Camera apparatus

Abstract

A camera apparatus according to an embodiment of the present invention comprises: a light output unit that generates an output light signal and irradiates the output light signal on an object; an optical input unit that receives an input optical signal that is input after being reflected from an object; and a depth information generation unit that generates depth information of the object using the input optical signal input to the optical input unit. The light output unit includes: a light source that generates an output light signal; and a beam splitter that splits the output light signal generated by the light source into a first polarization component and a second polarization component that are different from each other, where the first polarization component and the second polarization component are irradiated on an object separately from each other.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present invention relates to a camera device. Background Art

[0002] Three-dimensional content is used in many fields such as games, culture, education, manufacturing, and autonomous driving, and depth information is required to obtain three-dimensional content. Depth information is information indicating distance in space, and indicates perspective information of another point relative to one point in a two-dimensional image. As a method of obtaining depth information, a method of projecting infrared (IR) structured light onto an object, a method using a stereo camera, or a time of flight (TOF) method is used.

[0003] In order to obtain depth information, the light output unit of the camera device generates an output light signal and irradiates the output light signal to the object, the light input unit of the camera device receives an input light signal reflected from the object, and the depth information generation unit of the camera device uses the input light signal input to the light input unit to generate depth information of the object.

[0004] At this time, the light output unit may irradiate the output light signal of a point-light pattern onto the object. Here, the point-light pattern may be in the shape of an array of light spots spaced a predetermined distance apart in a predetermined area. As the number of light spots per unit area increases, the measurement resolution may be improved, but as the distance between the light spots decreases, interference may occur between the light spots, thereby reducing the accuracy of the generated depth information. Summary of the invention

[0005] Technical issues

[0006] The present invention aims to provide a camera device capable of extracting depth information with high accuracy and resolution.

[0007] Technical Solution

[0008] A camera device according to an embodiment of the present invention includes: a light output unit, which is configured to generate an output light signal and irradiate the output light signal to an object; a light input unit, which is configured to receive an input light signal input after being reflected from the object; and a depth information generation unit, which is configured to generate depth information of the object using the input light signal input to the light input unit, wherein the light output unit includes: a light source, which is configured to generate an output light signal; and a beam splitter, which is configured to split the output light signal generated by the light source into a first polarization component and a second polarization component that are different from each other, and the first polarization component and the second polarization component are irradiated on the object distinguishably from each other.

[0009] The light output unit may include: a first phase delay element, which is configured to phase delay a first polarization component; and a second phase delay element, which is configured to phase delay a second polarization component, and the first polarization component phase-delayed by the first phase delay element and the second polarization component phase-delayed by the second phase delay element can be irradiated on the object separately from each other.

[0010] One of the first polarization component and the second polarization component can be a P polarization component, and the other can be an S polarization component. The first polarization component can be circularly polarized in a first direction by a first phase delay element, and the second polarization component can be circularly polarized in a second direction different from the first direction by a second phase delay element.

[0011] The first phase delay member and the second phase delay member may phase-delay the first polarization component and the second polarization component by 90 degrees, respectively.

[0012] The first polarization component may be irradiated on the object in the form of a first light spot array, the second polarization component may be irradiated on the object in the form of a second light spot array, and the first light spot array may be arranged between the first light spot array and the second light spot array and spaced apart from the second light spot array.

[0013] The first polarization component and the second polarization component may be simultaneously irradiated on the object.

[0014] At least one of the first polarization component and the second polarization component split by the beam splitter may be reflected by a mirror and then irradiated on the object.

[0015] The camera device may further include: a first optical element, which is arranged on a path where the first polarization component is irradiated to diffuse the first polarization component; and a second optical element, which is arranged on a path where the second polarization component is irradiated to diffuse the second polarization component, wherein at least one of the first optical element and the second optical element may be a diffractive optical element (DOE).

[0016] The light input unit can receive a first polarization component input after reflection from the object during a first time period, and receive a second polarization component input after reflection from the object during a second time period that does not overlap with the first time period, and the depth information generation unit can use the first polarization component and the second polarization component to generate depth information of the object.

[0017] The depth information generating unit may generate the depth information using at least one of a phase difference or a time difference between the output light signal and the input light signal.

[0018] The output light signal may be structured light having a predetermined pattern, and the depth information generating unit may generate depth information using disparity of the structured light.

[0019] A camera device according to another embodiment of the present invention includes: a light output unit, which is configured to irradiate a light signal having a predetermined pattern formed by multiple points on an object; a light input unit, which is configured to receive a light signal reflected from the object; and a depth information generation unit, which is configured to generate depth information of the object using a difference in the light signal received by the light input unit, wherein the light output unit includes: a first optical system; the first optical system is configured to irradiate a light signal of a first illumination field (field of illumination) on the object; and a second optical system, which is configured to irradiate a light signal of a second illumination field smaller than the first illumination field on the object, and the light input unit includes: a zoom optical system, which is driven at one of a first magnification and a second magnification higher than the first magnification; and an image sensor, when the first optical system is driven, the zoom optical system is driven, and when the second optical system is driven, the zoom optical system is driven at the second magnification.

[0020] The camera device may further include a control unit configured to control the light input unit and the depth information generation unit, wherein the first optical system may include a first light source and a first diffractive optical element (DOE) configured to diffuse the light output by the first light source with a first illumination field, and the second optical system may include a second light source and a second DOE configured to diffuse the light output by the second light source with a second illumination field.

[0021] The control unit may control the zoom optical system to be driven at a first magnification when the first light source is turned on, and may control the zoom optical system to be driven at a second magnification when the second light source is turned on.

[0022] The first light source and the second light source can output light having the same pattern, the light output by the first light source can be radiated by the first DOE at n*n times and illuminated on the object, and the light output by the second light source can be radiated by the second DOE at n*n times and illuminated on the object, where n can be an integer greater than 2.

[0023] The zoom optical system may include a zoom lens and an actuator configured to drive the zoom lens at one of a first magnification and a second magnification.

[0024] The camera apparatus may further include a control unit configured to control the light output unit, the light input unit, and the depth information generating unit, and the control unit may control one of the first optical system and the second optical system to be selectively driven.

[0025] The light output unit may irradiate a light signal of a first illumination field when the generated depth information is below a preset distance, and irradiate a light signal of a second illumination field when the generated depth information exceeds the preset distance.

