Three-dimensional imaging and display system

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-9958960-B2
Application number	US-201414522573-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Oct 23, 2014
Priority date	Oct 21, 2005
Publication date	May 1, 2018
Grant date	May 1, 2018

Abstract

A three-dimensional imaging and display system is provided in which input is optically detected in an imaging volume by measuring the path length of an amplitude modulated scanning beam as a function of the phase shift thereof. Visual image feedback concerning the detected input is presented.

First claim

The invention claimed is:

1. A scanning apparatus, comprising:
a first radiation source, capable of emitting a modulated infrared beam;
a second radiation source, capable of emitting a visible light beam;
a scanning mirror capable of scanning, in a raster pattern, both the modulated infrared and the visible light beams over an imaging volume;
a receiver capable of detecting the modulated infrared beam returning from the imaging volume; and
a processor capable of processing a signal from the receiver in order to detect an object in the imaging volume and to control the second radiation source to project images.

2. The scanning apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the images projected using the second radiation source and the scanning mirror comprise one or more virtual objects in the imaging volume.

3. The scanning apparatus of claim 2 , wherein the processor is configured to:
process the signal from the receiver to detect a movement of the object in the imaging volume; and
manipulate the one or more virtual objects in response to the detected movement.

4. The scanning apparatus of claim 3 , wherein the one or more virtual objects comprise a virtual keyboard.

5. The scanning apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the receiver comprises a photodiode and a high-speed amplifier, the high-speed amplifier configured to amplify signals output by the photodiode.

6. The scanning apparatus of claim 5 , wherein the processor is further configured to:
process the amplified signals to determine an offset between the amplified signals and the scanned modulated infrared beam; and
derive from the offset a distance that the scanned modulated infrared beam has traveled.

7. The scanning apparatus of claim 6 , wherein the processor is further configured to define a position of the detected object in the imaging volume based on the distance and a scan angle of the scanning mirror.

8. The scanning apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the scanning mirror oscillates at a resonant frequency.

9. A method for scanning, comprising:
emitting a modulated infrared beam and a visible light beam;
scanning, using a scanning mirror, both the modulated infrared and the visible light beams over an imaging volume in a raster pattern;
detecting the modulated infrared beam returning from the imaging volume;
generating a signal in response to the detected modulated infrared beam;
processing the signal to detect an object in the imaging volume; and
controlling the visible light beam to project images in response to the detected object.

10. The method of claim 9 , wherein controlling the visible light beam comprises controlling the visible light beam to present one or more virtual objects in the imaging volume.

11. The method of claim 10 , further comprising:
detecting a movement of the object in the imaging volume; and
manipulating at least one of the one or more virtual objects in response to the detected movement.

12. The method of claim 11 , wherein the one or more virtual objects comprise a virtual keyboard.

13. The method of claim 9 , wherein processing the signal comprises:
determining an offset between the detected modulated infrared beam and the scanned modulated infrared beam; and
deriving from the offset a distance that the scanned modulated infrared beam has traveled.

14. The method of claim 13 , wherein processing the signal further comprises defining a position of the detected object in the imaging volume based on the distance and a scan angle of the scanning mirror.

15. An electronic device, comprising:
a scanning apparatus, comprising:
a first radiation source, capable of emitting a modulated infrared beam;
a second radiation source, capable of emitting a visible light beam;
a scanning mirror capable of scanning, in a raster pattern, both the modulated infrared and the visible light beams over an imaging volume;
a receiver capable of detecting the modulated infrared beam returning from the imaging volume; and
a processor capable of processing a signal from the receiver to detect an object in the imaging volume and to control the second radiation source to project images.

16. The electronic device of claim 15 , wherein the projected images comprise one or more virtual objects in the imaging volume.

17. The electronic device of claim 16 , wherein the processor is further configured to process the signal from the receiver to detect a movement of the object and to manipulate the one or more virtual objects in response to the detected movement.

18. The electronic device of claim 17 , wherein the one or more virtual objects comprise a virtual keyboard.

Assignees

• Apple Inc

Inventors

• Krah Christoph H

Classifications

• G01S7/4861

  Circuits for detection, sampling, integration or read-out · CPC title

• G06F3/011

  Arrangements for interaction with the human body, e.g. for user immersion in virtual reality (blind teaching G09B21/00) · CPC title

• G06F3/017

  Gesture based interaction, e.g. based on a set of recognized hand gestures (interaction based on gestures traced on a digitiser G06F3/04883) · CPC title

• G06F3/0325 Primary

  using a plurality of light emitters or reflectors or a plurality of detectors forming a reference frame from which to derive the orientation of the object, e.g. by triangulation or on the basis of reference deformation in the picked up image · CPC title

• G01S17/66

  Tracking systems using electromagnetic waves other than radio waves · CPC title