TOF camera module and mobile device

Abstract

The embodiment of the utility model discloses a TOF camera module and mobile equipment, the TOF camera module comprises a light source body, a detector body and a photochromic layer, the light source body is used for emitting a laser pulse signal to a target object, and the detector body is used for receiving a target light signal reflected by the target object; the photochromic layer is located on a receiving path of the detector body and is used for attenuating the intensity of ambient light and target light signals. The photochromic layer is arranged on the receiving path of the detector body, and the photochromic layer attenuates the intensity of the ambient light and the intensity of the target light signal in the process that the detector body receives the target light signal, so that the saturation effect of the receiving end of the detector body is relieved. More specifically, the influence of ambient light on the detector body is attenuated through the photochromic layer, so that the detector body can receive a target light signal more effectively, and the distance measurement performance such as the detection distance and the detection precision of equipment is ensured.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The embodiments of the present application relate to the technical field of optics, and in particular to a TOF camera module and a mobile device. Background Art

[0002] The TOF detection device is an active optical system. The transmitting end of the TOF detection device emits a laser pulse signal to the target object. The laser pulse signal hits the target object. At the same time, the receiving end of the detector receives and identifies the target light signal sent back. Then, the depth information of the target object is obtained through the flight time calculation, that is, the distance information of the target object can be obtained through the size of the flight time.

[0003] However, when the ambient light and echo signal are too strong, it often causes a saturation effect at the receiving end of the detector, and the detector is affected when receiving the target light signal sent back. Therefore, the ranging performance of the TOF detection equipment, such as detection distance and detection accuracy, is seriously affected. Utility Model Content

[0004] The utility model aims to solve at least one of the technical problems existing in the prior art. To this end, the utility model proposes a TOF camera module and a mobile device, which can ensure the ranging performance of the device, such as detection distance and detection accuracy.

[0005] In a first aspect, an embodiment of the present application provides a TOF camera module, including:

[0006] A light source body, wherein the light source body is used to emit a laser pulse signal to a target object;

[0007] A detector body, wherein the detector body is used to receive a target light signal reflected by a target object;

[0008] The photochromic layer is located on the receiving path of the detector body and is used to attenuate the intensity of ambient light and target light signals.

[0009] According to some embodiments of the present invention, the photochromic layer is a first cover glass, and the first cover glass is made of at least a mixture of an organic photochromic material and an optical glass material.

[0010] According to some embodiments of the present invention, the TOF camera module also includes a first convex mirror and a first cover glass, wherein the first convex mirror and the first cover glass are both located on the receiving path of the detector body, and the first convex mirror is located between the detector body and the first cover glass.

[0011] According to some embodiments of the present invention, the photochromic layer is arranged on the surface of the first convex mirror and / or the receiving surface of the detector body and / or the surface of the first cover glass.

[0012] According to some embodiments of the present invention, the photochromic layer is made of an inorganic photochromic material.

[0013] According to some embodiments of the present invention, the photochromic layer includes a titanium oxide layer, a tungsten oxide layer and a zinc oxide layer, and the tungsten oxide layer is disposed between the titanium oxide layer and the zinc oxide layer.

[0014] According to some embodiments of the present invention, the photochromic layer is disposed on the inner side of the first cover glass, and the photochromic layer is a solid or liquid material.

[0015] According to some embodiments of the present utility model, the first cover glass is also located on the emission path of the light source body;

[0016] Alternatively, the TOF camera module further includes a second cover glass, which is located on the emission path of the light source body, wherein the second cover glass is separately arranged or connected to the first cover glass, and the second cover glass is made only of optical glass material.

[0017] According to some embodiments of the present invention, the TOF camera module is configured to: select photochromic layers of different specifications and / or photochromic layers of any number, and the attenuation rates of photochromic layers of different specifications are set differently.

[0018] In a second aspect, an embodiment of the present application provides a mobile device, comprising the above-mentioned TOF camera module.