[0026] According to another embodiment of the present invention, a method for generating depth information of a camera device includes: irradiating a light signal having a predetermined pattern formed by multiple points on an object; linking a light output unit with a light input unit; receiving a light signal reflected from the object through the light input unit; and generating depth information of the object using a difference in the light signal received by the light input unit, wherein the irradiation of the light signal includes irradiating one of a light signal of a first illumination field and a light signal of a second illumination field smaller than the first illumination field through the light output unit, and the linkage of the light output unit with the light input unit includes driving a zoom lens of the light input unit at a first magnification when the light output unit irradiates the light signal of the first illumination field on the object, and driving the zoom lens of the light input unit at a second magnification higher than the first magnification when the light output unit irradiates the light signal of the second illumination field on the object.

[0027] Illuminating the light signal on the object may include selectively irradiating, by the light output unit, the light signal of the first illumination field on the object or emitting the light signal of the second illumination field on the object according to the generated depth information.

[0028] Irradiating the light signal onto the object may include, when the generated depth information is below a preset distance, the light output unit irradiating the light signal of the first illumination field onto the object, and when the generated depth information exceeds the preset distance, the light output unit irradiating the light signal of the second illumination field onto the object.

[0029] Beneficial Effects

[0030] According to an embodiment of the present invention, a maximum number of light spots can be arranged per unit area, thereby extracting depth information with high resolution. In addition, according to an embodiment of the present invention, a maximum number of light spots can be arranged per unit area, and interference between light spots can be minimized, thereby extracting depth information with high precision. According to an embodiment of the present invention, a camera device that can be applied to extracting depth information at long and short distances can be obtained. According to an embodiment of the present invention, since a high-resolution image sensor is not used, the total power consumption and calculation amount of the camera device can be reduced. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0031] Figure 1is a block diagram of a camera apparatus according to an embodiment of the present invention.

[0032] Figure 2 is a schematic cross-sectional view of a camera apparatus according to an embodiment of the present invention.

[0033] Figure 3 is a view for describing an output light signal output by a camera apparatus according to an embodiment of the present invention.

[0034] Figure 4 A light output unit included in a camera device according to an embodiment of the present invention is shown.

[0035] Figure 5 A light spot image irradiated on a target surface by a light output unit according to an embodiment of the present invention is shown.

[0036] Figure 6 A light output unit included in a camera device according to an embodiment of the present invention is shown.

[0037] Figure 7 A light output unit included in a camera device according to an embodiment of the present invention is shown.

[0038] Figure 8 The principle of a phase delay member according to an embodiment of the present invention is shown.

[0039] Fig. 9 The operation of the light input unit of the camera device according to the embodiment of the present invention is described.

[0040] Fig.10 is a diagram for describing the effects of the embodiment according to the present invention.

[0041] Fig.11 is an example of an optical signal having a predetermined pattern.

[0042] Fig.12 It is a view for describing the principle of generating depth information using structured light.

[0043] Fig.13 A diagram for describing the change in disparity according to the distance difference between the reference distance and the object.

[0044] Fig.14 The difference in measurement performance according to the number of pixels of the image sensor is shown.

[0045] Fig.15 is a block diagram of a camera apparatus according to an embodiment of the present invention.

[0046] Fig.16 is a conceptual diagram of a camera device according to an embodiment of the present invention.

[0047] Fig.17 is a block diagram of a zoom optical system according to an embodiment of the present invention.

[0048] Fig.18 is a flowchart illustrating a method of generating depth information by a camera device according to an embodiment of the present invention.

[0049] Fig.19 It is shown in Fig.18 A flowchart of an operation of linking a light output unit and a light input unit by a control unit in a method for generating depth information.

[0050] Fig. 20 is a flowchart illustrating a control method of a camera device according to an embodiment of the present invention.

[0051] Fig.21 An example is shown in which the difference measurement performance is improved when the light input unit includes a zoom lens according to an embodiment of the present invention. DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0052] Hereinafter, exemplary embodiments according to the present invention will be described in detail with reference to the accompanying drawings.

[0053] However, the technical spirit of the present invention is not limited to a part of the described embodiments, but can be implemented in various different forms, and one or more components of these embodiments can be used by selective combination or substitution without departing from the scope of the technical spirit of the present invention.

[0054] In addition, unless otherwise clearly and specifically defined and described, the terms (including technical terms and scientific terms) used in the embodiments of the present invention may be interpreted as meanings that can be generally understood by ordinary technicians in the field to which the present invention belongs, and the meanings of commonly used terms (such as terms defined in dictionaries) may be interpreted in consideration of the contextual meanings of the relevant technology.

[0055] Furthermore, the terms used in the embodiments of the present invention are for describing the embodiments and are not intended to limit the present invention.

[0056] In this specification, unless otherwise specified in a phrase, a singular form may include a plural form, and when described as "at least one (or more than one) of A, B and C", it may include more than one combination of all possible combinations of A, B and C.

[0057] In addition, terms such as first, second, A, B, (a), and (b) may be used to describe components of embodiments of the present invention.

[0058] These terms are only for distinguishing one component from another component, and the nature, order or sequence, etc. of the corresponding components are not limited by these terms.

[0059] Furthermore, when a first component is described as being “connected,” “coupled” or “joined” to a second component, it may include not only a case where the first component is directly “connected,” “coupled” or “joined” to the second component, but also a case where the first component is “connected,” “coupled” or “joined” to the second component via other components existing between the first and second components.

[0060] Furthermore, when a certain component is described as being formed or disposed “on (above)” or “under (below)” another component, the term “on (above)” or “under (below)” may include not only a case where the two components are in direct contact with each other but also a case where one or more other components are formed or disposed between the two components. Furthermore, when described as “on (above)” or “under (below)”, it may include not only a meaning based on an upward direction of one component but also a meaning based on a downward direction of one component.

[0061] The camera device according to an embodiment of the present invention may be a camera that uses a time-of-flight (TOF) function or a structured light method to extract depth information. Therefore, the camera device may be used interchangeably with a depth information extraction device, a three-dimensional information extraction device, etc., and when a TOF function is used, it may be used interchangeably with a TOF camera device, a TOF camera, etc.

[0062] Figure 1 is a block diagram of a camera device according to an embodiment of the present invention, Figure 2 is a schematic cross-sectional view of a camera apparatus according to an embodiment of the present invention. Figure 3 is a view for describing an output light signal output by a camera apparatus according to an embodiment of the present invention.

[0063] Reference Figure 1 and Figure 2 , a camera device 1 according to an embodiment of the present invention includes a light output unit 10 , a light input unit 20 , a depth information generating unit 30 , and a control unit 40 .

[0064] The light output unit 10 generates an output light signal and then irradiates the output light signal on the object. At this time, the light output unit 10 can generate and output the output light signal in the form of a pulse wave or a continuous wave. The continuous wave can be in the form of a sine wave or a square wave. By generating the output light signal in the form of a pulse wave or a continuous wave, the camera device 1 can detect the time difference or phase difference between the output light signal output from the light output unit 10 and the input light signal reflected from the object and then input to the light input unit 20. In this specification, the output light may be the light output from the light output unit 10 and incident on the object, and the input light may be the light output from the light output unit 10, reaching the object, then reflected from the object and input to the light input unit 20. Based on the object, the output light may be the incident light, and the input light may be the reflected light.

