Apple Inc.
TIME-OF-FLIGHT SENSING USING AN ADDRESSABLE ARRAY OF EMITTERS

Abstract:

Optical sensing apparatus (20) includes an array (28) of emitters (50), which emit pulses of optical radiation at different, respective times in response to a control input applied to the array. A receiver (26) includes a plurality of detectors (40), which output signals indicative of times of arrival of photons at the detectors. Optics (30, 32) project the optical radiation from the emitters onto respective locations in a scene and image the respective locations onto corresponding pixels of the receiver. A controller (44) controls the emitters to emit the output pulses in a predefined spatio-temporal sequence, and collects and processes the signals output by corresponding pixels in synchronization with the spatio-temporal sequence so as to measure respective times of flight of the pulses to and from the respective locations in the scene.