Light source module with adaptive illumination

Abstract

The present disclosure relates to light source modules with adaptive illumination. Various embodiments disclosed herein include adaptive light source modules that can provide adaptive illumination to a scene. These adaptive light source modules can include a housing, an emitter array, and a lens. The emitter array includes a plurality of emitters. The lens can redirect light emitted from the emitter array through a transparent window of the housing. The housing can also include a prismatic surface that distorts light emitted from the emitter array and / or one or more opaque portions that limit light from passing therethrough. The adaptive light source module can optionally include a light sensor, and a portion of the lens can be configured to direct light toward the light sensor.

Description

[0001] CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS

[0002] This patent application claims the benefit under 35 U.S.C. § 119(e) of U.S. Provisional Patent Application 63 / 247,702, filed September 23, 2021, the contents of which are incorporated by reference in their entirety. TECHNICAL FIELD

[0003] The described implementations generally relate to light source modules that include arrays of light emitters configured to provide adaptive illumination to a scene. BACKGROUND

[0004] Cameras continue to be an important feature of consumer electronics devices such as smartphones, tablets, and computers. The imaging capabilities of these consumer electronics devices have steadily increased as the quality of individual cameras has improved and devices have begun to integrate multi-camera (“multi-camera”) systems and depth sensors, allowing users to capture high-quality images in an ever-increasing range of situations. In low-light conditions, a light source module (also referred to as a “flash”) can be used to illuminate a scene to facilitate image capture. Different scene conditions can benefit from different flash illumination across the scene (which can further vary depending on which camera in a multi-camera system is imaging), and thus it can be desirable to provide a flash module with the flexibility to selectively provide illumination to different portions of a scene. SUMMARY

[0005] Described herein are light source modules for adaptively illuminating a scene. In some variations, a light source module includes a housing comprising a transparent window, an emitter array positioned and configured to emit light through the transparent window, and a lens, where the lens is positioned between the transparent window and the emitter array and comprises an imaging region positioned over the emitter array. In some of these variations, the transparent window comprises a prismatic surface having a plurality of concentric prisms positioned about a center point, where each of the plurality of concentric prisms has an inner face angled at a first angle toward the center point and an outer face angled at a second angle away from the center point. The first and second angles of each of the plurality of concentric prisms can each be less than 16 degrees, and in some cases, the first and second angles of each of the plurality of concentric prisms are each between 5 and 12 degrees.

[0006] In some cases, the housing includes a substrate and a top cover, where the array of light emitters is supported by the substrate. In some of these variations, the attachment region of the lens is configured and positioned within the housing such that the top cover contacts a top surface of the attachment region and the substrate contacts a bottom surface of the attachment region. In other variations, the lens includes an attachment region that is connected to a portion of the housing and an intermediate region between the imaging region and the attachment region. In some of these variations, the intermediate region is shaped as an annular body having an inner sidewall, and the inner sidewall encircles at least a portion of the imaging region. In other of these variations, the light source module further includes a light sensor, where at least a portion of the intermediate region is positioned above the light sensor. In some of these cases, a back surface of the intermediate region is closer to the substrate than a top surface of the emitter array.

[0007] Other examples relate to a system including a light source module. The light source module includes a housing including a transparent window, an array of emitters positioned and configured to emit light through the transparent window, and a lens. In some cases, the lens is positioned between the transparent window and the array of emitters, and at least one central emitter of the array of emitters is larger than at least one peripheral emitter of the array of emitters. In some variations, the system further includes a first camera having a first field of view, and the light source module is configured such that light generated by the at least one central emitter fills the first field of view. In some of these variations, the at least one central emitter includes a first central emitter, and the light source module is further configured such that light emitted by the first central emitter fills the first field of view. In other of these variations, the at least one central emitter includes a plurality of central emitters, and the light source module is further configured such that light collectively emitted by the plurality of central emitters fills the first field of view. In yet other variations, the at least one central emitter includes a plurality of central emitters, and the at least one peripheral emitter includes a plurality of peripheral emitters that surround the plurality of central emitters.

[0008] Yet other examples of the invention include a method of illuminating a scene during image capture, the method comprising: determining a target field of view of the scene; determining an illumination profile based at least in part on the determined target field of view; illuminating the scene according to the determined illumination profile using an adaptive light source module; and capturing an image of the determined target field of view while illuminating the scene. The adaptive light source module comprises an emitter array having a plurality of emitters, such that illuminating the scene comprises generating light with a first subset of the plurality of emitters when the determined target field of view is a first field of view, and further comprising generating light with all of the plurality of emitters when the determined target field of view is a second field of view. In some cases, the first subset of the plurality of emitters comprises a first emitter, and generating light with the first emitter fills the first field of view. In some of these variations, generating light with all of the plurality of emitters fills the second field of view. In some cases, the second field of view is larger than the first field of view. The first field of view can correspond to a field of view of a first camera, and the second field of view can correspond to a field of view of a second camera.

[0009] In addition to the exemplary aspects and implementations described, still other aspects and implementations will become apparent to those skilled in the art upon reading the following description. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF DRAWINGS

[0010] The disclosure will be readily understood by the following detailed description in conjunction with the accompanying drawings, wherein like reference numerals refer to like structures throughout the several views, and wherein:

[0011] FIG. 1A A rear view of an illustrative example of a device including an adaptive light source module as described herein is shown. FIG. 1B An illustrative example of an adaptive light source module as described herein is depicted. FIG. 1A An illustrative example of an adaptive light source module as described herein is depicted. FIG. 1C A representation of fields of view of cameras of a multi-camera system that can be used with a device of FIG. 1A A representation of fields of view of cameras of a multi-camera system that can be used with a device of

[0012] FIG. 2 A cross-sectional side view of an illustrative example of an adaptive light source module as described herein is shown.

[0013] FIG. 3 An exploded perspective view of a variation of an adaptive light source module having an enclosure including a top cover and a base is shown.

[0014] FIG. 4A A cross-sectional side view of a variation of an enclosure suitable for use with an adaptive light source module described herein and including a prismatic surface is shown. FIG. 4B A cross-sectional side view of a variation of an enclosure suitable for use with an adaptive light source module described herein and including a prismatic surface is shown. FIG. 4C A light pattern that can be projected onto a scene is shown.

[0015] FIG. 5 A partial cross-sectional side view of a variation of a housing suitable for use with the adaptive light source modules described herein and including both transparent and non-transparent portions is shown.

[0016] FIG. 6A and FIG. 6B Cross-sectional side views of two variations of adaptive light source modules each including a lens are shown.

[0017] FIG. 7A to FIG. 7C A variation of an emitter array suitable for use with the adaptive light source modules described herein is shown.

[0018] FIG. 8A A variation of an emitter array in which some of the emitters in the emitter array can be controlled as a group is shown. FIG. 8B Different exemplary patterns for driving the emitter array of FIG. 8A are shown.

[0019] FIG. 9 A cross-sectional side view of a variation of an adaptive light source module including a lens is shown.

[0020] It is to be understood that the proportions and dimensions (relative or absolute) of the various features and elements (and collections and groupings thereof) and the relationships of boundaries, spacings, and locations presented therebetween, provided in the drawings, are for the purpose of facilitating an understanding of the various embodiments described herein only, and thus can not necessarily be presented or shown as measured and are not intended to indicate any preference or requirement for the embodiments shown over the embodiments described in connection therewith.

