Patents by Inventor Tal Kaitz

Tal Kaitz 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).

  • Patent number: 11914078
    Abstract: Imaging apparatus (22) includes a radiation source (40), which emits pulsed beams (42) of optical radiation toward a target scene (24). An array (52) of sensing elements (78) output signals indicative of respective times of incidence of photons in a first image of the target scene that is formed on the array of sensing elements. An image sensor (64) captures a second image of the target scene in registration with the first image. Processing and control circuitry (56, 58) identifies, responsively to the signals, areas of the array on which the pulses of optical radiation reflected from corresponding regions of the target scene are incident, and processes the signals from the sensing elements in the identified areas in order measure depth coordinates of the corresponding regions of the target scene based on the times of incidence, while identifying, responsively to the second image, one or more of the regions of the target scene as no-depth regions.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 2, 2019
    Date of Patent: February 27, 2024
    Assignee: APPLE INC.
    Inventors: David Silver, Moshe Laifenfeld, Tal Kaitz
  • Patent number: 11868455
    Abstract: Techniques are disclosed relating to biometric authentication, e.g., facial recognition. In some embodiments, a device is configured to verify that image data from a camera unit exhibits a pseudo-random sequence of image capture modes and/or a probing pattern of illumination points (e.g., from lasers in a depth capture mode) before authenticating a user based on recognizing a face in the image data. In some embodiments, a secure circuit may control verification of the sequence and/or the probing pattern. In some embodiments, the secure circuit may verify frame numbers, signatures, and/or nonce values for captured image information. In some embodiments, a device may implement one or more lockout procedures in response to biometric authentication failures. The disclosed techniques may reduce or eliminate the effectiveness of spoofing and/or replay attacks, in some embodiments.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 22, 2021
    Date of Patent: January 9, 2024
    Assignee: Apple Inc.
    Inventors: Deepti S. Prakash, Lucia E. Ballard, Jerrold V. Hauck, Feng Tang, Etai Littwin, Pavan Kumar Anasosalu Vasu, Gideon Littwin, Thorsten Gernoth, Lucie Kucerova, Petr Kostka, Steven P. Hotelling, Eitan Hirsh, Tal Kaitz, Jonathan Pokrass, Andrei Kolin, Moshe Laifenfeld, Matthew C. Waldon, Thomas P. Mensch, Lynn R. Youngs, Christopher G. Zeleznik, Michael R. Malone, Ziv Hendel, Ivan Krstic, Anup K. Sharma
  • Publication number: 20220364849
    Abstract: Depth mapping apparatus includes an illumination assembly, which directs modulated optical radiation toward a target scene, and a camera, which captures a two-dimensional image of the target scene. A range sensor senses respective times of flight of photons reflected from a matrix of locations disposed across the target scene. A processor derives first depth coordinates of the matrix of locations responsively to the respective times of flight, derives second depth coordinates of the matrix of locations responsively to a transverse disparity between features in the two-dimensional image and corresponding reference features in a reference image, computes a disparity correction function based on a difference between the first and the second depth coordinates at the matrix of locations, corrects the transverse disparity between the two-dimensional image and the reference image using the disparity correction function, and generates a depth map of the target scene based on the corrected transverse disparity.
    Type: Application
    Filed: March 8, 2022
    Publication date: November 17, 2022
    Inventors: Shay Yosub, Assaf Avraham, Jawad Nawasra, Jonathan Pokrass, Moshe Laifenfeld, Nir Ben Zadok, Niv Gilboa, Tal Kaitz, Ronen Akerman, Naveh Levanon
  • Patent number: 11151235
    Abstract: Techniques are disclosed relating to biometric authentication, e.g., facial recognition. In some embodiments, a device is configured to verify that image data from a camera unit exhibits a pseudo-random sequence of image capture modes and/or a probing pattern of illumination points (e.g., from lasers in a depth capture mode) before authenticating a user based on recognizing a face in the image data. In some embodiments, a secure circuit may control verification of the sequence and/or the probing pattern. In some embodiments, the secure circuit may verify frame numbers, signatures, and/or nonce values for captured image information. In some embodiments, a device may implement one or more lockout procedures in response to biometric authentication failures. The disclosed techniques may reduce or eliminate the effectiveness of spoofing and/or replay attacks, in some embodiments.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 31, 2018
    Date of Patent: October 19, 2021
    Assignee: Apple Inc.
