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Smartphones
Apple to Replace Structured Light System w/TOF
January 20, 2020
Apple has been a big fan of structured light as a method for identifying users. The structured light system, which Apple debuted on the iPhone X, consists of a proximity sensor that tells the system if the user is within the correct distance and a sensor that evaluates whether to further illuminate the user if the environment is too dark, a dot projector that projects a pattern of 30,000 dots on the users face (infrared, so you don’t see it), an infrared camera that takes a photo of the dot pattern, and an algorithm that matches the pattern to an image that the user registered upon first use. In order to create a 3D map of the users face and match it to a template, the system uses computational power (literally and figuratively) from the phones processor and GPU. While the True Depth™ system created considerable buzz and marketing momentum, it is a complex and expensive way to create 3D images, which are not only important for user identification, but also as a way to create overlay images and video such as Animojis and AR images. There are other limitations to structured light systems, aside from cost, size, and power usage, so while Apple has been examining other ways of user identification, rival Samsung Electronics has been championing TOF (Time of Flight) sensing as an alternative.
TOF, which consists of a transmitter that sends out beams of light and calculates the time it takes for them to return is an alternative, and simple way to create a 3D image map. The TOF module is small (transmitter and receiver) and because the speed of light is a constant, can contain on-board processing, using little or no processing capacity from the phones main CPU and GPU, thus conserving battery life. The cost of a TOF module is less than a comparable structured light system, and takes up less room in already space constrained smartphones, and is more able to image objects further from the user.
Apple could adopt TOF on the next iteration of the iPad later this year in anticipation of TOF being included in the next generation of iPhones. Given the typical split iPad release schedule (March and September/October), it is hard to know how soon we might see TOF in the iPad, but we expect earlier than later to give the company and suppliers more time to prepare for the high volume iPhone. While the iPhone 11 had been a potential device to introduce TOF to Apple customers, it seemed that Apple had a bit too much on its plate at the time to make such a change, especially given that iPhones had only begun using structured light near the end of 2017, but the industry seems to be gearing up for TOF in the iPad or iPad Pro this year. Whether the use of TOF in the iPad is a test to make sure the technology works as expected, or as an introduction for Apple users before a more massive roll-out with the iPhone is established, and whether, if successful, Apple will replace it structure light system or just enhance it with TOF remains unknown, but we expect any shift to TOF technology will stimulate competitive brands to follow in Apple’s footsteps, especially as Samsung has already been using the technology.
Smartphones
Apple to Replace Structured Light System w/TOF
January 20, 2020
Apple has been a big fan of structured light as a method for identifying users. The structured light system, which Apple debuted on the iPhone X, consists of a proximity sensor that tells the system if the user is within the correct distance and a sensor that evaluates whether to further illuminate the user if the environment is too dark, a dot projector that projects a pattern of 30,000 dots on the users face (infrared, so you don’t see it), an infrared camera that takes a photo of the dot pattern, and an algorithm that matches the pattern to an image that the user registered upon first use. In order to create a 3D map of the users face and match it to a template, the system uses computational power (literally and figuratively) from the phones processor and GPU. While the True Depth™ system created considerable buzz and marketing momentum, it is a complex and expensive way to create 3D images, which are not only important for user identification, but also as a way to create overlay images and video such as Animojis and AR images. There are other limitations to structured light systems, aside from cost, size, and power usage, so while Apple has been examining other ways of user identification, rival Samsung Electronics has been championing TOF (Time of Flight) sensing as an alternative.
TOF, which consists of a transmitter that sends out beams of light and calculates the time it takes for them to return is an alternative, and simple way to create a 3D image map. The TOF module is small (transmitter and receiver) and because the speed of light is a constant, can contain on-board processing, using little or no processing capacity from the phones main CPU and GPU, thus conserving battery life. The cost of a TOF module is less than a comparable structured light system, and takes up less room in already space constrained smartphones, and is more able to image objects further from the user.
Apple could adopt TOF on the next iteration of the iPad later this year in anticipation of TOF being included in the next generation of iPhones. Given the typical split iPad release schedule (March and September/October), it is hard to know how soon we might see TOF in the iPad, but we expect earlier than later to give the company and suppliers more time to prepare for the high volume iPhone. While the iPhone 11 had been a potential device to introduce TOF to Apple customers, it seemed that Apple had a bit too much on its plate at the time to make such a change, especially given that iPhones had only begun using structured light near the end of 2017, but the industry seems to be gearing up for TOF in the iPad or iPad Pro this year. Whether the use of TOF in the iPad is a test to make sure the technology works as expected, or as an introduction for Apple users before a more massive roll-out with the iPhone is established, and whether, if successful, Apple will replace it structure light system or just enhance it with TOF remains unknown, but we expect any shift to TOF technology will stimulate competitive brands to follow in Apple’s footsteps, especially as Samsung has already been using the technology.
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