Context-Based Depth Sensor Control

• US 20140240464A1
• Filed: 02/28/2013
• Published: 08/28/2014
• Est. Priority Date: 02/28/2013
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Google Technology Holdings LLC (Alphabet Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Motorola Mobility LLC (Lenovo Group Ltd.)
• Inventors: Lee, Johnny
• Granted Patent: US 9,398,287 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 348/47
• CPC Class Codes: G01B 11/2513 with several lines being projected in more than one direction, e.g. grids, patterns
• CPC Class Codes: G01B 11/2545 with one projection direction and several detection directions, e.g. stereo
• CPC Class Codes: G01C 3/08 Use of electric radiation detectors
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 17/08 for measuring distance only indirect measurement G01S17/46; active triangulation systems G01S17/48
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 17/46 Indirect determination of position data
• 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: 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 13/254 in combination with electromagnetic radiation sources for illuminating objects
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 13/296 Synchronisation thereof; Control thereof

Abstract

An electronic device (100) includes a depth sensor (120), a first imaging camera (114, 116), and a controller (802). The depth sensor (120) includes a modulated light projector (119) to project a modulated light pattern (500). The first imaging camera (114, 116) is to capture at least a reflection of the modulated light pattern (500). The controller (802) is to selectively modify (1004) at least one of a frequency, an intensity, and a duration of projections of the modulated light pattern by the modulated light projector responsive to at least one trigger event (1002). The trigger event can include, for example, a change (1092) in ambient light incident on the electronic device, detection (1094) of motion of the electronic device, or a determination (1096) that the electronic device has encountered a previously-unencountered environment.

Claims

1. An electronic device comprising:

a depth sensor including;

a modulated light projector to project a modulated light pattern; and

a first imaging camera to capture at least a reflection of the modulated light pattern; and

a controller to selectively modify at least one of a frequency, an intensity, and a duration of projections of the modulated light pattern by the modulated light projector responsive to at least one trigger event.

2. The electronic device of claim 1, wherein the at least one trigger event comprises:

a lapse of a timer.

3. The electronic device of claim 1, further comprising:

an ambient light sensor; and

wherein the at least one trigger event includes;

a change in ambient light detected by the ambient light sensor.

4. The electronic device of claim 3, wherein the controller is to increase at least one of the frequency, the intensity, and the duration of the modulated light pattern projected responsive to the ambient light falling below a first threshold and to decrease at least one of the frequency, the intensity, and the duration of the modulated light pattern projected responsive to the ambient light rising above a second threshold.

5. The electronic device of claim 1, wherein the at least one trigger event comprises:

the electronic device being located in a previously-unencountered environment; and

the controller is to increase at least one of the frequency, the intensity, and the duration of projections of the modulated light pattern responsive to the electronic device being located in a previously-unencountered environment.

6. The electronic device of claim 5, further comprising:

a wireless signal receiver to identify a coarse position of the electronic device, the wireless signal receiver comprising at least one of a global positioning system receiver, a wireless cellular receiver, and a wireless local area network receiver; and

wherein the controller is to determine the electronic device is in a previously-unencountered environment based on the coarse position determined by the wireless signal receiver.

7. The electronic device of claim 5, further comprising:

a second imaging camera to capture an image of a local environment of the electronic device;

wherein the controller is to catalog the local environment based on one or more spatial features determined from the image and depth data represented by the reflection of the modulated light pattern; and

wherein the controller is to determine the electronic device is in a previously-unencountered environment based on the cataloged local environment.

8. The electronic device of claim 1, further comprising:

a second imaging camera to capture an image of a local environment of the electronic device;

wherein the controller is to determine one or more spatial features based on the image of the local environment electronic device and based on depth data represented by the reflection of the modulated light pattern; and

wherein the at least one trigger event includes;

a determination that at least one of the spatial features is a previously-unencountered spatial feature.

9. The electronic device of claim 1, wherein:

the at least one trigger event includes;

detection of motion of the electronic device above a threshold; and

the controller is to increase at least one of the frequency, the intensity, and the duration of the modulated light pattern projected responsive to detecting the motion above the threshold.

10. The electronic device of claim 1, further comprising:

a second imaging camera to capture images of an environment of the electronic device;

the at least one trigger event includes;

detecting motion above a threshold from the captured images; and

the controller is to increase at least one of the frequency, the intensity, and the duration of the modulated light pattern projected responsive to detecting the motion above the threshold.

11. The electronic device of claim 1, wherein the controller is to prevent display of images that were captured by the first imaging camera concurrent with capturing the reflection of the modulated light pattern.

12. A method comprising:

projecting modulated light patterns using a modulated light projector of an electronic device;

capturing reflections of the projected modulated light patterns using an imaging camera; and

controlling the modulated light projector to selectively modify at least one of a frequency, an intensity, and a duration of projections of the modulated light pattern responsive to at least one trigger event.

13. The method of claim 12, wherein the at least one trigger event comprises at least one of:

a change in ambient lighting;

a detection of motion above a threshold; and

a determination that the electronic device is in a previously-unencountered environment.

14. The method of claim 12, further comprising:

capturing at least one image of an environment of the electronic device;

determining at least one spatial feature based on the at least one image; and

wherein the at least one trigger event includes;

a determination that the at least one spatial feature is a previously-unencountered spatial feature.

15. The method of claim 12, further comprising:

preventing display at the electronic device of an image that was captured by an imaging camera of the electronic device while a modulated light pattern was projected by the modulated light projector.

16. An electronic device comprising:

a first imaging camera;

a modulated light projector to project at least a modulated light pattern;

an ambient light sensor to detect an ambient light condition of the electronic device; and

a controller to control at least one of a frequency, an intensity, and a duration of projections of the modulated light pattern by the modulated light projector responsive to the ambient light condition.

17. The electronic device of claim 16, wherein the controller is to increase at least one of the frequency, the intensity, and the duration of the modulated light pattern projected responsive to the ambient light condition being less than a first threshold.

18. The electronic device of claim 16, wherein the controller is to decrease at least one of the frequency, the intensity, and the duration of the modulated light pattern projected responsive to the ambient light condition being greater than a second threshold.

19. The electronic device of claim 16, further comprising:

a second imaging camera; and

a depth sensor including the modulated light projector and at least one of the first imaging camera and the second imaging camera;

wherein the electronic device is to determine depth data for detected spatial features using image data from the first imaging camera and image data from the second imaging camera responsive to the ambient light condition being greater than a threshold; and

wherein the electronic device is to determine depth data for detected spatial features using reflections of the modulated light pattern captured by one of the first imaging camera or the second imaging camera responsive to the ambient light condition being less than the threshold.

20. The electronic device of claim 16, wherein the controller is to decrease at least one of the frequency, the intensity, and the duration of projections of the modulated light pattern responsive to determining the electronic device is in a previously-encountered environment.