Patents by Inventor Andrew J. Sutton
Andrew J. Sutton has filed for patents to protect the following inventions. This listing includes patent applications that are pending as well as patents that have already been granted by the United States Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO).
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Patent number: 11550038Abstract: An optical device includes a transmitter, which emits a beam of optical radiation, and a receiver, which includes a detector configured to output a signal in response to the optical radiation. An active area of the detector has a first dimension along a first axis and a second dimension, which is less than the first dimension, along a second axis perpendicular to the first axis. An anamorphic lens, which collects and focuses the optical radiation onto the active area of the detector, has a first focal length in a first plane containing the first axis and a second focal length, greater than the first focal length, in a second plane containing the second axis. A scanner scans the beam across a target scene in a scan direction that is aligned with the first axis, and directs the optical radiation that is reflected from the target scene toward the receiver.Type: GrantFiled: April 18, 2019Date of Patent: January 10, 2023Assignee: APPLE INC.Inventors: Robert S. Upton, Alexander Shpunt, Andrew J. Sutton, Chandra S. Kakani, Yuval Gerson
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Patent number: 11480685Abstract: Sensing apparatus includes a transparent window and a LiDAR assembly, including a beam source, which is configured to emit one or more beams of optical radiation along a beam axis, and which is configured to scan the one or more beams over an angular range about the beam axis. A diffractive structure is mounted approximately parallel to the transparent window and positioned to intercept the one or more beams emitted by the LiDAR assembly and turn the beam axis to pass through the transparent window at an angle greater than 30° relative to a normal to a surface of the transparent window.Type: GrantFiled: March 2, 2020Date of Patent: October 25, 2022Assignee: APPLE INC.Inventors: Andrew J. Sutton, Michael C. Wharton, Romain A. Teil
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Publication number: 20220236384Abstract: An optical device (20A, 20B, 100, 200, 800) includes a first array of emitters (28A, 28B) disposed on a semiconductor substrate (218) and configured to emit respective beams of optical radiation.Type: ApplicationFiled: June 21, 2020Publication date: July 28, 2022Inventors: Andrew J. Sutton, Robert S. Upton
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Patent number: 10985524Abstract: An optoelectronic device includes a silicon substrate, with a silicon waveguide layer disposed over the silicon substrate and including an optical waveguide. One or more through-silicon vias (TSVs) extend through the silicon substrate and contact the silicon waveguide layer. A III-V base layer is disposed over the silicon waveguide layer, and an optical amplifier is disposed on the III-V base layer and optically coupled to the optical waveguide.Type: GrantFiled: July 31, 2019Date of Patent: April 20, 2021Assignee: APPLE INC.Inventors: Igal I. Bayn, Andrew J. Sutton, Alexander Shpunt, Yuval Gerson
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Patent number: 10955531Abstract: An optical device includes a light source, which is configured to emit a beam of light, and a sensor having a detection area. At least one scanning mirror is configured to scan the beam across a target scene. Light collection optics include a collection lens positioned to receive the light from the scene that is reflected from the at least one scanning mirror and to focus the collected light onto a focal plane, and a non-imaging optical element having a front surface positioned at the focal plane of the collection lens and a rear surface in proximity to the sensor and configured to spread the light focused by the collection lens over the detection area of the sensor.Type: GrantFiled: December 21, 2017Date of Patent: March 23, 2021Assignee: APPLE INC.Inventors: Robert S Upton, Andrew J. Sutton, Ariel Lipson, Noel Axelrod
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Patent number: 10908361Abstract: An apparatus for driving and position sensing in a comb-drive actuator includes a generator, a driver circuit, sensing circuitry, and signal processing circuitry. The generator is configured to apply a sensing-voltage to a first electrode of the comb-drive actuator. The driver circuit is configured to apply a drive-voltage to a second electrode of the comb-drive actuator, having an opposite polarity relative to the first electrode. The sensing circuitry is configured to measure at the second electrode a sensed-waveform resulting from the sensing-voltage applied to the first electrode. The signal processing circuitry is configured to estimate a position of the first electrode relative to the second electrode based on the sensed-waveform.Type: GrantFiled: December 16, 2018Date of Patent: February 2, 2021Assignee: APPLE INC.Inventors: Sebastian Fluegel, Andrew J. Sutton, Bryce T Bradford, Yuval Gerson
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Publication number: 20200348418Abstract: Sensing apparatus includes a transparent window and a LiDAR assembly, including a beam source, which is configured to emit one or more beams of optical radiation along a beam axis, and which is configured to scan the one or more beams over an angular range about the beam axis. A diffractive structure is mounted approximately parallel to the transparent window and positioned to intercept the one or more beams emitted by the LiDAR assembly and turn the beam axis to pass through the transparent window at an angle greater than 30° relative to a normal to a surface of the transparent window.Type: ApplicationFiled: March 2, 2020Publication date: November 5, 2020Inventors: Andrew J. Sutton, Michael C. Wharton, Romain A. Teil