[0021] Directional terminology, such as "top," "bottom," "front," "back," "leading," "trailing," etc., relates to the orientation of the components illustrated in some of the figures below and are used in connection with the orientation of the components as described below. Because components of various embodiments can be positioned in a number of different orientations, the directional terminology is used in the following description only for purposes of illustration and not limitation. The directional terminology is intended to be broadly construed in light of the broad scope of the disclosure. That is, the terms "top," "front," "back," "leading," "trailing," etc., are used in this description only to refer to the orientation of the components shown in the figures as described below and are not meant to be limiting in any way. Similarly, the terms "front" and "back" can refer to the side of the adaptive light source module opposite the light emitting side and to the portion of the individual module components facing away from the light emitting side of the adaptive light source module. Directional terminology used to describe the adaptive light source module does not need to extend to any device incorporating the adaptive light source module or other components of that device (e.g., the "front" side of the adaptive light source module does not need to face the same direction as the "front" side of the overall device).

[0022] Additionally, as used herein, the phrase "at least one of a list of items" means any single one of the items in the list and that the list is a "non- exhaustive list" solely for explanation as only a single one of its members need be employed in a given instance. The phrase "at least one of" is not intended to signify that a minimum of one of each of the items in the list is required to suffice and / or that a minimum of one of each of the items in the list is required to be included in the subject matter. By way of example, the phrases "at least one of A, B, and C" or "at least one of A, B, or C" each refer to only A, only B, or only C; any combination of A, B, and C; and / or any one or more of A, B, and C. Similarly, it is to be understood that the order of the elements presented in any list of elements does not, in itself, convey a limitation on the subject matter. The phrase "at least one of" is used to refer to the members individually and collectively. DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0023] Reference will now be made in detail to representative embodiments illustrated in the drawings. It should be understood that the following description is not intended to limit the embodiments to one preferred embodiment. On the contrary, it is intended to cover alternatives, modifications, and equivalents that can be included within the spirit and scope of the described embodiments as defined by the claims.

[0024] The following disclosure relates to adaptive light source modules and methods of using the adaptive light source modules to adaptively provide illumination to a scene. These adaptive light source modules generally include an array of emitters (such as LEDs), each of which is configured to emit light. The amount of light emitted by individual emitters (or groups of emitters) can be separately controlled, allowing the light source module to locally control the intensity of light delivered to a scene by the adaptive light source module. The adaptive light source modules can be used to emit light during image capture using one or more cameras to facilitate flash photography, while in other instances can be used continuously to emit light as part of a flash mode. Reference is made below to FIG. 1A to FIG. 8B These and other embodiments are discussed. However, as those skilled in the art will readily appreciate, the detailed description given herein is not intended in a limiting sense, but merely to describe the detailed description in connection with the various illustrative embodiments.

[0025] The adaptive light source modules described herein can be used in any suitable portable electronic device, preferably including one or more cameras. FIG. 1A A back view of a device 100 suitable for use with various embodiments of the adaptive light source modules described herein is shown. As shown, the device 100 includes an adaptive light source module 101 and a multi-camera system 102. While discussed herein for use with the multi-camera system 102, it should be understood that the adaptive light source modules described herein can be used to illuminate some or all of the field of view of a single camera. Additionally, while shown as being placed on the back of the device 100, it should be understood that the adaptive light source module can additionally or alternatively be placed on the front of the device (e.g., the front side having a display) or on any other side as desired.

[0026] Generally, when the device 100 includes a multi-camera system 102, the multi-camera system 102 includes a first camera 104 and a second camera 106. The multi-camera system 102 can optionally include one or more additional cameras, such as a third camera 108 as shown. The multi-camera system 102 can also include one or more depth sensors (e.g., a depth sensor 110 as shown), such as will be described in greater detail below. FIG. 1A FIG. 1A

[0027] In some embodiments, the device 100 is a portable multifunctional electronic device that includes other functions, such as PDA and / or music player functions. Exemplary embodiments of portable multifunctional devices include, without limitation, the iPhone®, iPod touch®, iPad®, and iPad mini® devices from Apple Inc. of Cupertino, California. The device, iPod The device, iPod ​​Device. Optionally, other portable electronic devices are used, such as a laptop or a tablet computer with a touch-sensitive surface (e.g., a touch-screen display and / or a touchpad). It should also be understood that, in some embodiments, the device is not a portable communication device, but a desktop computer that can have a touch-sensitive surface (e.g., a touch-screen display and / or a touchpad). In some embodiments, the electronic device is a computer system (e.g., via wireless communication, via wired communication) in communication with a display generation component. The display generation component is configured to provide visual output, such as display via a CRT display, display via an LED display, or display via image projection. In some embodiments, the display generation component is integrated with the computer system. In some embodiments, the display generation component is separate from the computer system. As used herein, “displaying” content includes causing the content to be displayed by transmitting data (e.g., image data or video data) to an integrated or external display generation component via a wired or wireless connection to visually produce the content.

[0028] FIG. 1B Exemplary components of device 100 are depicted. In some embodiments, device 100 has bus 126 that operatively couples I / O section 134 with one or more computer processors 136 and memory 138. I / O section 134 can be connected to display 128, which can have touch- sensitive component 130 and optionally intensity sensor 132 (e.g., contact intensity sensor). Additionally, I / O section 134 can be connected with communication unit 140 to receive application and operating system data, using Wi-Fi, Bluetooth, near field communication (NFC), cellular, and / or other wireless communication techniques. Device 100 can further include input mechanisms 142 and / or 144. For example, input mechanism 142 is, optionally, a rotatable input device or a depressible input device, as well as a rotatable input device. In some examples, input mechanism 148 is, optionally, a button. Device 100 optionally includes various sensors, such as GPS sensor 146, accelerometer(s) 148, directional sensor 150 (e.g., compass), gyroscope 152, motion sensor 154, and / or a combination thereof, all of which can be operatively connected to I / O section 134.

[0029] The memory 138 of the device 100 can include one or more non-transitory computer-readable storage media storing computer-executable instructions that, when executed by the one or more computer processors 136, for example, can cause the computer processors to perform the techniques described herein. Computer-readable storage media can be any media capable of

[0030] The processor 136 can include, for example, a special-purpose hardware as defined herein, a computing device as defined herein, a processor, a microprocessor, a programmable logic array (PLA), a programmable array logic (PAL), a generic array logic (GAL), a complex programmable logic device (CPLD), an application-specific integrated circuit (ASIC), a field-programmable gate array (FPGA), or any other programmable logic device (PLD) that can be configured to execute the operating system and applications of the device 100 and facilitate the capture of images of a scene and adaptively illuminate the scene as described herein. The device 100 is not limited to the components and configuration of FIG. 1B but can include other or additional components in various configurations.

