Method and apparatus of measuring depth information for 3D camera

• US 9,237,333 B2
• Filed: 07/15/2011
• Issued: 01/12/2016
• Est. Priority Date: 11/01/2010
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Samsung Electronics Co. Ltd.
• Original Assignee: Samsung Electronics Co. Ltd.
• Inventors: Lee, Jun Haeng, Ryu, Hyun Surk, Park, Keun Joo, Shin, Chang Woo
• Primary Examiner(s): Patel, Jay
• Assistant Examiner(s): Aghevli, Reza
• Application Number:
  US13/184,489
• Publication Number:
  US 20120105587A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,642 Days
• Field of Search: 348/46, 348/E13.07, 348/345, 348/270, 348/349, 348/E5.042, 257/E27.131, 257/E27.133, 257/E27.151, 356/605, 356/5.1, 356/5.04, 356/4.01, 356/4.07, 382/106, 382/154
• US Class Current: 1/1
• 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 7/4861 Circuits for detection, sampling, integration or read-out
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 7/487 Extracting wanted echo signals , e.g. pulse detection
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 13/254 in combination with electromagnetic radiation sources for illuminating objects
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 13/271 wherein the generated image signals comprise depth maps or disparity maps

Abstract

A depth information measuring method and apparatus for a three-dimensional (3D) camera may output, to an object, an optical pulse of which an intensity is higher than an intensity of an ambient light. The depth information measuring method and apparatus may generate a voltage that is proportional to a log value of an intensity of a light reflected from the object. The depth information measuring method and apparatus may use discharging units, and the discharging units may respectively include dischargers having different discharging speeds or capacitors having different capacities.

Claims

1. An apparatus for measuring depth information, the apparatus comprising:

a log converting unit configured to receive a light reflected from an object, and to output a log node voltage that is proportional to a log value of an intensity of the reflected light;

a comparison outputting unit connected to an output of the log converting unit, and configured to output a comparison node voltage of a second threshold value when the log node voltage increases by at least a first threshold value after activation of a first control signal,

wherein the comparison outputting unit comprises;

a comparator with a first input port and a second input port, the second input port being connected to an input port of the comparison outputting unit;

a buffer connected to the first input port of the comparator; and

a first switch disposed between the buffer and the input port of the comparison outputting unit,

wherein the first switch operates based on the first control signal, and

wherein the comparator outputs a comparison node voltage substantially equal to the second threshold value when a voltage of a second input port of the comparator is at least the first threshold value greater than a voltage of the first input port; and

at least one discharging unit connected to an output of the comparison outputting unit and configured to discharge, based on a predetermined rule, an output node voltage until a second control signal is activated when the output of the comparison outputting unit is equal to or greater than the second threshold value,

wherein the output node voltage is charged, in advance, to a level of a source voltage,

wherein the second control signal is activated when the discharging is performed during a predetermined time, and

wherein each of the at least one discharging unit discharges the corresponding output node voltage at a different rate.

2. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the log converting unit comprises:

an optical sensor configured to receive the light reflected from the object, and to convert the received light to a current; and

a log output trans-impedance amplifier configured to output the log node voltage that is proportional to a log value of a magnitude of the current.

3. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein each of the at least one discharging unit charges a corresponding output node voltage to the level of the source voltage, based on whether a third control signal input to a corresponding discharging unit is activated.

4. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein each of the at least one discharging unit comprises:

a discharger including an on-port and an off-port;

a capacitor connected between a corresponding discharging unit and ground; and

a second switch connected between the source voltage and an output node, the output node disposed between the discharger and the capacitor,

wherein the second switch operates based on a third control signal, and

wherein the discharger operates in an active mode that discharges the output node voltage when a voltage greater than or equal to the second threshold value is input to the on-port, and operates in a sleep mode that stops the discharging based on the second control signal input to the off-port.

5. The apparatus of claim 4, wherein the capacitor included in each of the at least one discharging unit has a different capacity.

6. The apparatus of claim 4, wherein the discharger included in each of the at least one discharging unit has a different discharging rate.

7. The apparatus of claim 1, further comprising:

a light source configured to output, in a direction of the object, a periodic optical pulse including light of at least two intensity levels, wherein the at least two intensity levels have values other than zero.

