# US 2018/0020209 A1 · Integrated Camera System Having Two Dimensional Image Capture and Three Dimensional Time-of-Flight Capture With A Partitioned Field of View > Agents: this data is available as JSON from the patentgrep API and MCP server — see https://patentgrep.com/llms.txt - Number: US 2018/0020209 A1 - Document ID: US20180020209A1 - Status: Published application - Kind: A1 - Application number: 15/694,039 - Filed: 2017-09-01 - Published: 2018-01-18 - Earliest claimed: 2014-12-22 - Applicants: Google Inc. - Inventors: Jamyuen Ko; Chung Chun Wan - Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US20180020209A1 ## CPC - H04N 13/254: in combination with electromagnetic radiation sources for illuminating objects - G01S 7/4815: {using multiple transmitters} - 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 5/2226: {Determination of depth image, e.g. for foreground/background separation (determining depth by image analysis in general G06T7/50; segmentation by image analysis in general G06T7/10)} - H04N 13/289: Switching between monoscopic and stereoscopic modes - H04N 13/296: Synchronisation thereof; Control thereof - H04N 23/56: provided with illuminating means - H04N 23/57: Mechanical or electrical details of cameras or camera modules specially adapted for being embedded in other devices - H04N 25/705: Pixels for depth measurement, e.g. RGBZ - G03B 15/03: Combinations of cameras with lighting apparatus; Flash units - H04N 2213/001: Constructional or mechanical details - H04N: PICTORIAL COMMUNICATION, e.g. TELEVISION - 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 - 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) ## Abstract An apparatus is described that includes an integrated two-dimensional image capture and three-dimensional time-of-flight depth capture system. The three-dimensional time-of-flight depth capture system includes an illuminator to generate light. The illuminator includes arrays of light sources. Each of the arrays is dedicated to a particular different partition within a partitioned field of view of the illuminator. ## Claims ### Claim 1 (canceled) ### Claim 2 A computer-implemented method comprising: identifying a sub-region of interest within a field of view of an illuminator of a depth camera; identifying a subset of a plurality of arrays of light sources that are associated with the illuminator and that are each associated with the sub-region of interest; selecting a sequence with which to individually activate each array of light sources of the subset; and individually activating each array of light sources of the subset according to the sequence. ### Claim 3 (depends on 2) The method of claim 2, wherein the entire sub-region of interest is illuminated in sequence. ### Claim 4 (depends on 3) The method of claim 3, wherein illumination power consumption is limited to no more than is consumed by a single array of light sources. ### Claim 5 (depends on 3) The method of claim 3, wherein illumination power consumption is permitted to scale with a quantity of simultaneously active arrays of light sources. ### Claim 6 (depends on 2) The method of claim 2, wherein identifying a sub-region of interest within the field of view comprises determining that a hand gesture is to be recognized. ### Claim 7 (depends on 2) The method of claim 2, wherein the light sources comprise infrared light sources. ### Claim 8 (depends on 2) The method of claim 2, wherein individually activating each array of light sources of the subset according to the sequence comprises: individually activating a particular light source of the subset; and deactivating all other light sources of the subset. ### Claim 9 (depends on 2) The method of claim 2, wherein selecting the sequence with which to individually activate each array comprises determining a power budget for illuminating the sub-region of interest. ### Claim 10 A system comprising: one or more computers and one or more storage devices storing instructions that are operable, when executed by the one or more computers, to cause the one or more computers to perform operations comprising: identifying a sub-region of interest within a field of view of an illuminator of a depth camera; identifying a subset of a plurality of arrays of light sources that are associated with the illuminator and that are each associated with the sub-region of interest; selecting a sequence with which to individually activate each array of light sources of the subset; and individually activating each array of light sources of the subset according to the sequence. ### Claim 11 (depends on 10) The system of claim 10, wherein the entire sub-region of interest is illuminated in sequence. ### Claim 12 (depends on 11) The method of claim 11, wherein illumination power consumption is limited to no more than is consumed by a single array of light sources. ### Claim 13 (depends on 11) The system of claim 11, wherein illumination power consumption is permitted to scale with a quantity of simultaneously active arrays of light sources. ### Claim 14 (depends on 10) The system of claim 10, wherein identifying a sub-region of interest within the field of view comprises determining that a hand gesture is to be recognized. ### Claim 15 (depends on 10) The system of claim 10, wherein the light sources comprise infrared light sources. ### Claim 16 (depends on 10) The system of claim 10, wherein individually activating each array of light sources of the subset according to the sequence comprises: individually activating a particular light source of the subset; and deactivating all other light sources of the subset. ### Claim 17 (depends on 10) The system of claim 10, wherein selecting the sequence with which to individually activate each array comprises determining a power budget for illuminating the sub-region of interest. ### Claim 18 A non-transitory computer-readable medium storing software comprising instructions executable by one or more computers which, upon such execution, cause the one or more computers to perform operations comprising: identifying a sub-region of interest within a field of view of an illuminator of a depth camera; identifying a subset of a plurality of arrays of light sources that are associated with the illuminator and that are each associated with the sub-region of interest; selecting a sequence with which to individually activate each array of light sources of the subset; and individually activating each array of light sources of the subset according to the sequence. ### Claim 19 (depends on 18) The medium of claim 18, wherein the entire sub-region of interest is illuminated in sequence. ### Claim 20 (depends on 19) The medium of claim 19, wherein illumination power consumption is limited to no more than is consumed by a single array of light sources. ### Claim 21 (depends on 19) The medium of claim 19, wherein illumination power consumption is permitted to scale with a quantity of simultaneously active arrays of light sources. ### Claim 22 A method, comprising: receiving a command to illuminate a particular partition of a partitioned field of view of an illuminator; enable an array of light sources that is dedicated to the particular partition; collect light from the light source array and direct the collected light toward the partition to illuminate the partition; detect at least a portion of the light after it has been reflected from an object of interest within the partition and compare respective arrival times of the light against emission times of the light to generate depth information of the object of interest.