[0031] Returning to FIG. 1A The cameras within the multi-camera system 102 have fields of view that at least partially overlap one another. In other words, if the field of view of an additional camera does not at least partially overlap the field of view of at least one camera within the multi-camera system 102, the device 100 can include one or more additional cameras (not shown) that are not considered part of the multi-camera system 102. For example, the device 100 can include a forward-facing camera (not shown) that faces in an opposite direction from the first camera 104 and the second camera 106 (and any other cameras of the multi-camera system 102) and, thus, would not be considered part of the multi-camera system 102.

[0032] Similarly, if depth sensor 110 is positioned and arranged within device 100 such that it is able to acquire depth information at one or more points within the field of view of one or more cameras of multi-camera system 102, then the depth sensor can be considered part of multi-camera system 102. Device 100 may include one or more depth sensors (e.g., depth sensors on the front of the device facing in the opposite direction to the cameras of multi-camera system 102 and therefore not considered part of multi-camera system 102). It should be understood that the device may include more than one multi-camera system (e.g., a first multi-camera system on one side of the device and a second multi-camera system on a second side of the device), each of which may optionally include a corresponding depth sensor, and some or all of the multi-camera systems may include adaptive lighting modules as discussed herein.

[0033] The cameras in the multi-camera system 102 can have different focal lengths, which may result in the cameras having different fields of view. For example, FIG. 1C It shows FIG. 1A The exemplary fields of view of the cameras in the multi-camera system 102 depicted are shown below. A first camera 104 may have a first field of view 112, a second camera may have a second field of view 114, and a third camera 108 may have a third field of view 116. As shown, the field of view 112 of the first camera 104 may have a wider (i.e., larger) field of view than both the field of view 114 of the second camera 106 and the field of view 116 of the third camera 108. Preferably, the first field of view 112 completely covers both the second field of view 114 and the third field of view 116 (i.e., such that no part of the second field of view 114 or the third field of view 116 is not also part of the first field of view 112), but this is not necessary. Similarly, the field of view 114 of the second camera 106 may completely cover the field of view 116 of the third camera 108. Although as... FIG. 1C The depicted first field of view 112, second field of view 114, and third field of view 116 assume a fixed focal length for each of the first camera 104, second camera 106, and third camera 108. However, it should be understood that in some cases, one or more cameras in a multi-camera system may include a level of optical zoom capability (which may result in a field of view whose size varies based on the zoom level). For the purposes of this application, FIG. 1C The arrangement of the fields of view depicted can be assumed to be the widest possible field of view for each camera.

[0034] exist FIG. 1CThe depicted example also shows a coverage field 118 of the depth sensor 110, which encompasses an area of the scene across which the depth sensor 110 can compute depth information for the scene. It should be appreciated that, depending on the design of the depth sensor 110 (as will be discussed in greater detail below), the depth sensor 110 can not compute a depth value for every point within the coverage field 118. Rather, the coverage field 118 is intended to reflect the broadest lateral range over which the depth sensor is capable of providing depth information. For the purposes of this application, the coverage field 118 is represented by a rectangle, where the depth sensor 110 is capable of providing depth information for at least one point on each side of the rectangle.

[0035] As noted above, the coverage field 118 of the depth sensor 110 at least partially overlaps some or all of the fields of view of the cameras of the multi-camera system 102. In some variations, it can be desirable for the coverage field 118 to completely encompass the field of view of one or more of the cameras. For example, in the depicted example, the coverage field 118 of the depth sensor 110 completely encompasses the field of view 114 of the second camera 106 (as well as the field of view 116 of the third camera 108), while not completely encompassing the field of view 112 of the first camera 104. FIG. 1C In other variations, the coverage field 118 can completely encompass the field of view of all of the cameras in the multi-camera system 102 (these fields of view being depicted in FIG. 1 as the fields of view 112, 114, and 116). In yet other variations, the coverage field 118 can completely encompass a single camera field of view (e.g., in the depicted example, the field of view 116 of the third camera 108), while not completely encompassing the remaining camera fields of view. FIG. 1A In the depicted variation of the device 100, the coverage field 118 of the depth sensor 110 would include the field of view of each of the first camera 104, the second camera 106, and the third camera 108. In yet other variations, the coverage field 118 can completely encompass a single camera field of view (e.g., in the depicted example, the field of view 116 of the third camera 108), while not completely encompassing the remaining camera fields of view. FIG. 1C In the depicted variation of the multi-camera system 102, the coverage field 118 of the depth sensor 110 would include the field of view of each of the first camera 104, the second camera 106, and the third camera 108. In yet other variations, the coverage field 118 can completely encompass a single camera field of view (e.g., in the depicted example, the field of view 116 of the third camera 108), while not completely encompassing the remaining camera fields of view.

[0036] When the device 100 includes a depth sensor 110 associated with the camera or multi-camera system 102, the distance information measured by the depth sensor 110 can be used to assist one or more imaging operations. For example, the depth sensor 110 can be capable of providing information about the relative positioning of different objects within a given scene. This information can help autofocus operations of the camera, or can be used to help determine an illumination profile that an adaptive light source module will use to illuminate a given scene. In other words, the depth information can be used as an input in determining parameters that will be used to control an emitter array of an adaptive light source module described herein (e.g., to select a current to apply to individual emitters or groups of emitters in the emitter array). For example, in some cases, a given emitter of the array can be driven to produce less light to illuminate a target object that is relatively closer to the device 100 than would be produced to illuminate a target object that is farther away from the device 100.

[0037] Depth sensor 110 can be any suitable system capable of computing distances between depth sensor 110 and various points in a scene. Depth sensor 110 can generate a depth map including these computed distances, which can be used by other systems in device 100, such as described above. Depth information can be computed in any suitable manner. In one non-limiting example, a depth sensor can utilize stereo imaging, in which two images are taken from different positions, and the distance (disparity) between corresponding pixels in the two images can be used to compute depth information. In another example, a depth sensor can utilize structured light imaging, whereby a depth sensor can image a scene while projecting a known pattern (typically using infrared illumination) toward the scene, and then can see how the pattern is distorted by the scene to compute depth information. In yet another example, a depth sensor can utilize time-of-flight sensing, which computes depth based on the amount of time it takes for (typically infrared) light emitted from the depth sensor to return from the scene. Time-of-flight depth sensors can utilize direct time-of-flight or indirect time-of-flight, and can illuminate the entire coverage field 118 at a given time, or can illuminate only a subset of the coverage field 118 at a given time (e.g., via one or more spots, stripes, or other patterns that can be fixed or can be scanned across the coverage field 118).

[0038] Returning to FIG. 1A , a device can include an adaptive light module 101. An adaptive light module 101 can be part of a multi-camera system 102. An adaptive light module 101 can be considered part of a multi-camera system if its field of illumination (the widest lateral extent of a scene that the adaptive light module is capable of illuminating) at least partially overlaps the field of view of at least one camera of the multi-camera system 102. Similarly, an adaptive light module 101 can be considered associated with an individual camera if its field of illumination at least partially overlaps the field of view of that camera.

