Time-of-flight depth camera with low resolution pixel imaging

US11796640B2 · kind B2 · utility

Assignee

• TRUMPF PHOTONIC COMPONENTS GMBH · DE

Inventors

• Matthew John Lawrenson · Vevey, CH
• Joachim Wilhelm Hellmig · Eindhoven, NL
• Holger Moench · Vaals, NL
• Nicholas Walker · El Paso, US
• Jan Jasper van den Berg · London, GB

Key dates

• Filing date: Mar 2, 2020
• Grant date: Oct 24, 2023
• Expiry date: Apr 4, 2042

Classification

• Technology area (CPC G): Physics
• CPC primary: G01S17/894
• WIPO field: Measurement
• WIPO sector: Instruments

Abstract

A time-of-flight depth camera includes a VCSEL array, an optical arrangement, an evaluator and a light detector having at least one detector pixel. The VCSEL array or the optical arrangement are arranged to provide different illumination patterns in a reference plane in a defined field-of-view of the time-of-flight depth camera. The light detector is arranged to detect the different illumination patterns and the evaluator is arranged to reconstruct a depth image of the field of view with a resolution of a predefined number of pixels P based on the detected different illumination patterns. A number of the detected different illumination patterns N is at least 5% of the predefined number of pixels P, preferably at least 10% of the predefined number of pixels P and most preferred at least 20% of the predefined number of pixels P.