[0019] It can be seen from the above technical solutions that the embodiments of the present application have the following advantages: if the photochromic layer is not provided, and the outdoor environment is under strong ambient light, the detector body may produce a saturation effect when receiving the target light signal, thereby causing the detector body to be unable to receive the reflected target light signal well, and then causing the detection distance, detection accuracy and other ranging performances to have a bad impact, especially when the outdoor ambient light intensity is high. Based on the above problems, the present application scheme sets a photochromic layer on the receiving path of the detector body. When the detector body receives the target light signal, the photochromic layer can attenuate the intensity of the ambient light and the target light signal, thereby alleviating the saturation effect of the receiving end of the detector body. More specifically, the present application attenuates the influence of ambient light on the detector body through the photochromic layer, thereby ensuring that the detector body can receive the target light signal more effectively, thereby ensuring the detection distance, detection accuracy and other ranging performances of the device. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0020] The present invention is further described below with reference to the accompanying drawings and embodiments, wherein:

[0021] Figure 1 A diagram of the photochromic process of the organic photochromic material of an embodiment of the utility model;

[0022] Figure 2 This is a schematic structural diagram of a first TOF camera module according to an embodiment of the present utility model;

[0023] Figure 3 This is a schematic structural diagram of a second TOF camera module according to an embodiment of the present utility model;

[0024] Figure 4 This is a schematic structural diagram of a third TOF camera module according to an embodiment of the present utility model;

[0025] Figure 5 This is a schematic structural diagram of a fourth TOF camera module according to an embodiment of the present utility model;

[0026] Figure 6 This is a schematic structural diagram of a fifth TOF camera module according to an embodiment of the present utility model;

[0027] Figure 7 Schematic diagram of the structure of the forty-sixth TOF camera module of the embodiment of the present utility model;

[0028] Figure 8 A schematic diagram of the structure of the photochromic layer of an embodiment of the utility model;

[0029] Fig. 9 It is a schematic structural diagram of the first cover glass and the photochromic layer of an embodiment of the utility model.

[0030] Reference numerals:

[0031] 100, detector body; 200, light source body; 300, first convex mirror; 400, second convex mirror; 500, first cover glass; 600, second cover glass; 700, photochromic layer; 710, titanium oxide layer; 720, tungsten oxide layer; 730, zinc oxide layer. DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0032] The embodiments of the present invention are described in detail below, and examples of the embodiments are shown in the accompanying drawings, wherein the same or similar reference numerals throughout represent the same or similar elements or elements having the same or similar functions. The embodiments described below with reference to the accompanying drawings are exemplary and are only used to explain the present invention, and cannot be understood as limiting the present invention.

[0033] In the description of the present invention, it should be understood that descriptions involving orientation, such as up, down, front, back, left, right, etc., indicating orientations or positional relationships, are based on the orientations or positional relationships shown in the accompanying drawings, and are only for the convenience of describing the present invention and simplifying the description, and do not indicate or imply that the device or element referred to must have a specific orientation, be constructed and operated in a specific orientation, and therefore cannot be understood as a limitation on the present invention.

[0034] In the description of the present utility model, "several" means more than one, "many" means more than two, "greater than", "less than", "exceed" etc. are understood to exclude the number itself, and "above", "below", "within" etc. are understood to include the number itself. If there is a description of "first" or "second", it is only used to distinguish the technical features, and cannot be understood as indicating or implying relative importance or implicitly indicating the number of the indicated technical features or implicitly indicating the order of the indicated technical features.

[0035] In the description of the present invention, unless otherwise clearly defined, terms such as setting, installing, connecting, etc. should be understood in a broad sense, and technicians in the relevant technical field can reasonably determine the specific meanings of the above terms in the present invention based on the specific content of the technical solution.

[0036] In the description of the utility model, the description with reference to the terms "one embodiment", "some embodiments", "illustrative embodiments", "examples", "specific examples", or "some examples" means that the specific features, structures, materials or characteristics described in conjunction with the embodiment or example are included in at least one embodiment or example of the utility model. In this specification, the schematic representation of the above terms does not necessarily refer to the same embodiment or example. Moreover, the specific features, structures, materials or characteristics described can be combined in any one or more embodiments or examples in a suitable manner.

