Single-chip RGB-D camera
AssigneeRobert Bosch GmbH
InventorsPedram Lajevardi, Behnam Behroozpour, Christoph Lang, Ken Wojciechowski
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Abstract
A 3D camera uses a modulated visible light source for depth imaging and includes a processor operable to perform time multiplexing between image detection and depth or time-of-flight (ToF) detection using the same photodetectors. The camera can alternate between the image detection mode and the ToF detection mode to produce a continuous stream of color and depth images that can be overlaid without the need for any post-processing software. The camera can also be configured to determine time-of-flight using analog integration modules, thereby minimizing the circuitry necessary for analog-to-digital conversions and ToF calculations in the digital domain.
Claims16
A camera, comprising:
- a light source configured to transmit a pulsed light signal TX toward an object or scene;
- a photodetector array including at least one photodetector configured and arranged to receive a pulsed light signal RX reflected from the object or scene, each photodetector configured to generate an output signal indicative of the detection of said pulsed light signal RX;
- and
- a processor connected to each photodetector of said photodetector array and configured to alternate between (i) an image detection mode in which the processor processes the output signal of each photodetector for image information, and (ii) a time-of-flight (ToF) mode in which the processor processes the output signal of each photodetector to determine the ToF for the pulsed light signal TX to the object or scene and the reflected pulsed light signal RX to the corresponding photodetector,
- wherein the processor is further configured to alternate between the image detection mode and the ToF mode in successive pulses of the reflected pulsed light signal RX.
A camera, comprising:
- a light source configured to transmit a pulsed light signal TX toward an object or scene;
- a photodetector array including at least one photodetector configured and arranged to receive a pulsed light signal RX reflected from the object or scene, each photodetector configured to generate an output signal indicative of the detection of said pulsed light signal RX;
- and
- a processor connected to each photodetector of said photodetector array and configured to alternate between (i) an image detection mode in which the processor processes the output signal of each photodetector for image information, and (ii) a time-of-flight (ToF) mode in which the processor processes the output signal of each photodetector to determine the ToF for the pulsed light signal TX to the object or scene and the reflected pulsed light signal RX to the corresponding photodetector,
- wherein the processor is further configured to operate in the image detection mode for one or more successive pulses of the reflected pulsed light signal RX and then to operate in the ToF mode for one or more successive pulses of the reflected pulsed light signal RX.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.