Image capture systems utilizing adjustable illumination

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-12206994-B2
Application number	US-202217903810-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Sep 6, 2022
Priority date	Sep 6, 2022
Publication date	Jan 21, 2025
Grant date	Jan 21, 2025

Abstract

Various embodiments disclosed herein include devices, systems, and methods for spatially controlling illumination provided by a flash module. The flash module includes a flash controller that controls light emitters of an emitter array according to an illumination profile. The illumination profile is selected to reduce a relative brightness to a target region of the flash module's field of illumination. The target region is associated with a portion of a target object identified in the field of illumination. In some instances, the target region corresponds to a portion of a user's eye that is positioned within the field of illumination. In other instances, the flash module is incorporated into a device, and the target region corresponds to a reflected image of a portion of the device that is positioned within the field of illumination.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A device for illuminating a field of illumination, the device comprising:
a flash module comprising:
an emitter array comprising a plurality of light emitters;
a lens assembly positioned to image the emitter array onto the field of illumination; and
a flash controller configured to control the plurality of light emitters to generate light, wherein the flash controller is configured to:
determine that a portion of a face of a user including an eye of the user is positioned within the field of illumination;
select a first set of light emitters of the plurality of light emitters associated with a portion of the eye;
select a second set of light emitters of the plurality of light emitters associated with a region surrounding the portion of the eye;
control the first set of light emitters to emit light at a first set of brightness levels; and
control the second set of light emitters to emit light at a second set of brightness levels greater than the first set of brightness levels.

2. The device of claim 1 , further comprising a camera, wherein:
the camera captures an image while the flash controller controls the first set of light emitters to emit light at the first set of brightness levels and control the second set of light emitters to emit light at the second set of brightness levels greater than the first set of brightness levels.

3. The device of claim 1 , wherein the region surrounding the portion of the eye includes an additional portion of the eye.

4. The device of claim 1 , further comprising a depth sensor, wherein:
the flash controller determines a distance to the face using depth information obtained by the depth sensor; and
the flash controller selects the first set of brightness levels based on the determined distance.

5. The device of claim 1 , wherein the flash module comprises a diffractive element positioned to diffract light exiting the lens assembly.

6. The device of claim 1 , wherein the flash module comprises a microlens array positioned over the emitter array.

7. The device of claim 1 , wherein the emitter array comprises a display array.

8. A device for illuminating a field of illumination, the device comprising:
a flash module comprising:
an emitter array comprising a plurality of light emitters;
a lens assembly positioned to image the emitter array onto the field of illumination; and
a flash controller configured to control the plurality of light emitters to generate light, wherein the flash controller is configured to:
determine that a reflected image of the device including the flash module is positioned within the field of illumination;
select a first set of light emitters of the plurality of light emitters associated with a first portion of the reflected image that includes the flash module;
select a second set of light emitters of the plurality of light emitters associated with a region surrounding the first portion of the reflected image;
control the first set of light emitters to emit light at a first set of brightness levels; and
control the second set of light emitters to emit light at a second set of brightness levels greater than the first set of brightness levels.

9. The device of claim 8 , further comprising a camera, wherein:
the camera captures an image while the flash controller controls the first set of light emitters to emit light at the first set of brightness levels and controls the second set of light emitters to emit light at the second set of brightness levels greater than the first set of brightness levels.

10. The device of claim 8 , wherein the region surrounding the first portion of the reflected image includes a second portion of the reflected image.

11. The device of claim 8 , further comprising a depth sensor, wherein:
the flash controller determines a distance to the reflected image using depth information obtained by the depth sensor; and
the flash controller selects the first set of brightness levels based on the determined distance.

12. The device of claim 8 , wherein the flash module comprises a diffractive element positioned to diffract light exiting the lens assembly.

13. The device of claim 8 , wherein the flash module comprises a microlens array positioned over the emitter array.

14. The device of claim 8 , wherein the emitter array comprises a display array.

15. A method of illuminating a field of illumination using a flash module comprising a plurality of light emitters, the method comprising:
detecting an object positioned within the field of illumination;
identifying a first region of the field of illumination corresponding to a first portion of the detected object;
identifying a second region of the field of illumination corresponding to a second portion of the detected object; and
illuminating the field of illumination using the flash module, wherein:
the flash module illuminates the first region at a first set of illumination levels and the second region at a second set of illumination levels; and
the second set of illumination levels is greater than the first set of illumination levels.

16. The method of claim 15 , comprising:
capturing an image while illuminating the field of illumination using the flash module.

17. The method of claim 15 , comprising:
selecting an illumination profile, the illumination profile having a plurality of brightness levels, wherein:
each brightness level of the plurality of brightness levels is associated with a corresponding light emitter of the plurality of light emitters; and
illuminating the field of illumination comprises controlling each light emitter of the plurality of light emitters to generate light with the brightness level associated with the corresponding light emitter.

18. The method of claim 17 , wherein:
the plurality of light emitters comprises a first set of light emitters associated with the first region and a second set of light emitters associated with the second region; and
illuminating the field of illumination comprises:
controlling the first set of light emitters to generate light at a first set of brightness levels; and
controlling the second set of light emitters to generate light at a second set of brightness levels greater than the first set of brightness levels.

19. The method of claim 18 , wherein:
the first set of light emitters includes a first subset of light emitters and a second subset of light emitters;
the first set of brightness levels includes a first brightness level and a second brightness levels greater than the first subset of brightness level; and
controlling the first set of light emitters to generate light at a first set of brightness levels comprises:
controlling the first subset of light emitters to generate light at the first brightness level; and
controlling the second subset of light emitters to generate light at the second brightness level.

20. The method of claim 18 , wherein:
the first set of brightness levels is selected using a depth calculated between the object and the flash module.

Assignees

• Apple Inc

Inventors

• Remez Roei
• Pergola Refael Della
• Leshem Dror
• Tsur Yuval

Classifications

• G06T7/70

  Determining position or orientation of objects or cameras (camera calibration G06T7/80) · CPC title

• G06T2207/30201

  Face · CPC title

• G06T2207/10048

  Infrared image · CPC title

• G06T7/50

  Depth or shape recovery · CPC title

• H04N23/81

  for suppressing or minimising disturbance in the image signal generation · CPC title