[0037] The utility model is further described in detail below in conjunction with the accompanying drawings.

[0038] See also Figure 1 to Figure 2 The TOF camera module includes a light source body 200, a detector body 100 and a photochromic layer 700, wherein the light source body 200 is used to emit a laser pulse signal to a target object, the detector body 100 is used to receive a target light signal reflected by the target object, and the head of the detector body 100 and the head of the light source body 200 are usually arranged at approximately the same distance from the target object. The photochromic layer 700 is located on the receiving path of the detector body 100, and is used to attenuate the intensity of the ambient light, and also has an attenuation effect on the intensity of the target light signal.

[0039] In a specific application, when measuring distance, the light source body 200 emits a laser pulse signal to the target object. The laser pulse signal is reflected after encountering the target object. The reflected laser pulse signal is transmitted to the detector body 100 after passing through the photochromic layer 700. The detector body 100 receives the reflected laser pulse signal, or the target light signal. Thus, the device calculates the time difference or phase difference between signal emission and reception to calculate the distance of the photographed object to generate depth information, and further combines with traditional photography to present the three-dimensional contour of the object in the form of images with different colors representing different distances. Among them, when the detector body 100 receives the target light signal, the photochromic layer 700 has an attenuation effect on both the ambient light and the target light signal.

[0040] It is understandable that if the photochromic layer 700 is not provided, and the outdoor environment is strong in ambient light, the detector body 100 may produce a saturation effect when receiving the target light signal, thereby causing the detector body 100 to be unable to receive the reflected target light signal well, and then causing a bad impact on the ranging performance such as the detection distance and the detection accuracy, especially when the outdoor ambient light intensity is high. Based on the above problems, the present application scheme arranges the photochromic layer 700 on the receiving path of the detector body 100. When the detector body 100 receives the target light signal, the photochromic layer 700 can attenuate the intensity of the ambient light and the target light signal, thereby alleviating the saturation effect of the receiving end of the detector body 100. More specifically, the present application attenuates the influence of the ambient light on the detector body 100 through the photochromic layer 700, thereby ensuring that the detector body 100 can receive the target light signal more effectively, thereby ensuring the ranging performance such as the detection distance and the detection accuracy of the device.

[0041] In addition, when the photochromic layer 700 is actually used, the photochromic layer 700 has an adaptive characteristic. If the intensity of the target light signal is weak, the photochromic layer 700 only has a more obvious attenuation effect on the strong ambient light, and has a weaker attenuation effect on the weak target light signal. It can be seen that the photochromic layer 700 ensures that the detector body 100 can better receive the target light signal, thereby ensuring the device's detection distance, detection accuracy and other ranging performance.

[0042] To be more specific, when the photochromic layer 700 is used, it absorbs photon energy under strong light irradiation to change the molecular or lattice structure and reduce the optical transmittance of the material. By preparing color-changing glass and depositing photochromic films, photochromic materials are added to optical elements such as cover glass, receiving end convex mirrors and photodetectors, so that the detector body 100 can automatically reduce the transmittance under strong outdoor ambient light conditions, adaptively attenuate the received light intensity, avoid oversaturation at the receiving end of the detector body 100, and thus improve the detection distance and ranging accuracy of the device.

[0043] Photochromic materials are mainly classified into organic photochromic materials and inorganic photochromic materials. Organic photochromic materials include spiropyrans, fulgides, diarylethenes and azobenzenes, etc. They are easy to process, easy to shape and highly sensitive, as shown in the attached manual. Figure 1 The figure shows the photochromic process of an organic material. Inorganic photochromic materials include metal halides, transition metal oxides and rare earth complexes, which have the advantages of good thermal stability and strong mechanical properties. Inorganic photochromic materials can be prepared into thin films on the surface of optical components using micro-nano processing technology, which has very little effect on the weight and volume of the components and has a wide range of uses.

