Depth Sensing Using Temporal Coding

A method comprising, by a computing device:

• capturing, during a time period, images comprising a plurality of detected patterns corresponding to reflections of a plurality of distinct projected patterns projected by a projector, wherein an intensity of each of the plurality of distinct projected patterns varies over the time period in accordance with a predetermined temporal lighting-characteristic pattern associated with the projected pattern, and a rate at which the images are captured by a camera is synchronized with a rate at which the intensity varies;
• determining, based on the images, a detected temporal lighting-characteristic pattern for each of the detected patterns;
• detecting a correspondence between a first detected pattern of the detected patterns and a first projected pattern of the projected patterns by comparing the detected temporal lighting-characteristic pattern of the first detected pattern to the predetermined temporal lighting-characteristic pattern of the first projected pattern;
• and
• computing a depth associated with the first detected pattern based on the correspondence.

A system comprising:

• one or more processors;
• and
• one or more computer-readable non-transitory storage media coupled to one or more processors and comprising instructions operable when executed by one or more processors to cause the system to:
• capture, during a time period, images comprising a plurality of detected patterns corresponding to reflections of a plurality of distinct projected patterns projected by a projector, wherein an intensity of each of the plurality of distinct projected patterns varies over the time period in accordance with a predetermined temporal lighting-characteristic pattern associated with the projected pattern, and a rate at which the images are captured by a camera is synchronized with a rate at which the intensity varies;
• determine, based on the images, a detected temporal lighting-characteristic pattern for each of the detected patterns;
• detect a correspondence between a first detected pattern of the detected patterns and a first projected pattern of the projected patterns by comparing the detected temporal lighting-characteristic pattern of the first detected pattern to the predetermined temporal lighting-characteristic pattern of the first projected pattern;
• and
• compute a depth associated with the first detected pattern based on the correspondence.

One or more computer-readable non-transitory storage media embodying software that is operable when executed to:

• capture, during a time period, images comprising a plurality of detected patterns corresponding to reflections of a plurality of distinct projected patterns projected by a projector, wherein an intensity of each of the plurality of distinct projected patterns varies over the time period in accordance with a predetermined temporal lighting-characteristic pattern associated with the projected pattern, and a rate at which the images are captured by a camera is synchronized with a rate at which the intensity varies;
• determine, based on the images, a detected temporal lighting-characteristic pattern for each of the detected patterns;
• detect a correspondence between a first detected pattern of the detected patterns and a first projected pattern of the projected patterns by comparing the detected temporal lighting-characteristic pattern of the first detected pattern to the predetermined temporal lighting-characteristic pattern of the first projected pattern;
• and
• compute a depth associated with the first detected pattern based on the correspondence.