Separation of electrical and optical components

• US 8,508,919 B2
• Filed: 09/14/2009
• Issued: 08/13/2013
• Est. Priority Date: 09/14/2009
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Microsoft Technology Licensing LLC (Microsoft Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Microsoft Corporation
• Inventors: Yee, Dawson
• Primary Examiner(s): Wilson, Adrian S
• Application Number:
  US12/559,170
• Publication Number:
  US 20110064402A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,429 Days
• Field of Search: 361/679.01, 356/375, 356/603, 345/426
• US Class Current: 361/679.01
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/011 Arrangements for interaction with the human body, e.g. for user immersion in virtual reality blind teaching G09B21/00
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 29/49002 Electrical device making

Abstract

Embodiments related to establishing and maintaining precision alignment in an optical system are disclosed. For example, one disclosed embodiment provides an optical device comprising an outer casing and a rigid optical support disposed within an interior of the outer casing and to which a plurality of optical components are mounted. The embodiment further comprises a printed circuit board spatially separated from the optical support and the plurality of optical components, wherein one or more electrical components are mounted to the printed circuit board. The embodiment also comprises one or more electrical conductors electrically connecting the one or more electrical components to the one or more optical components.

Claims

1. An optical device, comprising:

an outer casing;

an optical support fixed to a position within an interior of the outer casing;

a plurality of optical components mounted to the optical support;

a heat sink thermally coupled to a first optical component of the plurality of optical components, wherein at least a portion of the heat sink extends through the optical support;

a gasket configured to thermally insulate the portion of the heat sink extending through the optical support;

a printed circuit board separate from the optical support and fixed to a position in the outer casing that is spatially separated from the optical support and the plurality of optical components;

one or more electrical components mounted to the printed circuit board; and

one or more electrical conductors electrically connecting the one or more electrical components to the plurality of optical components.

2. The optical device of claim 1, wherein the optical device comprises a depth-sensing camera.

3. The optical device of claim 2, wherein the plurality of optical components comprises a projector, a first camera, and a second camera, and wherein the projector, the first camera, and the second camera are each mounted to the optical support.

4. The optical device of claim 3, wherein the projector comprises a laser and a diffractive optical element.

5. The optical device of claim 1, wherein the optical support is formed from one or more of a metal material, a ceramic material, and a polymer material.

6. The optical device of claim 1, wherein the one or more of the electrical components comprises a heat sink.

7. The optical device of claim 1, wherein the one or more electrical conductors are flexible.

8. The optical device of claim 1, further comprising a plurality of printed circuit boards.

9. A depth-sensing camera, comprising:

an optical system comprising;

a rigid optical support,

a projector mounted to the optical support,

a first camera mounted to the optical support,

a second camera mounted to the optical support, and

a heat sink at least partially extending through the optical support and thermally coupled to the projector, the heat sink coupled to the optical support via a gasket configured to thermally insulate the heat sink from the optical support; and

an electrical/thermal system comprising;

a printed circuit board separate from the optical support and spatially separated from the optical support,

one or more electronic components mounted to the printed circuit board, and

one or more thermal components mounted to the printed circuit board system and thermally floating relative to the optical support; and

a plurality of electrical conductors electrically connecting the projector, the first camera, and the second camera respectively to the printed circuit board.

10. The depth-sensing camera of claim 9, wherein the optical support is formed from one or more of a metal, ceramic, composite, and polymer material.

11. The depth-sensing camera of claim 9, wherein the plurality of electrical conductors are flexible.

12. The depth-sensing camera of claim 9, further comprising a plurality of printed circuit boards, wherein each printed circuit board comprises at least some of the one or more electronic components coupled to the optical system.

13. The depth-sensing camera of claim 9, wherein the first camera is an infrared camera, and wherein the second camera is a visible camera.

14. A method of assembling an optical device, the optical device comprising a rigid optical support, a printed circuit board, and an outer casing, the method comprising:

mounting a plurality of optical components to the optical support, wherein one or more optical components of the plurality of optical components comprises a heat sink at least partially extending through the optical support, the heat sink coupled to the optical support via a gasket configured to allow the heat sink to float relative to the optical support and to thermally insulate the heat sink from the optical support;

positioning the optical support in the outer casing and fixing a position of the optical support relative to the outer casing;

positioning the printed circuit board in the outer casing and fixing a position of the printed circuit board in a location that is spaced from the optical support; and

connecting one or more of the plurality of optical components to the printed circuit board via one or more electrical conductors.

15. The method of claim 14, wherein the device is a depth-sensing camera.

16. The method of claim 15, wherein mounting a plurality of optical components to an optical support comprises mounting a projector, a first camera, and a second camera to the optical support.

17. The method of claim 14, wherein fixing the printed circuit board in the outer casing in a location that is spaced from the optical support comprises fixing the printed circuit board in the outer casing in a location that is spaced from thermal components that conduct heat away from the printed circuit board.

18. The method of claim 14, wherein connecting the one or more optical components to the printed circuit board comprises connecting the one or more optical components to the printed circuit board via one or more flexible connectors.

19. The method of claim 14, further comprising fixing a plurality of printed circuit boards in a location spaced from the optical support, and connecting the plurality of printed circuit boards to the plurality of optical components via a plurality of electrical conductors.