[0065] Reference Figure 3 (a), the light output unit 10 may generate light pulses at a fixed period. The light output unit 10 may generate light pulses at a predetermined pulse repetition period t 调制 Generate a pulse with a predetermined width t 脉冲 of light pulses.

[0066] Reference Figure 3 (b), a predetermined number of light pulses generated by the light output unit 10 may be grouped to generate a phase pulse. The light output unit 10 may generate a predetermined phase pulse period t 相位 and the predetermined phase pulse width t 暴露 The phase pulse width can be referred to as t 照明 or 整合 Here, a phase pulse cycle t 相位 can correspond to a subframe. A subframe can be called a phase frame. A predetermined number of phase pulse cycles can be grouped. Four phase pulse cycles t 相位 The grouping method can be called the 4-phase method. 相位 The grouping method may be referred to as an 8-phase method.

[0067] Reference Figure 3 (c), a predetermined number of phase pulses generated by the light output unit 10 may be grouped to generate one frame pulse. The light output unit 10 may generate a predetermined frame pulse period t 帧 and the predetermined frame pulse width t 相位组(子帧组) Here, a frame pulse period t 帧 Therefore, when shooting an object at 10 FPS, the frame pulse cycle t can be repeated 10 times per second. 帧In the 4-phase method, one frame may include 4 subframes. That is, one frame may be generated by 4 subframes. In the 8-phase method, one frame may include 8 subframes. That is, one frame may be generated by 8 subframes.

[0068] In the above description, the terms: light pulse, phase pulse, and frame pulse are used, but the present invention is not limited thereto.

[0069] Return to reference Figure 1 and Figure 2 , the light output unit 10 may include a light source 100 and a lens assembly 110 .

[0070] First, the light source 100 generates light. The light generated by the light source 100 may be infrared light with a wavelength in the range of 770nm to 3000nm, or may be visible light with a wavelength in the range of 380nm to 770nm. The light source 100 may use a light emitting diode (LED), and has a form in which a plurality of light emitting diodes are arranged in a regular pattern. In addition, the light source 100 may include an organic light emitting diode (OLED) or a laser diode (LD). Alternatively, the light source 100 may be a vertical cavity surface emitting laser (VCSEL). VCSEL is one of the laser diodes used to convert electrical signals into optical signals, and may output a wavelength in the range of about 800nm ​​to 1000nm, for example, a wavelength of about 850nm or about 940nm. The light source 100 repeatedly flashes (on / off) at fixed time intervals to generate an output optical signal in the form of a pulse wave or a continuous wave. The fixed time interval may be the frequency of the output optical signal.

[0071] The lens assembly 110 may collect light output from the light source 100 and output the collected light to the outside. The lens assembly 110 may be arranged to be spaced apart from the light source 100 above the light source 100. Here, "above the light source 100" may be a side where light is output from the light source 100. The lens assembly 110 may include at least one lens. When the lens assembly 110 includes a plurality of lenses, each lens may be aligned relative to a central axis to form an optical system. Here, the central axis may be the same as the optical axis of the optical system.

[0072] The lens assembly 110 may be accommodated in or supported by the housing 120. According to one embodiment, the housing 120 may be coupled to a driving module (not shown), and the lens assembly 110 may be moved in the optical axis direction or in a direction perpendicular to the optical axis by the driving module (not shown).

[0073] On the other hand, the light input unit 20 receives light reflected from an object. To this end, the light input unit 20 may include a lens assembly 130 for collecting input light reflected from an object, an optical filter (not shown), and an image sensor 140 for converting the input light passing through the lens assembly 130 into an electrical signal, and the lens assembly 130, the optical filter (not shown), and the image sensor 140 may be accommodated in a housing 150 or supported by the housing 150. The housing 120 located on the light output unit 10 side and the housing 150 located on the light input unit 20 side are shown as being spaced apart from each other, but are not limited thereto, and the housing 120 located on the light output unit 10 side and the housing 150 located on the light input unit 20 side may be an integrated housing.

[0074] The optical axis of the lens assembly 130 may be aligned with the optical axis of the image sensor 140. An optical filter (not shown) may be provided between the lens assembly 130 and the image sensor 140 to filter light having a predetermined wavelength range. For example, the optical filter (not shown) may allow light of a wavelength band of the output light output by the light output unit 10 to pass.

[0075] The image sensor 140 may receive an input light signal in synchronization with a flashing cycle of the light source 100. Specifically, the image sensor 140 may receive light in phase and out of phase with an output light signal output from the light source 100. That is, the image sensor 140 may repeatedly perform an operation of receiving an input light signal when the light source is turned on and an operation of receiving an input light signal when the light source is turned off. The image sensor 140 may use a plurality of reference signals having different phase differences to generate an electrical signal corresponding to each reference signal. The frequency of the reference signal may be set to be the same as the frequency of the output light signal output from the light source 100. Therefore, when the light source 100 generates an output light signal at a plurality of frequencies, the image sensor 140 generates an electrical signal using a plurality of reference signals corresponding to each frequency. The electrical signal may include information about the amount of charge or voltage corresponding to each reference signal.

[0076] The number of reference signals according to an embodiment of the present invention may be four (C 1 To C 4 , not shown). These reference signals (C 1 To C 4 Each of the four reference signals (C 1 ) may have the same phase as the output light signal. The phase of the input light signal is delayed by as much as the distance the output light signal is reflected after being incident on the object. The image sensor 140 mixes the input light signal with each reference signal. Then, the image sensor 140 may generate an electrical signal for each reference signal.

[0077] The image sensor 140 may have a structure in which a plurality of pixels are arranged in a grid form. The image sensor 140 may be a complementary metal oxide semiconductor (CMOS) image sensor or a charge coupled device (CCD) image sensor. In addition, the image sensor 140 may include a TOF sensor for receiving IR light reflected from an object and measuring the distance using a time difference or a phase difference. For example, each pixel may include an in-phase receiving unit and an out-of-phase receiving unit, the in-phase receiving unit being used to receive an input light signal at the same phase as the waveform of the output light, and the out-of-phase receiving unit being used to receive an input light signal at a phase opposite to the phase of the waveform of the output light. When the in-phase receiving unit and the out-of-phase receiving unit are activated with different time differences, a difference is generated in the amount of light received by the in-phase receiving unit and the out-of-phase receiving unit according to the distance from the object, and the above difference can be used to calculate the distance from the object.

