Laser projector and camera
AssigneeIntel Corporation
InventorsArnon Hirshberg, Ohad Menashe, Barak Freedman, Nikolai Berkovitch
Life of this patent
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Abstract
An optical system including multiple lenses to receive respective laser beams, and including a combiner (an optical device) to receive the laser beams from the multiple lenses and to combine the laser beams into a single beam. The optical assembly includes a micro-electro-mechanical system (MEMS) mirror to reflect the single beam from the combiner and provide a reflected beam as an exit beam through a window to an object. The optical assembly includes a single-pixel photodetector to collect light reflected from the object.
Claims25
An optical system comprising:
- multiple lenses to receive respective laser beams;
- a combiner comprising an optical device to receive the laser beams from the multiple lenses and to combine the laser beams into a single beam;
- a micro-electro-mechanical system (MEMS) mirror to reflect the single beam from the combiner and provide a reflected beam comprising an exit beam through a window to an object;
- and
- a single-pixel photodetector to collect light reflected from the object.
An electronic device comprising:
- a processor and memory;
- and
- an optical system comprising:
- multiple collimating lenses to receive respective laser beams;
- a combiner comprising an optical device to receive the laser beams from the multiple lenses and to combine the laser beams into a single beam;
- a micro-electro-mechanical system (MEMS) mirror to reflect the single beam from the combiner and provide a reflected beam comprising an exit beam through a window to an object;
- and
- a single-pixel photodetector to collect light reflected from the object.
A method of manufacturing an optical system, comprising:
- disposing multiple collimating lenses to receive laser beams from laser diodes, respectively, and to discharge the laser beams to a combiner;
- providing the combiner to combine the laser beams into a single beam, wherein the combiner is an optical device;
- disposing a micro-electro-mechanical system (MEMS) steering mirror to reflect the single beam as an exit beam projected to an object;
- and
- positioning a single-pixel photodetector such that the single-pixel photodetector is exposed only to a current projected pixel from the object and not to an entire scene, wherein the single-pixel photodetector comprises a lens to collect the light reflected from the object.
A method of operating an optical system, comprising:
- emitting laser beams from laser sources through respective lenses to a combiner, wherein the combiner is an optical device;
- combining the laser beams into a single beam at the combiner;
- reflecting, via a micro-electro-mechanical system (MEMS) mirror, the single beam through a window to an object;
- and
- collecting, via a single-pixel photodetector, light reflected from the object.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.