MOE-based illumination projector

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-12313812-B2
Application number	US-202318307820-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Apr 27, 2023
Priority date	Sep 20, 2022
Publication date	May 27, 2025
Grant date	May 27, 2025

Abstract

An optoelectronic apparatus includes an array of emitters configured to emit beams of optical radiation. An optical substrate is mounted over the array. An optical metasurface is disposed on the optical substrate and configured to collimate and split each of the emitted beams into a respective group of collimated sub-beams, and to direct the collimated sub-beams toward a target to form a pattern of spots on the target.

First claim

The invention claimed is:

1. An optoelectronic apparatus, comprising:
an array of emitters configured to emit beams of optical radiation, wherein each of the beams is emitted from the array along a respective first axis;
an optical substrate mounted over the array; and
an optical metasurface disposed on the optical substrate and configured to collimate and split each of the emitted beams into a respective group of collimated sub-beams centered on a respective second axis, and to direct the collimated sub-beams toward a target to form a pattern of spots on the target,
wherein the optical metasurface is configured to implement an optical phase function that includes a tilt component having a tilt coefficient selected to apply a predefined angular tilt to each respective second axis relative to the respective first axis.

2. The optoelectronic apparatus according to claim 1 , and comprising a camera, which is configured to capture an image of the target over a given field of view, wherein the optical metasurface is configured to apply the angular tilt to each respective second axis so that the pattern of spots extends across the field of view.

3. The optoelectronic apparatus according to claim 1 , wherein the pattern of spots is formed over an area of the target, and wherein the apparatus comprises a camera, which is configured to capture an image of the target over a given field of view, and wherein the camera comprises a further optical metasurface configured to apply an angular tilt to the field of view of the camera so that the field of view covers the area over which the pattern of spots is formed.

4. The apparatus according to claim 1 , wherein the emitters comprise vertical-cavity surface-emitting lasers (VCSELs).

5. The optoelectronic apparatus according to claim 1 , wherein the optical metasurface comprises an arrangement of pillars of varying diameters, which are formed on a surface of the optical substrate.

6. The optoelectronic apparatus according to claim 5 , wherein the pillars comprise a semiconductor material.

7. The optoelectronic apparatus according to claim 6 , wherein the pillars comprise a metallic material.

8. The optoelectronic apparatus according to claim 1 , wherein the beams that are split by the optical metasurface are first beams, and the optical metasurface that splits the first beams is a first optical metasurface, and
wherein the apparatus comprises a further array of emitters configured to emit second beams of optical radiation, and a second optical metasurface configured to diffuse the second beams and to direct the diffused second beams toward the target and to illuminate the target with flood illumination.

9. The optoelectronic apparatus according to claim 8 , and wherein the second optical metasurface is configured to focus and tilt the diffused second beams toward the target.

10. The optoelectronic apparatus according to claim 8 , wherein the first and second optical metasurfaces are both formed on the same optical substrate.

11. The optoelectronic apparatus according to claim 8 , and comprising a controller, which is configured to actuate the emitters selectively, so as to illuminate the target alternately with the pattern of spots and with the flood illumination.

12. A method for optical projection, comprising:
driving an array of emitters to emit beams of optical radiation, wherein each of the beams is emitted from the array along a respective first axis; and
using an optical metasurface, collimating and splitting each of the emitted beams into a respective group of collimated sub-beams centered on a respective second axis, and directing the collimated sub-beams toward a target to form a pattern of spots on the target,
wherein the optical metasurface is configured to implement an optical phase function that includes a tilt component having a tilt coefficient selected to apply a predefined angular tilt to each respective second axis relative to the respective first axis.

13. The method according to claim 12 , and comprising capturing an image of the target over a given field of view, wherein applying the angular tilt comprises directing each respective second axis so that the pattern of spots extends across the field of view.

14. The method according to claim 12 , wherein directing the collimated sub-beams comprises forming the pattern of spots over an area of the target, and wherein the method comprises capturing an image of the target over a field of view of a camera using a further optical metasurface to apply an angular tilt to the field of view so that the field of view covers the area over which the pattern of spots is formed.

15. The method according to claim 12 , wherein the optical metasurface comprises forming an arrangement of pillars of varying diameters on a surface of an optical substrate.

16. The method according to claim 12 , wherein the beams that are split by the optical metasurface are first beams, and the optical metasurface that splits the first beams is a first optical metasurface, and
wherein the method comprises driving a further array of emitters to emit second beams of optical radiation, and applying a second optical metasurface to diffuse the second beams and to direct the diffused second beams toward the target and to illuminate the target with flood illumination.

17. The method according to claim 16 , and wherein applying the second optical metasurface comprises focusing and tilting the diffused second beams toward the target.

18. The method according to claim 16 , wherein driving the array and the further array comprises actuating the emitters selectively, so as to illuminate the target alternately with the pattern of spots and with the flood illumination.

Assignees

• Apple Inc

Inventors

• Remez Roei
• Kriman Moshe
• Tsur Yuval
• Ovadia Maoz
• Gross Yaron
• Eden Omer
• Pekin Alex
• Avraham Assaf
• Zuitlin Roey
• Lasovski Gidi
• Della Pergola Refael

Classifications

• G02B27/30 Primary

  Collimators · CPC title

• G01B11/254

  Projection of a pattern, viewing through a pattern, e.g. moiré · CPC title

• G02B1/02

  made of crystals, e.g. rock-salt, semi-conductors (G02B1/08 takes precedence) · CPC title

• H01S5/423

  having a vertical cavity · CPC title

• G02B1/002 Primary

  made of materials engineered to provide properties not available in nature, e.g. metamaterials · CPC title