[0078] The light input unit 20 may be disposed in parallel with the light output unit 10. The light input unit 20 may be disposed close to the light output unit 10. The light input unit 20 may be disposed in the same direction as the light output unit 10.

[0079] The depth information generating unit 30 may generate depth information of the object using the input light signal input to the light input unit 20. For example, the depth information generating unit 30 may calculate the depth information of the object using the flight time required for the output light signal output from the light output unit 10 to be reflected from the object and then input to the light input unit 20. For example, the depth information generating unit 30 calculates the phase difference between the output light signal and the input light signal using the electrical signal received from the image sensor 140, and calculates the distance between the object and the camera device 1 using the calculated phase difference.

[0080] Specifically, the depth information generating unit 30 may calculate a phase difference between an output optical signal and an input optical signal using charge amount information of the electric signal.

[0081] As described above, for each frequency of the output optical signal, four electrical signals may be generated. Therefore, the depth information generating unit 30 may use the following formula 1 to calculate the phase difference t between the output optical signal and the input optical signal: d .

[0082] [Formula 1]

[0083]

[0084] Here, Q 1 To Q4 Indicates the charge of the four electrical signals. 1 Q represents the charge amount of the electrical signal corresponding to the reference signal having the same phase as the output optical signal. 2 Q represents the charge amount of the electric signal corresponding to the reference signal having a phase 180 degrees later than the output optical signal. 3 Q represents the charge amount of the electric signal corresponding to the reference signal having a phase 90 degrees later than the output optical signal. 4 Indicates the charge amount of the electric signal corresponding to the reference signal having a phase delay of 270 degrees compared with the output optical signal.

[0085] Then, the depth information generating unit 30 may calculate the distance between the object and the camera device 1 using the phase difference between the output light signal and the input light signal. At this time, the depth information generating unit 30 may calculate the distance d between the object and the camera device 1 using Equation 2 below.

[0086] [Formula 2]

[0087]

[0088] Here, c represents the speed of light, and f represents the frequency of output light.

[0089] The control unit 40 controls the operation of the light output unit 10, the light input unit 20, and the depth information generation unit 30. The depth information generation unit 30 and the control unit 40 may be implemented in the form of a printed circuit board (PCB) 50. In addition, the depth information generation unit 30 and the control unit 40 may be implemented in the form of different configurations. Alternatively, the control unit 40 may be included in a terminal provided with the camera device 1 according to an embodiment of the present invention. For example, the control unit 40 may be implemented in the form of an application processor (AP) of a smartphone provided with the camera device 1 according to an embodiment of the present invention.

[0090] According to an embodiment of the present invention, the light output unit outputs an output light signal having separated polarization components, thereby maximizing the number of light spots per unit area irradiated on an object (that is, a target surface) and minimizing interference between the light spots.

[0091] Figure 4 shows a light output unit included in a camera device according to an embodiment of the present invention, Figure 5 FIG. 1 shows a light spot image irradiated on a target surface by a light output unit according to an embodiment of the present invention. Here, the content of the light output unit may refer to Figures 1 to 3 All or part of the light output unit described in the description will be omitted. Figures 1 to 3 Duplicate description of the same content.

[0092] Reference Figure 4 , the light output unit 400 includes a light source 410 , a collimating lens 420 and a beam splitter 430 .

[0093] Here, the light source 410 generates light. The light generated by the light source 410 may be infrared light having a wavelength in the range of 770nm to 3000nm. For example, the light source 410 may use an LED, and have a plurality of LEDs arranged in a regular pattern. In addition, the light source 410 may include an OLED or a LD. Alternatively, the light source 410 may be an edge emitting laser (Edge Emitting Laser, EEL). Alternatively, the light source 410 may be a VCSEL. VCSEL is one of the laser diodes for converting electrical signals into optical signals, and may output a wavelength in the range of about 800nm ​​to 1000nm, for example, a wavelength of about 850nm or about 940nm.

[0094] Here, the light source 410 may output a point lighting pattern. For example, when the light source 410 is a VCSEL, the light source 410 may easily control the spot size, position, density, and amount of light in the point lighting pattern. The point lighting pattern is a light spot array shape spaced a predetermined distance from each other in a predetermined area, and may be used interchangeably with a light spot lighting pattern, a point light source pattern, and the like. Here, the point lighting pattern may be a pattern in which light is locally concentrated in space, that is, a pattern in which light is not continuously dispersed in space but is locally concentrated. In the case of a point lighting pattern, since the light is locally concentrated, the amount of light in each light spot is large. Therefore, there is an advantage in that depth information with high precision can be obtained even if the distance to the object is far.

[0095] The collimating lens 420 is disposed on the light source 410 and aligns the light generated by the light source 410 and then output. The collimating lens 420 may be disposed on a path of the light output by the light source 410 and may be Figures 1 to 3 A portion of the lens assembly 110 of the light output unit 10 described in FIG.

[0096] The beam splitter 430 splits the light output by the light source 410 and then collimated by the collimating lens 420 into a first polarization component and a second polarization component. Here, one of the first polarization component and the second polarization component may be a P polarization component, and the other may be an S polarization component. The beam splitter 430 may use a birefringent crystal to split the light into a P polarization component and an S polarization component. The P polarization component and the S polarization component may be linear polarizations perpendicular to each other.

[0097] According to an embodiment of the present invention, the first polarization component and the second polarization component split by the beam splitter 430 are irradiated on the object (that is, the target surface) distinguished from each other.

[0098] To this end, the light output unit 400 may further include a mirror 440 .

[0099] At least one of the optical paths of the first polarization component and the second polarization component split by the beam splitter 430 may be reflected by the mirror 440 and then irradiated toward the object (that is, the target surface). Figure 4 The case is shown in which after the light is split into the first polarization component and the second polarization component by the beam splitter 430, one of the first polarization component and the second polarization component proceeds toward the object, and the other is reflected by the mirror and then proceeds toward the object, but the present invention is not limited thereto. The number and position of the mirrors can be modified in various ways according to the positions of the light source 410 and the beam splitter 430, etc.

