Camera assembly with programmable diffractive optical element for depth sensing

US11586036B2 · kind B2 · utility

Assignee

• Meta Platforms Technologies, LLC · US

Inventors

• Andrew Matthew Bardagjy · Fremont, US
• Joseph Duggan · Berkeley, US
• Cina Hazegh · Walnut Creek, US
• Fei Liu · Wuxi, CN
• Mark Timothy Sullivan · Mountain View, US
• Simon Morris Shand Weiss · Redwood City, US

Key dates

• Filing date: Dec 23, 2019
• Grant date: Feb 21, 2023
• Expiry date: Sep 5, 2041

Classification

• Technology area (CPC G): Physics
• CPC primary: G03B21/00
• WIPO field: Optics
• WIPO sector: Instruments

Abstract

A depth camera assembly (DCA) for depth sensing of a local area includes a structured light generator, an imaging device, and a controller. The structured light generator illuminates the local area with a structured light pattern. The structured light generator includes a programmable diffractive optical element (PDOE) that generates diffracted scanning beams using optical beams. The PDOE functions as a dynamic diffraction grating that dynamically adjusts diffraction of the optical beams to generate the diffracted scanning beams of different patterns. The diffracted scanning beams are projected as the structured light pattern into the local area, wherein the structured light pattern is dynamically adjustable based on the PDOE. The imaging device captures image(s) of at least a portion of the structured light pattern reflected from object(s) in the local area. The controller determines depth information for the object(s) based on the captured image(s).