Diffractive optical assembly, laser projection unit, and depth camera

• US 11,048,155 B2
• Filed: 03/28/2019
• Issued: 06/29/2021
• Est. Priority Date: 04/04/2018
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Guangdong OPPO Mobile Telecommunications Corporation Limited
• Original Assignee: Guangdong OPPO Mobile Telecommunications Corporation Limited
• Inventors: Zhang, Xueyong
• Primary Examiner(s): Iacoletti, Michelle M
• Assistant Examiner(s): Cruz, Magda
• Application Number:
  US16/367,552
• Publication Number:
  US 20190310541A1
• Time in Patent Office: 824 Days
• CPC Class Codes: G01B 11/2513 with several lines being projected in more than one direction, e.g. grids, patterns
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 27/0006 with means to keep optical surfaces clean, e.g. by preventing or removing dirt, stains, contamination, condensation G02B1/18 takes precedence; cleaning in general B08B
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 27/0944 Diffractive optical elements, e.g. gratings, holograms gratings per se G02B5/18; holograms used as optical elements per se G02B5/32
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 27/20 for imaging minute objects, e.g. light-pointer
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 27/30 Collimators
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 27/425 in illumination systems mask illumination systems in photolithographic systems G03F7/70158
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 27/4272 having plural diffractive elements positioned sequentially along the optical path
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 27/4277 being separated by an air space
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 5/1842 Gratings for image generation G02B5/1847 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 7/02 for lenses supports for magnifying lenses G02B25/002
• CPC Class Codes: G03B 21/2033 LED or laser light sources
• CPC Class Codes: G06T 7/50 Depth or shape recovery

Abstract

Disclosed are a diffractive optical assembly, a laser projection unit, and a depth camera. The diffractive optical assembly includes a sealing assembly and a diffractive optical element. The sealing assembly includes a light transparent first sealing plate, a light transparent second sealing plate, and a spacer. The first sealing plate and the second sealing plate are arranged opposite to each other. The spacers spaces the first sealing plate and the second sealing plate apart. The first sealing plate, the second sealing plate and the spacer cooperatively defines a closed receiving cavity. The diffractive optical element is accommodated in the receiving cavity. The diffractive optical element includes a light transparent diffractive body and a diffractive structure formed on the diffractive body.

Claims

1. A diffractive optical assembly, comprising:

a sealing assembly comprising a first sealing plate, a second sealing plate and a spacer, the first sealing plate and the second sealing plate being light transparent and arranged opposite to each other, the first sealing plate comprising a first abutment face opposite to the second sealing plate, and the second sealing plate comprising a second abutment face opposite to the first sealing plate, the spacer spacing the first sealing plate and the second sealing plate apart, the first sealing plate, the second sealing plate, and the spacer cooperatively defining a closed receiving cavity; and

a diffractive optical element accommodated in the receiving cavity and comprising a light-transparent diffractive body and a diffractive structure formed on the diffractive body,

wherein at least one of the first abutment face and the second abutment face is formed with a rugged structure engaged with the diffractive structure such that at least one of the first sealing plate and the second sealing plate is in close contact with the diffractive optical element.

2. The diffractive optical assembly according to claim 1, wherein the first sealing plate comprises a first abutment face opposite to the second sealing plate, and the second sealing plate comprises a second abutment face opposite to the first sealing plate;

one diffractive optical element is provided, and the one diffractive optical element abuts against the first abutment face and the second abutment face;

or,

at least two diffractive optical elements are provided, and two diffractive optical elements of the at least two diffractive optical elements abut against the first abutment face and the second abutment face correspondingly.

3. The diffractive optical assembly according to claim 2, wherein at least two diffractive optical elements are provided, and two adjacent diffractive optical elements abut against each other;

or

two adjacent diffractive optical elements are spaced apart from each other.

4. The diffractive optical assembly according to claim 2, wherein one or at least two diffractive optical elements are provided, the one or at least two diffractive optical elements are spaced apart from the first abutment face and the second abutment face.

5. The diffractive optical assembly according to claim 4, wherein the one diffractive optical element or each of the at least two diffractive elements is mounted to the spacer through a side wall of the diffractive body.

6. The diffractive optical assembly according to claim 1, wherein one diffractive optical element is provided, and the diffractive body comprises a diffraction incident face and a diffraction emission face opposite to each other, and the diffractive structure is formed on the diffraction incident face, or the diffractive structure is formed on the diffraction emission face, or the diffractive structure is formed on the diffraction incident face and the diffraction emission face;

or,

at least two diffractive optical elements are provided, the diffractive body of each diffractive optical element comprises the diffraction incident face and the diffraction emission face opposite to each other, and the diffractive structure of each diffractive optical element is formed on the corresponding diffraction incident face, or the diffractive structure of each diffractive optical element is formed on the corresponding diffraction emission face, or the diffractive structure of each diffractive optical element is formed on the corresponding diffraction incident face and diffraction emission face.

