporated into the color ambient light sensor to prevent perturbations in the output of the color ambient light sensor due to the presence of electrostatic charge in the vicinity of the optical component window. The shielding may include a grounded shield layer on a surface of an ambient light sensor support structure that faces the display cover layer and may include a transparent shield layer overlapping the photodetectors.

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