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US 12,601,583 B2Granted
Multi-channel self-mixing interferometric sensor
AssigneeApple Inc.
InventorsTong Chen, Yongkang Gao, Xiao Xiang, David D. Dashevsky
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
A multi-channel SMI sensor includes an emitter configured to emit light having different polarizations and a polarization-selective lens for directing light having different polarizations towards different locations. The multi-channel SMI sensor is configured to measure physical phenomena at two different locations with a small footprint.
Claims20
A multi-channel self-mixing interferometric (SMI) sensor, comprising:
- a first SMI sensor configured to:
- emit a first light having a first polarization;
- and
- generate a first SMI signal based on self-mixing of a reflected portion of the first light;
- a second SMI sensor configured to:
- emit a second light having a second polarization that is different than the first polarization;
- and
- generate a second SMI signal based on self-mixing of a reflected portion of the second light;
- and
- a polarization-selective lens configured to:
- direct the first light in a first direction towards a first location;
- direct the reflected portion of the first light, received from the first location, back towards the first SMI sensor;
- direct the second light in a second direction towards a second location, the second direction being different from the first direction and the second location being different than the first location;
- and
- direct the reflected portion of the second light, received from the second location, back towards the second SMI sensor.
12 more elements
A multi-channel self-mixing interferometric (SMI) sensor, comprising:
- an SMI sensor configured to:
- emit a light having a mixed polarization;
- and
- generate an SMI signal based on self-mixing of a reflected portion of the light;
- and
- a polarization-selective lens configured to:
- direct the light from the SMI sensor having a first polarization in a first direction towards a first location;
- direct the reflected portion of the light having the first polarization, received from the first location, back towards the SMI sensor;
- direct the light from the SMI sensor having a second polarization in a second direction towards a second location, the second polarization being different than the first polarization, the second direction being different from the first direction, and the second location being different than the first location;
- and
- direct the reflected portion of the light having the second polarization, received from the second location, back towards the SMI sensor.
8 more elements
A multi-channel self-mixing interferometric (SMI) sensor, comprising:
- an SMI sensor configured to:
- emit a first light having a first polarization in response to a first control signal;
- emit a second light having a second polarization in response to a second control signal, the second polarization being different than the first polarization and the second control signal being different than the first control signal;
- generate a first SMI signal based on self-mixing of a reflected portion of the first light;
- and
- generate a second SMI signal based on self-mixing of a reflected portion of the second light;
- and
- a polarization-selective lens configured to:
- direct the first light in a first direction towards a first location;
- direct the reflected portion of the first light, received from the first location, back towards the SMI sensor;
- direct the second light in a second direction towards a second location;
- and
- direct the reflected portion of the second light, received from the second location, back towards the SMI sensor.
10 more elements
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.