# US 11,910,125 B2 · Camera device > Agents: this data is available as JSON from the patentgrep API and MCP server — see https://patentgrep.com/llms.txt - Number: US 11,910,125 B2 - Document ID: US11910125B2 - Status: Granted - Kind: B2 - Application number: 17/413,230 - Filed: 2019-12-12 - Published: 2022-01-27 - Granted: 2024-02-20 - Earliest claimed: 2018-12-13 - Assignees: LG Innotek Co., Ltd. - Applicants: LG Innotek Co., Ltd. - Inventors: Yang Hyun Joo; Chul Kim; Ju Un Park; Seong Ha Jang - Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US11910125B2 ## CPC - G01S 17/894: Three-dimensional [3D] imaging with simultaneous measurement of time-of-flight at a two-dimensional [2D] array of receiver pixels, e.g. time-of-flight cameras or flash lidar - H04N 23/56: provided with illuminating means - G01S 7/4815: {using multiple transmitters} - G01S 7/4816: {of receivers alone} - G01S 17/36: with phase comparison between the received signal and the contemporaneously transmitted signal - G02B 3/0037: {characterized by the distribution or form of lenses} - G02B 3/0056: {arranged along two different directions in a plane, e.g. honeycomb arrangement of lenses (G02B3/0043 takes precedence; miniaturised objectives for electronic devices employing wafer level optics G02B13/0085)} - G02B 3/14: of variable focal length - G02B 7/021: {for more than one lens} - G02B 13/14: for use with infrared or ultraviolet radiation ({G02B13/008, } G02B13/16 take precedence) - G02B 13/18: with lenses having one or more non-spherical faces, e.g. for reducing geometrical aberration {(G02B13/002 takes precedence)} - G02B 26/005: {based on electrowetting} - G02B 27/4205: {having a diffractive optical element [DOE] contributing to image formation, e.g. whereby modulation transfer function MTF or optical aberrations are relevant} - G03B 17/48: adapted for combination with other photographic or optical apparatus - G06V 40/10: Human or animal bodies, e.g. vehicle occupants or pedestrians; Body parts, e.g. hands - G06V 40/145: Sensors therefor - H04N 9/31: Projection devices for colour picture display {, e.g. using electronic spatial light modulators [ESLM]} - H04N 9/77: Circuits for processing the brightness signal and the chrominance signal relative to each other, e.g. adjusting the phase of the brightness signal relative to the colour signal, correcting differential gain or differential phase (circuits for matrixing H04N9/67) - H04N 23/21: from near infrared [NIR] radiation - H04N 23/74: by influencing the scene brightness using illuminating means - H04N 23/951: by using two or more images to influence resolution, frame rate or aspect ratio - G02B 2207/115: Electrowetting - G06V 40/14: Vascular patterns - G01S: RADIO DIRECTION-FINDING; RADIO NAVIGATION; DETERMINING DISTANCE OR VELOCITY BY USE OF RADIO WAVES; LOCATING OR PRESENCE-DETECTING BY USE OF THE REFLECTION OR RERADIATION OF RADIO WAVES; ANALOGOUS ARRANGEMENTS USING OTHER WAVES - H04N: PICTORIAL COMMUNICATION, e.g. TELEVISION - G02B: OPTICAL ELEMENTS, SYSTEMS OR APPARATUS - 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) - G06V: IMAGE OR VIDEO RECOGNITION OR UNDERSTANDING ## Abstract A camera device is provided. The camera device includes a light emitting portion configured to change a light path of light according to a first control signal and output the light along a first light path or a second light path, a light receiving portion configured to receive the light reflected by an object and generate an electrical signal, and a control portion configured to generate the first control signal which controls the light path of the light to be changed to the first light path or the second light path. Here, the light emitting portion outputs the light with a first pattern along the first light path or outputs the light with a second pattern along the second light path. ## Claims ### Claim 1 A camera device comprising: a light emitter configured to change a light path of light according to a first control signal to selectively output the light along a first light path or a second light path; a light receiver configured to receive the light reflected by an object and generate an electrical signal; and a controller configured to generate the first control signal which controls the light path of the light to be selectively changed to the first light path or the second light path, wherein the light emitter is configured to output the light with a first pattern along the first light path or output the light with a second pattern along the second light path, wherein the first pattern comprises a surface light source pattern, and wherein the second pattern comprises a point light source pattern. ### Claim 2 (depends on 1) The camera device of claim 1, wherein the controller is further configured to control the light emitter to operate only some light emitting elements among all light emitting elements when the surface light source pattern is output. ### Claim 3 (depends on 1) The camera device of claim 1, wherein the light emitter comprises: a light source comprising a plurality of light emitting elements and configured to generate the light; a lens assembly configured to condense light generated by the light source and output the condensed light along the first light path or the second light path; and a diffractor disposed to be spaced apart from the light source and configured to diffract the light. ### Claim 4 (depends on 3) The camera device of claim 3, wherein the plurality of light emitting elements are multiple vertical cavity surface emitting laser (VCSEL) elements. ### Claim 5 (depends on 3) The camera device of claim 3, wherein the lens assembly comprises a first liquid and a second liquid having a refractive index different from that of the first liquid, and wherein an interface formed by the first liquid and the second liquid varies according to the first control signal. ### Claim 6 (depends on 5) The camera device of claim 5, wherein the lens assembly changes a level of scattering the light according to a curvature of the interface formed by the first liquid and the second liquid. ### Claim 7 (depends on 3) The camera device of claim 3, wherein the lens assembly is disposed between the light source and the diffractor or disposed on an upper end of the diffractor. ### Claim 8 (depends on 3) The camera device of claim 3, wherein the light emitter is configured to supply power of a power source to the light source according to a second control signal. ### Claim 9 (depends on 8) The camera device of claim 8, wherein when the light is output along the first light path, the light emitter generates light by separately operating some of the plurality of light emitting elements or generates the light by operating light emitting elements arranged in a preset region among the plurality of light emitting elements according to the second control signal. ### Claim 10 (depends on 8) The camera device of claim 8, wherein the second control signal controls an exposure time of the light or a duty rate of a power pulse of the light. ### Claim 11 (depends on 8) The camera device of claim 8, wherein the light emitter comprises a plurality of switching elements connected to the plurality of light emitting elements, and wherein the light emitter is configured to supply power to the light source by turning on the plurality of switching elements in a pulse generation section of the second control signal and stops power supply to the light source by turning off the plurality of switching elements in a non-pulse generation section of the second control signal. ### Claim 12 (depends on 8) The camera device of claim 8, wherein the controller is configured to control a pulse width of the second control signal according to a chroma value of image data corresponding to the electrical signal, wherein a preset pulse width of the second control signal is maintained when the chroma value differs from a preset maximum chroma value, and wherein the preset pulse width of the second control signal is reduced width when the chroma value is equal to the preset maximum chroma value. ### Claim 13 (depends on 8) The camera device of claim 8, wherein the diffractor is implemented to have a plate shape comprising a first surface configured to receive the light and a second surface configured to output the light being diffracted, and wherein the first surface comprises a plurality of micro lenses arranged at certain pitches, and the second surface is implemented to have a plane or a spherical shape having a certain curvature. ### Claim 14 (depends on 1) The camera device of claim 1, wherein the light has a wavelength in a near infrared (NIR) region. ### Claim 15 (depends on 1) The camera device of claim 1, wherein the light emitter is configured to output the light towards a human body, and wherein the light receiver is configured to condense light that is unabsorbed into hemoglobin, which is included in blood of the human body, and reflected by the human body.