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US 11,889,046 B2Granted
Compact, low cost VCSEL projector for high performance stereodepth camera
AssigneeIntel Corporation
InventorsKrishna Swaminathan, Anders Grunnet-Jepsen, Leonid M. Keselman
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Abstract
A compact, low cost vcsel projector for high performance stereodepth camera is disclosed. An example apparatus includes an array of vertical cavity surface emitting lasers (VCSELs); an array of micro-lenses coupled to the array of VCSELs, centerlines of ones of the micro-lenses offset relative to centerlines of respective ones of the VCSELs; and a projection lens coupled to the array of micro-lenses.
Claims21
An apparatus comprising:
- an array of vertical cavity surface emitting lasers (VCSELs) distributed across a planar surface of a substrate;
- an array of micro-lenses coupled to the array of VCSELs, the array of micro-lenses in contact with the planar surface of the substrate, ones of the micro-lenses corresponding to respective ones of the VCSELs, centerlines of different ones of the micro-lenses offset relative to centerlines of the respective ones of the VCSELs by different amounts, the different amounts based on distances of the different ones of the micro-lenses from a center of the array of micro-lenses;
- and
- a projection lens coupled to the array of micro-lenses.
1 more element
An apparatus comprising:
- a plurality of means for emitting light;
- a plurality of means for bending the light emitted by the emitting means, different ones of the plurality of bending means to bend the light from respective ones of the plurality of emitting means by different angles;
- and
- means for projecting the light emitted by the emitting means onto an object, the different angles by which the different ones of the plurality of bending means bend the light based on different amounts of offset between centerlines of the different ones of the plurality of bending means and centerlines of the respective ones of the plurality of emitting means, the different amounts of offset based on distances of the respective ones of the plurality of emitting means relative to a center of an area across which the plurality of emitting means are distributed.
1 more element
At least one computer-readable storage device comprising instructions that, when executed, cause a machine to at least:
- project a pattern of light on an object using a projector, the projector including:
- vertical cavity surface emitting lasers (VCSELs) to emit the light in a direction away from a surface of a substrate, the substrate supporting the VCSELs along the surface;
- micro-lenses fixed to the surface of the substrate, centerlines of different ones of the micro-lenses offset relative to centerlines of respective ones of the VCSELs by different amounts to bend the light emitted from the respective ones of the VCSELs by different angles, the different amounts based on distances of the different ones of the micro-lenses from a center of an area on the surface across which the micro-lenses are distributed;
- and
- a projection lens coupled to the micro-lenses;
- capture an image of the object illuminated by the pattern of light;
- and
- generate depth information based on the image.
5 more elements
A method comprising:
- projecting a pattern of light on an object using a projector, the projector including:
- an array of vertical cavity surface emitting lasers (VCSELs) to emit the light;
- an array of micro-lenses coupled to the array of VCSELs, centerlines of different ones of the micro-lenses offset relative to centerlines of respective ones of the VCSELs by different amounts, the different amounts based on distances of the different ones of the micro-lenses from a center of the array of micro-lenses;
- and
- a projection lens coupled to the array of micro-lenses;
- capturing, with a camera, an image of the object illuminated by the pattern of light;
- and
- generating, with at least one processor, depth information based on the image.
5 more elements
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.