Integrated optical chip for generating patterned illumination
AssigneeFacebook Technologies, LLC
InventorsQing Chao, Zhaoming Zhu, Michael Hall
Life of this patent
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Abstract
A compact light projection system is described for use in artificial reality systems, and which outputs patterned interferometric illumination that may be dynamically adjustable. The light projection systems are Integrated Circuits (IC)s, which are compact and easily added to other electronic devices in an artificial reality device. The IC illumination sources described herein provide flexibility by incorporating dynamically adjustable components as well as static components, such as phase delay devices, coupling controllers, switch-able light sources, and output gratings, which may each be adjusted to control the resulting pattern of interferometric illumination.
Claims17
An illumination source comprising:
- a first waveguide optically coupled to a first light source;
- a second waveguide that is configured to receive light from the first waveguide;
- a third waveguide that is configured to receive the light from the first waveguide;
- and
- a first active phase delay element configured to apply a first phase delay to light propagating in the third waveguide such that there is a difference in phase between light exiting the second waveguide and light exiting the third waveguide, and the light exiting the second waveguide and the light exiting the third waveguide combine to form a first interference fringe pattern that illuminates a portion of a target area that is an eye box of a near eye device (NED),
- wherein the illumination source is located on the NED and is part of a depth camera assembly (DCA) that is configured to:
- capture images of a portion of the eye box that includes at least some of the first interference fringe pattern, and
- determine depth information for an eye in the eye box based in part on the captured images.
A method comprising:
- receiving, at a first waveguide on a substrate that is part of an illuminator of a depth camera assembly (DCA) that is part of a near-eye device (NED), light from a first light source;
- receiving, at a second waveguide on the substrate, a first portion of the light from the first waveguide;
- receiving, at a third waveguide on the substrate, a second portion of the light from the first waveguide;
- applying a first phase delay to the second portion of the light propagating in the third waveguide such that there is a difference in phase between light exiting the second waveguide and light exiting the third waveguide, and the light exiting the second waveguide and the light exiting the third waveguide combine to form a first interference fringe pattern that illuminates a portion of a target area that is an eye box of a near eye device (NED),
- capturing, via the DCA, images of a portion of the eye box that includes at least some of the first interference fringe pattern;
- and
- determining depth information for an eye in the eye box based in part on the captured images.
An illumination source comprising:
- a first waveguide optically coupled to a first light source;
- a first output grating located on the first waveguide at a first distance from the first light source;
- a second output grating located on the first waveguide at a second distance from the light source, and wherein the second distance is greater than the first distance;
- and
- a first active phase delay element located between the first output grating and the second output grating and configured to apply a first phase delay to light propagating in the first waveguide after the first output grating such that there is a difference in phase between light exiting the first output grating and light exiting the second output grating, and the light exiting the first output grating and the second output grating combine to form a first interference fringe pattern that illuminates a portion of the target area that is an eye box of a near eye device (NED), wherein the illumination source is located on the NED and is part of a depth camera assembly (DCA) that is configured to:
- capture images of a portion of the eye box that includes at least some of the first interference fringe pattern, and
- determine depth information for an eye in the eye box based in part on the captured images.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.