Multiple exposure structured light pattern
AssigneeMicrosoft Technology Licensing, LLC
InventorJoshua M. Hudman
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
Methods, systems, apparatuses, and computer program products are provided for illuminating a scene with light containing speckle patterns. A plurality of instances of coherent light are generated in sequence. From each instance of coherent light of the plurality of instances of coherent light, a corresponding instance of illumination light is generated that contains a respective speckle pattern, thereby generating a plurality of instances of illumination light containing a plurality of respective speckle patterns. The plurality of speckle patterns are configured such that a summation of the plurality of speckle patterns forms a substantially uniform illumination pattern. The plurality of instances of illumination light are projected into an illumination environment in sequence.
Claims20
A camera, comprising:
- at least one light source;
- at least one transparent patterned element positioned to receive a plurality of instances of coherent light generated by the at least one light source, the at least one transparent patterned element configured, for each received instance of coherent light, to cause interference of waves of the received instance of coherent light to generate a corresponding instance of illumination light that contains a respective speckle pattern, thereby generating a plurality of instances of illumination light containing a plurality of respective speckle patterns, a first speckle pattern of the plurality of speckle patterns configured to fill in areas of an illumination environment not filled by a second speckle pattern of the plurality of speckle patterns;
- a projection lens positioned to receive each of the instances of illumination light, and to project each of the instances of illumination light into an illumination environment;
- and
- an image sensor configured to detect a plurality of instances of return light reflected from the illumination environment corresponding to the plurality of instances of illumination light.
An optical assembly, comprising:
- at least one transparent patterned element positioned to receive a plurality of instances of coherent light generated by at least one light source, the at least one transparent patterned element configured, for each received instance of coherent light, to cause interference of waves of the received instance of coherent light to generate a corresponding instance of illumination light that contains a respective speckle pattern, thereby generating a plurality of instances of illumination light containing a plurality of respective speckle patterns, a first speckle pattern of the plurality of speckle patterns configured to fill in areas of an illumination environment not filled by a second speckle pattern of the plurality of speckle patterns;
- and
- a projection lens positioned to receive each of the instances of illumination light, and to project each of the instances of illumination light into an illumination environment.
A method of projecting illumination light into an image environment, the method comprising:
- generating a plurality of instances of coherent light in sequence;
- from each instance of coherent light of the plurality of instances of coherent light, generating a corresponding instance of illumination light that contains a respective speckle pattern, thereby generating a plurality of instances of illumination light containing a plurality of respective speckle patterns, a first speckle pattern of the plurality of speckle patterns configured to fill areas of an illumination environment not filled by a second speckle pattern of the plurality of speckle patterns, the plurality of speckle patterns being configured such that a summation of the plurality of speckle patterns forms a substantially uniform illumination pattern;
- and
- projecting the plurality of instances of illumination light into an illumination environment in sequence.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.