公开(公告)号：US11614806B1

公开(公告)日：2023-03-28

申请号：US17319010

申请日：2021-05-12

Applicant: Apple Inc.

Inventor： Ahmet Fatih Cihan ,  Adrian Z. Harb ,  Mengshu Huang ,  Stephen Eric Dey ,  Yuhao Pan ,  Mehmet Mutlu ,  Tong Chen

IPC: G06F3/0354 ,  G06F3/04883 ,  G06F3/041 ,  G06F3/03 ,  G06F3/043 ,  G06F3/046

Abstract: Self-mixing interferometry (SMI) sensors can be used for generation of content using an input device without requiring a touch-sensitive surface. In some examples, the SMI sensors can be used to detect characteristics of the input device including position, orientation, and/or motion of the input device and/or force applied by the input device (e.g., force applied by a stylus tip). In some examples, some or all of the characteristics of the input device can be used in processing to generate content, including textual character input and three-dimensional objects. In some examples, the generation of content can use information from one or more additional sensors for the input device and/or from additional devices in combination with the characteristics of the input device based on the SMI sensors for generation of content.

公开(公告)号：US11409365B2

公开(公告)日：2022-08-09

申请号：US16934988

申请日：2020-07-21

Applicant: Apple Inc.

Inventor： Mehmet Mutlu ,  Ahmet Fatih Cihan ,  Mark T. Winkler ,  Tong Chen

IPC: G06F3/01 ,  G01S17/50

Abstract: A wearable device includes a device housing configured to be worn on a first surface of a user, a set of one or more SMI sensors, and a processor. The set of one or more SMI sensors is mounted within the device housing and configured to emit a set of one or more beams of electromagnetic radiation, with each beam emitted in a different direction extending away from the first surface. The set of one or more SMI sensors is also configured to generate a set of one or more SMI signals containing information about a relationship between the device housing and a second surface. The processor is configured to extract the relationship between the device housing and the second surface from digitized samples of the set of one or more SMI signals.

公开(公告)号：US20210080248A1

公开(公告)日：2021-03-18

申请号：US16945573

申请日：2020-07-31

Applicant: Apple Inc.

Inventor： Ahmet Fatih Cihan ,  Mehmet Mutlu

IPC: G01B9/02 ,  G01S17/58 ,  G01P5/26

Abstract: A device includes a first component, a second component having a reconfigurable distance from the first component, an optical element, an SMI sensor, and a processor. The optical element has a fixed relationship with respect to the first component, and has a known optical thickness between a first surface and a second surface of the optical element. The SMI sensor has a fixed relationship with respect to the second component, and has an electromagnetic radiation emission axis that intersects the first and second surfaces of the optical element. The processor is configured to identify disturbances in an SMI signal generated by the SMI sensor, relate the disturbances to the known optical thickness of the optical element, and to determine a distance between the first and second components using the SMI signal and the relationship of the disturbances to the known optical thickness of the optical element.

公开(公告)号：US11940293B2

公开(公告)日：2024-03-26

申请号：US17465594

申请日：2021-09-02

Applicant: Apple Inc.

Inventor： Mengshu Huang ,  Ahmet Fatih Cihan ,  Adrian Z. Harb ,  Stephen E. Dey ,  Yuhao Pan ,  Mehmet Mutlu

IPC: G01C3/08 ,  G01B9/02 ,  G01B9/02097 ,  G06F3/01 ,  G06F3/03

CPC classification number: G01C3/08 ,  G01B9/02092 ,  G06F3/014 ,  G06F3/016 ,  G01B9/02097 ,  G06F3/017 ,  G06F3/03 ,  G06F2203/0331

Abstract: A system may include one or more finger devices that gather input from a user's fingers. A finger device may include one or more self-mixing interferometric proximity sensors that measure a distance to the user's finger. The proximity sensor may measure changes in distance between the proximity sensor and a flexible membrane that rests against a side portion of the user's finger. The self-mixing interferometric proximity sensor may include a laser and a photodiode. In some arrangements, a single laser driver may drive the lasers of multiple self-mixing proximity sensors using time-multiplexing. The self-mixing proximity sensor may operate according to a duty cycle. Interpolation and stitching may be used to determine the total displacement of the user's finger including both the on periods and off periods of the self-mixing proximity sensor.

公开(公告)号：US11906303B2

公开(公告)日：2024-02-20

申请号：US17894571

申请日：2022-08-24

Applicant: Apple Inc.

Inventor： Mehmet Mutlu ,  Ahmet Fatih Cihan

IPC: G01B9/02 ,  G06F3/01 ,  H04R1/10 ,  G06F3/16

CPC classification number: G01B9/02092 ,  G06F3/017 ,  G06F3/167 ,  H04R1/1091 ,  H04R2460/13

Abstract: Disclosed herein are wearable devices, their configurations, and methods of operation that use self-mixing interferometry signals of a self-mixing interferometry sensor to recognize user inputs. The user inputs may include voiced commands or silent gesture commands. The devices may be wearable on the user's head, with the self-mixing interferometry sensor configured to direct a beam of light toward a location on the user's head. Skin deformations or vibrations at the location may be caused by the user's speech or the user's silent gestures and recognized using the self-mixing interferometry signal. The self-mixing interferometry signals may be used for bioauthentication and/or audio conditioning of received sound or voice inputs to a microphone.

