VCSEL arrays for generation of linear structured light features

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-11949213-B2
Application number	US-202017069731-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Oct 13, 2020
Priority date	Jul 8, 2020
Publication date	Apr 2, 2024
Grant date	Apr 2, 2024

Abstract

A depth camera assembly (DCA) determines depth information for a local area. The DCA includes a camera assembly and at least one illuminator. The DCA may select a subset of the VCSELs to provide illumination at any given time. The illuminator may comprise near-field VCSELs configured to generate a structured light (SL) pattern for depth sensing in the near-field and far-field VCSELs configured to generate a SL pattern for depth sensing in the far-field. The near-field VCSELs may comprise a linear emission region which is shorter than a linear emission region of the far-field VCSELs. The DCA may generate and phase shift a quasi-sinusoidal SL pattern. The DCA may phase shift the quasi-sinusoidal SL pattern by alternating which traces on the illuminator are active.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A vertical cavity surface emitting laser (VCSEL) array comprising:
one or more first linear VCSELs on a substrate, each of the one or more first linear VCSELs having a respective linear emission region over a first length; and
one or more second linear VCSELs on the substrate, each of the one or more second linear VCSELs having a linear emission region over a second length that is longer than the first length, wherein
the linear emission region of at least one second linear VCSEL of the one or more second linear VCSELs is parallel to an adjacent linear emission region of a respective first linear VCSEL of the one or more first linear VCSELs,
the respective first linear VCSEL is configured to generate a first structured light pattern for illumination of a near-field portion of a local area serviced by the VCSEL array, and
the one or more second linear VCSEL is configured to generate a second structured light pattern for illumination of a far-field portion of the local area.

2. The VCSEL array of claim 1 , wherein:
the one or more first linear VCSELs are positioned on a first portion of the substrate;
the one or more second linear VCSELs are positioned on a second portion of the substrate; and
the first portion of the substrate and the second portion of the substrate are separated by a neutral portion.

3. The VCSEL array of claim 2 , wherein a width of the neutral portion is less than a minimum pitch distance between adjacent VCSELs.

4. The VCSEL array of claim 1 , wherein the one or more first linear VCSELs are separated from the one or more second linear VCSELs by a minimum pitch distance.

5. The VCSEL array of claim 4 , wherein:
a first linear VCSEL of the one or more first linear VCSELs is positioned between two linear VCSELs of the one or more second linear VCSELs, and
the first linear VCSEL of the one or more first linear VCSELs is separated from each of the two linear VCSELs of the one or more second linear VCSELs by at least the minimum pitch distance.

6. The VCSEL array of claim 1 , wherein a flux of light emitted by the one or more first linear VCSELs and the one or more second linear VCSELs is proportional to a length of a respective VCSEL.

7. The VCSEL array of claim 1 , wherein each of the one or more first linear VCSELs is parallel to each of the one or more second linear VCSELs.

8. The VCSEL array of claim 1 , wherein the one or more first linear VCSELs are configured to be activated by a depth camera assembly controller in response to the depth camera assembly controller detecting an object in the near-field portion of the local area serviced by the VCSEL array.

9. The VCSEL array of claim 1 , wherein the VCSEL array is configured to phase shift a structured light pattern generated by the VCSEL array.

10. A vertical cavity surface emitting laser (VCSEL) array comprising:
a first plurality of emitters each having an emission region of a first shape, wherein the first plurality of emitters are positioned on a substrate to emit light that forms a structured light (SL) pattern at a first phase shift in a far-field of the VCSEL array, and wherein the SL pattern has a quasi-sinusoidal distribution in at least one dimension that is based in part on positions of the first plurality of emitters on the substrate and the first shape of each emission region of each of the first plurality of emitters; and
a second plurality of emitters each having an emission region of the first shape, wherein the second plurality of emitters are positioned on the substrate to emit light that forms the SL pattern in the far-field at a second phase shift that is different than the first phase shift, and the quasi-sinusoidal distribution of the SL pattern at the second phase shift is based in part on positions of the second plurality of emitters on the substrate and the first shape of each emission region of each of the second plurality of emitters.

11. The VCSEL array of claim 10 , further comprising a third plurality of emitters each having an emission region of the first shape, wherein the third plurality of emitters are positioned on the substrate to emit light that forms the SL pattern in the far-field at a third phase shift that is different than the first phase shift, and the quasi-sinusoidal distribution of the SL pattern at the third phase shift is based in part on positions of the second plurality of emitters on the substrate and the first shape of each emission region of each of the third plurality of emitters.

12. The VCSEL array of claim 10 , wherein the VCSEL array is configured to activate the first plurality of emitters during a first time period, and wherein the VCSEL array is configured to activate the second plurality of emitters during a second time period.

13. The VCSEL array of claim 10 , wherein a width of the first shape varies as a function of a position along a length of the first shape.

14. The VCSEL array of claim 10 , wherein the first plurality of emitters comprises a first group of emitters on a first plurality of traces and the second plurality of emitters comprises a second group of emitters on a second plurality of traces.

15. The VCSEL array of claim 14 , further comprising a third plurality of emitters comprising a third group of emitters on a third plurality of traces.

16. The VCSEL array of claim 15 , wherein one of the third plurality of traces is positioned between one of the first plurality of traces and one of the second plurality of traces.

17. The VCSEL array of claim 10 , wherein the first shape is symmetrical about an axis, wherein the axis is non-parallel to a trace comprising a first group of the first plurality of emitters.

18. The VCSEL array of claim 10 , wherein the first shape comprises a first narrow end, a wide central section, and a second narrow end.

19. The VCSEL array of claim 10 , wherein the first shape is non-circular.

Assignees

• Meta Platforms Tech Llc

Inventors

• Grossinger Nadav
• Hall Michael
• Hasbun Robert
• Ginzburg Jonatan
• Gao Zihe

Classifications

• H01S5/423 Primary

  having a vertical cavity · CPC title

• G01S17/89

  for mapping or imaging · CPC title

• G02B27/0172

  characterised by optical features · CPC title

• G06T7/521

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

• H04N13/271

  wherein the generated image signals comprise depth maps or disparity maps · CPC title