Standalone depth camera

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-10298913-B2
Application number	US-201715586295-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	May 4, 2017
Priority date	Aug 18, 2016
Publication date	May 21, 2019
Grant date	May 21, 2019

Abstract

Scanning apparatus includes a base and a gimbal, including a shaft that fits into rotational bearings in the base and is configured to rotate through 360° about a gimbal axis relative to the base. A mirror assembly, fixed to the gimbal, includes a mirror, which is positioned on the gimbal axis and is configured to rotate about a mirror axis perpendicular to the gimbal axis. A transmitter directs pulses of optical radiation toward the mirror, which directs the optical radiation toward a scene. A receiver, receives, via the mirror, the optical radiation reflected from the scene and outputs signals in response to the received radiation. Control circuitry drives the gimbal to rotate about the gimbal axis and the mirror to rotate about the mirror axis, and processes the signals output by the receiver in order to generate a three-dimensional map of the scanned area.

First claim

The invention claimed is:

1. Scanning apparatus, comprising:
a base, comprising a pedestal and a cap, and containing one or more rotational bearings fixed within the pedestal and containing one or more rotational bearings disposed along a gimbal axis;
a gimbal, comprising a shaft that fits into the rotational bearings and is configured to rotate through 360° of azimuth about the gimbal axis relative to the base;
a mirror assembly, which is fixed to the gimbal and comprises a mirror, which is positioned on the gimbal axis and is configured to rotate within the mirror assembly about a mirror axis perpendicular to the gimbal axis;
a transmitter, which is configured to direct pulses of optical radiation toward the mirror, which directs the optical radiation toward a scene;
a receiver, which is positioned to receive, via the mirror, the optical radiation reflected from the scene and to output signals in response to the received radiation,
wherein the gimbal, the mirror assembly, the transmitter and the receiver are contained inside the base, and wherein the base comprises a cylindrical window, which is fixed between the pedestal and the cap and surrounds the mirror assembly, through which the optical radiation exits and enters the base;
a retroreflector, which is mounted in the cap so as to reflect the pulses of optical radiation from the transmitter toward the mirror, and to reflect the optical radiation reflected from the scene via the mirror toward the receiver; and
control circuitry, which is configured to drive the gimbal to rotate about the gimbal axis and the mirror to rotate about the mirror axis so as to scan the optical radiation over an area of the scene extending over the 360° of azimuth about the gimbal axis, and to process the signals output by the receiver in order to generate a three-dimensional map of the scanned area.

2. The apparatus according to claim 1 , and comprising a beamsplitter, which is positioned along the gimbal axis between the transmitter and the receiver and is configured so that the optical radiation is directed from the transmitter, via the beamsplitter, along the gimbal axis toward the mirror, while the optical radiation reflected from the scene is directed, via the beamsplitter, along the gimbal axis toward the receiver.

3. The apparatus according to claim 1 , wherein the pulses of the optical radiation comprise infrared radiation, and wherein the apparatus comprises an emitter, which is configured to direct a visible light beam toward the mirror, wherein the visible light beam is modulated so as to project a visible image via the mirror onto the scene.

4. The apparatus according to claim 1 , wherein the base is configured for placement on a flat surface, with the gimbal axis perpendicular to the flat surface.

5. The apparatus according to claim 1 , wherein the control circuitry comprises a drive, which is coupled to the mirror assembly and the gimbal so as to cause the mirror to rotate about the mirror axis at a first frequency, while causing the gimbal to rotate about the gimbal axis at a second frequency, which is lower than the first frequency.

6. The apparatus according to claim 5 , wherein the mirror assembly comprises a support, which is fixed to the gimbal, and hinges, extending between the mirror and support, wherein the first frequency is a resonant frequency of rotation of the mirror about the hinges.

7. The apparatus according to claim 5 , wherein the drive is an electromagnetic drive, which comprises:
a stator, which is fixed to the gimbal and comprises a core positioned in proximity to the mirror and conductive wire wound on the core and driven with an electrical current by the control circuitry so as to cause the core to generate a magnetic field at the mirror; and
a rotor, comprising one or more permanent magnets, which are fixed to the mirror are positioned so as to rotate in response to the magnetic field.

8. The apparatus according to claim 7 , wherein the stator comprises at least a part of the shaft of the gimbal.

9. The apparatus according to claim 1 , wherein the signals output by the receiver are indicative of respective times of flights of the pulses, and wherein the control circuitry is configured to generate the three-dimensional map based on the times of flight.

10. A method for scanning, comprising:
providing a base, comprising a pedestal and a cap, and containing one or more rotational bearings disposed along a gimbal axis;
fitting a shaft of a gimbal into the rotational bearings so that the gimbal is able to rotate through 360° of azimuth about the gimbal axis relative to the base;
fixing a mirror assembly, comprising a mirror, to the gimbal so that the mirror is positioned on the gimbal axis and is configured to rotate within the mirror assembly about a mirror axis perpendicular to the gimbal axis,
wherein the gimbal, the mirror assembly, a transmitter and a receiver are contained inside the base, and wherein the base comprises a cylindrical window, which is fixed between the pedestal and the cap and surrounds the mirror assembly, through which optical radiation exits and enters the base;
directing pulses of optical radiation from a transmitter toward the mirror, which directs the optical radiation toward a scene;
receiving, via the mirror, the optical radiation reflected from the scene in a receiver, which outputs signals in response to the received radiation;
mounting a retroreflector in the cap so as to reflect the pulses of optical radiation from the transmitter toward the mirror, and to reflect the optical radiation reflected from the scene via the mirror toward the receiver;
driving the gimbal to rotate about the gimbal axis and the mirror to rotate about the mirror axis so as to scan the optical radiation over an area of the scene extending over the 360° of azimuth about the gimbal axis; and
processing the signals output by the receiver in order to generate a three-dimensional map of the scanned area.

11. The method according to claim 10 , and comprising positioning a beamsplitter along the gimbal axis between the transmitter and the receiver so that the optical radiation is directed from the transmitter, via the beamsplitter, along the gimbal axis toward the mirror, while the optical radiation reflected from the scene is directed, via the beamsplitter, along the gimbal axis toward the receiver.

12. The method according to claim 10 , wherein the pulses of the optical radiation comprise infrared radiation, and wherein the method comprises directing a visible light beam toward the mirror, wherein the visible light beam is modulated so as to project a visible image via the mirror onto the scene.

13. The method according to claim 10 , wherein the base is configured for placement on a flat surface, with the gimbal axis perpendicular to the flat surface.

14. The method according to claim 10 , wherein the signals output by the receiver are indicative of respective times of flights of the pulses, and wherein processing the signals comprises generating the three-dimension map based on the times of flight.

Assignees

• Apple Inc

Inventors

• Shpunt Alexander
• Gerson Yuval

Classifications

• H04N23/11

  for generating image signals from visible and infrared light wavelengths · CPC title

• H04N23/698

  for achieving an enlarged field of view, e.g. panoramic image capture · CPC title

• G01S17/42

  Simultaneous measurement of distance and other co-ordinates (indirect measurement G01S17/46) · CPC title

• F16M11/18

  with mechanism for moving the apparatus relatively to the stand · CPC title

• G01S17/10

  using transmission of interrupted, pulse-modulated waves (determination of distance by phase measurements G01S17/32) · CPC title