[0100] Reference Figure 5 , the first polarization component (e.g., P polarization) and the second polarization component (e.g., S polarization) can be irradiated on the object at the same time. That is, the first polarization component can be irradiated on the object in the form of a first light spot array, and the second polarization component can be irradiated on the object in the form of a second light spot array. Figure 5 As shown in (c), Figure 5 (a) a first light spot array for a first polarization component (eg, P polarization) and Figure 5 The second light spot array for the second polarization component (eg, S polarization) of (b) can be irradiated on the object in a distinguishable manner. Figure 5 As shown in (c), the first polarization component and the second polarization component may be irradiated on the object simultaneously. Here, "simultaneous irradiation" may mean that the first polarization component and the second polarization component reach the object at the same time. Alternatively, "simultaneous irradiation" may mean that at least a portion of the time period during which the first polarization component and the second polarization component are irradiated on the object overlaps. For example, the first polarization component may reach the object faster than the second polarization component, and the second polarization component may reach the object at the same time as the first polarization component is irradiated on the object, or the second polarization component may reach the object faster than the first polarization component, and the second polarization component may reach the object at the same time as the first polarization component is irradiated on the object. Refer to Figure 5(c), the first light spot array for the first polarization component and the second light spot array for the second polarization component can be arranged on the same target surface at a predetermined interval. That is, the first light spot array for the first polarization component can be arranged to be spaced apart from the second light spot array between the first light spot array for the first polarization component and the second light spot array for the second polarization component. In addition, the second light spot array for the second polarization component can be arranged to be spaced apart from the first light spot array between the second light spot array for the second polarization component and the first light spot array for the first polarization component. Therefore, the number of spots per unit area (that is, the spot density) can be maximized, thereby improving the resolution of depth information extraction. In addition, referring to Figure 5 (c), since the boundary between the first spot array for the first polarization component and the second spot array for the second polarization component are clearly distinguished from each other, the interference between different polarization components can be minimized, thereby improving the accuracy of depth information extraction.

[0101] According to an embodiment of the present invention, the first light spot array for the first polarization component and the second light spot array for the second polarization component may be aligned using a mirror 440. That is, the light output unit 400 may be pre-aligned using the mirror 440 so that the first light spot array for the first polarization component and the second light spot array for the second polarization component are spaced apart from each other by a predetermined distance. That is, the light output unit 400 may be pre-calibrated or aligned using the mirror 440 so that the first light spot array for the first polarization component does not overlap with but is close to the second light spot array for the second polarization component.

[0102] Figure 6 FIG. 1 shows a light output unit included in a camera device according to an embodiment of the present invention. Figures 1 to 5 Duplicate description of the same content.

[0103] Reference Figure 6 , the light output unit 400 includes a light source 410 , a collimating lens 420 , a beam splitter 430 , a mirror 440 , a first optical element 450 , and a second optical element 460 .

[0104] Since the description of the light source 410, the collimating lens 420, the beam splitter 430 and the mirror 440 is the same as Figure 4 and Figure 5 The light source, collimating lens, beam splitter and mirror described in are the same, so for the sake of ease of description, repeated descriptions will be omitted.

[0105] According to an embodiment of the present invention, the first optical element 450 is disposed on a path on which the first polarization component separated by the beam splitter 430 is irradiated to diffuse the first polarization component. In addition, the second optical element 460 is disposed on a path on which the second polarization component separated by the beam splitter 430 is irradiated to diffuse the second polarization component. For example, the first optical element 450 may be a diffractive optical element (DOE) for radiating and outputting a light spot array n times of the first polarization component, and the second optical element 460 may be a DOE for radiating and outputting a light spot array n times of the second polarization component.

[0106] The first optical element 450 and the second optical element 460 are shown as separate components from each other, but are not limited thereto. That is, one optical element may be disposed on a path where the first polarization component is irradiated and a path where the second polarization component is irradiated, and may diffuse the first polarization component and the second polarization component at the same time.

[0107] When the camera device according to an embodiment of the present invention further includes the first optical element 450 and the second optical element 460, the density of the light spot irradiated on the object can be increased without increasing the power consumption of the light source, thereby improving the resolution of depth information extraction.

[0108] Figure 7 shows a light output unit included in a camera device according to an embodiment of the present invention, Figure 8 The principle of the phase delay component according to the embodiment of the present invention is shown. Figures 1 to 6 Duplicate description of the same content.

[0109] Reference Figure 7 , the light output unit 400 includes a light source 410 , a collimating lens 420 , a beam splitter 430 , a mirror 440 , a first optical element 450 , a second optical element 460 , a first phase delay member 470 , and a second phase delay member 480 .

[0110] Since the description of the light source 410, the collimating lens 420, the beam splitter 430, the mirror 440, the first optical element 450 and the second optical element 460 is the same as Figures 4 to 6 The contents described in are the same, so for the sake of convenience, the repeated description will be omitted.

[0111] According to an embodiment of the present invention, the first phase delay member 470 can phase-delay the first polarization component, the second phase delay member 480 can phase-delay the second polarization component, and the first polarization component phase-delayed by the first phase delay member 470 and the second polarization component phase-delayed by the second phase delay member 480 can be irradiated on the object distinguishably from each other. The first phase delay member 470 and the second phase delay member 480 are shown as being respectively disposed between the beam splitter 430 and the first optical element 450 and between the beam splitter 430 and the second optical element 460, but are not limited thereto.

[0112] Depending on the surface material of the object, the polarization direction of the light reflected from the object may be different from the polarization direction of the light incident on the object. Therefore, the light of the first polarization component may have some characteristics of the second polarization component after being reflected from the object, and the light of the second polarization component may have some characteristics of the first polarization component after being reflected from the object. Therefore, the reliability of the input light signal reflected from the object and then input to the light input unit may be reduced. According to an embodiment of the present invention, the first polarization signal and the second polarization signal are phase-delayed by the first phase delay member 470 and the second phase delay member 480, respectively, so that the first polarization signal and the second polarization signal can be more clearly distinguished from each other.

[0113] The polarization of light is the sum of the vector direction of the electric field and the vector direction of the magnetic field. The phase difference (that is, the vector direction) between the electric field and the magnetic field can be changed by phase delay, thereby changing the polarization characteristics. Figure 8 (a), when the orthogonal Ex and Ey propagate in the same direction and have the same phase, Ex and Ey are linearly polarized light; refer to Figure 8 (b), when Ex and Ey, which are orthogonal to each other, propagate in the same direction and have a phase difference of 90 degrees, Ex and Ey are circularly polarized light; and Figure 8 (c) , when Ex and Ey, which are orthogonal to each other, propagate in the same direction and have a random phase difference, Ex and Ey are elliptically polarized lights.

[0114] For example, when light that has passed through the X-direction vertical polarization filter (hereinafter, referred to as X polarization) passes through a 1 / 4 phase delay element having a phase difference of 90 degrees, the light is clockwise circularly polarized light, and when the clockwise circularly polarized light passes through the 1 / 4 phase delay element again, the light is Y polarized light. On the other hand, when the Y polarized light passes through the 1 / 4 phase delay element, the Y polarized light is counterclockwise circularly polarized light, and when the counterclockwise circularly polarized light passes through the 1 / 4 phase delay element again, the light is X polarized light.