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Patent number: 10823955Abstract: An optical device includes a laser light source configured to emit a collimated beam of light, and a scanning mirror, which is configured to reflect and scan the beam of light over a predefined angular range. The optical device further includes a volume holographic grating (VHG), which is positioned to receive and reflect the collimated beam emitted by the laser light source toward the scanning mirror by Bragg reflection at a predefined Bragg-angle, while transmitting the beam reflected from the scanning mirror over a part of the angular range that is outside a cone containing the Bragg-angle.Type: GrantFiled: November 7, 2018Date of Patent: November 3, 2020Assignee: APPLE INC.Inventors: Andrew J. Sutton, Alexander Shpunt, Yuval Gerson
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Patent number: 10775507Abstract: An electro-optical device includes a laser, which is configured to emit toward a scene pulses of optical radiation. An array of 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. A controller is coupled to drive the laser to emit a sequence of pulses of the optical radiation toward each of a plurality of points in the scene and to find respective times of flight for the points responsively to the output signals, while controlling a power of the pulses emitted by the laser by counting a number of the detectors outputting the signals in response to each pulse, and reducing the power of a subsequent pulse in the sequence when the number is greater than a predefined threshold.Type: GrantFiled: August 10, 2017Date of Patent: September 15, 2020Assignee: APPLE INC.Inventors: Shingo Mandai, Cristiano L Niclass, Richard E Bills, Moshe Laifenfeld, Mina A. Rezk, Alexander Shpunt, Ron Sokolovsky, Tal Kaitz, Ronen Akerman, Jason D. Mudge, Andrew J Sutton
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Patent number: 10634843Abstract: An optoelectronic device includes a substrate, having a recess formed therein. An optical isolator is mounted in the recess. A laser includes a stack of epitaxial layers on the substrate and emits a beam of radiation toward the recess along a direction parallel to a surface of the substrate. A waveguide directs the beam emitted by the laser into the optical isolator.Type: GrantFiled: February 10, 2019Date of Patent: April 28, 2020Assignee: APPLE INC.Inventors: Igal I. Bayn, Andrew J. Sutton, Alexander Shpunt, Jason S. Pelc, Mark A. Arbore
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Publication number: 20200096615Abstract: An optical device includes a transmitter, which emits a beam of optical radiation, and a receiver, which includes a detector configured to output a signal in response to the optical radiation. An active area of the detector has a first dimension along a first axis and a second dimension, which is less than the first dimension, along a second axis perpendicular to the first axis. An anamorphic lens, which collects and focuses the optical radiation onto the active area of the detector, has a first focal length in a first plane containing the first axis and a second focal length, greater than the first focal length, in a second plane containing the second axis. A scanner scans the beam across a target scene in a scan direction that is aligned with the first axis, and directs the optical radiation that is reflected from the target scene toward the receiver.Type: ApplicationFiled: April 18, 2019Publication date: March 26, 2020Inventors: Robert S. Upton, Alexander Shpunt, Andrew J. Sutton, Chandra S. Kakani, Yuval Gerson
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Publication number: 20190377136Abstract: An apparatus for driving and position sensing in a comb-drive actuator includes a generator, a driver circuit, sensing circuitry, and signal processing circuitry. The generator is configured to apply a sensing-voltage to a first electrode of the comb-drive actuator. The driver circuit is configured to apply a drive-voltage to a second electrode of the comb-drive actuator, having an opposite polarity relative to the first electrode. The sensing circuitry is configured to measure at the second electrode a sensed-waveform resulting from the sensing-voltage applied to the first electrode. The signal processing circuitry is configured to estimate a position of the first electrode relative to the second electrode based on the sensed-waveform.Type: ApplicationFiled: December 16, 2018Publication date: December 12, 2019Inventors: Sebastian Fluegel, Andrew J. Sutton, Bryce T. Bradford, Yuval Gerson
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Publication number: 20190324203Abstract: An optoelectronic device includes a substrate, having a recess formed therein. An optical isolator is mounted in the recess. A laser includes a stack of epitaxial layers on the substrate and emits a beam of radiation toward the recess along a direction parallel to a surface of the substrate. A waveguide directs the beam emitted by the laser into the optical isolator.Type: ApplicationFiled: February 10, 2019Publication date: October 24, 2019Inventors: Igal I. Bayn, Andrew J. Sutton, Alexander Shpunt, Jason S. Pelc, Mark A. Arbore
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Publication number: 20190278077Abstract: An optical device includes a laser light source configured to emit a collimated beam of light, and a scanning mirror, which is configured to reflect and scan the beam of light over a predefined angular range. The optical device further includes a volume holographic grating (VHG), which is positioned to receive and reflect the collimated beam emitted by the laser light source toward the scanning mirror by Bragg reflection at a predefined Bragg-angle, while transmitting the beam reflected from the scanning mirror over a part of the angular range that is outside a cone containing the Bragg-angle.Type: ApplicationFiled: November 7, 2018Publication date: September 12, 2019Inventors: Andrew J. Sutton, Alexander Shpunt, Yuval Gerson