7. The diffractive optical assembly according to claim 1, wherein the spacer abuts against the diffractive body.

8. A laser projection unit, comprising:

a substrate assembly;

a lens barrel assembly provided to the substrate assembly and defining an accommodating cavity together with the substrate assembly;

a light source provided to the substrate assembly and received in the accommodating cavity;

a collimating element accommodated in the accommodating cavity; and

a diffractive optical assembly accommodated in the accommodating cavity;

wherein the diffractive optical assembly comprises;

a sealing assembly comprising a first sealing plate, a second sealing plate and a spacer, the first sealing plate and the second sealing plate being light transparent and arranged opposite to each other, the first sealing plate comprising a first abutment face opposite to the second sealing plate, and the second sealing plate comprising a second abutment face opposite to the first sealing plate, the spacer spacing the first sealing plate and the second sealing plate apart, the first sealing plate, the second sealing plate, and the spacer cooperatively defining a closed receiving cavity; and

a diffractive optical element accommodated in the receiving cavity and comprising a light-transparent diffractive body and a diffractive structure formed on the diffractive body;

wherein the collimating element, the first sealing plate, the diffractive optical element and the second sealing plate are arranged in an optical path of the light source sequentially, and

wherein at least one of the first abutment face and the second abutment face is formed with a rugged structure engaged with the diffractive structure such that at least one of the first sealing plate and the second sealing plate is in close contact with the diffractive optical element.

9. The laser projection unit according to claim 8, wherein the light source is an edge-emitting laser, the light source comprises a light emitting face, and the light emitting face faces the collimating element.

10. The laser projection unit according to claim 9, wherein the light emitting face is perpendicular to a collimating light axis of the collimating element.

11. The laser projection unit according to claim 9, wherein the edge-emitting laser is a distributed feedback laser.

12. The laser projection unit according to claim 8, wherein the light source is a vertical cavity surface emitting laser.

13. The laser projection unit according to claim 8, wherein the lens barrel assembly comprises a lens barrel, the lens barrel comprises a top portion and a bottom portion opposite to each other, the lens barrel defines a through hole running through the top portion and the bottom portion, the bottom portion is supported on the substrate assembly, an annular supporting stage extends from an inner wall of the lens barrel towards a center of the through hole, and the diffractive optical assembly is supported on the supporting stage.

14. The laser projection unit according to claim 13, wherein a side wall of the first sealing plate, a side wall of the second sealing plate, and a side wall of the spacer each are bonded to an inner wall of the top portion in the adhesive method.

15. The laser projection unit according to claim 8, wherein the substrate assembly comprises a circuit board, and the light source and the lens barrel assembly are provided to the circuit board.

16. The laser projection unit according to claim 8, wherein the substrate assembly comprises a substrate and a circuit board supported on the substrate, the circuit board defines a via hole, and the light source is supported on the substrate and accommodated in the via hole.

17. The laser projection unit according to claim 16, wherein the substrate is provided with a heat-dissipation hole.

18. The laser projection unit according to claim 8, wherein the collimating element comprises one or a plurality of lens, and the one or the plurality of lens is provided in the optical path of the light source.

19. The laser projection unit according to claim 18, wherein the lens is made of glass material;

or the lens is made of plastic material.

20. A depth camera, comprising:

a laser projection unit comprising;

a substrate assembly;

a lens barrel assembly provided to the substrate assembly and defining an accommodating cavity together with the substrate assembly;

a light source provided to the substrate assembly and received in the accommodating cavity;

a collimating element accommodated in the accommodating cavity; and

a diffractive optical assembly accommodated in the accommodating cavity;

wherein the diffractive optical assembly comprises;

a sealing assembly comprising a first sealing plate, a second sealing plate and a spacer, the first sealing plate and the second sealing plate being light transparent and arranged opposite to each other, the first sealing plate comprising a first abutment face opposite to the second sealing plate, and the second sealing plate comprising a second abutment face opposite to the first sealing plate, the spacer spacing the first sealing plate and the second sealing plate apart, the first sealing plate, the second sealing plate, and the spacer cooperatively defining a closed receiving cavity; and

a diffractive optical element accommodated in the receiving cavity and comprising a light-transparent diffractive body and a diffractive structure formed on the diffractive body;

wherein the collimating element, the first sealing plate, the diffractive optical element and the second sealing plate are arranged in an optical path of the light source sequentially, and

wherein at least one of the first abutment face and the second abutment face is formed with a rugged structure engaged with the diffractive structure such that at least one of the first sealing plate and the second sealing plate is in close contact with the diffractive optical element;

an image acquirer configured to acquire a laser pattern projected to a target space after passing through the diffractive optical element; and

a processor connected to the laser projection unit and the image acquirer separately and configured to process the laser pattern so as to obtain a depth image.