Imaging range finder fabrication
First Claim
Patent Images
1. An imaging range finder comprising:
- an integrated circuit;
an array comprised of emitters capable of emitting light and photodetectors capable of detecting light;
an imaging lens formed proximate to and in optical communication with the array;
a driver circuit included in the integrated circuit and capable of driving the array; and
a movable prism formed in a cavity;
whereinone or more walls of the cavity are formed by at least the integrated circuit,the moveable prism is positioned between the imaging lens and the array, and the movable prism is capable of moving about a plurality of axes.
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Accused Products
Abstract
Fabrication of an imaging range finder is disclosed. The range finder can be formed of an imaging lens and an array of emitters and photodetectors in optical communication with the lens. The emitters in the array can be formed to emit light that is directed by the lens toward a target object. The photodetectors in the array can be formed to detect light received from the object through the lens and onto the photodetectors. The lens, the array, or both can be movable to adjust the light emitted by the range finder. The range finder can be formed to find the object'"'"'s range based on characteristics of the emitted light and/or the detected light.
43 Citations
25 Claims
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1. An imaging range finder comprising:
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an integrated circuit; an array comprised of emitters capable of emitting light and photodetectors capable of detecting light; an imaging lens formed proximate to and in optical communication with the array; a driver circuit included in the integrated circuit and capable of driving the array; and a movable prism formed in a cavity;
whereinone or more walls of the cavity are formed by at least the integrated circuit, the moveable prism is positioned between the imaging lens and the array, and the movable prism is capable of moving about a plurality of axes. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 23, 24, 25)
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7. A method of fabricating an imaging range finder comprising:
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forming an imaging lens to receive and output light; aligning with the imaging lens an array of emitters to emit light received at the imaging lens and photodetectors to detect light outputted from the imaging lens; positioning an integrated circuit to support the array of emitters; including a driver circuit in the integrated circuit to drive the array; forming a cavity wherein one or more of the walls of the cavity are formed by at least the integrated circuit; positioning a movable prism in the cavity and between the imaging lens and array; and positioning a device adjacent to the movable prism to move the movable prism about a plurality of axes. - View Dependent Claims (8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16)
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17. An imaging range finder system comprising:
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an imaging range finder formed to include an integrated circuit, an array of nodes, each node formed to have at least one of an emitter or a photodetector, and an imaging lens formed proximate to the array and capable of transmitting light from an emitter in one of the nodes toward an object, and transmitting light from the object to a photodetector in one of the nodes for detection; and a movable prism formed in a cavity;
whereinone or more walls of the cavity are formed by at least the integrated circuit, the moveable prism is positioned between the imaging lens and the array of nodes, and the moveable prism is capable of moving about a plurality of axes to adjust a path of light from an emitter; and a processor coupled to the range finder and capable of processing a detection signal from the photodetector in the one node, the signal indicative of a characteristic of the object. - View Dependent Claims (18)
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19. A method of fabricating an imaging range finder system comprising:
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forming an imaging range finder including an integrated circuit, an imaging lens formed to receive and output light, an array formed to emit light from a set of emitters to the imaging lens and to detect light outputted from the imaging lens at a set of photodetectors, and a movable prism formed in a cavity, wherein one or more walls of the cavity are formed by at least the integrated circuit, and the moveable prism is positioned to move about a plurality of axes to adjust a path of the emitted light; and coupling a processor to the imaging range finder to process a light detection signal from the set of photodetectors so as to find a range of an object from the range finder. - View Dependent Claims (20, 21, 22)
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Specification