# US 10,866,086 B2 · Structured-light projector and electronic apparatus including structured-light projector > Agents: this data is available as JSON from the patentgrep API and MCP server — see https://patentgrep.com/llms.txt - Number: US 10,866,086 B2 - Document ID: US10866086B2 - Status: Granted - Kind: B2 - Application number: 16/248,917 - Filed: 2019-01-16 - Published: 2020-02-06 - Granted: 2020-12-15 - Earliest claimed: 2018-08-02 - Assignees: Samsung Electronics Co., Ltd. - Applicants: Samsung Electronics Co., Ltd. - Inventors: Jangwoo You; Seunghoon Han; Namseop Kwon; Byunghoon Na; Minkyung Lee - Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US10866086B2 ## CPC - G01B 11/25: by projecting a pattern, e.g. {one or more lines,} moiré fringes on the object (G01B11/255 takes precedence {; image analysis for depth or shape recovery G06T7/50}) - G03B 21/001: {Slide projectors} - G02B 27/42: Diffraction optics {, i.e. systems including a diffractive element being designed for providing a diffractive effect}(G02B27/60 takes precedence) - G03B 21/2066: {Reflectors in illumination beam (in projection beam G03B21/28)} - G01B: MEASURING LENGTH, THICKNESS OR SIMILAR LINEAR DIMENSIONS; MEASURING ANGLES; MEASURING AREAS; MEASURING IRREGULARITIES OF SURFACES OR CONTOURS - G03B: APPARATUS OR ARRANGEMENTS FOR TAKING PHOTOGRAPHS OR FOR PROJECTING OR VIEWING THEM; APPARATUS OR ARRANGEMENTS EMPLOYING ANALOGOUS TECHNIQUES USING WAVES OTHER THAN OPTICAL WAVES; ACCESSORIES THEREFOR (optical parts of such apparatus G02B; photosensitive materials or processes for photographic purposes G03C; apparatus for processing exposed photographic materials G03D) - G02B: OPTICAL ELEMENTS, SYSTEMS OR APPARATUS ## Abstract A structured-light projector includes an illuminating device configured to emit illumination light, a pattern mask configured to partially transmit the illumination light to generate structured light, and a lens configured to transmit the structured light, wherein the pattern mask includes a light-transmitting slit configured to transmit the illumination light, and a plurality of reflection patterns configured to obliquely reflect the illumination light toward the light-transmitting slit. ## Claims ### Claim 1 A structured-light projector comprising: an illuminating device configured to emit illumination light; a pattern mask configured to partially transmit the illumination light to generate structured light; and a lens configured to transmit the structured light, wherein the pattern mask comprises: a light-transmitting slit configured to transmit the illumination light, and a plurality of reflection patterns configured to obliquely reflect the illumination light toward the light-transmitting slit. ### Claim 2 (depends on 1) The structured-light projector of claim 1, wherein each of the plurality of reflection patterns comprises: a bottom surface; a tip portion opposite to the bottom surface; and a reflective surface obliquely extending from an edge of the bottom surface to the tip portion, and wherein the reflective surface is inclined to obliquely reflect the illumination light. ### Claim 3 (depends on 2) The structured-light projector of claim 2, wherein a ratio of a height of each of the plurality of the reflection patterns to a width of the bottom surface of each of the plurality of the reflection patterns is in a range of 5 to 15. ### Claim 4 (depends on 2) The structured-light projector of claim 2, wherein an internal angle of the tip portion is in a range of 10 degrees to 20 degrees. ### Claim 5 (depends on 2) The structured-light projector of claim 2, wherein the reflective surface has a curved surface and the tip portion has a curved surface. ### Claim 6 (depends on 2) The structured-light projector of claim 2, further comprising: a transparent substrate spaced apart from the illuminating device, wherein the pattern mask is disposed on a first surface of the transparent substrate, and the bottom surface of each of the plurality of reflection patterns is in contact with the first surface of the transparent substrate. ### Claim 7 (depends on 6) The structured-light projector of claim 6, wherein the lens is disposed on a second surface of the transparent substrate, the second surface being opposite to the first surface of the transparent substrate, and the lens is a meta-lens comprising a plurality of nano-sized columns. ### Claim 8 (depends on 1) The structured-light projector of claim 1, wherein the pattern mask comprises a first lens distortion compensation region disposed opposite to a central portion of the lens and a second lens distortion compensation region surrounding the first lens distortion compensation region, and wherein the first lens distortion compensation region and the second lens distortion compensation region are disposed concentrically. ### Claim 9 (depends on 8) The structured-light projector of claim 8, wherein a width of a bottom surface of each of the plurality of the reflection