[0115] Using this principle, according to an embodiment of the present invention, when one of the first polarization component and the second polarization component is a P polarization component and the other is an S polarization component, the first polarization component can be circularly polarized in a first direction by the first phase delay member 470, and the second polarization component can be circularly polarized in a second direction different from the first direction by the second phase delay member 480. The first direction can be clockwise, and the second direction can be counterclockwise. For example, the first polarization component can be a clockwise circularly polarized component, and the second polarization component perpendicular to the first polarization component can be a counterclockwise circularly polarized component.

[0116] In this way, when the first polarization component is reflected from an object after being circularly polarized in a first direction and the second polarization component is reflected from an object after being circularly polarized in a second direction, the interference between the first polarization component and the second polarization component after reflection can be reduced, thereby improving the reliability of depth information extraction.

[0117] To this end, the first phase delay member 470 and the second phase delay member 480 can each be a 1 / 4 phase delay plate, and can phase-delay the first polarization component and the second polarization component by 90 degrees. When the first phase delay member 470 and the second phase delay member 480 are each a 1 / 4 phase delay plate, the first polarization component incident on the first phase delay member 470 can be circularly polarized in a first direction (e.g., clockwise), and the second polarization component incident on the second phase delay member 480 and perpendicular to the first polarization component can be circularly polarized in a second direction (e.g., counterclockwise).

[0118] Fig. 9 The operation of the light input unit of the camera device according to the embodiment of the present invention is described.

[0119] Reference Fig. 9 , the light input unit 20 can receive a first polarization component input after reflection from an object in a first time period T1, and receive a second polarization component input after reflection from an object in a second time period T2 that does not overlap with the first time period T1. The depth information generation unit 30 can generate depth information of the object in combination with the first polarization component and the second polarization component. That is, the depth information generation unit 30 can receive different polarization components in different time zones and classify these polarization components into different components. In addition, by generating the depth information of the object in combination with the first polarization component and the second polarization component received in different time zones, the accuracy of depth information extraction can be improved.

[0120] Here, the units of the first time period T1 and the second time period T2 may be frames. For example, the light input unit 20 may receive the first polarization component in odd frames and the second polarization component in even frames. To this end, the light input unit 20 may include a first polarization filter (not shown) for selectively passing the first polarization component and a second polarization filter (not shown) for selectively passing the second polarization component, and the first polarization filter and the second polarization filter may be driven in sequence in synchronization with the first time period T1 and the second time period T2. Therefore, since the light input unit can receive the first polarization component and the second polarization component separately, the interference between the first polarization component and the second polarization component in the light input unit can be reduced, and the accuracy of depth information extraction can be improved.

[0121] Fig.10 is a diagram for describing the effects of the embodiment according to the present invention.

[0122] Fig.10 (a) is a diagram obtained by simulating pixel data according to the number of pixels in a comparative example in which an output light signal is output without being divided into a first polarization component and a second polarization component. Fig.10 (b) is a diagram obtained by simulating pixel data according to the number of pixels in an embodiment of the present invention when the output light signal is divided into the first polarization component and the second polarization component. Here, the number of pixels may refer to the position of the light spot, and the pixel data may refer to the brightness of the light spot.

[0123] Reference Fig.10 (a), since the difference between the peak and valley values ​​of the pixel data is not large, interference may occur between adjacent light spots, thereby reducing the accuracy of depth information extraction.

[0124] In contrast, reference Fig.10 In (b), it can be seen that the peak and valley values ​​of the pixel data of the first polarization component are obviously different, and the peak and valley values ​​of the pixel data of the second polarization component are obviously different. Therefore, since the distinction between the light spots in the light spot array becomes clear, the interference between the light spots can be minimized and the accuracy of depth information extraction can be improved.

[0125] Although the above mainly describes a camera device that uses the TOF method to extract depth information, the embodiments of the present invention are not limited thereto. The camera device according to the embodiments of the present invention may be a camera device that uses the structured light method to extract depth information.

[0126] According to the structured light method, the distance is calculated by irradiating IR structured light of a predetermined pattern different from the surrounding light on the object and receiving the light signal reflected from the object to analyze the distortion. Compared with other methods, the method of projecting IR structured light onto the object has relatively high accuracy at a short distance, but as the distance increases, the accuracy decreases significantly, so there is a limitation of a short travel distance.

[0127] Return to reference Figure 1 and Figure 2 , the light output unit 10 generates an output light signal, and then irradiates the output light signal on the object. Figure 1 and Figure 2 Duplicate description of the same content as described in .

[0128] In this case, the light output unit 10 may output a light signal having a predetermined pattern. Fig.11 is an example of an optical signal having a predetermined pattern. Fig.11 , a light signal with a predetermined pattern may be composed of multiple points and may be referred to as structured light. Here, the predetermined pattern may be a unique pattern and may be generated by a pre-designed algorithm. The light signal with a predetermined pattern may be an IR light signal. As described above, the light output unit 10 may include a light source 100 and a lens assembly 110. When the light source 100 includes a VCSEL, one VCSEL may have multiple emitters, for example, hundreds of emitters, and a pattern formed by dots is output by each emitter. That is, structured light with a predetermined pattern may be output by hundreds of emitters. The light source 100 may flash repeatedly (on / off) at a prescribed time interval, and the prescribed time interval may be the frequency of the output light signal.

[0129] The image sensor 140 may receive an input light signal according to a blinking cycle of the light source 100. The image sensor 140 may have a structure in which a plurality of pixels are arranged in a grid form. The image sensor 140 may be a CMOS image sensor or a CCD image sensor.

[0130] The light input unit 20 may be disposed in parallel with the light output unit 10. The light input unit 20 may be disposed close to the light output unit 10. The light input unit 20 may be disposed in the same direction as the light output unit 10.

[0131] The depth information generating unit 30 may generate depth information of the object using the input light signal input to the light input unit 20. According to an embodiment of the present invention, the depth information generating unit 30 may generate depth information of the object using a difference in the light signal.

[0132] Fig.12is a view for describing the principle of generating depth information using structured light. As described above, in this specification, structured light is a light signal having a predetermined pattern formed by a plurality of points. Fig.12 , the distance between the camera device 1 and the object (object distance, h') may vary according to the difference Δx of the points forming the structured light. That is, according to the structured light method, depth information may be extracted according to the degree of the difference caused by the distance change. Therefore, the accuracy of the difference may affect the accuracy of the depth information.

[0133] More specifically, using structured light to extract depth information can follow the following formula.

[0134] [Formula 3]

[0135] b:Δx=h:(h′-h)

[0136] [Formula 4]

[0137]

[0138] [Formula 5]

[0139]

[0140] Here, h represents the reference distance, h' represents the target distance, b represents the length of the base line, and Δx represents the difference.