公开(公告)号：US20230314185A1

公开(公告)日：2023-10-05

申请号：US17710682

申请日：2022-03-31

Applicant: Apple Inc.

Inventor： Tong Chen ,  Ahmet Fatih Cihan ,  Daryl I. Vulis ,  Mingzhou Jin

IPC: G01D5/26 ,  G01J9/02 ,  G01N15/14 ,  G06F3/03 ,  G06F3/01

CPC classification number: G01D5/266 ,  G01J9/0246 ,  G01N15/1434 ,  G06F3/0308 ,  G06F3/013 ,  G01J2009/0288 ,  G01N2015/1454 ,  G06F3/03545

Abstract: An optical sensor module includes an interferometric sensor and a set of one or more optical elements. The interferometric sensor includes a coherent light source and at least one detector configured to generate an interferometric signal. The set of one or more optical elements is configured to simultaneously direct a first portion of light emitted by the coherent light source toward a first focus area within a first depth of focus; direct a second portion of the light emitted by the coherent light source toward a second focus area within a second depth of focus; and direct portions of the emitted light that are returned from one or more objects within the first depth of focus or the second depth of focus toward the interferometric sensor.

公开(公告)号：US20220386955A1

公开(公告)日：2022-12-08

申请号：US17891406

申请日：2022-08-19

Applicant: Apple Inc.

Inventor： Ahmet Fatih Cihan ,  Adrian Z. Harb ,  Mehmet Mutlu ,  Mengshu Huang ,  Stephen E. Dey ,  Yuhao Pan

IPC: A61B5/00 ,  G06F1/16 ,  A61B5/24

Abstract: A wearable electronic device including a housing that is worn by a user and a SMI sensor contained within the housing. The SMI sensor may include an emitter that outputs coherent light toward the skin of a user when the housing is worn by the user. The SMI sensor may also include a detector that detects a portion of the coherent light reflected towards the sensor and generates electrical signals that indicate displacements of the skin based on the portion of coherent light received at the detector. The housing may include a transmitter that is operatively coupled with the SMI sensor and is configured to transmit physiological data to a receiving device based on electrical signals output from the SMI sensor.

公开(公告)号：US11460293B2

公开(公告)日：2022-10-04

申请号：US17124132

申请日：2020-12-16

Applicant: Apple Inc.

Inventor： Tong Chen ,  Ahmet Fatih Cihan ,  Mingzhou Jin

IPC: G01B9/02097 ,  G01B11/30 ,  G01B9/02 ,  G01B11/24 ,  A61B5/00

Abstract: An electronic device is described. The electronic device includes a housing, a set of one or more SMI sensors attached to the housing, and a processor. The set of one or more SMI sensors includes a set of one or more electromagnetic radiation emitters having a set of one or more resonant cavities and configured to emit a set of one or more beams of electromagnetic radiation. The set of one or more SMI sensors also includes a set of one or more detectors configured to generate indications of self-mixing within the set of one or more resonant cavities. The processor is configured to characterize, using the indications of self-mixing, an optical field speckle of a target. The processor is also configured to characterize, using the characterization of the optical field speckle, a surface quality of the target.

公开(公告)号：US20220099436A1

公开(公告)日：2022-03-31

申请号：US17124132

申请日：2020-12-16

Applicant: Apple Inc.

Inventor： Tong Chen ,  Ahmet Fatih Cihan ,  Mingzhou Jin

IPC: G01B11/30 ,  G01B9/02

Abstract: An electronic device is described. The electronic device includes a housing, a set of one or more SMI sensors attached to the housing, and a processor. The set of one or more SMI sensors includes a set of one or more electromagnetic radiation emitters having a set of one or more resonant cavities and configured to emit a set of one or more beams of electromagnetic radiation. The set of one or more SMI sensors also includes a set of one or more detectors configured to generate indications of self-mixing within the set of one or more resonant cavities. The processor is configured to characterize, using the indications of self-mixing, an optical field speckle of a target. The processor is also configured to characterize, using the characterization of the optical field speckle, a surface quality of the target.

公开(公告)号：US20220099431A1

公开(公告)日：2022-03-31

申请号：US17118394

申请日：2020-12-10

Applicant: Apple Inc.

Inventor： Tong Chen ,  Ahmet Fatih Cihan ,  Mingzhou Jin

IPC: G01B9/02 ,  G02F1/09 ,  G02F1/21 ,  G06F3/01

Abstract: Methods and systems concerning non-reciprocal sensing paths for a self-mixing interferometry operation are disclosed herein. Optical components may be used to direct light transmit from a light source along an illumination path. The optical components may additionally return light to the light source after being reflected from a target and may direct the returned light along a collection path. The illumination path and the collection path may be at least partially non-reciprocal so that the transmitted light and the returned light follow along partially different paths. Once the received light is received within a cavity of the light source, a self-mixing interferometry operation may be performed and may be used to detect a property of the target in relation to the light source.