Depth sensing using structured illumination

An imaging module integrable into a mobile or portable device, comprising

• a light source configured to produce an illuminating light beam;
• a non-diffractive interferometer configured to form an interferogram, the imaging module being configured to emit the interferogram about an illuminating axis, to be projected as a structured light pattern, having areas with different light intensity, onto a target region at a distance of at least 10 cm from the imaging module;
• and
• an image sensor configured to capture a digital image frame of the target region illuminated by the structured light pattern projected onto it, the image sensor being positioned off the illuminating axis to allow determining depth of at least one object location in the target region relative to a reference location on the basis of image data of the digital image frame.

A method comprising

• providing illuminating light;
• forming an interferogram by amplitude splitting the illuminating light and interferometrically combining the splitted illumination light;
• illuminating a target region at a distance of at least 10 cm by the interferogram, thereby projecting a structured light pattern onto the target region;
• capturing at least one digital image frame of the target region illuminated by the interferogram;
• and
• obtaining image data of the at least digital image frame, and automatically determining depth of at least one object location in the target region relative to a reference location on the basis of the obtained image data.