    Inventors: Deepti S. Prakash, Lucia E. Ballard, Jerrold V. Hauck, Feng Tang, Etai Littwin, Pavan Kumar Anasosalu Vasu, Gideon Littwin, Thorsten Gernoth, Lucie Kucerova, Petr Kostka, Steven P. Hotelling, Eitan Hirsh, Tal Kaitz, Jonathan Pokrass, Andrei Kolin, Moshe Laifenfeld, Matthew C. Waldon, Thomas P. Mensch, Lynn R. Youngs, Christopher G. Zeleznik, Michael R. Malone, Ziv Hendel, Ivan Krstic, Anup K. Sharma, Kelsey Y. Ho
  • Publication number: 20210286865
    Abstract: Techniques are disclosed relating to biometric authentication, e.g., facial recognition. In some embodiments, a device is configured to verify that image data from a camera unit exhibits a pseudo-random sequence of image capture modes and/or a probing pattern of illumination points (e.g., from lasers in a depth capture mode) before authenticating a user based on recognizing a face in the image data. In some embodiments, a secure circuit may control verification of the sequence and/or the probing pattern. In some embodiments, the secure circuit may verify frame numbers, signatures, and/or nonce values for captured image information. In some embodiments, a device may implement one or more lockout procedures in response to biometric authentication failures. The disclosed techniques may reduce or eliminate the effectiveness of spoofing and/or replay attacks, in some embodiments.
    Type: Application
    Filed: February 22, 2021
    Publication date: September 16, 2021
    Inventors: Deepti S. Prakash, Lucia E. Ballard, Jerrold V. Hauck, Feng Tang, Etai Littwin, Pavan Kumar Ansosalu Vasu, Gideon Littwin, Thorsten Gernoth, Lucie Kucerova, Petr Kostka, Steven P. Hotelling, Eitan Hirsh, Tal Kaitz, Jonathan Pokrass, Andrei Kolin, Moshe Laifenfeld, Matthew C. Waldon, Thomas P. Mensch, Lynn R. Youngs, Christopher G. Zeleznik, Michael R. Malone, Ziv Hendel, Ivan Krstic, Anup K. Sharma
  • Publication number: 20210270969
    Abstract: Imaging apparatus (22) includes a radiation source (40), which emits pulsed beams (42) of optical radiation toward a target scene (24). An array (52) of sensing elements outputs signals indicative of respective times of incidence of photons on the sensing elements. Objective optics (54) form a first image of the target scene on the array of sensing elements. An image sensor (64) captures e a second image of the target scene. Processing and control circuitry (56, 58) is configured to process the second image so as to detect a relative motion between at least one object in the target scene and the apparatus, and which is configured to construct, responsively to the signals from the array, histograms of the times of incidence of the photons on the sensing elements and to adjust the histograms responsively to the detected relative motion, and to generate a depth map of the target scene based on the adjusted histograms.
    Type: Application
    Filed: September 2, 2019
    Publication date: September 2, 2021
    Inventors: David Silver, Eitan Hirsh, Moshe Laifenfeld, Tal Kaitz
  • Publication number: 20210208262
    Abstract: Imaging apparatus (22) includes a radiation source (40), which emits pulsed beams (42) of optical radiation toward a target scene (24). An array (52) of sensing elements (78) output signals indicative of respective times of incidence of photons in a first image of the target scene that is formed on the array of sensing elements. An image sensor (64) captures a second image of the target scene in registration with the first image. Processing and control circuitry (56, 58) identifies, responsively to the signals, areas of the array on which the pulses of optical radiation reflected from corresponding regions of the target scene are incident, and processes the signals from the sensing elements in the identified areas in order measure depth coordinates of the corresponding regions of the target scene based on the times of incidence, while identifying, responsively to the second image, one or more of the regions of the target scene as no-depth regions.
    Type: Application
    Filed: September 2, 2019
    Publication date: July 8, 2021
    Inventors: David Silver, Moshe Laifenfeld, Tal Kaitz
  • Patent number: 10962628
    Abstract: Disclosed are devices and methods for scanning sensing systems having an array of light sensing pixels, such as pixels that use single-photon avalanche diodes. Light pulses are emitted into a field of view (FOV) at starts of a sequence of time intervals, and a weighted tabulation of the times-of-flight of the reflected light pulses within each time interval is used to detect an object in the FOV and determine its distance. Each weight is based on the time-of-flight between the emitted pulse and the received reflected light pulse and on the number of the emitted light pulse in the sequence of emitted light pulses. For near objects the weights emphasize times-of-flight from peripheral time intervals of the sequence; for far objects the weights emphasize central time intervals of the sequence.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 25, 2018
    Date of Patent: March 30, 2021
    Assignee: Apple Inc.