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Patent number: 10333269Abstract: A laser system includes a master oscillator, which emits a train of optical seed pulses with variable intervals between the pulses. An optical power amplifier includes an optical gain medium, which receives and amplifies the optical seed pulses from the master oscillator, and a pump, which applies pump radiation to the optical gain medium. A pulse generator applies a control input to the master oscillator, which causes the intervals between the optical seed pulses to vary by at least 50% at a rate of change that is greater than a response frequency of the optical gain medium. A control unit drives the pump responsively to predicted intervals between the optical seed pulses, at a variable pump power selected so that the pulse amplitudes of the output pulses vary by no more than 20% irrespective of the varying intervals between the optical seed pulses.Type: GrantFiled: December 21, 2017Date of Patent: June 25, 2019Assignee: APPLE INC.Inventors: Ido Luft, Andrew J. Sutton, Ronen Akerman
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Patent number: 10305247Abstract: An optical apparatus includes an array of lasers, which are arranged in a grid pattern having a predefined spatial pitch and are configured to emit respective beams of pulses of optical radiation. Projection optics having a selected focal length project the beams toward a target with an angular pitch between the beams defined by the spatial pitch and the focal length. A scanner scans the projected beams over a range of scan angles that is less than twice the angular pitch. Control circuitry drives the lasers and the scanner so that the pulses cover the target with a resolution finer than the angular pitch. A receiver receives and measures a time of flight of the pulses reflected from the target.Type: GrantFiled: August 30, 2016Date of Patent: May 28, 2019Assignee: APPLE INC.Inventors: Richard E. Bills, Andrew J. Sutton, Cristiano L. Niclass, Mina A. Rezk
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Patent number: 10263391Abstract: An optoelectronic device includes a semiconductor substrate and a vertical-cavity surface-emitting laser (VCSEL) light source formed on the substrate and configured to emit coherent light at a predefined wavelength along a beam axis perpendicular to a surface of the substrate. A block of a transparent material is mounted on the surface of the substrate and forms, with the VCSEL, a resonant cavity at the predefined wavelength having an entrance face that is aligned with the beam axis and an exit face that is laterally displaced with respect to the entrance face along a cavity axis running parallel to the surface of the substrate.Type: GrantFiled: December 24, 2017Date of Patent: April 16, 2019Assignee: APPLE INC.Inventors: Alexander Shpunt, Andrew J. Sutton, Yakov G. Soskind
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Publication number: 20190097380Abstract: A laser system includes a master oscillator, which emits a train of optical seed pulses with variable intervals between the pulses. An optical power amplifier includes an optical gain medium, which receives and amplifies the optical seed pulses from the master oscillator, and a pump, which applies pump radiation to the optical gain medium. A pulse generator applies a control input to the master oscillator, which causes the intervals between the optical seed pulses to vary by at least 50% at a rate of change that is greater than a response frequency of the optical gain medium. A control unit drives the pump responsively to predicted intervals between the optical seed pulses, at a variable pump power selected so that the pulse amplitudes of the output pulses vary by no more than 20% irrespective of the varying intervals between the optical seed pulses.Type: ApplicationFiled: December 21, 2017Publication date: March 28, 2019Inventors: Ido Luft, Andrew J. Sutton, Ronen Akerman
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Publication number: 20190074661Abstract: An optoelectronic device includes a semiconductor substrate and a vertical-cavity surface-emitting laser (VCSEL) light source formed on the substrate and configured to emit coherent light at a predefined wavelength along a beam axis perpendicular to a surface of the substrate. A block of a transparent material is mounted on the surface of the substrate and forms, with the VCSEL, a resonant cavity at the predefined wavelength having an entrance face that is aligned with the beam axis and an exit face that is laterally displaced with respect to the entrance face along a cavity axis running parallel to the surface of the substrate.Type: ApplicationFiled: December 24, 2017Publication date: March 7, 2019Inventors: Alexander Shpunt, Andrew J. Sutton, Yakov G. Soskind
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Publication number: 20180372847Abstract: An optical device includes a light source, which is configured to emit a beam of light, and a sensor having a detection area. At least one scanning mirror is configured to scan the beam across a target scene. Light collection optics include a collection lens positioned to receive the light from the scene that is reflected from the at least one scanning mirror and to focus the collected light onto a focal plane, and a non-imaging optical element having a front surface positioned at the focal plane of the collection lens and a rear surface in proximity to the sensor and configured to spread the light focused by the collection lens over the detection area of the sensor.Type: ApplicationFiled: December 21, 2017Publication date: December 27, 2018Inventors: Robert S. Upton, Andrew J. Sutton, Ariel Lipson, Noel Axelrod