Wide field-of-view depth imaging
AssigneeMicrosoft Technology Licensing, LLC
InventorJoshua Mark Hudman
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
A machine-vision system includes a modulated light source, an imaging pixel array, and a lens system. The modulated light source is configured to project light onto a subject. The imaging pixel array is configured to receive the light reflected from a locus of the subject and indicate distance to the locus. The lens system is configured to receive the light reflected from the subject and refract such light onto the imaging pixel array. The focal length of the lens system decreases with increasing angle of observation relative to a shared optical axis of the lens system and the imaging pixel array.
Claims20
A machine-vision system comprising:
- a modulated light source configured to project light onto a subject;
- an imaging pixel array configured to receive the light reflected from a locus of the subject and indicate distance to the locus;
- and
- a lens system configured to have a focal length that decreases with increasing angle of observation of the locus relative to a shared optical axis of the lens system and the imaging pixel array, the lens system configured to receive the light reflected from the locus and refract such light onto the imaging pixel array, wherein a ratio of the focal length to the effective aperture diameter of the lens system is substantially constant for angles of observation ranging from zero to sixty degrees.
A machine-vision system comprising:
- a modulated light source configured to project light onto a subject;
- an imaging pixel array configured to receive the light reflected from a locus of the subject and indicate distance to the locus;
- a lens system whose focal length decreases with increasing angle of observation of the locus relative to a shared optical axis of the lens system and the imaging pixel array, the lens system configured to receive the light reflected from the locus and refract such light onto the imaging pixel array, wherein a ratio of the focal length to the effective aperture diameter of the lens system is substantially constant for angles of observation ranging from zero to sixty degrees;
- and
- a controller operatively coupled to the modulated light source and to the imaging pixel array, the controller configured to compute the distance to the locus and map the locus to real-world coordinates.
A time-of-flight machine-vision system comprising:
- a temporally modulated light source configured to project light onto a subject;
- an imaging pixel array configured to receive the light reflected from a locus of the subject and indicate distance to the locus;
- and
- a compound lens system configured to receive the light reflected from the locus and refract such light onto the imaging pixel array, the compound lens system having a physical aperture and an effective aperture, the effective aperture being a cross section of the physical aperture in a plane normal to a line-of-sight passing between the locus and the imaging pixel array, a diameter of the effective aperture and a focal length of the lens system decreasing by corresponding amounts with increasing angle of observation relative to a shared optical axis of the lens system and the imaging pixel array, wherein the corresponding amounts differ by one millimeter or less for angles of observation ranging from zero to sixty degrees.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.