Device and method of capturing a projected dot pattern in a display device

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-12380665-B2
Application number	US-202218062648-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Dec 7, 2022
Priority date	Jun 10, 2020
Publication date	Aug 5, 2025
Grant date	Aug 5, 2025

Abstract

A device includes a plurality of imaging optical channels inclined in relation to one another, each of which includes an optic and at least one detector pixel arrangement. The plurality of optical channels are configured to obtain an image of a dot pattern of a field of view by imaging said field of view. The optical channels pass through the display plane and are set up for imaging (projecting) the field of view between the display pixels. The device includes an evaluator that is coupled to detector pixels of the detector pixel arrangements and configured to evaluate the dot pattern on the basis of a comparison, which causes hyper resolution, of signal intensities of different detector pixels so as to obtain an evaluation result, and to control the device at least partly on the basis of the evaluation result.

First claim

The invention claimed is:

1. Device for capturing a projected dot pattern in a display unit comprising:
a plurality of imaging optical channels inclined in relation to one another, each of which comprises an optic and at least one detector pixel arrangement; the plurality of optical channels being configured to acquire an image of a dot pattern of a field of view by imaging said field of view;
display unit comprising a multitude of display pixels arranged within a display plane, the display pixels being configured to display graphic information;
wherein the optical channels pass through the display plane and are set up for imaging the field of view between the display pixels;
evaluator coupled to detector pixels of the detector pixel arrangements and configured to evaluate the dot pattern on the basis of a comparison, which causes hyper resolution, of signal intensities of different detector pixels so as to acquire an evaluation result, and to control the device at least partly on the basis of the evaluation result.

2. Device as claimed in claim 1 , wherein the optical channels are implemented as imaging means, and the display pixels have a planar arrangement arranged in intermediate areas of the optical channels or on the lenses of the optical channels.

3. Device as claimed in claim 1 , comprising a projector configured to emit the dot pattern.

4. Device as claimed in claim 3 , wherein the projector is configured to emit the dot pattern with an infrared spectrum; wherein the optical channels are adapted to the infrared spectrum and/or selectively sense the infrared spectrum.

5. Device as claimed in claim 3 , wherein the projector is configured to emit the dot pattern as a pattern that is non-periodic or pseudo-random at least in portions.

6. Device as claimed in claim 3 , wherein the projector and the arrangement of the optical channels are matched to each other such as to emit and capture the dot pattern, at a reference distance of the field of view from the device, such that each detector pixel senses, on average, at the most one dot of the dot pattern at a time.

7. Device as claimed in claim 1 , wherein the evaluator is configured to perform the comparison of signal intensities of different detector pixels so as to determine positions of dots of the dot pattern that are more precise than would be achieved by sampling the total field of view by means of the detector pixels.

8. Device as claimed in claim 1 , wherein the evaluator is configured to determine positions of dots in the image on the basis of an evaluation of a light intensity with which the same dot of the dot pattern is projected onto adjacent detector pixels and while taking into account a response function of the detector pixels.

9. Device as claimed in claim 1 , wherein the evaluator is configured to determine a distortion in the dot pattern and to produce a depth map of the field of view on the basis of the distortion, and to acquire the evaluation result on the basis of the depth map.

10. Device as claimed in claim 1 , wherein micro lenses of the optics of the optical channels and the display pixels are arranged within a common plane area, or wherein the optics are arranged between adjacent display pixels.

11. Device as claimed in claim 1 , wherein the evaluator is set up for evaluating structured light or for active-stereo evaluation.

12. Device as claimed in claim 1 , wherein at least one detector pixel arrangement comprises a plurality of detector pixels, and sensing areas of the plurality of detector pixels overlap to an extent of at least 50%.

13. Device as claimed in claim 1 , wherein the evaluator is configured to evaluate the field of view by means of a plurality of detector pixels per optical channel and, subsequently, with regard to several optical channels.

14. Device as claimed in claim 1 , wherein the micro lenses of different optical channels exhibit channel-specific optical properties.

15. Device as claimed in claim 14 , wherein the micro lenses are formed, in a channel-specific manner, such that in an inclined line of vision associated with the respective optical channel, focused projecting of the field of view onto the detector pixel arrangement is acquired.

16. Device as claimed in claim 1 , comprising at least one aperture structure arranged between the detector pixel arrangements and a plane of the optics; so as to provide stray-light suppression of adjacent optical channels.

17. Device as claimed in claim 1 , comprising at least one stray-light suppressing structure arranged between adjacent detector pixel arrangements;
wherein the stray-light suppressing structure is arranged between a plane thereof and the plane of the optics; so as to provide stray-light suppression of adjacent optical channels; or
wherein the stray-light suppressing structure is arranged between adjacent detector pixel arrangements and sets a distance between the detector pixel arrangement and at least parts of the optics.

18. Device as claimed in claim 17 , wherein the stray-light suppressing structure is arranged between adjacent detector pixel arrangements and sets a distance between the detector pixel arrangement and at least parts of the optics; wherein the optics of different optical channels are connected to one another via a shared substrate, and the stray-light suppressing structure is connected to the substrate.

19. Device as claimed in claim 1 , which is set up for facial recognition of a user, in particular depth-map based facial recognition.

20. Method of providing a device for capturing a projected dot pattern in a display device, comprising:
providing a plurality of imaging optical channels inclined in relation to one another, each of which comprises an optic and at least one detector pixel arrangement; so that the plurality of optical channels is configured to acquire an image of a dot pattern of a field of view by imaging said field of view;
providing a display unit comprising a multitude of display pixels arranged within a display plane, so that the display pixels are configured to display graphic information;
so that the optical channels pass through the display plane and are set up for imaging the field of view between the display pixels;
coupling evaluator to detector pixels of the detector pixel arrangements and configuring the evaluator such that same is set up to evaluate the dot pattern on the basis of a comparison, which causes hyper resolution, of signal intensities of different detector pixels so as to acquire an evaluation result, and to control the device at least partly on the basis of the evaluation result.

Assignees

• Fraunhofer Ges Forschung

Inventors

• Wippermann Frank
• Duparré Jacques
• Tünnermann Andreas

Classifications

• H04N9/3161

  using laser light sources (using laser beams scanning the display screen H04N9/3129) · CPC title

• G06V40/166

  using acquisition arrangements · CPC title

• G06V10/147

  Details of sensors, e.g. sensor lenses (fingerprint or palmprint sensors G06V40/13; vascular sensors G06V40/145; eye sensors G06V40/19) · CPC title

• G06V10/60

  relating to illumination properties, e.g. using a reflectance or lighting model · CPC title

• G06V10/145 Primary

  Illumination specially adapted for pattern recognition, e.g. using gratings · CPC title