METHOD, DEVICE AND SYSTEM FOR IMAGING

• US 20100053592A1
• Filed: 12/04/2007
• Published: 03/04/2010
• Est. Priority Date: 01/14/2007
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Microsoft International Holdings BV (Microsoft Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Microsoft International Holdings BV (Microsoft Corporation)
• Inventors: Zigelman, Gil, Mandelboum, David, Yahav, Giora
• Granted Patent: US 8,208,129 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 356/4.10
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 2300/1093 using visible light
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 17/18 wherein range gates are used
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 17/86 Combinations of lidar systems with systems other than lidar, radar or sonar, e.g. with direction finders
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 17/89 for mapping or imaging
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 7/486 Receivers

Abstract

There is provided a novel method, device and system for imaging. According to some embodiments of the present invention, a visible light image sensor array (e.g. Charge-Couple Device (“CCD”) or Complementary Metal-Oxide-Semiconductor (“CMOS”)) and arranging sensor array may be arranged substantially facing the same direction and having a substantially overlapping field of view. According to further embodiments of the present invention, a range value derived from one or more ranging sensor elements within the ranging sensor array may be correlated with one or more imaging elements within the visible sensor array. Image processing logic may correlate the derived ranging value with the one or more imaging elements as a function of the derived range.

Claims

1. An imaging device comprising:

a visible light image sensor array and a ranging sensor array substantially facing the same direction and having at least partially overlapping field of view; and

image processing logic adapted to correlate a ranging value derived from one or more ranging sensor elements within the ranging sensor array with one or more visible light sensor array imaging elements as a function of the derived ranging value.

2. The device according to claim 1, wherein said image processing logic is adapted to correlate a ranging value derived from a ranging sensor element with a visible light sensor array imaging element by estimating an offset value.

3. The device according to claim 2, wherein said image processing logic is further adapted to correlate a ranging value derived from a ranging sensor element with a visible light sensor array imaging element by applying the offset value to an address of the ranging sensor element, thereby determining an address of a corresponding visible light sensor array imaging element.

4. The device according to claim 2, wherein said image processing logic is adapted to register/detect an object based on a clustered set of ranging values from a set of ranging sensor elements, wherein the ranging elements are in proximity with one another.

5. The device according to claim 4, wherein said image processing logic is adapted to correlate the set of ranging sensor elements with a set of visible light sensor array imaging elements by estimating an offset value for the set of ranging sensor elements.

6. The device according to claim 5, wherein said processing logic is adapted to apply the offset value to an address of the set of ranging sensor elements to determine an address of a corresponding set of visible light sensor array imaging elements.

7. The device according to claim 4, wherein said image processing logic is further adapted to filter background noise.

8. A method of imaging comprising:

Substantially concurrently acquiring visible light image with a visible light image sensor array and a ranging image from a ranging sensor array, which visible light image sensor array and ranging sensor array substantially face the same direction and have at least partially overlapping fields of view; and

correlating a ranging value derived from the one or more ranging sensor elements within the ranging sensor array with one or more visible light sensor array imaging elements as a function of the derived ranging value.

9. The method according to claim 8, wherein correlating a ranging value derived from a ranging sensor element with a visible light sensor array imaging element includes estimating an offset value.

10. The method according to claim 9, wherein correlating a ranging value derived from a ranging sensor element with a visible light sensor array imaging element includes applying the offset value to an address of the ranging sensor element, thereby determining an address of a corresponding visible light sensor array imaging element.

11. The method according to claim 9, further comprising registering/detecting an object based on a clustered set of ranging values from a set of ranging sensor elements, wherein the ranging elements are in proximity with one another.

12. The method according to claim 11, further comprising correlating the set of ranging sensor elements with a set of visible light sensor array imaging elements by estimating an offset value for the set of ranging sensor elements.

13. The method according to claim 12, further comprising applying the offset value to an address of the set of ranging sensor elements to determine an address of a corresponding set of visible light sensor array imaging elements.

14. The method according to claim 11, further comprising filtering background noise.

15. A computing system comprising:

an image based interface, wherein the image based interface includes a visible light image sensor array and a ranging sensor array substantially facing the same direction and having at least partially overlapping field of view; and

an image processing logic adapted to correlate a ranging value derived from one or more ranging sensor elements within the ranging sensor array with one or more visible light sensor array imaging elements as a function of the derived ranging value.

16. The system according to claim 15, wherein said image processing logic is adapted to correlate a ranging value derived from a ranging sensor element with a visible light sensor array imaging element by estimating an offset value.

17. The system according to claim 16, wherein said image processing logic is further adapted to correlate a ranging value derived from a ranging sensor element with a visible light sensor array imaging element by applying the offset value to an address of the ranging sensor element, thereby determining an address of a corresponding visible light sensor array imaging element.

18. The system according to claim 16, wherein said image processing logic is adapted to register/detect an object based on a clustered set of ranging values from a set of ranging sensor elements, wherein the ranging elements are in proximity with one another.

19. The system according to claim 18, wherein said image processing logic is adapted to correlate the set of ranging sensor elements with a set of visible light sensor array imaging elements by estimating an offset value for the set of ranging sensor elements.

20. The system according to claim 19, wherein said processing logic is adapted to apply the offset value to an address of the set of ranging sensor elements to determine an address of a corresponding set of visible light sensor array imaging elements.

21. The system according to claim 18, wherein said image processing logic is further adapted to filter background noise.

22. The computing system according to claim 15, wherein the computing system is selected from the group consisting of:

a gaming console, a web-conferencing system and a security system.

23. A method of fabricating an imaging system comprising:

aligning a visible light image sensor array and a ranging sensor array substantially facing the same direction and having at least partially overlapping field of view; and

integrating image processing logic adapted to correlate a ranging value derived from one or more ranging sensor elements within the ranging sensor array with one or more visible light sensor array imaging elements as a function of the derived ranging value.

24. The method according to claim 23, further comprising integrating an illumination module.

25. The method according to claim 23, further comprising integrating a first and second modulators adapted to define a dynamic distance window.