TOF apparatus and electronic device

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-12372657-B2
Application number	US-202118256535-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Dec 7, 2021
Priority date	Dec 9, 2020
Publication date	Jul 29, 2025
Grant date	Jul 29, 2025

Abstract

This application discloses a time of flight (TOF) apparatus and an electronic device comprising the TOF apparatus. The TOF apparatus includes a transmitter and a receiver, and both the transmitter and the receiver are divided into a plurality of regions. The TOF apparatus can capture a plurality of local 3D images corresponding to different regions of a target object in a manner in which the transmitter performs region-based turning-on and the receiver performs region-based detection, and then the electronic device splices the plurality of local 3D images, to obtain a 3D image of the target object.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A time of flight (TOF) apparatus, comprising a transmitter and a receiver, wherein:
the transmitter comprises:
a light source comprising a plurality of light emitting units;
a drive chip electrically connected to the plurality of light emitting units, and the drive chip is configured to turn on the plurality of light emitting units in a predetermined time sequence; and
an optical element, located on light emitting paths of the plurality of light emitting units, wherein the optical element is configured to enable light emitted by the plurality of light emitting units to form a plurality of projection fields of view in a one-to-one correspondence for covering a target object;
wherein the plurality of light emitting units are arranged in a first direction, each light emitting unit extends in a second direction perpendicular to the first direction, and an angle of view of a single light emitting unit shrinks in the first direction and expands in the second direction after passing through the optical element; and
wherein angles of view of the plurality of projection fields of view in the first direction are in a range of 65° to 70°, and angles of view of the plurality of projection fields of view in the second direction are in a range of 50° to 60°; and

the receiver comprises:
a camera lens, configured to receive light reflected by the target object and form a plurality of sensing fields of view corresponding to the plurality of projection fields of view; and
an image sensor, located on a light emitting side of the camera lens, wherein the image sensor comprises a logic control circuit and a plurality of light sensing units corresponding to the plurality of light emitting units, the plurality of sensing fields of view each covers one of the plurality of light sensing units, the logic control circuit is configured to start the plurality of light sensing units according to a predetermined time sequence, and a start time of each of the plurality of light sensing units is same as a turn-on time of a corresponding light emitting unit.

2. The TOF apparatus according to claim 1 , wherein two adjacent projection fields of view form two adjacent detection regions on the target object, and the two adjacent detection regions are partially staggered and partially overlapped.

3. The TOF apparatus according to claim 2 , wherein a proportion of a staggered part of the two adjacent detection regions is greater than a proportion of an overlapped part of the two adjacent detection regions.

4. The TOF apparatus according to claim 1 , wherein the light source and the drive chip are disposed in a stacked manner, and a non-light emitting side of the light source is fastened to the drive chip.

5. The TOF apparatus according to claim 4 , wherein the light source comprises an anode pad and a cathode pad, the anode pad is located on a light emitting side of the light source, and the cathode pad is located on the non-light emitting side of the light source; and
the drive chip comprises a first pad and a second pad, wherein the first pad is located around the light source and on a side of the drive chip close to the light source, the first pad is connected to the anode pad through a conductive wire, the second pad is located on the side of the drive chip close to the light source and is disposed facing the non-light emitting side of the light source, and the second pad is connected to the cathode pad through a conductive adhesive.

6. The TOF apparatus according to claim 5 , wherein each light emitting unit comprises two anode pads, and the two anode pads are respectively located at two ends of the light emitting unit; and
the first pad is one of a plurality of first pads divided in groups of two, each group of first pads corresponds to one light emitting unit, and two first pads in a same group are respectively located on two sides of a corresponding light emitting unit and are respectively connected to two anode pads of the corresponding light emitting unit.

7. The TOF apparatus according to claim 1 , wherein the transmitter further comprises:
a first circuit board, having a through hole; and
a first reinforcement plate, fastened on a side of the first circuit board and covers the through hole, wherein the drive chip is at least partially located in the through hole, and a side of the drive chip away from the light source is fastened on the first reinforcement plate.

8. The TOF apparatus according to claim 1 , wherein the logic control circuit is electrically connected to the drive chip, and the logic control circuit is configured to:
send a turn-on instruction to the drive chip, wherein the turn-on instruction instructs the drive chip to turn on a preset light emitting unit; and
start a preset light sensing unit with a delay of 0.1 ns to 1 ns, wherein the preset light sensing unit corresponds to the preset light emitting unit.

9. The TOF apparatus according to claim 1 , wherein the receiver further comprises:
a second circuit board fastened to a non-light sensing side of the image sensor;
a third reinforcement plate having one or more vias and fastened on a side of the second circuit board away from the image sensor; and
a plurality of second components located in the one or more vias and are fastened on the second circuit board (, wherein projections of the plurality of second components on the second circuit board at least partially overlap a projection of the image sensor on the second circuit board.

10. An electronic device, comprising a processor and a time of flight (TOF) apparatus, wherein the processor is electrically connected to the TOF apparatus and configured to form a 3D image of a target object based on an output signal of the TOF apparatus, wherein the TOF apparatus comprises a transmitter and a receiver, and wherein:
the transmitter comprises:
a light source comprising a plurality of light emitting units;
a drive chip electrically connected to the plurality of light emitting units, and the drive chip is configured to turn on the plurality of light emitting units in a predetermined time sequence; and
an optical element, located on light emitting paths of the plurality of light emitting units, wherein the optical element is configured to enable light emitted by the plurality of light emitting units to form a plurality of projection fields of view in a one-to-one correspondence for covering a target object;
wherein the plurality of light emitting units are arranged in a first direction, each light emitting unit extends in a second direction perpendicular to the first direction, and an angle of view of a single light emitting unit shrinks in the first direction and expands in the second direction after passing through the optical element; and
wherein angles of view of the plurality of projection fields of view in the first direction are in a range of 65° to 70°, and angles of view of the plurality of projection fields of view in the second direction are in a range of 50° to 60°; and

the receiver comprises:
a camera lens, configured to receive light reflected by the target object and form a plurality of sensing fields of view corresponding to the plurality of projection fields of view; and
an image sensor, located on a light emitting side of the camera lens, wherein the image sensor comprises a logic control circuit and a plurality of light sensing units corresponding to the plurality of light emitting units, the plurality of sensing fields of view each covers one of the plurality of light sensing units, the logic control circuit is configured to start the plurality of light sensing units according to a predetermined time sequence, and a start time of each of the plurality of light sensi

Assignees

• Huawei Tech Co Ltd

Inventors

• Zhao Ziang
• Jiang Kewei
• Wang Na
• Zhang Shaogang
• Yu Weiwei
• Tang Wei
• Yuan Jun

Classifications

• H04N23/56

  provided with illuminating means · CPC title

• H04N23/74

  by influencing the scene brightness using illuminating means · CPC title

• H04N13/211

  using temporal multiplexing · CPC title

• G01S7/4815

  using multiple transmitters · CPC title

• G01S7/4868

  Controlling received signal intensity or exposure of sensor · CPC title