Laser diode modes

• US 8,620,113 B2
• Filed: 04/25/2011
• Issued: 12/31/2013
• Est. Priority Date: 04/25/2011
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Microsoft Technology Licensing LLC (Microsoft Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Microsoft Corporation
• Inventors: Yee, Dawson
• Primary Examiner(s): Kassa, Yosef
• Application Number:
  US13/093,621
• Publication Number:
  US 20120268362A1
• Time in Patent Office: 981 Days
• Field of Search: 382/312, 382/314, 382/315, 382/321, 382/317, 358/474, 358/475
• US Class Current: 382/312
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 13/213 comprising photodetecting means, e.g. cameras, photodiodes or infrared cells A63F13/219, A63F13/655 take precedence
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/005 Input arrangements through a video camera
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/017 Gesture based interaction, e.g. based on a set of recognized hand gestures interaction based on gestures traced on a digitiser G06F3/04883
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0304 Detection arrangements using opto-electronic means constructional details of pointing devices not related to the detection arrangement using opto-electronic means G06F3/033; optical digitisers G06F3/042

Abstract

Laser diode mode techniques are described. In one or more implementations, one or more laser diodes of a computing device are caused to operate below a lasing threshold to illuminate at least part of a physical surroundings of the computing device. One or more images of the illuminated physical surroundings are captured by a camera of the computing device and one or more inputs are recognized from the captured one or more images for interaction with a user interface displayed by the computing device.

Claims

1. A method comprising:

causing one or more laser diodes of a computing device to operate below a lasing threshold to illuminate at least part of a physical surroundings of the computing device;

capturing one or more images of the illuminated physical surroundings by a camera of the computing device;

recognizing, from the captured one or more images, one or more inputs for interaction with a user interface displayed by the computing device; and

causing the one or more laser diodes of the computing device to operate above the lasing threshold to output coherent light to project a pattern into the physical surroundings.

2. A method as described in claim 1, wherein the causing causes the one or more laser diodes to operate as one or more light-emitting diodes, respectively.

3. A method as described in claim 1, wherein the causing of the one or more laser diodes to operate below the lasing threshold causes the one or more laser diodes to provide illumination that is not visible by a human eye.

4. A method as described in claim 1, wherein the causing of the one or more laser diodes to operate below the lasing threshold causes the one or more laser diodes to provide near infrared illumination.

5. A method as described in claim 1, wherein the capturing of the one or more images of the illuminated physical surroundings is performed for non-depth imaging.

6. A method as described in claim 1, wherein the recognizing of the one or more inputs includes identifying a change made to the physical surroundings of the computing device.

7. A method as described in claim 1, wherein the recognizing of the one or more inputs includes identifying a gesture made using one or more parts of a human body.

8. A method as described in claim 1, wherein the pattern is configured for use to determine depth of one or more objects in the physical surroundings through at least one image taken by the camera.

9. A method implemented by a computing device, the method comprising:

operating one or more laser diodes in a spontaneous mode to illuminate at least part of a physical surroundings of the computing device using incoherent light in an amount suitable to recognize one or more inputs for interaction with a user interface using a camera of the computing device; and

operating the one or more laser diodes in a coherent mode to project a pattern using coherent light into the physical surroundings that is usable to determine a distance between the one or more laser diodes and one or more objects in the physical surroundings.

10. A method as described in claim 9, wherein the spontaneous mode causes the one or more laser diodes to operate as a light emitting diode (LED).

11. A method as described in claim 9, wherein the spontaneous mode causes the one or more laser diodes to operate below a lasing threshold and the coherent mode causes the one or more laser diodes to operate above the lasing threshold.

12. A method as described in claim 9, wherein the operating of the one or more laser diodes in the spontaneous mode causes the incoherent light to be output that is not visible by a human eye.

13. An apparatus comprising:

one or more laser diodes;

a camera; and

one or more modules that are configured to operate in;

a first mode to cause;

the one or more laser diodes to operate below a lasing threshold to output light to illuminate at least part of a physical surroundings of the camera; and

the camera to capture one or more images of the illuminated physical surroundings; and

a second mode in cause;

the one or more laser diodes to operate above a lasing threshold to cause output of coherent light arranged in a pattern; and

the camera to capture at least one image of the pattern of coherent light in the physical surroundings to determine depth of one or more objects in the physical surroundings.

14. An apparatus as described in claim 13, wherein the one or more modules are configured to use the captured one or more images of the illuminated physical surroundings in the first mode to recognize one or more inputs as gestures usable to interact with a user interface output by the apparatus for display by a display device.

15. An apparatus as described in claim 13, wherein the one or more laser diodes operate below the lasing threshold in the first mode to output light that is not visible by a human eye.

16. An apparatus as described in claim 13, wherein the first mode is used for non-depth imaging.

17. An apparatus as described in claim 13, wherein the apparatus is formed at least as part of a game console and the one or more modules are configured to cause output of a game via which a user may interact using the first and second modes.