Infrared-assisted pre-flash

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-11070738-B2
Application number	US-201916591543-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Oct 2, 2019
Priority date	Oct 2, 2019
Publication date	Jul 20, 2021
Grant date	Jul 20, 2021

Abstract

Methods, systems, and devices for operating a camera-enabled device are described. The camera-enabled device may emit, via a first light emitting source, an infrared light in a physical environment and determine time-of-flight information associated with a target object in the physical environment based on the emitted infrared light. The camera-enabled device may estimate one or more exposure settings based on the time-of-flight information, and emit, via a second light emitting source, a visible light in the physical environment based on the estimated one or more exposure settings. As a result, the camera-enabled device may capture an image of the physical environment based on the emitted visible light and the estimated one or more exposure settings.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A method for operating a camera-enabled device, comprising:
enabling a first light emitting source of the camera-enabled device during a first period;
emitting, via the first light emitting source of the camera-enabled device, an infrared light in a physical environment based at least in part on the enabling;
determining a first illumination level associated with the physical environment based at least in part on the emitted infrared light during the first period;
disabling the first light emitting source of the camera-enabled device during a second period different than the first period based at least in part on the first illumination level satisfying a threshold;
determining a second illumination level associated with the physical environment based at least in part on the disabling;
determining time-of-flight information associated with a target object in the physical environment based at least in part on the emitted infrared light and on one or more of the first illumination level or the second illumination level;
estimating one or more exposure settings based at least in part on the time-of-flight information;
emitting, via a second light emitting source of the camera-enabled device, a visible light in the physical environment based at least in part on the estimated one or more exposure settings; and
capturing an image of the physical environment based at least in part on the emitted visible light and the estimated one or more exposure settings, wherein the estimated one or more exposure settings are different than one or more default exposure settings associated with the emitted visible light.

2. The method of claim 1 , further comprising:
comparing the estimated one or more exposure settings to the one or more default exposure settings; and
configuring the camera-enabled device with the estimated one or more exposure settings based at least in part on the comparing,
wherein capturing the image of the physical environment is further based at least in part on configuring the camera-enabled device with the estimated one or more exposure settings.

3. The method of claim 1 , further comprising:
determining an illumination level associated with the physical environment based at least in part on the emitted infrared light;
determining a distance between the camera-enabled device and the target object in the physical environment based at least in part on the time-of-flight information; and
enabling the second light emitting source of the camera-enabled device based at least in part on one or more of the illumination level and the distance between the camera-enabled device and the target object,
wherein emitting, via the second light emitting source of the camera-enabled device, the visible light in the physical environment is further based at least in part on the enabling.

4. The method of claim 3 , further comprising:
pre-configuring an auto focus setting of the camera-enabled device based at least in part on one or more of the illumination level and the distance between the camera-enabled device and the target object,
wherein emitting, via the second light emitting source of the camera-enabled device, the visible light in the physical environment is further based at least in part on the preconfigured auto focus setting.

5. The method of claim 3 , further comprising:
enabling, a third light emitting source of the camera-enabled device, based at least in part on the distance between the camera-enabled device and the target object in the physical environment satisfying a threshold; and
emitting, via the third light emitting source of the camera-enabled device, a second visible light in the physical environment based at least in part on the enabling,
wherein capturing the image of the physical environment is further based at least in part on the emitted second visible light.

6. The method of claim 5 , wherein the emitted visible light associated with the second light emitting source has a lower luminance level compared to the emitted second visible light associated with the third light emitting source.

7. The method of claim 5 , wherein one or more of the first light emitting source, the second light emitting source, or the third light emitting source are part of a same component the camera-enabled device.

8. The method of claim 5 , wherein emitting, via the second light emitting source of the camera-enabled device, the visible light comprises:
emitting the visible light according to a first power level.

9. The method of claim 8 , wherein emitting, via the third light emitting source of the camera-enabled device, the second visible light comprises:
emitting the second visible light according to a second power level different than the first power level.

10. The method of claim 3 , further comprising:
overriding, a third light emitting source of the camera-enabled device, based at least in part on the distance between the camera-enabled device and the target object in the physical environment satisfying a threshold,
wherein capturing the image of the physical environment is further based at least in part on the overriding.

11. The method of claim 1 , further comprising:
estimating one or more white balance settings of the camera-enabled device based at least in part on one or more of the emitted infrared light or the emitted visible light,
wherein capturing the image of the physical environment is further based at least in part on the estimated one or more white balance settings.

12. The method of claim 1 , wherein one or more of the first light emitting source or the second light emitting source comprises a time-of-flight sensor.

13. The method of claim 1 , wherein the first light emitting source and the second light emitting source are within a footprint of the camera-enabled device.

14. The method of claim 1 , wherein the first light emitting source and the second light emitting source are part of a same component of the camera-enabled device.

15. An apparatus, comprising:
a processor,
memory coupled with the processor; and
instructions stored in the memory and executable by the processor to cause the apparatus to:
enable a first light emitting source of the apparatus during a first period;
emit, via a first light emitting source of the apparatus, an infrared light in a physical environment based at least in part on enabling the first light emitting source;
determine a first illumination level associated with the physical environment based at least in part on the emitted infrared light during the first period;
disable the first light emitting source of the apparatus during a second period different than the first period based at least in part on the first illumination level satisfying a threshold;
determine a second illumination level associated with the physical environment based at least in part on the disabling;
determine time-of-flight information associated with a target object in the physical environment based at least in part on the emitted infrared light and on one or more of the first illumination level or the second illumination level;
estimate one or more exposure settings based at least in part on the time-of-flight information;
emit, via a second light emitting source of the apparatus, a visible light in the physical environment based at least in part on the estimated one or more exposure settings; and
capture an image of the physical environment based at least in part on the emitted visible light and the estimated one or more exposure settings, wherein the estimated one or more exposure settings are different than one or more def

Assignees

• Qualcomm Inc

Inventors

• Segapelli Loic Francois
• Lee Ho Sang
• Noyes Ying

Classifications

• G03B7/091 Primary

  Digital circuits · CPC title

• H04N23/74 Primary

  by influencing the scene brightness using illuminating means · CPC title

• H04N23/88

  for colour balance, e.g. white-balance circuits or colour temperature control · CPC title

• H04N23/73

  by influencing the exposure time · CPC title

• H04N23/60

  Control of cameras or camera modules · CPC title