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公开(公告)号:US12088925B1
公开(公告)日:2024-09-10
申请号:US17931883
申请日:2022-09-13
Applicant: Apple Inc.
Inventor: Francesco Cannillo , Emanuele Mandelli
IPC: H04N23/745 , H04N25/443 , H04N25/53 , H04N25/75 , H04N25/77
CPC classification number: H04N23/745 , H04N25/443 , H04N25/53 , H04N25/75 , H04N25/77
Abstract: An image capture device may include an image sensor having a plurality of light-sensitive pixel sensors to capture light from a scene for generating images and a flicker detection circuit to detect flicker in the light captured by the image sensor. The flicker detection circuit may include one or more event-based readout circuits and at least one event-based processing circuit. The event-based readout circuits may detect a series of events associated with the flicker in the light captured by the image sensor. The event-based processing circuit may determine a frequency of the flicker in the captured light based on the series of events detected by the event-based readout circuits. In some embodiments, the frequency may be used to adjust the exposure time of the image sensor, e.g., to identify intervals for exposure when the captured light is bright.
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公开(公告)号:US11860368B2
公开(公告)日:2024-01-02
申请号:US17933060
申请日:2022-09-16
Applicant: Apple Inc.
Inventor: Noah D. Bedard , Ricardo J. Motta , Emanuele Mandelli , Daniel R. Hennigan , Kathrin Berkner Cieslicki , Branko Petljanski , Brett D. Miller , Kenichi Saito
CPC classification number: G02B27/0172 , G03B30/00 , G02B2027/014 , G02B2027/0123 , G02B2027/0129 , G02B2027/0138 , G02B2027/0198
Abstract: A device for MR/VR systems that includes a two-dimensional array of cameras that capture images of respective portions of a scene. The cameras are positioned along a spherical surface so that the cameras have adjacent fields of view. The entrance pupils of the cameras are positioned at or near the user's eye while the cameras also form optimized images at the sensor. Methods for reducing the number of cameras in an array, as well as methods for reducing the number of pixels read from the array and processed by the pipeline, are also described.
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公开(公告)号:US11856305B2
公开(公告)日:2023-12-26
申请号:US17401385
申请日:2021-08-13
Applicant: APPLE INC.
Inventor: Emanuele Mandelli , Walter Nistico
Abstract: In one implementation, an event sensor includes a plurality of pixels and an event compiler. The plurality of pixels are positioned to receive light from a scene disposed within a field of view of the event sensor. Each pixel is configured to have an operational state that is modified by control signals generated by a respective state circuit. The event compiler is configured to output a stream of pixel events. Each respective pixel event corresponds to a breach of a comparator threshold related to an intensity of incident illumination. Each control signal is generated based on feedback information that is received from an image pipeline configured to consume image data derived from the stream of pixel events.
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公开(公告)号:US20250126363A1
公开(公告)日:2025-04-17
申请号:US18999632
申请日:2024-12-23
Applicant: Apple Inc.
Inventor: Nikolai E. Bock , Andrew Kenneth John McMahon , Dario Clocchiatti , Emanuele Mandelli , Gennady A. Manokhin , Robert H. Mullis
Abstract: A pulse-width modulation (PWM) image sensor is described herein. The PWM image sensor may have a stacked configuration. A top wafer of the PWM image sensor may have a charge-to-time converter and a logic wafer, stacked with the top wafer, may include a time-to-digital converter. The PWM image sensor may utilize variable transfer functions to avoid highlight compression and may utilize non-linear time quantization. A threshold voltage, as input to a charge-to-time converter, may additionally be controlled to affect light detection, dynamic range, and other features associated with the PWM image sensor.
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公开(公告)号:US12192644B2
公开(公告)日:2025-01-07
申请号:US17865128
申请日:2022-07-14
Applicant: Apple Inc.
Inventor: Nikolai E. Bock , Andrew Kenneth John McMahon , Dario Clocchiatti , Emanuele Mandelli , Gennady A. Manokhin , Robert H. Mullis
IPC: H04N5/04 , G04F10/00 , H01L27/146 , H04N23/71 , H04N23/73 , G11C11/419
Abstract: A pulse-width modulation (PWM) image sensor is described herein. The PWM image sensor may have a stacked configuration. A top wafer of the PWM image sensor may have a charge-to-time converter and a logic wafer, stacked with the top wafer, may include a time-to-digital converter. The PWM image sensor may utilize variable transfer functions to avoid highlight compression and may utilize non-linear time quantization. A threshold voltage, as input to a charge-to-time converter, may additionally be controlled to affect light detection, dynamic range, and other features associated with the PWM image sensor.
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公开(公告)号:US12155948B2
公开(公告)日:2024-11-26
申请号:US17774878
申请日:2020-11-10
Applicant: APPLE INC.