[0141] Referring to equations 3 to 5, it can be seen that the length b of the baseline affects the difference. The smaller the field of view (FOV) and the larger the baseline, the greater the difference per unit length of the object distance h'. When the size of the object is less than half the size of the baseline, the points in the predetermined pattern may surpass the adjacent points due to the difference, and the difference may decrease as the object distance increases. Therefore, in order to accurately calculate the depth information, it is necessary to extract the difference based on the center of the point.

[0142] The performance of extracting depth information according to the structured light method may vary depending on the measurement accuracy level of the center of the point and the measurement resolution of the difference.

[0143] Fig.13 It is a diagram for describing the difference change according to the distance difference between the reference distance and the object. Here, as an example, the reference distance is set to 300 nm.

[0144] Reference Fig.13, it can be seen that as the object distance increases, the rate of change of the difference decreases. For example, it can be seen that when the object distance is below 900mm, the slope of the graph (that is, the change in the difference relative to the change in distance) is large, but when the object distance exceeds 900mm, the slope of the graph becomes significantly smaller. In particular, it can be seen that as the object distance increases, the slope of the graph becomes smaller.

[0145] Therefore, it can be seen that as the distance difference between the reference distance and the object increases, the accuracy of the difference measurement decreases.

[0146] To solve this problem, the number of pixels of the image sensor can be increased.

[0147] Fig.14 The difference in measurement performance according to the number of pixels of the image sensor is shown.

[0148] Reference Fig.14 , Fig.14 (a) and Fig.14 (b) shows the pixel values ​​in an image sensor with a pixel number of 9*9. Fig.14 (c) and Fig.14 (d) each shows the Fig.14 (a) and Fig.14 (b) The pixel values ​​of the same object using an image sensor with a pixel number of 3*3.

[0149] It can be seen that: refer to Fig.14 (a) and Fig.14 (b) When using a high-resolution image sensor with 9*9 pixels, Fig.14 (a) and Fig.14 The value of (b) is different, but refer to Fig.14 (c) and Fig.14 (d) When using a low-resolution image sensor with a pixel count of 3*3, Fig.14 (c) and Fig.14 The value of (d) is indistinguishable.

[0150] However, when a high-resolution image sensor is used, there are problems in that the total power consumption and the amount of calculation of the camera device increase, and the cost of the camera device significantly increases.

[0151] Embodiments of the present invention are directed to improving the measurement accuracy of disparity at long distances without using a high-resolution image sensor.

[0152] Fig.15 is a block diagram of a camera device according to an embodiment of the present invention, Fig.16 is a conceptual diagram of a camera device according to an embodiment of the present invention.

[0153] Reference Fig.15 and Fig.16 The camera device 700 according to the embodiment of the present invention includes a light output unit 710, a light input unit 720, a depth information generation unit 730 and a control unit 740. The light output unit 710, the light input unit 720, the depth information generation unit 730 and the control unit 740 are respectively connected to the reference Figure 1 and Figure 2 Components corresponding to the light output unit 10, the light input unit 20, the depth information generating unit 30, and the control unit 40 described above, and for the sake of convenience of description, the components corresponding to the reference numerals will be omitted. Figure 1 and Figure 2 The same contents as those described for the camera device 1 are repeated.

[0154] The light output unit 710 generates an output light signal and then irradiates the output light signal on the object. In this case, the light output unit 710 may output a light signal having a predetermined pattern.

[0155] According to an embodiment of the present invention, the light output unit 710 includes: a first optical system 712, which is used to irradiate a light signal of a first illumination field (FOI) onto an object; and a second optical system 714, which is used to irradiate a light signal of a second FOI smaller than the FOI onto the object.

[0156] More specifically, if Fig.16 As shown, when the first optical system 712 of the light output unit 710 is driven, the first optical system 712 irradiates a light signal of a first FOI on the object, and the light signal of the first FOI has a predetermined pattern formed by a plurality of points. In addition, when the second optical system 714 of the light output unit 710 is driven, the second optical system 714 irradiates a light signal of a second FOI smaller than the first FOI on the object, and the light signal of the second FOI has a predetermined pattern formed by a plurality of points.

[0157] Therefore, when the first optical system 712 and the second optical system 714 output light signals having the same pattern, for the same distance, the point density of the light signal output through the first optical system 712 may be lower than the point density of the light signal output through the second optical system 714. That is, when the first optical system 712 and the second optical system 714 output light signals having the same pattern, for the same point density, the distance reached by the light signal output through the second optical system 714 may be longer than the distance reached by the light signal output through the first optical system 712. Here, the point density may be the number of points per unit area.

[0158] Therefore, the first optical system 712 that irradiates the light signal of the first FOI onto the object can be used to generate depth information at a short distance, and the second optical system 714 that irradiates the light signal of the second FOI smaller than the first FOI onto the object can be used to generate depth information at a distance longer than the distance measured by the first optical system 712. For example, the first optical system 712 can be used to generate depth information when the object distance is 900 mm or less, and the second optical system 714 can be used to generate depth information when the object distance exceeds 900 mm.

[0159] To this end, the first optical system 712 may include a first light source 800 and a first DOE 802, the first DOE 802 being used to diffuse the light output by the first light source 800 to the first FOI, and the second optical system 714 may include a second light source 810 and a second DOE 812, the second DOE 812 being used to diffuse the light output by the second light source 810 to the second FOI. In this case, the first light source 800 and the second light source 810 may output light having the same pattern, the light output by the first light source 800 may be irradiated by the first DOE 802 at n*n times and irradiated on the object, and the light output by the second light source 810 may be irradiated by the second DOE 812 at n*n times and irradiated on the object. In this case, n may be an integer greater than 2. To this end, the first DOE 802 and the second DOE 812 may be designed to have the same shape, and may be designed so that the angle at which the light passing through the first DOE 802 is spread out is greater than the angle at which the light passing through the second DOE 812 is spread out.

[0160] Therefore, the pattern shape of the light signal irradiated on the object through the first optical system 712 may be the same as the pattern shape of the light signal irradiated on the object through the second optical system 714. When the pattern shape of the light signal irradiated on the object through the first optical system 712 is the same as the pattern shape of the light signal irradiated on the object through the second optical system 714, the depth information generating unit 730 may apply the same calculation to the light signal input after being irradiated on the object through the first optical system 712 and the light signal input after being irradiated on the object through the second optical system 714, thereby reducing the calculation complexity of the depth information generating unit 730.

[0161] On the other hand, according to an embodiment of the present invention, the first optical system 712 may further include a first collimating lens 804, and the second optical system 714 may further include a second collimating lens 814. The collimating lens is a lens for focusing light output from a light source.

