Addressable vertical cavity surface emitting laser array for generating structured light patterns
AssigneeMeta Platforms Technologies, LLC
InventorJonatan Ginzburg
Life of this patent
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Abstract
An addressable vertical cavity surface emitting laser (VCSEL) array may generate structured light in dot patterns. The VCSEL array includes a plurality of traces that control different groups of VCSELs, such that each group of VCSELs may be individually controlled. The VCSEL groups are arranged such that they emit a dot pattern, and by modulating which groups of VCSELs are active a density of the dot pattern may be adjusted. The VCSEL array may be part of a depth projector that projects the dot pattern into a local area. A projection assembly may replicate the dot pattern in multiple tiles.
Claims20
A vertical cavity surface emitting laser (VCSEL) array comprising:
- a plurality of groups of VCSELs on a single VCSEL chip, where each group of VCSELs forms a respective dot pattern;
- and
- a plurality of traces, where each trace conductively couples to a respective group of VCSELs such that each group of VCSELs is individually addressable,
- wherein a first trace in the plurality of traces comprises a first straight segment and a second straight segment, wherein the first straight segment and the second straight segment join together at an angle greater than 0 degrees and less than 180 degrees.
A structured light projector comprising:
- a first group of emitters conductively coupled to a first trace, wherein the first trace comprises a first straight segment and a second straight segment, wherein the first straight segment and the second straight segment join together at an angle greater than 0 degrees and less than 180 degrees;
- and
- a second group of emitters conductively coupled to a second trace, wherein the first group of emitters and the second group of emitters are individually addressable.
A method comprising:
- selecting a first dot pattern, of a plurality of dot patterns, based in part on a target density and a target distance, wherein the first dot pattern is associated with a first subset of traces of a plurality of traces on a chip, wherein each of the first subset of traces comprises a first straight segment and a second straight segment, wherein the first straight segment and the second straight segment join together at an angle greater than 0 degrees and less than 180 degrees, and wherein each respective trace is conductively coupled to a respective group of VCSELs on the chip;
- activating at least one group of VCSELs that are conductively coupled via the first subset of traces, such that the activated at least one group of VCSELs emit light that forms a first dot pattern;
- and
- projecting the first dot pattern into a local area, wherein the first dot pattern has the target density at the target distance.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.