Electronic Device with Multiview Image Capture and Depth Sensing

• US 20140240469A1
• Filed: 02/28/2013
• Published: 08/28/2014
• Est. Priority Date: 02/28/2013
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: Google Technology Holdings LLC (Alphabet Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Motorola Mobility LLC (Lenovo Group Ltd.)
• Inventors: Lee, Johnny
• Application Number:
  US13/780,580
• Publication Number:
  US 20140240469A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 348/48
• CPC Class Codes: G01B 11/25 by projecting a pattern, e.g. one or more lines, moiré fringes on the object G01B11/255 takes precedence ; image analysis for depth or shape recovery G06T7/50
• CPC Class Codes: G01C 11/00 Photogrammetry or videogrammetry, e.g. stereogrammetry; Photographic surveying
• CPC Class Codes: G01C 11/14 with optical projection G01C11/26 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 17/86 Combinations of lidar systems with systems other than lidar, radar or sonar, e.g. with direction finders
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 17/89 for mapping or imaging
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 13/243 using three or more 2D image sensors
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 13/25 using two or more image sensors with different characteristics other than in their location or field of view, e.g. having different resolutions or colour pickup characteristics; using image signals from one sensor to control the characteristics of another sensor
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 13/254 in combination with electromagnetic radiation sources for illuminating objects
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 13/366 using viewer tracking
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 25/00 Circuitry of solid-state image sensors [SSIS]; Control thereof
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 25/705 Pixels for depth measurement, e.g. RGBZ

Abstract

An electronic device (100) includes a first imaging camera (116) and a second imaging camera (114) disposed at a first surface (106). The first imaging camera (116) has a first angle of view and the second imaging camera (114) has a second angle of view greater than the first angle of view. The electronic device (100) further includes a depth sensor (120) disposed at the first surface (106). The depth sensor can include a modulated light projector (119) to project a modulated light pattern (500) and at least one of the first imaging camera (116) and the second imaging camera (114) to capture a reflection of the modulated light pattern (500). The electronic device (100) further can include a third imaging camera (118) disposed at a second surface (104).

Claims

1. An electronic device comprising:

a first imaging camera disposed at a first surface and having a first angle of view;

a second imaging camera disposed at the first surface and having a second angle of view greater than the first angle of view; and

a depth sensor disposed at the first surface.

2. The electronic device of claim 1, wherein the depth sensor comprises:

a modulated light projector to project a modulated light pattern; and

at least one of the first imaging camera and the second imaging camera to capture a reflection of the modulated light pattern.

3. The electronic device of claim 2, wherein the modulated light projector comprises:

an array of one or more vertical cavity surface emitting laser (VCSEL) diodes;

an array of one or more lenses overlying the array of one or more VCSEL diodes; and

a diffractive optical element overlying the array of one or more lenses.

4. The electronic device of claim 1, wherein the second imaging camera comprises:

a fish eye lens.

5. The electronic device of claim 1, wherein the second imaging camera is configured for machine vision image capture.

6. The electronic device of claim 5, wherein the second imaging camera comprises:

a rolling shutter imaging camera.

7. The electronic device of claim 1, wherein the first imaging camera is configured for user-initiated image capture.

8. The electronic device of claim 1, further comprising:

a third imaging camera disposed at a second surface and having a third angle of view greater than the first angle of view.

9. The electronic device of claim 8, wherein:

the first imaging camera is configured for user-initiated image capture;

the second imaging camera is configured for machine vision image capture; and

the third imaging camera is configured for at least one of;

facial recognition and head tracking.

10. The electronic device of claim 1, further comprising:

a display disposed at a second surface opposite the first surface; and

wherein the electronic device is configured to present, via the display, imagery captured via at least one of the first imaging camera and the second imaging camera.

11. An electronic device comprising:

a first imaging camera disposed at a first surface and having a first angle of view;

a second imaging camera disposed at the first surface and having a second angle of view greater than the first angle of view; and

a third imaging camera disposed at a second surface and having a third angle of view greater than the first angle of view.

12. The electronic device of claim 11, wherein:

the first imaging camera is configured for user-initiated image capture;

the second imaging camera is configured for machine vision image capture; and

the third imaging camera is configured for at least one of facial recognition and head tracking.

13. The electronic device of claim 11, further comprising:

a depth sensor having;

a modulated light projector, disposed at the first surface, to project a modulated light pattern; and

an imaging camera to capture a reflection of the modulated light pattern.

14. The electronic device of claim 13, wherein the imaging camera of the depth sensor comprises:

at least one of the first imaging camera and the second imaging camera.

15. The electronic device of claim 13, wherein the modulated light projector comprises:

an array of one or more vertical cavity surface emitting laser (VCSEL) diodes;

an array of one or more lenses overlying the array of one or more VCSEL diodes; and

a diffractive optical element overlying the array of one or more lenses.

16. The electronic device of claim 11, further comprising:

a display disposed at the second surface; and

wherein the electronic device is configured to present, via the display, image data captured via at least one of the first imaging camera, the second imaging camera, and the third imaging camera.

17. A method comprising:

capturing first image data using a first imaging camera disposed at a first surface of an electronic device;

capturing second image data using a second imaging camera disposed at the first surface of the electronic device, the second image data representing a wider field of view than the first image data; and

capturing depth data using a depth sensor disposed at the first surface of the electronic device.

18. The method of claim 17, further comprising:

determining at least one spatial feature from one or more of the first image data, the second image data, and the depth data; and

determining at least one of a relative position and a relative orientation of the electronic device based on the at least one spatial feature.

19. The method of claim 18, further comprising:

capturing third image data using a third imaging camera disposed at a second surface of the electronic device, the third image data representing a wider field of view than the first image data; and

wherein determining the at least one spatial feature includes;

determining the at least one spatial feature further based on the third image data.

20. The method of claim 17, further comprising:

displaying an image at the electronic device based on the first image data, the second image data, and the depth data.

21. The method of claim 20, further comprising:

determining a current context of the electronic device based at least in part on the depth data;

determining an augmented graphical overlay based on the current context; and

wherein displaying the image further includes;

displaying the image with the augmented graphical overlay.

22. The method of claim 20, further comprising:

capturing third image data using a third imaging camera disposed at a second surface of the electronic device;

determining a position of a user'"'"'s head based on the third image data; and

wherein displaying the image includes;

displaying the image further based on the position of the user'"'"'s head.

23. The method of claim 17, wherein capturing depth data using the depth sensor comprises:

projecting a modulated light pattern from the first surface of the electronic device; and

capturing a reflection of the modulated light pattern using at least one of the first imaging camera and the second imaging camera.