[0039] FIG. 2 A cross-sectional side view of an illustrative example of an adaptive light module 200 suitable for use with various embodiments described below with respect to FIG. 3 to FIG. 8B As shown, adaptive light module 200 can include an emitter array 202, a housing 204, and a lens 206. An adaptive light module can be at least partially integrated within a device, and can be connected to a device, such as described above with respect to the above-described embodiments. In some embodiments, an adaptive light module can be connected to a device via a cable, such as a USB cable, a FireWire cable, a Thunderbolt cable, or other suitable cable. In other embodiments, an adaptive light module can be connected to a device wirelessly, such as via Bluetooth, Wi-Fi, or other suitable wireless connection. FIG. 1A to FIG. 1CA portion of the housing 212 of the device 100). The emitter array 202 can include a plurality of individual emitters 202 that are each capable of emitting light, and the adaptive light source module 200 can further include a driver 208 that is configured to selectively drive emitters (and / or groups of emitters) to generate light. This light can exit a front surface of the adaptive light source module 200 to illuminate a scene. For example, the illumination can be adaptive to varying scene content (e.g., different objects in the scene will result in different illumination profiles). In other cases, the illumination can be adaptive to varying zoom levels, such as will be described in greater detail below. The emitter array 202 can preferably be a light emitting diode (LED) array, although it will be appreciated that the emitter array 202 can include any emitters capable of generating light (e.g., semiconductor lasers, etc.). Additionally, the emitters of the emitter array 202 can be spread out on a single common substrate, or can be formed separately and then mounted on a substrate to form the emitter array 202.

[0040] The lens 206 can be positioned between the adaptive light source module 200 and the housing 204, and can focus, collimate, or otherwise shape the light emitted by the emitter array 202. The size and shape of the emitters of the emitter array 202, the design of the lens 206, and the relative positioning between the emitter array 202 and the lens 206 can all affect the size, shape, and location of the illumination field of the adaptive light source module 200 (as well as the respective portions of the illumination field illuminated by each emitter of the emitter array 202). In some cases, the design of the housing (e.g., the optical properties of a transparent window of the housing) can also affect the size, shape, and location of the illumination field of the adaptive light source module 200. Thus, the design of these components can be particularly tailored to achieve a particular illumination field, such as will be described in greater detail below.

[0041] The housing 204 is generally configured to enclose the components of the adaptive light source module 200, and can facilitate mounting of the adaptive light source module 200 relative to the rest of the device. In some cases, a front side of the housing 204 can be configured to alter light passing through the housing, which can affect the light emitted by the adaptive light source module 200. Examples are described below with respect to FIG. 4A to FIG. 4C In some embodiments, the adaptive light source module 200 can additionally include an optional sensor 210. The sensor 210 can preferably be a light sensor that can be capable of measuring one or more aspects of ambient light received from a scene (e.g., brightness, color temperature, flicker information, combinations thereof, etc.). Additionally or alternatively, the light sensor can be used to receive a portion of the light emitted by the emitter array 202 (e.g., light that can be reflected from a portion of the lens 204), which can be used to monitor the performance of the emitter array 202.

[0042] In some variations, the housing of adaptive light source module 300 can be configured to help position the lens relative to the emitter array. For example, FIG. 3 An exploded perspective view of one such variation of adaptive light source module 300 is shown. As shown, adaptive light source module 300 can include emitter array 302, lens 304, and a housing including top cover 306 and base plate 312. Base plate 312 can support emitter array 302, and can further support sensor 314 in embodiments in which adaptive light source module 300 includes a sensor (such as sensor 314, which can be configured in any of the ways described above, as shown). Base plate 312 can be configured to provide electrical connections to emitter array 302 and sensor 314, and can route signals (e.g., power, control, etc., which can be generated by a driver (not shown)) to or from emitter array 302 and sensor 314. In some cases, base plate 312 is a printed circuit board.

[0043] In some variations, adaptive light source module 300 is configured such that, when assembled, a portion of lens 304 is sandwiched between top cover 306 and base plate 312. In these variations, a portion of top cover 306 is positioned to contact (either directly or indirectly via one or more intervening components, such as a spacer) a top surface of lens 304, and a portion of base plate 312 is positioned to contact (either directly or indirectly via one or more intervening components, such as a spacer) a bottom surface of lens 304. Top cover 306 and base plate 312 can be fixed relative to one another such that top cover 306 and base plate 312 prevent lens 304 from moving in a certain direction (e.g., a direction perpendicular to a light emitting surface of the emitter array). In some of these variations, top cover 306 can include a transparent window 308 through which light from emitter array 302 can be delivered to a scene, and an opaque portion 310, which can occlude a portion of lens 304, as will be described in greater detail below.

[0044] The transparent window 308 (or portions thereof) can optionally act as a lens or prism that can refract light passing therethrough. For example, in some variations of the adaptive light source module described herein, the window of the adaptive light source module can be configured to remove image artifacts that can be caused by the spaces between adjacent emitters in the emitter array. FIG. 4 illustrates a cross-sectional side view of one such variation of a housing 400 suitable for use with the adaptive light source modules described herein. As shown, the housing 400 can include a prismatic surface 402 that can include a plurality of concentric prisms (e.g., prism 406 shown in FIG. 4) positioned around a center point (which can or can not be aligned with the center of the housing 400). Each prism can extend from the surface of the housing and have an inner face (e.g., inner face 408 of prism 406) angled toward the center point (e.g., at a first angle a) and an outer face (e.g., outer face 410 of prism 406) angled away from the center point (e.g., at a second angle β). The prisms can collectively remove artifacts caused by the gaps between adjacent emitters in the emitter array, as will be described in greater detail below.

[0045] As shown in FIG. 4, the prisms of the prismatic surface 402 can preferably be symmetrical (i.e., such that the first angle a is the same as the second angle β), although it should be understood that one or more of the prisms can be asymmetrical such that the first angle a of a given prism is different from (e.g., greater than or less than) the second angle β. Additionally or alternatively, the angle a of the inner face or the angle β of the outer face of the prisms can vary radially such that these angles measured for a prism at one cross-section of the prismatic surface 402 can be different from these angles measured for the same prism at a different cross-section of the prismatic surface 402. Additionally or alternatively, different prisms of the prismatic surface 402 can have different prism angles (e.g., the angle of the inner face of a first prism can be different from the corresponding angle of the inner face of a second prism and / or the angle of the outer face of a first prism can be different from the corresponding angle of the outer face of a second prism). In sum, the prisms control the distortion applied to incident light received from the emitter array and, thus, the angles of the prisms of the prismatic surface 402 can be locally selected to achieve a desired distortion profile.

[0046] This distortion can be used to address image artifacts resulting from the spacing between adjacent emitters of the emitter array. In particular, the prisms can be configured to distort the light produced by the emitter array (as directed from the lens to the prismatic surface 402 as discussed herein) so as to cause partial overlap between the light emitted by adjacent emitters. For example, FIG. 4BA light pattern 412 (the spacing between individual segments of light is caused by the physical spacing between adjacent emitters in the array) that can be projected onto the prismatic surface 402 from a 3x3 array of emitters is shown. If the enclosure 400 did not include the prismatic surface 402 (or any other refractive feature), this light pattern 412 would be passed on to the scene without significant change. However, with the prismatic surface 402, the outer faces of the prisms can collectively form a first radially distorted image 414 (that is radially distorted inwardly), and the inner faces of the prisms can collectively form a second radially distorted image 416 (that is radially distorted outwardly), such as FIG. 4C shown. The prismatic surface 402 can project the first radially distorted image 414 and the second radially distorted image 416 onto the scene through a transparent window. Because the gaps are differently distorted in the first radially distorted image 414 and the second radially distorted 416, the gaps can no longer be aligned between the two images when these images are overlaid. In this way, the prismatic surface 402 can fill in the gaps that were present in the input light pattern 412. In effect, when all of the emitters in the array are turned on, the prismatic surface 402 can project an output image 418 of illumination that does not include gaps, such as FIG. 4C shown.