[0044] In some embodiments, the TOF camera module further includes a housing (not shown in the figure) when specifically assembled. The inner side of the housing defines an installation cavity along its longitudinal direction, and the light source body 200 and the detector body 100 are both assembled in the installation cavity of the housing, and both are located at the same position in the longitudinal direction of the housing, so that the head of the light source body 200 is flush with the head of the detector body 100.

[0045] In order to attenuate the intensity of outdoor ambient light, in a first possible embodiment, referring to Figure 2 and Figure 3 , the photochromic layer 700 can be used as a cover glass. Specifically, when preparing the photochromic layer 700, an organic photochromic material and an optical glass material can be mixed to obtain the required photochromic layer 700. When the photochromic layer 700 is applied to the TOF camera module, the photochromic layer 700 is assembled at the light inlet and outlet positions of the shell. It can be seen that the photochromic layer 700 is equivalent to the cover glass of the TOF camera module. For the convenience of distinction, the cover glass here can be named as the first cover glass. It can be understood that the photochromic layer 700 of the present application can be used as an ordinary cover glass, and it also has the function of attenuating the ambient light intensity and the target light signal intensity. The TOF camera module does not need to be provided with an additional cover glass, which saves the space of the TOF camera module.

[0046] If the photochromic layer 700 can be arranged on the propagation path of the light source body 200 when emitting the laser pulse signal (refer to Figure 2 ), the photochromic layer 700 will affect the intensity of the laser pulse signal. Based on the above problems, refer to Figure 3 , the TOF camera module also includes a second cover glass 600, which is made of optical glass material only, and the second cover glass 600 is located on the propagation path of the laser pulse signal emitted by the light source body 200. Among them, the first cover glass 500 and the second cover glass 600 can be divided into two independent cover glasses, or they can be connected as a cover glass. It can be understood that through the setting of the second cover glass 600, the laser pulse signal emitted by the light source body 200 will not be attenuated when passing through the second cover glass 600, thereby ensuring the intensity of the laser pulse signal.

[0047] In some embodiments, reference Figure 3 The TOF camera module also includes a first convex mirror 300, a second convex mirror 400 and a first cover glass 500 arranged on the inner side of the shell. The first convex mirror 300 and the first cover glass 500 are both located on the receiving path of the detector body 100, and can also be located on the transmitting path of the light source body 200. The first convex mirror 300 is located between the detector body 100 and the first cover glass 500, and the second convex mirror 400 is located on the propagation path of the laser pulse signal emitted by the light source body 200. Among them, the first convex mirror 300 can be a receiving end convex mirror, which can focus the received target light signal, so that the detector body 100 can effectively receive the target light signal, and the second convex mirror 400 can be a transmitting end convex mirror. The second convex mirror 400 can focus the emitted laser pulse signal, thereby increasing the light intensity, thereby ensuring that the laser pulse signal can be more effectively transmitted to the target object and reflected to the detector body 100. The first cover glass 500 can be used to seal the shell, so that the components inside the TOF camera module are protected.

[0048] In order to attenuate the intensity of outdoor ambient light, in a second possible embodiment, referring to Figure 4 , Figure 5 and Figure 6 The photochromic layer 700 may be a photochromic film covering the surface of the optical device. The photochromic layer 700 may be a photochromic film covered on the optical device by coating, spraying or other methods. It may also be a photochromic film prepared on the surface of the optical element by micro-nano processing technology. Specifically, the photochromic layer 700 is made of an inorganic photochromic material. The photochromic layer 700 is a photochromic film disposed on the inner surface and / or outer surface of the first cover glass 500 (refer to Figure 4), so that when the detector body 100 receives the target light signal, the first cover glass 500 uses the photochromic layer 700 on its surface to attenuate the ambient light, thereby ensuring that the detector body 100 can more effectively receive the target light signal, thereby ensuring the device's detection distance, detection accuracy and other ranging performance. And / or, the photochromic layer 700 is made of an inorganic photochromic material, and the photochromic layer 700 is a photochromic film ( Figure 5 ), so that when the detector body 100 receives the target light signal, the first convex mirror 300 uses the photochromic layer 700 on its surface to attenuate the ambient light, thereby ensuring that the detector body 100 can receive the target light signal more effectively, thereby ensuring the distance measurement performance of the device such as detection distance and detection accuracy. And / or, the photochromic layer 700 is made of an inorganic photochromic material, and the photochromic layer 700 is a photochromic film ( Figure 6 ), in this way, when the detector body 100 receives the target light signal, the detector body 100 uses the photochromic layer 700 on its receiving surface to attenuate the ambient light, thereby ensuring that the detector body 100 can receive the target light signal more effectively, thereby ensuring the device's detection distance, detection accuracy and other ranging performance.

