US 2024/0201383 A1Published application

Distance measurement device and method

OwnerBrent Edward Hearn, Thierry Lebihen +1inventors

InventorsBrent Edward Hearn, Thierry Lebihen, Olivier Pothier

Life of this patent

Estimating the term…

Loading patent…

Abstract

A method includes estimating first distance values associated with a plurality of first pixels, based on light pulses of a first light pulse train having a first period, estimating second distance values associated with a plurality of second pixels, the second distance values being estimated for each second pixel based on a second light pulse train having a second period different from the first period, for each of the first pixels being adjacent to one of the second pixels, validating or invalidating the first distance values, based on a comparison between the estimations of the first distance value and at least one of the second distance values of at least one second adjacent pixel, and storing an indication of the first pixels having been validated and/or invalidated.

Claims20

Dependent claims

A method comprising:

capturing a depth image, the capturing comprising:
estimating, by a distance sensing device, first distance values associated with a plurality of first pixels from a pixel array of the distance sensing device, one or more of the first distance values being estimated for each first pixel, the first distance values being estimated based on travel times of light pulses of a first light pulse train transmitted towards a scene, the first light pulse train having a first period;
and
estimating, by the distance sensing device, second distance values associated with a plurality of second pixels from the pixel array, one or more of the second distance values being estimated for each second pixel, the second distance values being estimated based on travel times of light pulses of a second light pulse train transmitted towards the scene, the second light pulse train having a second period different from the first period;
for each of the first pixels being adjacent to at least one of the second pixels, validating or invalidating one or more of the first distance values, based on a comparison between the estimating of the first distance value associated with the first pixel and estimating of at least one of the second distance values associated with the at least one second adjacent pixel;
and
storing, in a memory of the distance sensing device, indications of the first pixels having been validated and/or invalidated.

4 more elements

A distance sensing device configured to capture a depth image, the distance sensing device comprising:

a detection circuit configured to:
estimate one or more first distance values associated with a plurality of first pixels from a pixel array of the distance sensing device, based on travel times of light pulses of a first light pulse train transmitted towards a scene, the first light pulse train having a first period;
and
estimate of one or more second distance values associated with a plurality of second pixels from the pixel array, based on travel times of light pulses of a second light pulse train transmitted towards the scene, the second light pulse train having a second period different from the first period;
validate or invalidate each of the first pixels being adjacent to at least one of the second pixels based on a comparison between the estimation of the one or more first distance values associated with the first pixel and the estimation of at least one of the second distance values associated with the at least one second adjacent pixel;
and
a memory coupled to the detection circuit and configured to store indications of the first pixels having been validated and/or invalidated.

4 more elements

A distance sensing device configured to capture a depth image, the distance sensing device comprising:

a detection circuit configured to:
estimate one or more first distance values associated with a plurality of first pixels from a pixel array of the distance sensing device, based on travel times of light pulses of a first light pulse train transmitted towards a scene, the first light pulse train having a first period;
and
estimate of one or more second distance values associated with a plurality of second pixels from the pixel array, based on travel times of light pulses of a second light pulse train transmitted towards the scene, the second light pulse train having a second period different from the first period;
validate or invalidate each of the first pixels being adjacent to at least one of the second pixels based on a comparison between the estimation of the one or more first distance values associated with the first pixel and the estimation of at least one of the second distance values associated with the at least one second adjacent pixel;
a memory coupled to the detection circuit and configured to store indications of the first pixels having been validated and/or invalidated;
a light source controlled by the detection circuit and configured to generate the first and second light pulse trains;
a first lens configured to direct the first and second light pulse trains toward the scene;
and
a second lens configured to receive the first and second light pulse trains reflected from the scene and direct the first and second light pulse trains to the detection circuit.

7 more elements

Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.

Facts

Application: 18/538,800Filed 13 Dec 2023
Priority: EP 2230688014 Dec 2022
Published: 20 Jun 2024
Term ends: Not estimatedThe source records don’t support an estimate.

Classification9 codes

G01S 17/894
For mapping or imaging: three-dimensional [3D] imaging with simultaneous measurement of time-of-flight at a two-dimensional [2D] array of receiver…
G01B 11/22
Measuring arrangements characterised by the use of optical techniques: for measuring depth
G01S 7/4808
Of systems according to group G01S17/00: evaluating distance, position or velocity data
G01S 7/4816
Constructional features, e.g. arrangements of optical elements: of receivers alone

Family

No related US applications are recorded in the indexed filing history.

Timeline

Citations

Open elsewhere

Building an agent or pulling many patents? Use the API or MCP server instead of scraping pages. Get an API key