Three dimensional imaging device

• US 10,574,867 B2
• Filed: 06/20/2012
• Issued: 02/25/2020
• Est. Priority Date: 06/20/2012
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Intel Corporation
• Original Assignee: Intel Corporation
• Inventors: Shaw, David I., Deleeuw, William C., Schlieski, Tondra J., Ainsworth, Lucas B.
• Primary Examiner(s): Czekaj, Dave
• Assistant Examiner(s): Joisil, Berteau
• Application Number:
  US13/527,796
• Publication Number:
  US 20130342650A1
• Time in Patent Office: 2,806 Days
• Field of Search: 348 46
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 13/239 using two 2D image sensors having a relative position equal to or related to the interocular distance H04N13/243 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 13/296 Synchronisation thereof; Control thereof
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 17/002 for television cameras
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 23/55 Optical parts specially adapted for electronic image sensors; Mounting thereof
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 23/695 Control of camera direction for changing a field of view, e.g. pan, tilt or based on tracking of objects

Abstract

An imaging device may include a housing and a pair of lenses mounted in the housing. A mechanism maintains the lenses in a horizontal orientation when the housing is rotated about an imaging axis.

Claims

1. An imaging device comprising:

a housing;

at least one image sensor in the housing;

a lens pair mounted in the housing so as to maintain a side-by-side horizontal orientation when the housing is rotated about an imaging axis; and

a lens assembly rotatable relative to the housing and the at least one image sensor, wherein the lens assembly is weighted to maintain the lens pair in the side-by-side horizontal orientation.

2. The device of claim 1 including an indicator to signal when the lens pair is in the side-by-side horizontal orientation.

3. The device of claim 2 wherein the indicator is a light.

4. The device of claim 3 wherein the light is on the outside of the housing.

5. The device of claim 1 including a position sensor to sense the position of the lens pair.

6. The device of claim 5 including a processor coupled to the position sensor and to the at least one image sensor.

7. The device of claim 6 wherein the processor to use information from the position sensor to determine what pixel data to capture.

8. The device of claim 7 wherein, based on the information from the position sensor, the processor to select one of a vertically aligned rectangle of pixels, a horizontally aligned rectangle of pixels, or a rectangle of pixels aligned between vertically and horizontally to capture and store.