    Inventors: Moshe Laifenfeld, Tal Kaitz, Shingo Mandai, Cristiano L. Niclass
  • Patent number: 10955552
    Abstract: Depth-sensing apparatus includes a laser, which is configured to emit pulses of optical radiation toward a scene. One or more 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. Control and processing circuitry is coupled to drive the laser to emit a succession of output sequences of the pulses with different, respective temporal spacings between the pulses within the output sequences in the succession, and to match the times of arrival of input sequences of the signals to the temporal spacings of the output sequences in order to find respective times of flight for the points in the scene.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 18, 2017
    Date of Patent: March 23, 2021
    Assignee: APPLE INC.
    Inventors: Nadav Fine, Oz Barak, Tal Kaitz
  • Patent number: 10929515
    Abstract: Techniques are disclosed relating to biometric authentication, e.g., facial recognition. In some embodiments, a device is configured to verify that image data from a camera unit exhibits a pseudo-random sequence of image capture modes and/or a probing pattern of illumination points (e.g., from lasers in a depth capture mode) before authenticating a user based on recognizing a face in the image data. In some embodiments, a secure circuit may control verification of the sequence and/or the probing pattern. In some embodiments, the secure circuit may verify frame numbers, signatures, and/or nonce values for captured image information. In some embodiments, a device may implement one or more lockout procedures in response to biometric authentication failures. The disclosed techniques may reduce or eliminate the effectiveness of spoofing and/or replay attacks, in some embodiments.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 31, 2018
    Date of Patent: February 23, 2021
    Assignee: Apple Inc.
    Inventors: Deepti S. Prakash, Lucia E. Ballard, Jerrold V. Hauck, Feng Tang, Etai Littwin, Pavan Kumar Ansosalu Vasu, Gideon Littwin, Thorsten Gernoth, Lucie Kucerova, Petr Kostka, Steven P. Hotelling, Eitan Hirsh, Tal Kaitz, Jonathan Pokrass, Andrei Kolin, Moshe Laifenfeld, Matthew C. Waldon, Thomas P. Mensch, Lynn R. Youngs, Christopher G. Zeleznik, Michael R. Malone, Ziv Hendel, Ivan Krstic, Anup K. Sharma
  • Patent number: 10801886
    Abstract: The sensitivity of one or more single-photon avalanche diodes (SPAD) in a SPAD detector is modulated over time. The sensitivity of all of the SPADs may be modulated, or the sensitivity of one section of the SPADs can be modulated differently from another section of the SPADs. Various techniques for modulating the sensitivity are disclosed.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 24, 2018
    Date of Patent: October 13, 2020
    Assignee: Apple Inc.
    Inventors: Shingo Mandai, Andrew Kenneth John McMahon, Cristiano L. Niclass, Thierry Oggier, Tal Kaitz, Moshe Laifenfeld
  • Patent number: 10775507
    Abstract: 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: Grant
    Filed: August 10, 2017
    Date of Patent: September 15, 2020
    Assignee: 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
  • Publication number: 20190094364
    Abstract: Depth-sensing apparatus includes a laser, which is configured to emit pulses of optical radiation toward a scene. One or more 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. Control and processing circuitry is coupled to drive the laser to emit a succession of output sequences of the pulses with different, respective temporal spacings between the pulses within the output sequences in the succession, and to match the times of arrival of input sequences of the signals to the temporal spacings of the output sequences in order to find respective times of flight for the points in the scene.
    Type: Application
    Filed: December 18, 2017
    Publication date: March 28, 2019
    Inventors: Nadav Fine, Oz Barak, Tal Kaitz
  • Publication number: 20190044723
    Abstract: Techniques are disclosed relating to biometric authentication, e.g., facial recognition. In some embodiments, a device is configured to verify that image data from a camera unit exhibits a pseudo-random sequence of image capture modes and/or a probing pattern of illumination points (e.g., from lasers in a depth capture mode) before authenticating a user based on recognizing a face in the image data. In some embodiments, a secure circuit may control verification of the sequence and/or the probing pattern. In some embodiments, the secure circuit may verify frame numbers, signatures, and/or nonce values for captured image information. In some embodiments, a device may implement one or more lockout procedures in response to biometric authentication failures. The disclosed techniques may reduce or eliminate the effectiveness of spoofing and/or replay attacks, in some embodiments.
