Imaging systems with depth detection
First Claim
1. An imaging system comprising:
- a lens;
an image sensor comprising an array of pixels that generate image data;
an at least partially reflective intermediate layer interposed between the lens and the image sensor;
an infrared cut-off filter interposed between the intermediate layer and the lens, wherein light from an object passes through the lens, the infrared cut-off filter, and the intermediate layer to reach the image sensor, wherein a first portion of the light is captured by the array of pixels to generate a primary image, and wherein a second portion of the light reflects off of the image sensor towards the intermediate layer, reflects off of the intermediate layer back toward the image sensor, and is captured by the array of pixels to generate a secondary image that is different than the primary image; and
depth mapping circuitry that detects the primary image and the secondary image and that compares the primary image to the secondary image to determine a distance between the imaging system and the object, wherein the first and second portions of the light are visible light.
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Abstract
An imaging system may include an image sensor, a lens, and layers with reflective properties, such as an infrared cut-off filter, between the lens and the image sensor. The lens may focus light from an object in a scene onto the image sensor. Some of the light directed onto the image sensor may form a first image on the image sensor. Other portions of the light directed onto the image sensor may reflect off of the image sensor and back towards the layers with reflective properties. These layers may reflect the light back onto the image sensor, forming a second image that is shifted relative to the first image. Depth mapping circuitry may compare the first and second images to determine the distance between the imaging system and the object in the scene.
21 Citations
16 Claims
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1. An imaging system comprising:
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a lens; an image sensor comprising an array of pixels that generate image data; an at least partially reflective intermediate layer interposed between the lens and the image sensor; an infrared cut-off filter interposed between the intermediate layer and the lens, wherein light from an object passes through the lens, the infrared cut-off filter, and the intermediate layer to reach the image sensor, wherein a first portion of the light is captured by the array of pixels to generate a primary image, and wherein a second portion of the light reflects off of the image sensor towards the intermediate layer, reflects off of the intermediate layer back toward the image sensor, and is captured by the array of pixels to generate a secondary image that is different than the primary image; and depth mapping circuitry that detects the primary image and the secondary image and that compares the primary image to the secondary image to determine a distance between the imaging system and the object, wherein the first and second portions of the light are visible light. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8)
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9. An imaging system comprising:
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a lens; an image sensor that captures an image of a scene; reflective layers interposed between the lens and the image sensor; and depth processing circuitry that determines depth information for the scene based on light that reflects off of the reflective layers and onto the image sensor, wherein the image sensor comprises a color filter layer having visible light color filters and infrared color filters and wherein the light that reflects off of the reflective layers and onto the image sensor passes through the infrared color filters and is blocked by the visible light color filters. - View Dependent Claims (10, 11, 12)
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13. A method of operating an imaging system comprising an image sensor, a reflective layer, and a depth determination engine, the method comprising:
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with the image sensor, capturing image data for a scene, wherein the image data includes primary image data generated in response to light directly incident upon the image sensor and secondary image data generated in response to light that reflected off of the image sensor, off of the reflective layer, and back onto the image sensor; with the depth determination engine, determining depth information for the scene by comparing the primary image data to the secondary image data; and with the depth determination engine, performing autocorrelation operations on the image data to identify the primary image data and the secondary image data and determine the depth information. - View Dependent Claims (14, 15, 16)
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Specification