[0047] In general, the prisms of the prismatic surface 412 preferably have sufficient diopter to form sufficient overlap between the first radially distorted image 414 and the second radially distorted image 416 to fill in the gaps between adjacent emitters in the light pattern 412 received from the array of emitters. As the diopter begins to increase (e.g., to the level provided by a typical Fresnel lens), the distortion will begin to cause light emitted from one emitter to overlap with light emitted from a second emitter in the scene. This can have a negative impact on the operation of the device, as this overlap can compromise the ability of the adaptive light source module to provide relatively uniform illumination to the scene. Thus, it can be desirable to configure the prismatic surface 402 to provide sufficient distortion to fill in the gaps in the light pattern 412 received by the prismatic surface 402 (as just discussed above), but not to form significant overlap between illumination from adjacent emitters (overlap between two emitters is considered to be “significant” for the purposes of this application if more than 10% of the light emitted by a first of these emitters overlaps with light emitted from a second of these emitters).

[0048] While the selection of the first angle a of the inner face 408 and the second angle β of the outer face 410 of each prism 406 can depend on (i) the design of the emitter array (e.g., the relative spacing between adjacent emitters), (ii) the lens, and (iii) the overall tolerances of the adaptive light source module, the prism surfaces described herein are preferably configured such that the angles of the prism faces of at least one prism (and preferably all of the prisms) are each less than 16 degrees (i.e., both the first angle a of the inner face 408 and the first angle β of the outer face 410 of the prisms 406 are less than 16 degrees). More preferably, the prism surfaces are configured such that the angles of the prism faces of at least one prism (and preferably all of the prisms) are each between 5 degrees and 12 degrees (i.e., the first angle a of the inner face 408 of the prisms 406 is between 5 degrees and 12 degrees, and the second angle β of the outer face 410 of the prisms 406 is between 5 degrees and 12 degrees).

[0049] As described above, one or more components of the housing can be configured to have one or more transparent portions and one or more non-transparent portions. For example, FIG. 5 A cross-sectional side view of a variant of the adaptive light source module 300 described above with respect to FIG. 3 will have the same labels as used in FIG. 3 . Specifically, the housing can include a top cover 306 that includes both a transparent portion (that includes the transparent window 308) and a non-transparent portion 310. The transparent portion is configured to allow light from the emitter array (not shown) to exit the adaptive light source module (i.e., through the transparent window 308) to illuminate a scene.

[0050] The non-transparent portion 310 can be opaque or translucent to visible light (and optionally to one or more wavelengths of light that are not visible, such as infrared or ultraviolet light), and can serve one or more functions. For example, in some variants, the non-transparent portion 310 can be used to visibly obscure one or more portions of the adaptive light source module to prevent external observation. For example, in some cases where the top cover 306 is configured to contact the top surface of the lens 304, such as described above with respect to FIG. 3 , the top cover 306 can be connected to the lens 304 using an adhesive 500, as FIG. 5In these cases, the uneven application of adhesive 500 can be visible from outside the adaptive light source module, which has a fully transparent top cover. The opaque portion 310 of the top cover 306 can be positioned over the adhesive 500 (e.g., such that the adhesive 500 is positioned between the top surface of the lens 304 and the opaque portion 310 of the top cover 306), which can limit the visibility of the adhesive 500 through the top portion of the top cover 306. Additionally or alternatively, the opaque portion can limit or prevent light from passing therethrough, which in turn can be used to reduce stray light that can exit the adaptive light source module into the overall device (which can interfere with other device components) and / or stray light that can enter the adaptive light source module from the overall device (which can interfere with any light sensors positioned inside the adaptive light source module). Indeed, the adaptive light source module can be positioned at least partially within a device and configured such that visible light can only enter and exit the device through the transparent window 308. In these variations, a portion of the device housing (or another component within the device) can cover the sides of the transparent portion of the top cover 306 (and prevent light from entering the covered portions of the transparent portion), and the opaque portion 310 and the substrate 312 of the top cover 306 can collectively block light from entering or exiting the remaining portions of the adaptive light source module positioned within the device.

[0051] When the top cover 306 has both a transparent portion and an opaque portion, the top cover 306 can be manufactured in any suitable manner. For example, in some cases, the top cover 306 is formed using a two-shot injection molding process, in which the transparent portion is molded from a first material and the opaque portion is molded from a second material. In other cases, the transparent portion of the top cover 306 can be formed independently from the opaque portion and subsequently connected to the opaque portion.

[0052] As described above, the adaptive light source modules described herein can include a lens. Generally, the lens includes an imaging region configured to focus, collimate, or otherwise shape light emitted by the emitter array (and direct the light through a portion of the housing to a scene). The lens can also include an attachment region configured to connect the lens to a portion of the housing, and can also include an intermediate region connecting the imaging region to the attachment region. In some cases, the intermediate region can be configured to direct light to an optional sensor, such as the light sensor described in greater detail above.

[0053] For example, FIG. 6AA cross-sectional side view of one such variant of the adaptive light source module 600 is shown. As shown, the adaptive light source module 600 includes an emitter array 602, a lens 604, and a top cover 606, as described in more detail above. The lens 604 may include an imaging region 608, an intermediate region 610, and an attachment region 612. Although discussed as separate and distinct regions, it should be understood that the entire lens may be made of a single piece of material, and the division between regions may be defined by variations in the cross-sectional profile of the lens 604. For example, the attachment region 612 may be a peripheral region of the lens 604 and may be part of one or more portions of a contact housing of the lens 604. For example, the attachment region 612 may be positioned within the adaptive light source module to contact the top cover 606 (e.g., the top surface of the attachment region 612 may contact the bottom surface of the top cover 606).

[0054] exist FIG. 6A In the specific variant shown, the attachment region 612, together with the adaptive light source module, is positioned to contact both the top cover 606 and the substrate 613 of the housing. Specifically, the attachment region 612 includes an annular segment having a top surface that contacts the top cover 606 (directly or indirectly via one or more intermediate components, such as spacers) and a bottom surface that contacts the substrate (directly or indirectly via one or more intermediate components, such as spacers). Although the attachment region 612 is in FIG. 6A The lens is shown in contact with both the top cover and the substrate, but it should be understood that the attachment area of ​​the lens may contact only one of the top cover or the substrate.

[0055] For example, FIG. 6B A variation of this adaptive light source module 618 is shown. As shown, the adaptive light source module 618 includes an emitter array 602, a top cover 606 (such as...) FIG. 6A The top cover shown) and the lens 620 having an imaging region 622, an intermediate region 624 and an attachment region 626. As shown, the attachment region 626 is configured and positioned to contact the top cover 606 (e.g., the top surface of the attachment region may contact the bottom surface of the top cover 606) but not the substrate.

