Electronic device with adjustable illumination

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-11596039-B2
Application number	US-202117646203-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Dec 28, 2021
Priority date	May 27, 2015
Publication date	Feb 28, 2023
Grant date	Feb 28, 2023

Abstract

This application discloses an electronic device (e.g., a camera) that a plurality of light sources and a light source driver. The light sources are configurable to a plurality of light source subsets to illuminate a field of view. At least two of the light source subsets include distinct light source members and are configured to illuminate different regions of the field of view. The light source driver is coupled to the plurality of light sources and configured to drive the plurality of light source subsets. In some embodiments, the electronic device includes or is coupled to a camera module configured to capture visual data of the field of view, and the plurality of light sources is configured to provide illumination for the camera module.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A camera, comprising:
a plurality of light sources configured to illuminate a field of view and configurable into a plurality of light source subsets;
a light source driver coupled to the plurality of light sources and configured to drive the plurality of light sources with a first drive voltage at a first mode and with a second drive voltage at a second mode, the second drive voltage being lower than the first drive voltage; and
a microcontroller configured to:
illuminate a first quadrant of a field of view of the camera, using a first subset of the plurality of light sources, by applying a first drive voltage; and
illuminate a second quadrant of the field of view of the camera, using a second subset of the plurality of light sources, by applying a second drive voltage.

2. The camera of claim 1 , wherein in the first mode, the plurality of light sources is electrically coupled in series to form a string that is driven by the first drive voltage.

3. The camera of claim 1 , wherein each of the plurality of light source subsets includes one or more light source members, further comprising:
a bypass circuit coupled to the plurality of light sources and configured to enable each of the plurality of light source subsets by bypassing a respective set of light sources that are distinct from the respective one or more light source members of the respective light source subset, allowing the respective one or more light source members to be electrically coupled in series and form the respective light source subset.

4. The camera of claim 3 , wherein the bypass circuit includes a plurality of bypass elements, and each light source is coupled in parallel with one of the plurality of bypass elements configurable to bypass the respective light source in the second mode.

5. The camera of claim 1 , wherein the plurality of light sources includes eight light sources, and in the second mode, six of the eight light sources are bypassed, and two remaining light sources are coupled in series and driven by the second drive voltage.

6. The camera of claim 1 , wherein the plurality of light sources includes a plurality of light emitting diodes (LEDs).

7. The camera of claim 6 , further comprising a camera lens configured to capture visual data of the field of view, and wherein the plurality of LEDs is disposed to surround the camera lens.

8. The camera of claim 7 , wherein each LED is tilted with an angle with respect to an optical axis of the camera lens.

9. The camera of claim 8 , wherein each LED is tilted away from the optical axis of the camera with the angle in a range of 20 to 40 degrees.

10. The camera of claim 7 , wherein the plurality of light sources is disposed symmetrically with respect to the camera lens.

11. An electronic device, comprising:
a plurality of light sources configured to illuminate a field of view and configurable into a plurality of light source subsets;
a light source driver coupled to the plurality of light sources and configured to drive the plurality of light sources with a first drive voltage at a first mode and with a second drive voltage at a second mode, the second drive voltage being lower than the first drive voltage; and
a microcontroller configured to:
illuminate a first quadrant of a field of view of the electronic device, using a first subset of the plurality of light sources, by applying a first drive voltage; and
illuminate a second quadrant of the field of view of the electronic device, using a second subset of the plurality of light sources, by applying a second drive voltage.

12. The electronic device of claim 11 , further comprising:
a camera lens configured to capture visual data of the field of view.

13. The electronic device of claim 11 , wherein the plurality of light sources includes a plurality of infrared LEDs.

14. The electronic device of claim 13 , further comprising:
a dark-colored infrared-transparent cover enclosing the plurality of infrared LEDs, wherein the plurality of infrared LEDs is not visible from an exterior of the electronic device.

15. The electronic device of claim 13 , wherein in a night mode associated with the second mode, one or more of the plurality of infrared light sources is driven to illuminate at least part of the field of view with infrared light.

16. A method of providing a camera, comprising:
providing a camera lens configured to capture visual data of a field of view;
providing a plurality of light sources configured to illuminate a field of view;
coupling a light source driver to the plurality of light sources, the light source driver being configured to drive the plurality of light sources with a first drive voltage at a first mode and with a second drive voltage at a second mode, the second drive voltage being lower than the first drive voltage; and
providing a microcontroller configured to:
illuminate a first quadrant of a field of view of the camera, using a first subset of the plurality of light sources, by applying a first drive voltage; and
illuminate a second quadrant of the field of view of the camera, using a second subset of the plurality of light sources, by applying a second drive voltage.

17. The method of claim 16 , further comprising:
providing a camera lens configured to capture visual data of the field of view, image sensors, a microphone, a speaker, and one or more antennas, wherein the camera is configured to communicate the visual data to a client device via a remote surveillance server in real time while capturing the visual data.

18. The method of claim 16 , wherein the plurality of light sources is grouped into four subsets of light sources that are configured to illuminate four quadrants of the field of view, respectively.

19. The method of claim 18 , wherein depth information of the field of view is recovered at night time according to a variation of the field of view illuminated by the four subsets of light sources.

20. The method of claim 16 , wherein:
when driven by the first drive voltage in the first mode, the plurality of light sources is associated with a first drive current; and
when driven by the second drive voltage in the second mode, a selected one of the plurality of light source subsets is associated with a second drive current that is distinct from the first drive voltage.

Assignees

• Google Llc

Inventors

• Dorai Arvind
• Nelson Anders
• Conner Brian Jonathan

Classifications

• H04N23/20

  for generating image signals from infrared radiation only · CPC title

• H05B45/48

  having LEDs organised in strings and incorporating parallel shunting devices · CPC title

• H04N23/74

  by influencing the scene brightness using illuminating means · CPC title

• H05B45/10

  Controlling the intensity of the light · CPC title

• H04N23/56

  provided with illuminating means · CPC title