[0049] The photochromic layer 700 is made of inorganic photochromic materials, which include metal halides, transition metal oxides, and rare earth complexes, and have the advantages of good thermal stability and strong mechanical properties.

[0050] It should be noted that, refer to Figure 7 , if the photochromic layer 700 is a photochromic film arranged on the surface of the first cover glass 500. The TOF camera module also includes a second cover glass 600, and the second cover glass 600 is made only of optical glass material, and the second cover glass 600 is located on the propagation path of the laser pulse signal emitted by the light source body 200. Among them, the first cover glass 500 and the second cover glass 600 can be two independent cover glasses, or they can be a connected cover glass. It can be understood that through the provision of the second cover glass 600, and the photochromic layer 700 is only provided on the surface of the first cover glass 500, the laser pulse signal emitted by the light source body 200 will not be attenuated when passing through the second cover glass 600, thereby ensuring the intensity of the laser pulse signal.

[0051] It can be understood that the photochromic layer 700 is arranged on the optical device of the TOF camera module in the form of a photochromic film. Such an arrangement ensures the overall integration of the TOF camera module, reduces the process cost, and can accurately control and adjust the received light intensity of the detector body 100.

[0052] In a specific embodiment, referring to Figure 8 The photochromic layer 700 includes a titanium oxide layer 710, a tungsten oxide layer 720 and a zinc oxide layer 730, wherein the tungsten oxide layer 720 is disposed between the titanium oxide layer and the zinc oxide layer 730, and the titanium oxide layer 710 covers the surface of the first cover glass 600. It can be understood that the photochromic film with the above-mentioned structure can be prepared on the cover glass to make the optical glass have photochromic properties.

[0053] In order to attenuate the intensity of ambient light, in a third possible embodiment, referring to Fig. 9 , a receiving cavity is defined inside the first cover glass 500, and the photochromic layer 700 is a solid or liquid material and is located in the receiving cavity of the first cover glass 500. It can be understood that when the detector body 100 receives the target light signal, the first cover glass 500 uses the photochromic material inside it to attenuate the ambient light, thereby ensuring that the detector body 100 can receive the target light signal more effectively, thereby ensuring the ranging performance of the device such as detection distance and detection accuracy.

[0054] Furthermore, the TOF camera module further includes a second cover glass 600 (see Figure 5 ), the second cover glass 600 is made of optical glass material only, and the second cover glass 600 is located on the propagation path of the laser pulse signal emitted by the light source body 200. Among them, the first cover glass 500 and the second cover glass 600 can be two independent cover glasses, or a connected cover glass. It can be understood that through the provision of the second cover glass 600, and the photochromic layer 700 is only provided on the inner side of the first cover glass 500, the laser pulse signal emitted by the light source body 200 will not be attenuated when passing through the second cover glass 600, thereby ensuring the intensity of the laser pulse signal.

[0055] In order to attenuate the intensity of ambient light, in other possible embodiments, the photochromic layer 700 is a photochromic layer 700 that is independent of the detector body 100, the first convex mirror 300, and the cover glass. The photochromic layer 700 is disposed on the inner side of the housing, and may be located between the cover glass and the first convex mirror 300, or between the first convex mirror 300 and the detector body 100, which will not be described in detail in this application.