[0056] The imaging area of ​​the lens (e.g., from respectively) FIG. 6A and FIG. 6BThe imaging regions of the lenses 604 and 620 can be positioned above the emitter array 602 and configured to focus, collimate, or otherwise shape light emitted by the emitter array 602. The imaging regions of the lenses can control how much of a given camera field of view each emitter will cover in conjunction with the size of the individual emitters, such as described above. The imaging regions preferably include one or more curved surfaces to refract light (although it should be understood that a similar but reduced height curved profile of the imaging regions can be achieved with Fresnel lenses). For example, FIG. 6A The imaging regions 608 and 622 shown each include a convex front surface (i.e., facing away from the emitter array) and a convex back surface (i.e., facing toward the emitter array) to form a lenticular lens, although it should be understood that other lens designs (e.g., a plano-convex lens or a meniscus lens) can be used in the imaging regions as needed for a given adaptive light source module. FIG. 6B The imaging regions 608 and 622 shown each include a convex front surface (i.e., facing away from the emitter array) and a convex back surface (i.e., facing toward the emitter array) to form a lenticular lens, although it should be understood that other lens designs (e.g., a plano-convex lens or a meniscus lens) can be used in the imaging regions as needed for a given adaptive light source module.

[0057] The intermediate region of the lens can be positioned between the imaging region and the attachment region of the lens and generally does not image or otherwise direct light from the emitter array 602 onto a scene. For example, the intermediate region can block or otherwise prevent some light from the emitter array from reaching the transparent window. In FIG. 6A In the variant of the lens 604 in the transparent window 600, the intermediate region 610 is shaped as an annular body having a front surface, a back surface, and an inner sidewall 616 extending from the back surface of the imaging region 608 to the back surface of the intermediate region 610. In some cases, the front surface of the intermediate region 610 can be curved, which can or can not have the same radius of curvature as the front surface of the imaging region 608 (in embodiments in which the imaging region 608 includes a curved front surface).

[0058] In some cases, the inner sidewall 616 can be substantially vertically oriented (i.e., such that the acute angle between the inner sidewall 616 and the transparent window is at least 60 degrees), which in turn causes light reaching the inner sidewall 616 to refract away from the transparent window (it should also be understood that in some cases, the inner sidewall 616 can include an absorptive coating that can absorb light received by the inner sidewall 616). For example, in some cases, the inner sidewall 616 has a cylindrical shape (e.g., which can be oriented perpendicular to the transparent window), while in other cases, the inner sidewall 616 has a frustoconical shape (e.g., which can be oriented such that the axis of the cone is perpendicular to the transparent window, and the inner sidewall 616 narrows in a direction from the emitter array 602 to the transparent window). In some cases, the inner sidewall 616 can encircle a portion of the imaging region 608 (e.g., encircle the convex back surface of the imaging region 608, as shown in FIG. 6A), while in other cases, the inner sidewall 616 can encircle the entire imaging region 608 (e.g., as shown in FIG. 6B). FIG. 6A(As shown). Alternatively or alternatively, the inner sidewall 616 may surround at least a portion of the emitter array 602. In these variations, any light emitted (or reflected) from the emitter array 602 will initially interact with the imaging region 608 or the inner sidewall 616, thereby allowing the lens 604 to control all light from the emitter array 602.

[0059] Including optical sensors (e.g., FIG. 6A and FIG. 6B In a variant of the adaptive light source module of the sensor 614 shown, the intermediate region can be configured to guide light to the sensor 614. Specifically, in order to measure the characteristics of light present in the scene, the intermediate region can receive scene light through a transparent window and can focus or otherwise guide the light onto the sensor 614. The design of the intermediate region controls the spatial extent of the scene from which the sensor 614 can receive light. In other words, adjustments to the intermediate region can allow the sensor 614 to collect light from a larger portion of the scene, which allows the sensor 614 to better characterize the entire scene. For example, in some cases, the rear surface of the intermediate region 610 can extend beyond the top surface of the emitter array, which allows the rear surface of the intermediate region to be placed adjacent to the sensor 614. As such an example, FIG. 6A The inner sidewall 616 shown at least partially surrounds the emitter array 602 such that the rear surface of the intermediate region 610 extends past the top surface of the emitter array 602. In other words, the rear surface of the intermediate region 610 can be closer to the rear end of the adaptive light source module (e.g., closer to the substrate 613 supporting the sensor 614 and the emitter array 602) relative to the top surface of the emitter array 602.

[0060] Although FIG. 6A The central region 610 of the lens 604 shown is depicted as axially symmetrical (which may be advantageous for manufacturing), but it should be understood that in some cases, the central region 610 may not be axially symmetrical. For example, in FIG. 6B In the variant of lens 620 shown, the central region 624 is not radially symmetrical. In this particular example, the central region 624 includes a protrusion 628 extending away from the front surface of the central region. This protrusion 628 may be at least partially positioned above sensor 614 and may act as a light pipe to guide scene light to sensor 614.

[0061] In some variations of the adaptive light source module described herein, the adaptive light source includes a lens that forms part of the housing of the adaptive light source unit. For example, FIG. 9One such variation of adaptive light source module 900 is shown. As shown, light source unit 900 includes lens 902, bracket 904, substrate 906, emitter array 908. Lens 902, bracket 904, and substrate 906 can collectively form an enclosure of adaptive light source module 900.

[0062] In particular, substrate 906, which can be configured in any of the ways described above, can support emitter array 908 to hold emitter array 908 within the enclosure. In variations of adaptive light source module 900 that include a sensor, such as sensor 910, which can be configured in any of the ways described above, substrate 906 can further support sensor 910. Bracket 904 is a segment of the enclosure that holds lens 902 relative to substrate 906, which can set the relative positions between lens 902 and emitter array 908. Bracket 904 defines an opening extending therethrough to allow light emitted by emitter array 908 to reach lens 902. While bracket 904 and substrate 906 are shown as being formed from two separate components, it should be understood that in other cases, the two components can be formed as a single piece enclosure. In yet other variations, adaptive light source module 900 does not include bracket 904, and lens 902 is directly connected to substrate 906. FIG. 9 FIG. 9 In particular, substrate 906, which can be configured in any of the ways described above, can support emitter array 908 to hold emitter array 908 within the enclosure. In variations of adaptive light source module 900 that include a sensor, such as sensor 910, which can be configured in any of the ways described above, substrate 906 can further support sensor 910. Bracket 904 is a segment of the enclosure that holds lens 902 relative to substrate 906, which can set the relative positions between lens 902 and emitter array 908. Bracket 904 defines an opening extending therethrough to allow light emitted by emitter array 908 to reach lens 902. While bracket 904 and substrate 906 are shown as being formed from two separate components, it should be understood that in other cases, the two components can be formed as a single piece enclosure. In yet other variations, adaptive light source module 900 does not include bracket 904, and lens 902 is directly connected to substrate 906.

[0063] In some variations, an adhesive (not shown) can be used to connect lens 902 to bracket 904. Thus, it can be desirable for at least a portion of the bracket to be formed from an opaque material, which can limit the visibility of uneven adhesive application that might otherwise be visible from outside of an adaptive light source module having a fully transparent top cover. In some variations, at least a portion of bracket 904 can be formed from a transparent material. For example, a transparent portion of bracket 904 can be positioned at least partially over sensor 910. The transparent portion of bracket 904 can receive scene light via lens 902 and can act as a light pipe to direct such scene light to sensor 910.

