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US 8,570,372 B2Granted
Three-dimensional imager and projection device
OwnerAustin Russellinventor
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
The systems and methods described herein include a device that can scan the surrounding environment and construct a 3D image, map, or representation of the surrounding environment using, for example, invisible light projected into the environment. In some implementations, the device can also project into the surrounding environment one or more visible radiation pattern patterns (e.g., a virtual object, text, graphics, images, symbols, color patterns, etc.) that are based at least in part on the 3D map of the surrounding environment.
Claims26
A device comprising:
- one or more cameras, the one or more cameras being configured to detect visible light and invisible light from one or more fields of view, and to create one or more visible light images and one or more invisible light images of the one or more fields of view;
- one or more projectors, the one or more projectors being configured to project at least invisible light into at least one of the one or more fields of view;
- and
- one or more processors, the one or more processors being configured to
- control the one or more projectors to project one or more invisible light patterns into at least one of the one or more fields of view;
- analyze the one or more invisible light images detected by the one or more cameras in order to generate depth data indicative of the depth of at least one item in at least one of the one or more fields of view;
- combine the one or more visible light images and the depth data to create three-dimensional data of at least one of the one or more fields of view;
- identify an object in the one or more fields of view, wherein the object comprises an electronic device;
- identify the location of the object using the three-dimensional data;
- and
- control the one or more projectors to project light into a subset of volumetric space in at least one of the one or more fields of view in order to power the electronic device by wirelessly transferring energy to the electronic device via a beam of light based upon the identified location.
8 more elements
A method comprising:
- detecting visible light and invisible light from one or more fields of view, and creating one or more visible light images and one or more invisible light images of the one or more fields of view using one or more cameras;
- projecting at least invisible light into at least one of the one or more fields of view using one or more projectors;
- and
- performing processing with one or more processors to
- control the one or more projectors to project one or more invisible light patterns into at least one of the one or more fields of view;
- analyze the one or more invisible light images detected by the one or more cameras in order to generate depth data indicative of the depth of at least one item in at least one of the one or more fields of view;
- combine the one or more visible light images and the depth data to create three-dimensional data of at least one of the one or more fields of view;
- identify an object in the one or more fields of view, wherein the object comprises an electronic device;
- identify the location of the object using the three-dimensional data, and
- control the one or more projectors to project light into a subset of volumetric space in at least one of the one or more fields of view in order to power the electronic device by wirelessly transferring energy to the electronic device via a beam of light based upon the identified location.
7 more elements
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.