Spatial intensity distribution controlled flash

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-9338849-B2
Application number	US-201313757884-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Feb 4, 2013
Priority date	Feb 4, 2013
Publication date	May 10, 2016
Grant date	May 10, 2016

Abstract

This disclosure describes techniques for outputting light with a controlled spatial intensity distribution. According to some examples, this disclosure describes a device that includes at least one LED matrix that includes a plurality of LED elements. According to these examples, the device controls the LED elements of the LED matrix to output the light by causing at least a first LED element of the LED matrix to output light of a first intensity, and causing a second LED element of the LED matrix to output light of a second, different intensity. In some examples, the device controls the first at least one LED element to output light of the first intensity to illuminate a first object, and controls the second LED element to output light of the second intensity to illuminate a second object. The second object may have a different location than the first object.

First claim

The invention claimed is:

1. A camera device, comprising:
a flash module that includes an LED matrix comprising a plurality of LED elements; and
an LED control unit that:
determines a spatial intensity distribution of light to be output by the LED matrix; and
controls the LED matrix to output light with the determined spatial intensity distribution in a substantially instantaneous burst of light to illuminate one or more objects by causing at least a first LED element of the LED matrix to output light of a first intensity, and causing at least a second LED element of the LED matrix to output light of a second intensity different than the first intensity,

wherein:
the device determines a first distance between the device and a first object to be captured in an image and a second distance between the device and a second object to be captured in the image; and
in response to the device determining the first and second distances, the LED control unit causes at least a first LED element of the LED matrix to output the light of the first intensity to illuminate the first object at a first location at the first distance from the device,
wherein the LED control unit causes at least a second LED element of the LED matrix to output light of a second intensity to illuminate the second object at a second location different than the first location at the second distance from the device, and
wherein the light from at least the first LED element illuminates the first object at the first location simultaneously with the light from at least the second LED element illuminating the second object at the second location.

2. The device of claim 1 , further comprising:
at least one sensor module configured to detect at least one optical characteristic;
wherein the LED control unit controls the LED matrix to output the light with the determined spatial intensity distribution based on the at least one detected optical characteristic.

3. The device of claim 2 , wherein the at least one sensor module comprises at least one image sensor configured to capture one or more images of at least one object.

4. The device of claim 3 , wherein the LED control unit controls the LED matrix to output light with the determined spatial intensity distribution to illuminate the at least one object when the image sensor module is operated to capture the one or more images of the at least one object.

5. The device of claim 2 , wherein the at least one optical characteristic detected by the sensor module comprises a relative location between the at least one image sensor and the at least one object.

6. The device of claim 2 , wherein the LED control unit is configured to, in response to the at least one detected optical characteristic, control at least the first LED element of the LED matrix to illuminate the first object, and to control at least the second LED element of the LED matrix to illuminate the second object different than the first object.

7. A method, comprising:
determining a spatial intensity distribution of light to be output by flash module that includes an LED matrix comprising a plurality of LED elements; and
controlling the LED matrix to output light with the determined spatial intensity distribution to illuminate one or more objects in a substantially instantaneous burst of light, wherein controlling the LED matrix to output light includes:
causing at least a first LED element of the LED matrix to output light of a first intensity;
causing at least a second LED element of the LED matrix to output light of a second intensity different than the first intensity;
determining a first distance between the device and a first object to be captured in an image and a second distance between the device and a second object to be captured in the image;
controlling the at least a first LED element of the LED matrix to output the light of the first intensity to illuminate the first object at a first location at the first distance from the device;
controlling the at least a second LED element of the LED matrix to output the light of the second intensity to illuminate the second object at a second location different than the first location at the second distance from the device; and
illuminating the first object at the first location from at least the first LED element and simultaneously illuminating the second object at the second location from at least the second LED element.

8. The method of claim 7 , further comprising:
using at least one sensor module configured to detect at least one optical characteristic; and
controlling the LED matrix to output light with the determined spatial intensity distribution based on the at least one detected optical characteristic.

9. The method of claim 8 , wherein using the at least one sensor module comprises using an image sensor to capture one or more images of at least one object.

10. The method of claim 9 , further comprising:
controlling the light output by the plurality of LED elements of the LED matrix to illuminate the at least one object when the image sensor module is operated to capture the one or more images of the at least one object.

11. The method of claim 8 , wherein the at least one optical characteristic detected by the sensor module comprises a relative location between the at least one image sensor and the at least one object.

12. A device, comprising:
means for determining a spatial intensity distribution of light to be output by an LED matrix comprising a plurality of LED elements; and
means for controlling the LED matrix to output light with the determined spatial intensity distribution
wherein the means for controlling the LED matrix to output light includes:
means for causing at least a first LED element of the LED matrix to output light of a first intensity;
means for causing at least a second LED element of the LED matrix to output light of a second intensity different than the first intensity;
means for determining a first distance between the device and a first object to be captured in an image and a second distance between the device and a second object to be captured in the image;
means for controlling the at least a first LED element of the LED matrix to output the light of the first intensity to illuminate the first object at a first location at the first distance from the device;
means for controlling the at least a second LED element of the LED matrix to output the light of the second intensity to illuminate the second object at a second location different than the first location at the second distance from the device; and
means for illuminating the first object at the first location from at least the first LED element and simultaneously illuminating the second object at the second location from at least the second LED element.

13. The device of claim 1 , wherein the LED matrix is a monolithic, integrated semiconductor device.

Assignees

• Infineon Technologies Austria

Inventors

• Logiudice Andrea

Classifications

• H05B45/14

  using electrical feedback from LEDs or from LED modules · CPC title

• H05B33/0848

  Electricity · mapped topic

• H05B33/0854 Primary

  Electricity · mapped topic

• H05B33/0845

  Electricity · mapped topic

• H05B45/12 Primary

  using optical feedback · CPC title