POWER EFFICIENT LONG RANGE DEPTH SENSING

• US 20180098050A1
• Filed: 09/30/2016
• Published: 04/05/2018
• Est. Priority Date: 09/30/2016
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Intel Corporation
• Original Assignee: Intel Corporation
• Inventors: Oshrat, Yinon, Eshar, Dagan, Yanai, Yaron
• Granted Patent: US 10,447,998 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 1/00 Beacons or beacon systems transmitting signals having a characteristic or characteristics capable of being detected by non-directional receivers and defining directions, positions, or position lines fixed relatively to the beacon transmitters; Receivers co-operating therewith position fixing by co-ordinating a plurality of determinations of direction or position lines G01S5/00
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 11/12 using electromagnetic waves other than radio waves
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 17/46 Indirect determination of position data
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 17/894 3D imaging with simultaneous measurement of time-of-flight at a 2D array of receiver pixels, e.g. time-of-flight cameras or flash lidar
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 7/4911 Transmitters
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 13/207 using a single 2D image sensor
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 13/254 in combination with electromagnetic radiation sources for illuminating objects
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 13/296 Synchronisation thereof; Control thereof
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 23/56 provided with illuminating means

Abstract

Systems, apparatuses and methods may provide for detecting a snapshot request to conduct a long range depth capture, wherein the snapshot request is associated with a short range depth capture. Additionally, an infrared (IR) projector may be activated at a first power level for a first duration in response to the snapshot request, wherein the first power level is greater than a second power level corresponding to the short range depth capture and the first duration is less than a second duration corresponding to the short range depth capture.

Claims

1. An apparatus comprising:

a local component to issue a signal;

an infrared (IR) projector;

a request handler to detect a snapshot request to conduct a long range depth capture based on the signal from the local component;

a mode controller communicatively coupled to the IR projector and the request handler, the mode controller to activate the IR projector at a first power level for a first duration in response to the snapshot request, wherein the first power level is to be greater than a second power level corresponding to a short range depth capture and the first duration is to be less than a second duration corresponding to the short range depth capture;

a three-dimensional (3D) sensor to detect a pattern of IR light; and

a pattern synchronizer to conduct a synchronization between a pattern of IR light output from the IR projector and the pattern of light detected by the 3D sensor.

2. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the IR projector is to output one of a structured IR light pattern or a time-of-flight IR light pattern.

3. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the request handler is to detect a preview request to conduct the short range depth capture and the mode controller is to activate the IR projector at the second power level for the second duration in response to the preview request.

4. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the IR projector is a dedicated high power IR projector and the apparatus further includes a dedicated low power IR projector, the request handler is to detect a preview request to conduct the short range depth capture, and the mode controller is to activate the dedicated low power IR projector at the second power level for the second duration in response to the preview request.

5. A system comprising:

a housing including a mobile form factor;

a battery port to supply power to the system; and

a depth illumination apparatus including,

an infrared (IR) projector,

a request handler to detect a snapshot request to conduct a long range depth capture, wherein the snapshot request is to be associated with a short range depth capture, and

a mode controller communicatively coupled to the IR projector and the request handler, the mode controller to activate the IR projector at a first power level for a first duration in response to the snapshot request, wherein the first power level is to be greater than a second power level corresponding to the short range depth capture and the first duration is to be less than a second duration corresponding to the short range depth capture.

6. The system of claim 5, wherein the long range depth capture is to correspond to a still depth capture event and the short range depth capture is to correspond to a video capture event.

7. The system of claim 5, wherein the snapshot request is to be detected based on a signal from a remote device and the IR projector is to output a stereoscopic IR light pattern.

8. The system of claim 5, wherein the depth illumination apparatus further includes:

a local component to issue a signal, wherein the snapshot request is to be detected based on the signal from the local component;

a three-dimensional (3D) sensor to detect a pattern of IR light; and

a pattern synchronizer to conduct a synchronization between a pattern of IR light output from the IR projector and the pattern of light detected by the 3D sensor.

9. The system of claim 8, wherein the IR projector is to output one of a structured IR light pattern or a time-of-flight IR light pattern.

10. The system of claim 5, wherein the request handler is to detect a preview request to conduct the short range depth capture and the mode controller is to activate the IR projector at the second power level for the second duration in response to the preview request.

11. The system of claim 5, wherein the IR projector is a dedicated high power IR projector and the depth illumination apparatus further includes a dedicated low power IR projector, the request handler is to detect a preview request to conduct the short range depth capture, and the mode controller is to activate the dedicated low power IR projector at the second power level for the second duration in response to the preview request.

12. An apparatus comprising:

an infrared (IR) projector;

a request handler to detect a snapshot request to conduct a long range depth capture, wherein the snapshot request is to be associated with a short range depth capture; and

a mode controller communicatively coupled to the IR projector and the request handler, the mode controller to activate the IR projector at a first power level for a first duration in response to the snapshot request, wherein the first power level is to be greater than a second power level corresponding to the short range depth capture and the first duration is to be less than a second duration corresponding to the short range depth capture.

13. The apparatus of claim 12, wherein the long range depth capture is to correspond to a still depth capture event and the short range depth capture is to correspond to a video capture event.

14. The apparatus of claim 12, wherein the snapshot request is to be detected based on a signal from a remote device and the IR projector is to output a stereoscopic IR light pattern.

15. The apparatus of claim 12, further including:

a local component to issue a signal, wherein the snapshot request is to be detected based on the signal from the local component;

a three-dimensional (3D) sensor to detect a pattern of IR light; and

a pattern synchronizer to conduct a synchronization between a pattern of IR light output from the IR projector and the pattern of light detected by the 3D sensor.

16. The apparatus of claim 15, wherein the IR projector is to output one of a structured IR light pattern or a time-of-flight IR light pattern.

17. The apparatus of claim 13, wherein the request handler is to detect a preview request to conduct the short range depth capture and the mode controller is to activate the IR projector at the second power level for the second duration in response to the preview request.

18. The apparatus of claim 13, wherein the IR projector is a dedicated high power IR projector and the apparatus further includes a dedicated low power IR projector, the request handler is to detect a preview request to conduct the short range depth capture, and the mode controller is to activate the dedicated low power IR projector at the second power level for the second duration in response to the preview request.

19. A method comprising:

detecting a snapshot request to conduct a long range depth capture, wherein the snapshot request is associated with a short range depth capture; and

activating an infrared (IR) projector at a first power level for a first duration in response to the snapshot request, wherein the first power level is greater than a second power level corresponding to the short range depth capture and the first duration is less than a second duration corresponding to the short range depth capture.

20. The method of claim 19, wherein the long range depth capture corresponds to a still depth capture event and the short range depth capture corresponds a video capture event.

21. The method of claim 19, wherein the snapshot request is detected based on a signal from a remote device and the IR projector outputs a stereoscopic IR light pattern.

22. The method of claim 19, wherein the snapshot request is detected based on a signal from a local component and the method further includes conducting a synchronization between a pattern of IR light output from the IR projector and a pattern of IR light detected by a three-dimensional (3D) sensor.

23. The method of claim 22, wherein the IR projector outputs one of a structured IR light pattern or a time-of-flight IR light pattern.

24. The method of claim 19, further including:

detecting a preview request to conduct the short range depth capture; and

activating the IR projector at the second power level for the second duration in response to the preview request.

25. The method of claim 19, wherein the IR projector is a dedicated high power IR projector and the method further includes:

detecting a preview request to conduct the short range depth capture; and

activating a dedicated low power IR projector at the second power level for the second duration in response to the preview request.