US 12,335,613 B2
Detection of close-range specular targets
Moshe Laifenfeld, Haifa (IL); Jason R. Holloway, Cupertino, CA (US); Alexandra H. Chau, Sunnyvale, CA (US); Gregory Guyomarc'h, San Francisco, CA (US); Connor Henley, Cambridge, MA (US); and Oriel Y. Bergig, Shoham (IL)
Assigned to Apple Inc., Cupertino, CA (US)
Filed by Apple Inc., Cupertino, CA (US)
Filed on May 30, 2023, as Appl. No. 18/325,150.
Prior Publication US 2024/0406552 A1, Dec. 5, 2024
Int. Cl. H04N 23/67 (2023.01); G01S 7/481 (2006.01); G01S 7/4865 (2020.01); G01S 17/10 (2020.01); G01S 17/86 (2020.01); H04N 23/745 (2023.01)
CPC H04N 23/671 (2023.01) [G01S 7/4815 (2013.01); G01S 7/4816 (2013.01); G01S 7/4865 (2013.01); G01S 17/10 (2013.01); G01S 17/86 (2020.01); H04N 23/745 (2023.01)] 20 Claims
OG exemplary drawing
 
1. Imaging apparatus, comprising:
a camera comprising an autofocus mechanism and configured to capture images of a scene;
a range sensor comprising a transmitter, which comprises multiple emitters configured to transmit optical pulses at different angles toward the scene, and a receiver, configured to receive and sense respective times of flight of the optical pulses that are reflected from the scene;
a photodetector configured to output a signal indicative of an intensity of reflections from the scene in response to the transmitted optical pulses; and
control circuitry, configured to drive the emitters in alternation to transmit the optical pulses, to estimate a range to a target in the scene responsively to the times of flight sensed by the receiver, to detect a difference in the signal output by the photodetector in response to the pulses transmitted by different ones of the emitters, and to set the autofocus mechanism responsively to the estimated range as long as the detected difference is no greater than a predefined threshold difference.