Inventor: Nikolai E. Bock , Emanuele Mandelli , Gennady A. Manokhin
IPC: H04N25/75 , H04N25/40 , H04N25/50 , H04N25/74 , H04N25/771
Abstract: Various implementations disclosed herein include devices, systems, and methods that buffer events in device memory during synchronous readout of a plurality of frames by a sensor. Various implementations disclosed herein include devices, systems, and methods that disable a sensor communication link until the buffered events are sufficient for transmission by the sensor. In some implementations, the sensor using a synchronous readout may select a readout mode for one or more frames based on how many of the pixels are detecting events. In some implementations, a first mode that reads out only data for a low percentage of pixels that have events uses the device memory and a second mode bypasses the device memory based on accumulation criteria such as high percentage of pixels detecting events. In the second mode, less data per pixel may be readout.
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公开(公告)号:US20230044950A1
公开(公告)日:2023-02-09
申请号:US17865128
申请日:2022-07-14
Applicant: Apple Inc.
Inventor: Nikolai E. Bock , Andrew Kenneth John McMahon , Dario Clocchiatti , Emanuele Mandelli , Gennady A. Manokhin , Robert H. Mullis
Abstract: A pulse-width modulation (PWM) image sensor is described herein. The PWM image sensor may have a stacked configuration. A top wafer of the PWM image sensor may have a charge-to-time converter and a logic wafer, stacked with the top wafer, may include a time-to-digital converter. The PWM image sensor may utilize variable transfer functions to avoid highlight compression and may utilize non-linear time quantization. A threshold voltage, as input to a charge-to-time converter, may additionally be controlled to affect light detection, dynamic range, and other features associated with the PWM image sensor.
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公开(公告)号:US11910109B2
公开(公告)日:2024-02-20
申请号:US17376264
申请日:2021-07-15
Applicant: APPLE INC.
Inventor: Nikolai E. Bock , Emanuele Mandelli , Dario Clocchiatti
Abstract: In one implementation, an event sensor includes a plurality of pixels, an external readout line shared among the plurality of pixels, and an external processing circuit. Each pixel is configured to output pixel data indicative of an intensity of incident illumination. The external processing circuit is configured to output a stream of pixel events. Each respective pixel event is generated when a comparator of the external processing circuit obtains a sample of pixel data from a particular pixel via the external readout line that breaches a threshold value.
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公开(公告)号:US12185018B2
公开(公告)日:2024-12-31
申请号:US16912497
申请日:2020-06-25
Applicant: Apple Inc.
Inventor: Gennadiy A. Agranov , Zachary M. Beiley , Andras G. Pattantyus-Abraham , Oray O. Cellek , Xiaofeng Fan , Gershon Rosenblum , Xiangli Li , Emanuele Mandelli , Bernhard Buettgen , Yuchuan Shao
IPC: H04N5/33 , H01L27/146 , H04N23/30 , H04N25/131
Abstract: A sensor stack is described. The sensor stack includes first and second electromagnetic radiation sensors. The first electromagnetic radiation sensor has a high quantum efficiency for converting a first range of electromagnetic radiation wavelengths into a first set of electrical signals. The second electromagnetic radiation sensor is positioned in a field of view of the first electromagnetic radiation sensor and has a high quantum efficiency for converting a second range of electromagnetic radiation wavelengths into a second set of electrical signals and a low quantum efficiency for converting the first range of electromagnetic radiation wavelengths into the second set of electrical signals. The first range of wavelengths does not overlap the second range of wavelengths, and the second electromagnetic radiation sensor is at least partially transmissive to the first range of electromagnetic radiation wavelengths.
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公开(公告)号:US11861941B1
公开(公告)日:2024-01-02
申请号:US16779297
申请日:2020-01-31
Applicant: Apple Inc.
Inventor: Keenan Molner , Qiong Huang , Branko Petljanski , Edward A. Valko , Tom Sengelaub , Martin Haller , Andrei Nikiforov , Hua Gao , Emanuele Mandelli
IPC: G06V40/19 , G02B27/01 , G02B5/30 , G06V40/18 , H01L31/0203 , H01L31/0216
CPC classification number: G06V40/19 , G02B5/3025 , G02B27/0172 , G06V40/18 , G02B2027/0161 , G02B2027/0178 , H01L31/0203 , H01L31/0216
Abstract: Methods and apparatus for using polarized light (e.g., infrared (IR) light) to improve eye-related functions such as iris recognition. An eye camera system includes one or more IR cameras that capture images of the user's eyes that are processed to perform iris recognition, gaze tracking, or other functions. At least one polarizing element may be located in the path of the light which is used to capture images of the user's eye. The user's eye may be illuminated by IR light emitted by one or more LEDs. At least one of the LEDs may be an LED with a polarizing filter. Instead or in addition, at least one polarizer may be located at the eye camera sensor, in the eye camera optics, or as or in an additional optical element located on the light path between the eye camera and the user's eye.
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