Multi-phase active light depth system

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-10732285-B2
Application number	US-201816143070-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Sep 26, 2018
Priority date	Sep 26, 2018
Publication date	Aug 4, 2020
Grant date	Aug 4, 2020

Abstract

Aspects of the present disclosure relate to systems and methods for structured light (SL) depth systems. A depth finding system includes one or more processors and a memory, coupled to the one or more processors, includes instructions that, when executed by the one or more processors, cause the system to capture a plurality of frames based on transmitted pulses of light, where each of the frames is captured by scanning a sensor array after a respective one of the pulses has been transmitted, and generate an image depicting reflections of the transmitted light by combining the plurality of frames, where each of the frames provides a different portion of the image.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A method, comprising:
capturing a plurality of frames based on transmitted pulses of light, wherein each of the frames is captured by scanning a sensor array when a respective one of the pulses is transmitted and, for each scan of the sensor array, one or more photodiodes of the sensor array are closed during the transmission of the respective pulse, the scanning including:
activating individual rows of the sensor array, in succession, based on the transmission of each pulse such that, during each scan of the array, a subset of the rows captures reflected light from the respective pulse and at least one of the rows does not capture any reflected light from the respective pulse; and

generating an image depicting reflections of the transmitted light by combining the plurality of frames, wherein each of the frames provides a different portion of the image.

2. The method of claim 1 , further comprising:
transmitting the pulses of light in a spatial pattern; and
receiving the reflections of the transmitted light via the sensor array.

3. The method of claim 1 , wherein the sensor array comprises a complementary metal-oxide-semiconductor (CMOS) sensor device.

4. The method of claim 1 , wherein the sensor array comprises a rolling-shutter sensor device.

5. The method of claim 1 , wherein a different subset of rows captures the reflected light for each of the plurality of frames.

6. The method of claim 1 , wherein a duration of each scan of the sensor array is greater than a duration of each pulse.

7. The method of claim 1 , wherein a delay between the transmission of a pulse and a corresponding scan of the sensor array is different for each of the frames.

8. The method of claim 1 , further comprising:
determining a depth map based at least in part on a spatial pattern reflected in the image.

9. A depth finding system, comprising:
one or more processors; and
a memory coupled to the one or more processors and including instructions that, when executed by the one or more processors, cause the system to:
capture a plurality of frames based on transmitted pulses of light, wherein each of the frames is captured by scanning a sensor array when a respective one of the pulses is transmitted and, for each scan of the sensor array, one or more photodiodes of the sensor array are closed during the transmission of the respective pulse, execution of the instructions for scanning the sensor array further causing the system to:
activate individual rows of the sensor array, in succession, based on the transmission of each pulse such that, during each scan of the array, a subset of the rows captures reflected light from the respective pulse and at least one of the rows does not capture any reflected light from the respective pulse; and

generate an image depicting reflections of the transmitted light by combining the plurality of frames, wherein each of the frames provides a different portion of the image.

10. The system of claim 9 , further comprising:
a transmitter to transmit the pulses of light in a spatial pattern; and
the sensor array to receive the reflections of the transmitted light.

11. The system of claim 9 , wherein the sensor array comprises a complementary metal-oxide-semiconductor (CMOS) sensor device.

12. The system of claim 9 , wherein the sensor array comprises a rolling-shutter sensor device.

13. The system of claim 9 , wherein a different subset of rows captures the reflected light for each of the plurality of frames.

14. The system of claim 9 , wherein a duration of each scan of the sensor array is greater than a duration of each pulse.

15. The system of claim 9 , wherein a delay between the transmission of a pulse and a corresponding scan of the sensor array is different for each of the frames.

16. The system of claim 9 , wherein execution of the instructions further causes the system to:
determine a depth map based at least in part on a spatial pattern reflected in the image.

17. A non-transitory computer-readable medium storing one or more programs containing instructions that, when executed by one or more processors of a depth finding system, cause the system to:
capture a plurality of frames based on transmitted pulses of light, wherein each of the frames is captured by scanning a sensor array when a respective one of the pulses is transmitted and, for each scan of the sensor array, one or more photodiodes of the sensor array are closed during the transmission of the respective pulse, execution of the instructions for scanning the sensor array further causes the system to:
activate individual rows of the sensor array, in succession, based on the transmission of each pulse such that, during each scan of the sensor array, a subset of the rows captures reflected light from the respective pulse and at least some of the rows do not capture any reflected light from the respective pulse; and

generate an image depicting reflections of the transmitted light by combining the plurality of frames, wherein each of the frames provides a different portion of the image.

18. The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 17 , wherein execution of the instructions further causes the system to:
transmit the pulses of light in a spatial pattern; and
receive the reflections of the transmitted light via the sensory array.

19. The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 17 , wherein the sensor array comprises a complementary metal-oxide-semiconductor (CMOS) sensor device.

20. The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 17 , wherein the sensor array comprises a rolling-shutter sensor device.

21. The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 17 , wherein
a different subset of rows captures the reflected light for each of the plurality of frames.

22. The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 17 , wherein a duration of each scan of the sensor array is greater than a duration of each pulse.

23. The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 17 , wherein a delay between the transmission of a pulse and a corresponding scan of the sensor array is different for each of the frames.

24. The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 17 , wherein execution of the instructions further causes the system to:
determine a depth map based at least in part on a spatial pattern reflected in the image.

25. A depth finding system, comprising:
means for capturing a plurality of frames based on transmitted pulses of light, wherein each of the frames is captured by scanning a sensor array when a respective one of the pulses is transmitted and, for each scan of the sensor array, one or more photodiodes of the sensor array are closed during the transmission of the respective pulse, the means for scanning the sensor array including:
means for activating individual rows of the sensor array, in succession, based on the transmission of each pulse such that, during each scan of the sensor array, a subset of the rows captures reflected light from the respective pulse and at least some of the rows do not capture any reflected light from the respective pulse; and

means for generating an image depicting reflections of the transmitted light by combining the plurality of frames, wherein each of the frames provides a different portion of the image.

26. The depth finding system of claim 25 , wherein
a different subset of rows captures the reflect

Assignees

• Qualcomm Inc

Inventors

• Atanassov Kalin
• Goma Sergiu
• Nash James

Classifications

• H04N25/531

  by controlling rolling shutters in CMOS SSIS · CPC title

• H04N25/44

  by partially reading an SSIS array · CPC title

• H04N25/76

  Addressed sensors, e.g. MOS or CMOS sensors · CPC title

• G01S17/89 Primary

  for mapping or imaging · CPC title

• G01B11/25 Primary

  by projecting a pattern, e.g. {one or more lines,} moiré fringes on the object (G01B11/255 takes precedence {; image analysis for depth or shape recovery G06T7/50}) · CPC title