MICRO-SACCADIC ACTUATION FOR AN EVENT CAMERA

• US 20190014258A1
• Filed: 07/05/2017
• Published: 01/10/2019
• Est. Priority Date: 07/05/2017
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Intel Corporation
• Original Assignee: Intel Corporation
• Inventors: Horesh, Nizan
• Granted Patent: US 10,447,920 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 13/16 for use in conjunction with image converters or intensifiers , or for use with projectors, e.g. objectives for projection TV
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 26/0875 by means of one or more refracting elements
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 7/36 using image sharpness techniques , e.g. image processing techniques for generating autofocus signals image data processing per se G06T; in cameras having a solid state image sensor H04N23/67
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 7/38 measured at different points on the optical axis , e.g. focussing on two or more planes and comparing image data
• CPC Class Codes: G06T 7/13 Edge detection
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 23/60 Control of cameras or camera modules
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 23/611 where the recognised objects include parts of the human body
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 23/71 Circuitry for evaluating the brightness variation

Abstract

Methods, apparatus, systems and articles of manufacture are disclosed relating to micro-saccadic actuation for an event camera. An example event-based imaging device includes a sensor including a pixel array and an optical pathway modulator to move, via a micro-saccadic movement, one or more components of an optical pathway including the sensor to shift incident light on the pixel array to cause a change in light intensity on the pixel in at least one pixel of the pixel array.

Claims

1. An event-based imaging device, comprising:

an event-based sensor including a pixel array; and

an optical pathway modulator to move, via a micro-saccadic movement, one or more components of an optical pathway to shift incident light on the pixel array to cause a change in light intensity on the pixel in at least one pixel of the pixel array,

wherein the optical pathway includes the event-based sensor.

2. The event-based imaging device of claim 1, further including, as a component of the optical pathway, a lens.

3. The event-based imaging device of claim 2, wherein the event-based sensor includes a dynamic vision sensor.

4. The event-based imaging device of claim 3, further including, as a component of the optical pathway, a deflector disposed in the optical pathway between the lens and the dynamic vision sensor.

5. The event-based imaging device of claim 4, wherein the optical pathway modulator is to move the deflector via the micro-saccadic movement.

6. The event-based imaging device of claim 4, wherein the optical pathway modulator is to move, via the micro-saccadic movement, any one or more of the lens, the dynamic vision sensor, or the deflector.

7. The event-based imaging device of claim 3, wherein the optical pathway modulator is to move the dynamic vision sensor via the micro-saccadic movement.

8. The event-based imaging device of claim 3, wherein the dynamic vision sensor asynchronously outputs the change in light intensity on the pixel correlated to a time of the change in light intensity on the pixel.

9. The event-based imaging device of claim 3, wherein the optical pathway modulator is to move the lens via the micro-saccadic movement.

10. The event-based imaging device of claim 4, wherein the optical pathway modulator is to cause a first actuator to implement a micro-saccadic movement of the lens along a first direction, is to cause a second actuator to implement a micro-saccadic movement of the lens along a second direction, is to cause a third actuator to implement a micro-saccadic movement of the dynamic vision sensor along a third direction, and is to cause a fourth actuator to implement a micro-saccadic movement of the dynamic vision sensor along a fourth direction, wherein the first direction and the second direction are in a first plane, and wherein the first direction and the second direction are in a second plane.

11. The event-based imaging device of claim 3, wherein the micro-saccadic movement includes a movement of a selected magnitude in one of a plurality of selected directions.

12. The event-based imaging device of claim 3, wherein the micro-saccadic movement includes a plurality of movements, each of the plurality of movements having a selected magnitude in one of a plurality of selected directions.

13. The event-based imaging device of claim 12, wherein the selected magnitude is between 1-100 pixels relative to the pixel array.

14. The event-based imaging device of claim 5, wherein the deflector includes an optical beam steering device.

15. An edge detection method, comprising:

moving a component of an optical pathway in a first direction via a first micro-saccadic movement to displace incident light on a dynamic vision sensor pixel array in the optical pathway;

sensing a change in light intensity on the pixel, via the dynamic vision sensor pixel array, responsive to the first micro-saccadic movement of the component of the optical pathway in the first direction; and

outputting the change in light intensity on the pixel in correlation with a time of occurrence of the change in light intensity on the pixel.

16. The edge detection method of claim 15, wherein the moving of the component of the optical pathway includes moving at least one of a lens, the dynamic vision sensor pixel array, or a deflector disposed between the lens and the dynamic vision sensor pixel array.

17. The edge detection method of claim 15, further including:

moving the component of the optical pathway in a second direction via a second micro-saccadic movement to displace incident light on a dynamic vision sensor pixel array in the optical pathway;

sensing a change in light intensity on the pixel, via the dynamic vision sensor pixel array, responsive to the second micro-saccadic movement of the component in the second direction; and

outputting the change in light intensity on the pixel in correlation with a time of occurrence of the change in light intensity on the pixel.

18. The edge detection method of claim 15, further including:

using the first change in light intensity on the pixel to determine edges along the second direction; and

using the second change in light intensity on the pixel to determine edges along the first direction.

19. A non-transitory machine readable medium comprising executable instructions that, when executed, cause at least one processor to at least:

move a component of an optical pathway in a first direction via a first micro-saccadic movement to displace incident light on a dynamic vision sensor pixel array in the optical pathway; and

sense a first change in light intensity on the pixel, via the dynamic vision sensor pixel array, responsive to the first micro-saccadic movement of the component of the optical pathway in the first direction; and

output the first change in light intensity on the pixel in correlation with a time of occurrence of the first change in light intensity on the pixel.

20. The non-transitory machine readable medium of claim 19, comprising executable instructions that, when executed, cause the at least one processor to:

move the component of the optical pathway in a second direction via a second micro-saccadic movement to displace incident light on a sensor pixel array in the optical pathway; and

sense a second change in light intensity on the pixel, via the sensor pixel array, responsive to the second micro-saccadic movement of the component in the second direction; and

output the second change in light intensity on the pixel in correlation with a time of occurrence of the second change in light intensity on the pixel.