8. The apparatus of claim 7, wherein the lowest intensity level of light of the periodic optical pulse is higher than an intensity of ambient light.

9. The apparatus of claim 1, further comprising:

a controller configured to control the comparison outputting unit based on the first control signal, and to control the at least one discharging unit based on the second control signal.

10. The apparatus of claim 9, wherein the controller selectively controls the at least one discharging unit based on an estimated distance to the object.

11. The apparatus of claim 10, wherein a discharging unit having a relatively fast discharging rate among the at least one discharging unit is selected when the estimated distance is relatively short.

12. The apparatus of claim 10, wherein a discharging unit having a relatively slow discharging rate among the at least one discharging unit is selected when the estimated distance is relatively long.

13. The apparatus of claim 1, further comprising:

a processor configured to calculate depth information based on each change in output node voltage of the at least one discharging unit from before the discharging is performed to after the second control signal is activated.

14. A method of measuring depth information, the method comprising:

receiving a light reflected from an object;

generating a log node voltage that is proportional to a log value of an intensity of the reflected light;

generating, as an output of a comparison outputting unit, a comparison node voltage of a second threshold value when the log node voltage increases by at least a first threshold value after activation of a first control signal input to the comparison outputting unit

wherein the comparison outputting unit comprises;

a comparator with a first input port and a second input port, the second input port being connected to an input port of the comparison outputting unit;

a buffer connected to the first input port of the comparator; and

a first switch disposed between the buffer and the input port of the comparison outputting unit,

wherein the first switch operates based on the first control signal, and

wherein the comparator outputs a comparison node voltage substantially equal to the second threshold value when a voltage of a second input port of the comparator is at least the first threshold value greater than a voltage of the first input port; and

discharging, by at least one discharging unit and based on a predetermined rule, an output node voltage of each of the at least one discharging unit until a second control signal input to a corresponding discharging unit is activated when the output of the comparison outputting unit is greater than or equal to the second threshold value,

wherein the output node voltage is charged, in advance, to a level of a source voltage, and

wherein the second control signal is activated when the discharging is performed during a predetermined time, and

wherein the discharging comprises discharging, by each of the at least one discharging unit, a corresponding output node voltage at a different rate.

15. The method of claim 14, wherein the generating of the log node voltage comprises converting the received light to a current and generating the log node voltage that is proportional to a log value of a magnitude of the current.

16. The method of claim 14, further comprising:

charging the output node voltage to the level of the source voltage, based on whether a third control signal input to each of the at least one discharging unit is activated.

17. The method of claim 14, further comprising:

outputting, in a direction of the object, a periodic optical pulse including light of at least two intensity levels, wherein the at least two intensity levels have values other than zero.

18. The method of claim 17, wherein the outputting comprises:

outputting a lowest intensity level of light of the periodic optical pulse is higher than an intensity of ambient light.

19. The method of claim 14, further comprising:

calculating depth information based on each change in output node voltage from before the discharging is performed to after the second control signal is activated.

20. A method of measuring depth information, the method comprising:

generating an optical pulse toward an object;

receiving a reflected optical signal resulting from the optical pulse being reflected from the object;

generating a log node voltage that is proportional to a log value of an intensity of the reflected optical signal;

generating, as an output of a comparison outputting unit, a comparison node voltage of a second threshold value when the log node voltage increases by at least a first threshold value after activation of a first control signal input to the comparison outputting unit,

wherein the comparison outputting unit comprises;

a comparator with a first input port and a second input port, the second input port being connected to an input port of the comparison outputting unit;

a buffer connected to the first input port of the comparator; and

a first switch disposed between the buffer and the input port of the comparison outputting unit,

wherein the first switch operates based on the first control signal, and

wherein the comparator outputs a comparison node voltage substantially equal to the second threshold value when a voltage of a second input port of the comparator is at least the first threshold value greater than a voltage of the first input port

generating a discharge signal based on the log node voltage; and

determining the depth information according to a value measured with respect to the discharge signal a predetermined time after the generation of the optical pulse,

wherein the discharge signal varies as a function of time, and

wherein the discharge signal is outputted at a different rate for each of at least one discharging unit.