patterns included in the first lens distortion compensation region is greater than a width of a bottom surface of each of the plurality of the reflection patterns included in the second lens distortion compensation region, and a width of the light-transmitting slit included in the first lens distortion compensation region is less than a width of the light-transmitting slit included in the second lens distortion compensation region. ### Claim 10 (depends on 9) The structured-light projector of claim 9, wherein a height of each of the plurality of reflection patterns included in the first lens distortion compensation region is the same as a height of each of the plurality of the reflection patterns included in the second lens distortion compensation region. ### Claim 11 (depends on 10) The structured-light projector of claim 10, wherein a ratio of the height to the width of the bottom surface of each of the plurality of the reflection patterns included in the first lens distortion compensation region is less than a ratio of the height to the width of each of the plurality of reflection patterns included in the second lens distortion compensation region. ### Claim 12 (depends on 9) The structured-light projector of claim 9, wherein a height of each of the plurality of the reflection patterns included in the first lens distortion compensation region is greater than a height of each of the plurality of the reflection patterns included in the second lens distortion compensation region. ### Claim 13 (depends on 12) The structured-light projector of claim 12, wherein a ratio of the height to the width of the bottom surface of each of the plurality of reflection patterns included in the first lens distortion compensation region is the same as a ratio of the height to the width of the bottom surface of each of the plurality of reflection patterns included in the second lens distortion compensation region. ### Claim 14 (depends on 9) The structured-light projector of claim 9, wherein a ratio of a total area of the light-transmitting slit to a total area of the bottom surfaces of the reflection patterns included in the second lens distortion compensation region is greater than a ratio of a total area of the light-transmitting slit to a total area of the bottom surfaces of the reflection patterns included in the first lens distortion compensation region. ### Claim 15 (depends on 1) The structured-light projector of claim 1, wherein each of the plurality of reflection patterns has a longitudinal section of a triangle shape or a trapezoidal shape. ### Claim 16 (depends on 1) The structured-light projector of claim 1, wherein each of the plurality of reflection patterns comprises a reflective metal material. ### Claim 17 (depends on 1) The structured-light projector of claim 1, wherein each of the plurality of reflection patterns comprises a core portion and an external portion surrounding a surface of the core portion, and wherein the external portion comprises a reflective metal material. ### Claim 18 (depends on 17) The structured-light projector of claim 17, wherein the core portion has a longitudinal cross-section of a triangle shape or a trapezoidal shape. ### Claim 19 (depends on 1) The structured-light projector of claim 1, wherein the pattern mask further comprises a transparent high-refractive-index layer that covers the light-transmitting slit and the plurality of reflection patterns. ### Claim 20 (depends on 19) The structured-light projector of claim 19, wherein the plurality of reflection patterns comprises a dielectric material having a refractive index that is lower than a refractive index of the high-refractive-index layer. ### Claim 21 (depends on 20) The structured-light projector of claim 20, wherein each of the reflection patterns comprises a bottom surface and a reflective surface obliquely extending from an edge of the bottom surface, and wherein an internal angle of the reflective surface with the bottom surface is greater than a critical angle. ### Claim 22 (depends on 1) The structured-light projector of claim 1, wherein the lens is a refractive optical lens spaced apart from the pattern mask. ### Claim 23 An electronic apparatus comprising: a structured-light projector configured to generate structured light to an object; a sensor configured to receive light reflected from the object; and a processor configured to obtain shape information of the object based on the light received from the sensor, wherein the structured-light projector comprises: an illuminating device configured to emit illumination light; a pattern mask configured to partially transmit the illumination light to generate structured light; and a lens configured to transmit the structured light, wherein the pattern mask comprises: a light-transmitting slit configured to transmit the illumination light, and a plurality of reflection patterns configured to obliquely reflect the illumination light toward the light-transmitting slit.