Projector for diffuse illumination and structured light

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-11920920-B2
Application number	US-202118002786-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Jun 22, 2021
Priority date	Jun 23, 2020
Publication date	Mar 5, 2024
Grant date	Mar 5, 2024

Abstract

Described herein is a projector and illumination module configured for scene illumination and pattern projection. The projector and illumination module includes at least one array of a plurality of individual emitters and at least one optical system. Each of the individual emitters is configured for generating at least one illumination light beam. The at least one optical system includes at least one array of a plurality of transfer devices. The at least one array of the plurality of transfer devices includes at least one transfer device for each of the individual emitters. The at least one array of the plurality of transfer devices includes at least two groups of transfer devices. The transfer devices of one of the groups are configured for generating at least one illumination pattern. The transfer devices of the other group are configured for generating diverging light beams.

First claim

The invention claimed is:

1. A projector and illumination module configured for scene illumination and pattern projection, wherein the projector and illumination module comprises at least one array of a plurality of individual emitters and at least one optical system, wherein each of the individual emitters is configured for generating at least one illumination light beam, wherein the at least one optical system comprises at least one array of a plurality of transfer devices, wherein the at least one array of the plurality of transfer devices comprises at least one transfer device for each of the individual emitters, wherein the at least one array of the plurality of transfer devices further comprises at least two groups of transfer devices, wherein the transfer devices of the two groups differ in at least one property, wherein the transfer devices of one of the groups are configured for generating collimated light beams in response to illumination light beams impinging on said transfer devices, wherein the transfer devices of the other group are configured for generating diverging light beams in response to illumination light beams impinging on said transfer devices; wherein brightness of the diverging light beams and the collimated light beams are individually controllable, wherein emission power of the individual emitters associated with the same group of transfer devices is controllable and adjustable separately.

2. The projector and illumination module according to claim 1 , wherein each of the individual emitters comprise at least one vertical-cavity surface-emitting laser (VCSEL) or at least one micro-light emitting diode (LED).

3. The projector and illumination module according to claim 1 , wherein the individual emitters are configured for emitting light beams at a wavelength range from 800 to 1000 nm.

4. The projector and illumination module according to claim 1 , wherein emission wavelengths of the individual emitters are identical or different.

5. The projector and illumination module according to claim 1 , wherein individual emitters associated with the same group of transfer devices have a same specific emission wavelength.

6. The projector and illumination module according to claim 1 , wherein emission power of the individual emitters of the at least one array is controllable and adjustable for each individual emitter.

7. The projector and illumination module according to claim 1 , wherein the at least two groups of transfer devices are arranged in at least one pattern, wherein the at least one pattern is a line pattern or a checker-board pattern.

8. The projector and illumination module according to claim 1 , wherein each of the transfer devices comprise at least one element selected from the group consisting of: at least one micro-lens; at least one transmissive window; at least one diffuser; and at least one diffractive optical element.

9. The projector and illumination module according to claim 1 , wherein the at least two groups of transfer devices differ in one or more of their refractive power, their relative position to the respective emitter, their distance to the respective emitter, and their symmetry or a tilt of their symmetry axes with respect to optical axes of the respective emitter.

10. A detector comprising:
at least one projector and illumination module according to claim 1 ; and
at least one camera module comprising at least one image sensor and at least one read-out and image processing device.

11. The detector according to claim 10 , wherein the at least one camera module is configured for imaging at least one 2D-image of at least one object illuminated by the diverging light beams.

12. The detector according to claim 10 , wherein the detector is configured for determining depth information by one or more of structured light, triangulation, Time of Flight (ToF), and beam profile analysis using the projected illumination pattern.

13. A method for illuminating at least one object by using at least one projector and illumination module according to claim 1 , wherein the at least one projector and illumination module comprises at least one array of a plurality of individual emitters and at least one optical system, wherein each of the individual emitters generates at least one illumination light beam, wherein the at least one optical system comprises at least one array of a plurality of transfer devices, wherein the at least one array of the plurality of transfer devices comprises at least one transfer device for each of the individual emitters, wherein the at least one array of the plurality of transfer devices comprises at least two groups of transfer devices, wherein the transfer devices of the two groups differ in at least one property, wherein the transfer devices of one of the groups generate at least one illumination pattern in response to illumination light beams impinging on said transfer devices, wherein the transfer devices of the other group generate diverging light beams in response to illumination light beams impinging on said transfer devices.

14. The projector and illumination module according to claim 1 , wherein the individual emitters are configured for emitting light beams at a wavelength of 940 nm.

15. The projector and illumination module according to claim 1 , wherein each of the transfer devices comprise at least one element selected from the group consisting of: at least one multifocal micro-lens; at least one individually-addressed or matrix-addressed tunable or controllable multifocal micro-lens array; at least one transmissive window; at least one diffuser; and at least one diffractive optical element.

Assignees

• Trinamix Gmbh

Inventors

• Hamid Muhammed Hamed
• Raith Philipp Nils
• Rein Benjamin
• Schick Friedrich

Classifications

• G01B11/2513 Primary

  with several lines being projected in more than one direction, e.g. grids, patterns · CPC title

• G06T7/521

  from laser ranging, e.g. using interferometry; from the projection of structured light · CPC title

• H04N23/56

  provided with illuminating means · CPC title

• G06T2207/10028

  Range image; Depth image; 3D point clouds · CPC title

• G03B21/208 Primary

  Homogenising, shaping of the illumination light · CPC title