Optical modules that reduce speckle contrast and diffraction artifacts
First Claim
1. A depth camera system for use in obtaining a depth image of a capture area, comprising:
- an optical module configured to output infrared (IR) light that illuminates the capture area;
an image pixel detector array configured to detect a portion of the IR light, output by the optical module, that has reflected off one or more objects within the capture area and is incident on the image pixel detector array; and
a processor configured to produce the depth image based on the portion of the IR light detected by the image pixel detector;
wherein the optical module includesa plurality of laser emitting elements each of which is operable to emit a corresponding IR laser beam, the plurality of laser emitting elements including five or more laser emitting elements; and
a micro-lens array including a two-dimensional array of substantially identical lenslets;
wherein adjacent ones of the laser emitting elements are configured to emit IR laser beams that at least partially overlap one another prior to being incident on the micro-lens array;
wherein for each lenslet of at least a majority of the lenslets in the two-dimensional array of substantially identical lenslets of the micro-lens array, the lenslet is configured to be at least partially filled by IR light corresponding to IR laser beams emitted by at least five of the laser emitting elements;
wherein a number of lenlests, in the two-dimensional array of substantially identical lenslets of the micro-lens array, is greater than a number of laser emitting elements;
wherein a center-to-center distance between any two of the light emitting elements that are adjacent to one another is less than 100 μ
m; and
wherein a center-to-center distance between any two of the light emitting elements that are not adjacent to one another is less than 1 mm.
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Accused Products
Abstract
An optical module, for use in a depth camera, includes a plurality of laser emitting elements, each of which emits a corresponding laser beam, and a micro-lens array (MLA) that includes a plurality of lenslets. Laser beams emitted by adjacent laser emitting elements at least partially overlap one another prior to being incident on the MLA For each lenslet of at least a majority of the lenslets of the MLA, the lenslet is at least partially filled by light corresponding to laser beams emitted by at least two of the laser emitting elements. The inclusion of the plurality of laser emitting elements is used to reduce speckle contrast. The overlap of the laser beams, and the at least partially filling of the lenslets of the MLA with light corresponding to laser beams emitted by multiple laser emitting elements, is used to reduce diffraction artifacts.
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Citations
19 Claims
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1. A depth camera system for use in obtaining a depth image of a capture area, comprising:
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an optical module configured to output infrared (IR) light that illuminates the capture area; an image pixel detector array configured to detect a portion of the IR light, output by the optical module, that has reflected off one or more objects within the capture area and is incident on the image pixel detector array; and a processor configured to produce the depth image based on the portion of the IR light detected by the image pixel detector; wherein the optical module includes a plurality of laser emitting elements each of which is operable to emit a corresponding IR laser beam, the plurality of laser emitting elements including five or more laser emitting elements; and a micro-lens array including a two-dimensional array of substantially identical lenslets; wherein adjacent ones of the laser emitting elements are configured to emit IR laser beams that at least partially overlap one another prior to being incident on the micro-lens array; wherein for each lenslet of at least a majority of the lenslets in the two-dimensional array of substantially identical lenslets of the micro-lens array, the lenslet is configured to be at least partially filled by IR light corresponding to IR laser beams emitted by at least five of the laser emitting elements; wherein a number of lenlests, in the two-dimensional array of substantially identical lenslets of the micro-lens array, is greater than a number of laser emitting elements; wherein a center-to-center distance between any two of the light emitting elements that are adjacent to one another is less than 100 μ
m; andwherein a center-to-center distance between any two of the light emitting elements that are not adjacent to one another is less than 1 mm. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 19)
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10. A method for use by a depth camera, the method comprising:
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outputting infrared (IR) light from an optical module of the depth camera to thereby illuminate a capture area with the IR light; detecting a portion of the IR light that has reflected off one or more objects within the capture area; producing a depth image based on the detected portion of the IR light; and updating an application based on the depth image; wherein the outputting IR light from the optical module includes emitting a plurality of separate IR laser beams towards a micro-lens array that includes a two-dimensional array of lenslets such that adjacent IR laser beams at least partially overlap one another prior to being incident on the micro-lens array, and for each lenslet of at least a majority of the lenslets in the two-dimensional array of lenslets of the micro-lens array, the lenslet is at least partially filled by IR light corresponding to at least five of the IR laser beams. - View Dependent Claims (11, 12, 13)
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14. An optical module for use with a depth camera system for use in obtaining a depth image of a capture area, the optical module comprising:
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a plurality of laser emitting elements each of which is configured to emit a corresponding infrared (IR) laser beam; and a micro-lens array including a two-dimensional array of lenslets; wherein IR laser beams emitted by adjacent ones of the laser emitting elements at least partially overlap one another prior to being incident on the micro-lens array; wherein for each lenslet of at least a majority of the lenslets in the two-dimensional array of lenslets of the micro-lens array, the lenslet is configured to be at least partially filled by IR light corresponding to IR laser beams emitted by at least five of the laser emitting elements and wherein a number of lenlests, in the two-dimensional array of substantially identical lenslets of the micro-lens array, is greater than a number of laser emitting elements. - View Dependent Claims (15, 16, 17, 18)
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Specification