Enhanced depth mapping using visual inertial odometry

    公开(公告)号:US12153140B2

    公开(公告)日:2024-11-26

    申请号:US17268961

    申请日:2019-09-02

    Applicant: APPLE INC.

    Abstract: Imaging apparatus (22) includes a radiation source (40), which emits pulsed beams (42) of optical radiation toward a target scene (24). An array (52) of sensing elements outputs signals indicative of respective times of incidence of photons on the sensing elements. Objective optics (54) form a first image of the target scene on the array of sensing elements. An image sensor (64) captures a second image of the target scene. Processing and control circuitry (56, 58) is configured to process the second image so as to detect a relative motion between at least one object in the target scene and the apparatus, and which is configured to construct, responsively to the signals from the array, histograms of the times of incidence of the photons on the sensing elements and to adjust the histograms responsively to the detected relative motion, and to generate a depth map of the target scene based on the adjusted histograms.

    Multi-sensor depth mapping
    14.
    发明申请

    公开(公告)号:US20220364849A1

    公开(公告)日:2022-11-17

    申请号:US17688933

    申请日:2022-03-08

    Applicant: Apple Inc.

    Abstract: Depth mapping apparatus includes an illumination assembly, which directs modulated optical radiation toward a target scene, and a camera, which captures a two-dimensional image of the target scene. A range sensor senses respective times of flight of photons reflected from a matrix of locations disposed across the target scene. A processor derives first depth coordinates of the matrix of locations responsively to the respective times of flight, derives second depth coordinates of the matrix of locations responsively to a transverse disparity between features in the two-dimensional image and corresponding reference features in a reference image, computes a disparity correction function based on a difference between the first and the second depth coordinates at the matrix of locations, corrects the transverse disparity between the two-dimensional image and the reference image using the disparity correction function, and generates a depth map of the target scene based on the corrected transverse disparity.

    Spatial temporal weighting in a SPAD detector

    公开(公告)号:US10962628B1

    公开(公告)日:2021-03-30

    申请号:US15880285

    申请日:2018-01-25

    Applicant: Apple Inc.

    Abstract: Disclosed are devices and methods for scanning sensing systems having an array of light sensing pixels, such as pixels that use single-photon avalanche diodes. Light pulses are emitted into a field of view (FOV) at starts of a sequence of time intervals, and a weighted tabulation of the times-of-flight of the reflected light pulses within each time interval is used to detect an object in the FOV and determine its distance. Each weight is based on the time-of-flight between the emitted pulse and the received reflected light pulse and on the number of the emitted light pulse in the sequence of emitted light pulses. For near objects the weights emphasize times-of-flight from peripheral time intervals of the sequence; for far objects the weights emphasize central time intervals of the sequence.

    Waveform design for a LiDAR system with closely-spaced pulses

    公开(公告)号:US10955552B2

    公开(公告)日:2021-03-23

    申请号:US15844665

    申请日:2017-12-18

    Applicant: APPLE INC.

    Abstract: Depth-sensing apparatus includes a laser, which is configured to emit pulses of optical radiation toward a scene. One or more detectors are configured to receive the optical radiation that is reflected from points in the scene and to output signals indicative of respective times of arrival of the received radiation. Control and processing circuitry is coupled to drive the laser to emit a succession of output sequences of the pulses with different, respective temporal spacings between the pulses within the output sequences in the succession, and to match the times of arrival of input sequences of the signals to the temporal spacings of the output sequences in order to find respective times of flight for the points in the scene.

    Waveform design for a LiDAR system with closely-spaced pulses

    公开(公告)号:US20190094364A1

    公开(公告)日:2019-03-28

    申请号:US15844665

    申请日:2017-12-18

    Applicant: APPLE INC.

    Abstract: Depth-sensing apparatus includes a laser, which is configured to emit pulses of optical radiation toward a scene. One or more detectors are configured to receive the optical radiation that is reflected from points in the scene and to output signals indicative of respective times of arrival of the received radiation. Control and processing circuitry is coupled to drive the laser to emit a succession of output sequences of the pulses with different, respective temporal spacings between the pulses within the output sequences in the succession, and to match the times of arrival of input sequences of the signals to the temporal spacings of the output sequences in order to find respective times of flight for the points in the scene.

    EARLY-LATE PULSE COUNTING FOR LIGHT EMITTING DEPTH SENSORS

    公开(公告)号:US20190018119A1

    公开(公告)日:2019-01-17

    申请号:US16034250

    申请日:2018-07-12

    Applicant: Apple Inc.

    Abstract: Disclosed herein are methods and devices for light emitting depth sensors such as scanning depth sensors and LIDARS. Methods, devices and systems disclose tracking a beam of reflected light pulses on an array of light sensing pixels. The tracking can dynamically update a location of the beam or an expected on-center time of the reflected light pulses at a pixel of the array. Counts of detected reflected pulses in time periods before and after the expected on-center time at a pixel are used to detect offsets in initial estimates of the beam location or timing.

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