[0064] As with the lenses of adaptive light source modules described above with respect to FIG. 6A and FIG. 6B Lens 902 includes an imaging region 912 that is configured to focus, collimate, or otherwise shape light emitted by emitter array 908, as discussed in more detail above. While lens 902 is shown as being formed from two separate components, it should be understood that in other cases, the two components can be formed as a single piece lens. FIG. 9 ​The lens 904 is shown as including a convex front surface (i.e., facing away from the emitter array and also forming an outer surface of the housing of the adaptive light source module 900) and a convex back surface (i.e., facing toward the emitter array) forming a lenticular lens, although it will be appreciated that other lens designs (e.g., a plano-convex lens or a meniscus lens) can be used in the imaging region as needed for a given adaptive light source module. The lens 904 also includes an attachment region 914 configured to connect the lens 902 to the rest of the housing. For example, in FIG. 9 In the variant shown, the bottom surface of the attachment region 914 is positioned to contact (either directly or indirectly via one or more intermediate components, such as a spacer) the top surface of the bracket 904. While not shown in FIG. 9 In the variant shown, the bottom surface of the attachment region 914 is positioned to contact (either directly or indirectly via one or more intermediate components, such as a spacer) the top surface of the bracket 904. While not shown in

[0065] The adaptive light source modules described herein can be used with a variety of different emitter array configurations. In particular, the relative size and positioning of individual emitters can be selected according to the intended use case and system constraints (e.g., available power, maximum light source module size). In some cases, it can be desirable to have an emitter array in which each emitter has the same size. For example, FIG. 7A An emitter array 700 is shown that includes a plurality of individual emitters 702 each having the same size. While shown in FIG. 7A as a 3x3 array in

[0066] In other variants, it can be desirable for some emitters in the array to be larger than others in the array. In some of these variants, a center emitter (or each emitter from a group of center emitters) can be larger than each of a plurality of peripheral emitters. For example, FIG. 7B One such variant of an emitter array 704 is shown. As shown, the emitter array 704 can be a 3x3 emitter array that includes a center emitter 706 and a plurality of peripheral emitters 708 (e.g., the remaining eight emitters of a 3x3 array) surrounding the center emitter 706. In this variant, the center emitter 706 can be larger than each of the peripheral emitters 708, such that the center emitter 706 is the largest emitter in the emitter array 704.

[0067] The emitter array 704 can be used in an adaptive light source module with a multi-camera system, such as the multi-camera system described above with respect to FIG. 1A to FIG. 1CThe multi-camera system 102 described herein finds particular utility when used in combination. For example, a central emitter 706 can be sized and positioned within an adaptive light source module such that when the central emitter 706 emits light, the light fills the field of view of one camera in the multi-camera system (e.g., the light can fill the field of view 116 of the third camera 108 of the multi-camera system 102). This allows a single emitter from the emitter array 704 (i.e., the central emitter 706) to be activated to fully illuminate this field of view. This helps to maximize the illumination available to this field of view, especially where there are limitations on how much system current can be used to drive a single emitter. It should be understood that when light is directed to a scene using emitters, the size and shape of the light arriving at the scene depend on at least the size and shape of the emitters, the design and relative position of the lenses, and the design and relative position of the transparent windows.

[0068] The central emitter 706 can be further sized and positioned within the adaptive light source module such that the light emitted from the central emitter 706 does not fill the field of view of one or more other cameras in the multi-camera system (e.g., the field of view 114 of the second camera 106 and the field of view 112 of the first camera 104 in the multi-camera system 102). In these cases, additional emitters from the emitter array (i.e., peripheral emitters 708) can be activated to assist in illuminating these fields of view. The above is in contrast to the following... FIG. 8A and FIG. 8B Describe such an example.

[0069] Although the transmitter array 704 is in FIG. 7B The array is shown as having a single central transmitter 706, but in other cases, the transmitter array may include a group of central transmitters, each of which is larger than a plurality of peripheral transmitters. For example, FIG. 7C An example of such a transmitter array 710 is shown. As shown, the transmitter array 710 may include a first group of central transmitters 712 and a second group of peripheral transmitters 708 surrounding the first group. Each central transmitter in the central transmitters 712 may be larger than each peripheral transmitter in the peripheral transmitters 708. The first group of central transmitters 712 may collectively emit light that fills the field of view of the cameras in the multi-camera system (e.g., the light may fill the field of view 116 of the third camera 108 of the multi-camera system 102). Although this may not produce the same effect as a single transmitter (e.g., light from a single transmitter) due to the gaps between the individual central transmitters 712. FIG. 7B The transmitter array 704 shown has the same total illumination as the central transmitter 706, but this allows for flexibility in adjusting the illumination within the field of view by selectively adjusting the illumination provided by the different individual transmitters from the first group of central transmitters 712. With FIG. 7BSimilar to the discussion, the peripheral transmitter 708 can be used to assist in illuminating the fields of view of other cameras in the multi-camera system (e.g., the field of view 114 of the second camera 106 and the field of view 112 of the first camera 104 in the multi-camera system 102).

[0070] Adaptive light source modules can be configured such that each transmitter in the transmitter array is individually addressable, allowing the light emitted by each transmitter to be controlled individually. In some cases, it may be desirable to control certain transmitters as a group. While this can be achieved at the expense of the flexibility to spatially change the illumination provided by the adaptive light source module, it simplifies driver design by reducing the number of control signals the driver needs to output.

[0071] For example, FIG. 8A and FIG. 8B An example of a transmitter array 800 is shown, in which some transmitters can be controlled as a group. As shown, transmitter array 800 may include a 3×3 transmitter array containing a central transmitter 802 and multiple peripheral transmitters (e.g., eight remaining transmitters) surrounding the central transmitter 802 (although the array may include any suitable number and arrangement of transmitters, as discussed above), similar to the above description relative to... FIG. 7B The transmitter array 704 is described. The peripheral transmitters can be divided into a first transmitter group 804 (e.g., multiple transmitters adjacent to the side of the central transmitter 802) and a second transmitter group 806 (e.g., multiple transmitters positioned at the corners of the transmitter array 800). The transmitters in the first transmitter group 804 can be controlled together (e.g., can receive the same current from a driver of an adaptive light source module), and the transmitters in the second transmitter group 806 can also be controlled together. Therefore, the transmitter array 800 can be controlled to emit light using three different control signals: one control signal for controlling the central transmitter 802, a second control signal for controlling the first transmitter group 804, and a third control signal for controlling the second transmitter group 806.