    Type: Application
    Filed: July 31, 2018
    Publication date: February 7, 2019
    Inventors: Deepti S. Prakash, Lucia E. Ballard, Jerrold V. Hauck, Feng Tang, Etai Littwin, Pavan Kumar Ansosalu Vasu, Gideon Littwin, Thorsten Gernoth, Lucie Kucerova, Petr Kostka, Steven P. Hotelling, Eitan Hirsh, Tal Kaitz, Jonathan Pokrass, Andrei Kolin, Moshe Laifenfeld, Matthew C. Waldon, Thomas P. Mensch, Lynn R. Youngs, Christopher G. Zeleznik, Michael R. Malone, Ziv Hendel, Ivan Krstic, Anup K. Sharma
  • Publication number: 20190042718
    Abstract: Techniques are disclosed relating to biometric authentication, e.g., facial recognition. In some embodiments, a device is configured to verify that image data from a camera unit exhibits a pseudo-random sequence of image capture modes and/or a probing pattern of illumination points (e.g., from lasers in a depth capture mode) before authenticating a user based on recognizing a face in the image data. In some embodiments, a secure circuit may control verification of the sequence and/or the probing pattern. In some embodiments, the secure circuit may verify frame numbers, signatures, and/or nonce values for captured image information. In some embodiments, a device may implement one or more lockout procedures in response to biometric authentication failures. The disclosed techniques may reduce or eliminate the effectiveness of spoofing and/or replay attacks, in some embodiments.
    Type: Application
    Filed: July 31, 2018
    Publication date: February 7, 2019
    Inventors: Deepti S. Prakash, Lucia E. Ballard, Jerrold V. Hauck, Feng Tang, Etai Littwin, Pavan Kumar Ansosalu Vasu, Gideon Littwin, Thorsten Gernoth, Lucie Kucerova, Petr Kostka, Steven P. Hotelling, Eitan Hirsh, Tal Kaitz, Jonathan Pokrass, Andrei Kolin, Moshe Laifenfeld, Matthew C. Waldon, Thomas P. Mensch, Lynn R. Youngs, Christopher G. Zeleznik, Michael R. Malone, Ziv Hendel, Ivan Krstic, Anup K. Sharma, Kelsey Y. Ho
  • Publication number: 20190018119
    Abstract: Disclosed herein are methods and devices for light emitting depth sensors such as scanning depth sensors and LIDARS. Methods, devices and systems disclose tracking a beam of reflected light pulses on an array of light sensing pixels. The tracking can dynamically update a location of the beam or an expected on-center time of the reflected light pulses at a pixel of the array. Counts of detected reflected pulses in time periods before and after the expected on-center time at a pixel are used to detect offsets in initial estimates of the beam location or timing.
    Type: Application
    Filed: July 12, 2018
    Publication date: January 17, 2019
    Inventors: Moshe Laifenfeld, Cristiano L. Niclass, Shingo Mandai, Tal Kaitz
  • Publication number: 20180209846
    Abstract: The sensitivity of one or more single-photon avalanche diodes (SPAD) in a SPAD detector is modulated over time. The sensitivity of all of the SPADs may be modulated, or the sensitivity of one section of the SPADs can be modulated differently from another section of the SPADs. Various techniques for modulating the sensitivity are disclosed.
    Type: Application
    Filed: January 24, 2018
    Publication date: July 26, 2018
    Inventors: Shingo Mandai, Andrew Kenneth John McMahon, Cristiano L. Niclass, Thierry Oggier, Tal Kaitz, Moshe Laifenfeld
  • Publication number: 20180081061
    Abstract: 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: Application
    Filed: August 10, 2017
    Publication date: March 22, 2018
    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
  • Patent number: 8228950
    Abstract: A method for detecting and/or estimating a ranging signal in a wireless communications network, wherein the ranging signal comprises a plurality of tiles. The method includes (i) for two or more of the plurality of tiles, carrying out a plurality of mathematical correlations for one or more of the plurality of tiles but less than all of the plurality of tiles products between subcarriers, wherein at least one of the plurality of products is carried out between non-adjacent subcarriers associated with one of the two or more of the plurality of tiles; (ii) summing the results of the correlations products, thereby obtaining mathematical correlations that make up summed results; and (iii) based on the summed results, detecting a code characterizing the ranging signal and/or estimating the timing offset of the ranging signal.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 18, 2006
    Date of Patent: July 24, 2012
    Assignee: Alvarion Ltd.
    Inventors: Dan Stopler, Tal Kaitz, Yaniv Bar
  • Patent number: 7925295
    Abstract: A method and devices are provided to allow reducing interferences occurring in adjacent wireless communication networks. When a subscriber device experiences interferences resulting from the operation of an adjacent wireless network, it transmits an adjustment signal which serves as a request for adjustment, to the base station operative at the adjacent wireless communication network. The adjacent base station that receives the adjustment signal retrieves adjustment information therefrom, and based on the retrieved information will determine whether it should effect a change in its transmission that would result in reducing the interferences experienced at the subscriber device sending the adjustment signal.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 13, 2005
    Date of Patent: April 12, 2011
    Assignee: Alvarion Ltd.
    Inventors: Vladimir Yanover, Tal Kaitz, Naftali Chayat