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 VCSEL projector and method for using the same are disclosed. In one embodiment, the apparatus comprises a vertical cavity surface emitting laser (VCSEL) array comprising a plurality of VCSELs; a micro-lens array coupled to the VCSEL array and having a plurality of lenses, and each of the plurality of lenses is positioned over a VCSEL in the VCSEL array; and a projection lens coupled to the micro-lens array (MLA), where light emitted by the VCSEL array is projected as a sequence of patterns onto an object by the projection lens.
Claims26
An apparatus comprising:
- a vertical cavity surface emitting laser (VCSEL) array comprising a plurality of VCSELs;
- a micro-lens array coupled to the VCSEL array and having a plurality of lenses, and each of the plurality of lenses is positioned over a VCSEL in the VCSEL array;
- and
- a projection lens coupled to the micro-lens array (MLA), wherein light emitted by the VCSEL array is projected as a sequence of patterns onto an object by the projection lens.
An apparatus comprising:
- a projector configured to project a sequence of light patterns on an object, wherein the projector comprises
- a vertical cavity surface emitting laser (VCSEL) array comprising a plurality of VCSELs,
- a micro-lens array coupled to the VCSEL array and having a plurality of lenses, and each of the plurality of lenses is positioned over a VCSEL in the VCSEL array,
- a projection lens coupled to the micro-lens array (MLA), wherein light emitted by the VCSEL array is projected as a sequence of patterns onto an object by the projection lens;
- and
- a first camera configured to capture a sequence of images of the object illuminated with the projected light patterns;
- and
- a processing unit to receive the sequence of images and reconstruct depth using triangulation.
A method comprising:
- projecting a sequence of light patterns on an object using a projector, wherein the projector comprises
- a vertical cavity surface emitting laser (VCSEL) array comprising a plurality of VCSELs,
- a micro-lens array coupled to the VCSEL array and having a plurality of lenses, and each of the plurality of lenses is positioned over a VCSEL in the VCSEL array, and
- a projection lens coupled to the micro-lens array (MLA), wherein light emitted by the VCSEL array is projected as a sequence of patterns onto an object by the projection lens;
- capturing, using a camera, a sequence of images of the sequence of light patterns;
- and
- generating depth information via triangulation using the sequence of images.
An article of manufacture having one or more non-transitory computer readable storage media storing instructions which when executed by a system to perform a method comprising:
- receiving a sequence of images of the sequence of light patterns captured by a camera, wherein the light patterns are projected by a projector that comprises
- a vertical cavity surface emitting laser (VCSEL) array comprising a plurality of VCSELs,
- a micro-lens array coupled to the VCSEL array and having a plurality of lenses, and each of the plurality of lenses is positioned over a VCSEL in the VCSEL array, and
- a projection lens coupled to the micro-lens array (MLA), wherein light emitted by the VCSEL array is projected as a sequence of patterns onto an object by the projection lens;
- and
- generating depth information via triangulation using the sequence of images.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.