[0072] The array of emitters 800, when incorporated into an adaptive light source module, can be used to selectively illuminate different fields of view in a scene. This can be useful when using one or more cameras to capture images of these different fields of view. For example, a device can be configured to select a target field of view (e.g., which can be determined automatically by the device or set using user input). The device can then be configured to select a desired illumination profile based at least in part on the determined target field of view (and generally based at least in part on the scene content and conditions). The adaptive light source module can illuminate the scene according to the selected illumination profile, and one or more cameras can be used to capture one or more images during this illumination. These one or more images can be captured at a field of view that corresponds to the target field of view. For example, one camera of a multi-camera system can be selected to capture an image during this illumination, and the target field of view can be selected to match the field of view of the camera. In other cases, the camera can be directed to capture an image with a smaller field of view than the field of view of the camera (which can be accomplished by cropping the image captured by the camera), and the target field of view can be selected to match this smaller field of view.

[0073] When the target field of view changes, the selection of emitters to be activated (and the relative currents provided to the active emitters) can be changed to set a new illumination profile. For example, FIG. 8B A diagram is shown that depicts different modes of controlling the array of emitters 800 of an adaptive light source module when illuminating a field of view associated with the multi-camera system 102 described above with respect to FIG. 1A to FIG. 1C In one mode, the adaptive light source module is used to illuminate the third field of view 116 (i.e., the field of view of the third camera 108 of the multi-camera system 102, which in this case is the narrowest of the three fields of view). In the first mode, current is driven only to the center emitter 802 (which can be sized to fill the field of view 116, as discussed above with respect to FIG. 7B

[0074] When moving to a larger field of view, the adaptive light source module can operate in a second mode to illuminate the second field of view 114 (i.e., the field of view of the second camera 106 of the multi-camera system 102), which is larger than the third field of view 116. In this mode, each of the center emitter 802, the first emitter group 804, and the second emitter group 806 can be activated to at least partially fill the second field of view 114 (although it will be appreciated that a portion of this illumination can also extend beyond the second field of view 114). The relative amounts of current can be selected to achieve a predetermined illumination brightness and uniformity of the second field of view 114. For example, in this mode, each emitter of the first emitter group 804 can receive more current than the center emitter 802, which in turn can receive more current than each of the emitters of the second emitter group 806.

[0075] ​Finally, when moving to the widest field of view, the adaptive light source can operate in a third mode to illuminate a third field of view 112 (i.e., the field of view of the first camera 104 of the multi-camera system 102). As with the second mode, each of the center emitter 802, the first emitter group 804, and the second emitter group 806 can be activated to at least partially fill the second field of view, however the relative current applied to each group can achieve a different predetermined illumination brightness and uniformity selected for the first field of view 112. For example, in this mode, each emitter from both the first emitter group 804 and the second emitter group 806 can receive more current than the center emitter 802. However, it should be understood that within a mode, the relative current distribution between the center emitter 802, the first emitter group 804, and the second emitter group 806 can be adjusted to change the balance between brightness and uniformity for that mode.

[0076] In the adaptive light source modules described herein, each emitter or group of emitters is controlled to provide a corresponding target illumination intensity to a scene, which collectively controls the overall light intensity delivered to the scene. In implementation, there can be device-to-device variations, such as those caused by manufacturing tolerances, which can affect how a particular unit will illuminate a scene. For example, a slight misalignment between a lens and an emitter array of an adaptive light source module can change the uniformity of the illumination provided by the emitter array. Accordingly, the adaptive light source module can be calibrated so that each emitter or group of emitters has a corresponding set of drive settings. Each drive setting corresponds to a current level to be applied to the individual emitter or group of emitters in order to provide the target scene intensity.

[0077] When the adaptive light source module is used to provide a target scene illumination, the driver of the adaptive light source module can identify the target scene intensity to be provided by each emitter or group of emitters of the emitter array. The driver can then drive each emitter or group of emitters using the particular drive setting for the target scene intensity to set the corresponding drive current accordingly. Thus, although the drive settings (and corresponding drive currents) can vary from unit to unit, the adaptive light source module can provide consistent illumination across units.

[0078] The foregoing description, for purposes of explanation, used specific nomenclature to provide a thorough understanding of the described embodiments. However, it will be apparent to one skilled in the art that specific details are not required in order to practice the described embodiments. Thus, the foregoing descriptions are presented for purposes of illustration and description. They are not intended to be exhaustive or to limit the embodiments to the precise forms disclosed. Many modifications and variations are possible in view of the above teachings. The embodiments were chosen and described in order to best explain the principles of the embodiments and its practical applications. Thus, others skilled in the art will be able to understand the embodiments to the foregoing description with the attached figures and will realize the merits of the described embodiments; the present description is thus to be considered in all respects as illustrative and not restrictive.

Claims

1. A light source module, comprising: The housing includes a transparent window; A transmitter array, which is positioned and configured to emit light through the transparent window; and Lens, wherein: The lens is positioned between the transparent window and the transmitter array and includes an imaging region positioned above the transmitter array; The transparent window includes a prism surface having a plurality of concentric prisms positioned around a central point; Each of the plurality of concentric prisms has an inner surface facing the center point at a first angle and an outer surface facing away from the center point at a second angle. The first angle and the second angle of each of the plurality of concentric prisms are each less than 16 degrees.

2. The light source module according to claim 1, wherein the first angle and the second angle of each of the plurality of concentric prisms are respectively between 5 degrees and 12 degrees.

3. The light source module according to claim 1, wherein the housing comprises a substrate and a top cover, wherein the emitter array is supported by the substrate.

4. The light source module of claim 3, wherein the attachment region of the lens is configured and positioned within the housing such that the top cover contacts the top surface of the attachment region and the substrate contacts the bottom surface of the attachment region.

5. The light source module of claim 1, wherein the lens includes an attachment region connected to a portion of the housing and an intermediate region between the imaging region and the attachment region.

6. The light source module of claim 5, wherein the intermediate region is shaped as an annular body with an inner sidewall, and wherein the inner sidewall surrounds at least a portion of the imaging region.

7. The light source module according to claim 5, further comprising: A light sensor, wherein at least a portion of the intermediate region is positioned above the light sensor.

8. The light source module of claim 5, wherein the emitter array is supported by a substrate, and the rear surface of the intermediate region is closer to the substrate than the top surface of the emitter array.

9. A system comprising: The light source module includes: The housing includes a transparent window; A transmitter array, positioned and configured to emit light through the transparent window; and Lens, wherein the lens is positioned between the transparent window and the transmitter array, in: At least one central transmitter of the transmitter array is larger than at least one peripheral transmitter of the transmitter array; The transparent window includes a prism surface having a plurality of concentric prisms positioned around a central point; Each of the plurality of concentric prisms has an inner surface facing the center point at a first angle and an outer surface facing away from the center point at a second angle. The first angle and the second angle of each of the plurality of concentric prisms are each less than 16 degrees.

10. The system according to claim 9, further comprising: A first camera having a first field of view, wherein the light source module is configured such that light generated by the at least one central emitter fills the first field of view.

11. The system of claim 10, wherein the at least one central emitter includes a first central emitter, and wherein the light source module is further configured such that light emitted by the first central emitter fills the first field of view.

12. The system of claim 10, wherein the at least one central emitter comprises a plurality of central emitters, and wherein the light source module is further configured such that light emitted by the plurality of central emitters together fills the first field of view.

13. The system of claim 9, wherein the at least one central transmitter comprises a plurality of central transmitters, and the at least one peripheral transmitter comprises a plurality of peripheral transmitters surrounding the plurality of central transmitters.

Images