[0056] In some embodiments, the TOF camera module is configured as follows: different specifications of photochromic layers 700 and / or any number of photochromic layers 700 can be selected, and the attenuation rates of photochromic layers 700 of different specifications are set differently. Specifically, according to the response characteristics of the detector body 100 in the TOF camera module, different TOF camera modules require different degrees of attenuation of received light intensity. Based on the above problems, the present application can adjust the different specifications of photochromic layers 700 and the number of layers of photochromic layers 700, so as to adjust the attenuation rate of the detector body 100 in receiving the target light signal. In this way, the received light intensity of the detector body 100 is attenuated to below the saturation threshold of the detector body 100, while ensuring that the received light intensity is at a higher signal-to-noise ratio, and the detector body 100 can effectively receive the target light signal.

[0057] The photochromic layers 700 of different specifications refer to photochromic layers 700 made of different photochromic materials, or photochromic layers 700 of different thicknesses.

[0058] The present application also discloses a mobile device, comprising the above-mentioned TOF camera module.

[0059] It is understandable that, referring to Figure 2 , the mobile device adopts the above-mentioned TOF camera module. In a specific application, when the detector body 100 receives light, the photochromic layer 700 can attenuate the intensity of the ambient light and the target light signal, thereby alleviating the saturation effect of the receiving end of the detector body 100. More specifically, the present application attenuates the influence of ambient light on the detector body 100 through the photochromic layer 700, thereby ensuring that the detector body 100 can receive the target light signal more effectively, thereby ensuring the ranging performance of the mobile device such as the detection distance and detection accuracy.

[0060] The embodiments of the utility model are described in detail above in conjunction with the accompanying drawings, but the utility model is not limited to the above embodiments. Various changes can be made within the knowledge of ordinary technicians in the relevant technical field without departing from the purpose of the utility model. In addition, the embodiments of the utility model and the features in the embodiments can be combined with each other without conflict.

Claims

1. A TOF camera module, characterized in that: include: A light source body, wherein the light source body is used to emit a laser pulse signal to a target object; A detector body, wherein the detector body is used to receive a target light signal reflected by a target object; The photochromic layer is located on the receiving path of the detector body and is used to attenuate the intensity of ambient light and target light signals.

2. A TOF camera module according to claim 1, characterized in that: The photochromic layer is a first cover glass, and the first cover glass is an organic photochromic optical glass.

3. A TOF camera module according to claim 1, characterized in that: The TOF camera module also includes a first convex mirror and a first cover glass. The first convex mirror and the first cover glass are both located on the receiving path of the detector body, and the first convex mirror is located between the detector body and the first cover glass.

4. A TOF camera module according to claim 3, characterized in that: The photochromic layer is arranged on the surface of the first convex mirror and / or the receiving surface of the detector body and / or the surface of the first cover glass.

5. A TOF camera module according to claim 4, characterized in that: The photochromic layer is made of inorganic photochromic material.

6. A TOF camera module according to claim 5, characterized in that: The photochromic layer includes a titanium oxide layer, a tungsten oxide layer and a zinc oxide layer, and the tungsten oxide layer is arranged between the titanium oxide layer and the zinc oxide layer.

7. A TOF camera module according to claim 3, characterized in that: The photochromic layer is disposed on the inner side of the first cover glass, and the photochromic layer is a solid or liquid material.

8. A TOF camera module according to any one of claims 3 to 7, characterized in that: The first cover glass is also located on the emission path of the light source body; Alternatively, the TOF camera module further includes a second cover glass, which is located on the emission path of the light source body, wherein the second cover glass is separately arranged or connected to the first cover glass, and the second cover glass is made only of optical glass material.

9. A TOF camera module according to claim 1, characterized in that: The TOF camera module is configured to be able to select photochromic layers of different specifications and / or photochromic layers of any number, and the attenuation rates of photochromic layers of different specifications are set differently.

10. A mobile device, characterized in that: A TOF camera module comprising any one of claims 1 to 9.

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