[0162] The first collimating lens 804 may be disposed between the first light source 800 and the first DOE 802 to collect light outputted by the first light source 800 to the first DOE 802. The second collimating lens 814 may be disposed between the second light source 810 and the second DOE 812 to collect light outputted by the second light source 810 to the second DOE 812.

[0163] Here, although it is described that the first optical system 712 includes the first light source 800 and the second optical system 714 includes the second light source 810, the embodiments of the present invention are not limited thereto. Although not shown, the first optical system 712 and the second optical system 714 may include a common light source, and the light output from the light source may be aligned to travel to the first DOE 802, or aligned to travel to the second DOE 812, by aligning or moving the first collimating lens 804 and the second collimating lens 814.

[0164] The first DOE 802, the first collimating lens 804, the second DOE 812 and the second collimating lens 814 described herein may be reference Figure 1 and Figure 2 A portion of the lens assembly 110 of the light output unit 10 is depicted.

[0165] According to an embodiment of the present invention, the light input unit 720 includes a zoom optical system 722 and an image sensor 724 driven at a first magnification or a second magnification higher than the first magnification. Figure 8 , an IR bandpass filter 726 for passing IR light may be further provided between the zoom optical system 722 and the image sensor 724 .

[0166] Fig.17 is a block diagram of a zoom optical system according to an embodiment of the present invention. Fig.17 , the zoom optical system 722 may include a zoom lens 900 and an actuator 902 for driving the zoom lens 900 at a first magnification or a second magnification higher than the first magnification. The zoom lens 900 may include more than one lens and may be moved by the actuator 902. The zoom lens 900 may include a plurality of lenses, some of which may be fixed lens groups, and the other lenses may be moving lens groups. The gap between the zoom lens 900 and the image sensor 724 is changed by the movement of the zoom lens 900 to adjust the magnification.

[0167] For example, the first magnification may be 1x, and the second magnification may be 3x, but the present invention is not limited thereto, and the second magnification may be at least one of 2x, 3x, 4x, 5x, 6x, and 7x. Alternatively, the zoom optical system 722 may be a continuous zoom optical system that can be adjusted to any value from 1x magnification to 7x magnification. Alternatively, the zoom optical system 722 may include a folded lens. Therefore, the volume of the zoom optical system 722 in the light input unit 720 can be minimized.

[0168] In this way, when the light input unit 720 includes the zoom optical system 722, the light signal received by the light input unit 720 can be amplified. Therefore, since the multiple points forming the light signal and the distances between the points can be amplified, the position and difference of the center of the point can be measured more accurately.

[0169] According to an embodiment of the present invention, the control unit 740 enables the light output unit 710 to operate in conjunction with the light input unit 720 .

[0170] As described above, the second optical system 714 having a narrower FOI than the first optical system 712 can be used to generate depth information at a distance longer than the measurement distance of the first optical system 712. Fig.13 As described, as the distance between objects increases, the rate of change of the difference decreases, and as described in reference Fig.14 As described, the number of pixels of the image sensor can be increased to address this problem, thereby increasing the power consumption, computational complexity and cost of the camera device.

[0171] However, according to an embodiment of the present invention, when the control unit 740 links the light output unit 710 with the light input unit 720, a camera device capable of generating accurate depth information at both short and medium distances can be obtained without increasing the number of pixels of the image sensor.

[0172] That is, according to an embodiment of the present invention, when the first optical system 712 of the light output unit 710 is driven, the control unit 740 controls the zoom optical system 722 to be driven at a first magnification, and when the second optical system 714 of the light output unit 710 is driven, the control unit 740 controls the zoom optical system 722 to be driven at a second magnification higher than the first magnification. For example, when the first light source 800 of the first optical system 712 is turned on, the control unit 740 may control the zoom optical system 722 to be driven at the first magnification, and when the second light source 810 of the second optical system 714 is turned on, the control unit 740 may control the zoom optical system 722 to be driven at the second magnification. In this way, when the zoom optical system 722 is driven at the second magnification when the second optical system 714 is driven, the points of the light signal input to the light input unit 720 and the distances between the points are enlarged compared to when the zoom optical system 722 is driven at the first magnification, thereby accurately measuring the center and difference of the points.

[0173] According to an embodiment of the present invention, the control unit 740 may control one of the first optical system 712 and the second optical system 714 to be selectively driven. For example, the control unit 740 may control the first optical system 712 to be driven, and in conjunction with this, control the zoom optical system 722 to be driven at a first magnification. Alternatively, the control unit 740 may control the second optical system 714 to be driven, and in conjunction with this, control the zoom optical system 722 to be driven at a second magnification.

[0174] According to an embodiment of the present invention, the first optical system 712 may be set to be driven preferentially by initial setting, and the control unit 740 may control so that the drive is changed from the first optical system 712 to the second optical system 714. Alternatively, the second optical system 714 may be set to be driven preferentially by initial setting, and the control unit 740 may control so that the drive is changed from the second optical system 714 to the first optical system 712. Here, the control unit 740 may control the change drive by information input via the user interface or information input from an external device. Alternatively, the control unit 740 may control the change drive by the depth information generated by the depth information generating unit 730.

[0175] Hereinafter, a method of generating depth information of a camera device according to an embodiment of the present invention will be described in more detail.

[0176] Fig.18 is a flowchart illustrating a method for generating depth information of a camera device according to an embodiment of the present invention, Fig.19 It is shown in Fig.18A flowchart of an operation of linking a light output unit and a light input unit by a control unit in a method for generating depth information.

[0177] Reference Fig.18 , the light output unit 710 emits a light signal having a predetermined pattern formed by a plurality of dots (S1000). Here, the light output unit 710 emits a light signal of a first FOI to the object, or emits a light signal of a second FOI smaller than the first FOI to the object.

[0178] Next, the control unit 740 causes the light output unit 710 to operate in conjunction with the light input unit 720 (S1010). Fig.19 , when the light output unit 710 transmits a light signal of a first FOI to an object (S1100), the control unit 740 controls the zoom lens of the light input unit 720 to be driven at a first magnification (S1110). When the light output unit 710 does not transmit a light signal of the first FOI to an object but transmits a light signal of a second FOI to an object (S1120), the control unit 740 controls the zoom lens of the light input unit 720 to be driven at a second magnification higher than the first magnification (S1130).

[0179] Next, return to the reference Fig.18 , the light input unit 720 receives a light signal input after being reflected from an object (S1020), and the depth information generating unit 730 generates depth information of the object using a difference in the light signal input to the light input unit 720 (S1030).

[0180] On the other hand, according to an embodiment of the present invention, the control unit 740 may selectively control the light output unit 710 to transmit a light signal of a first FOI to the object, or to transmit a light signal of a second FOI smaller than the first FOI to the object. For example, the control unit 740 may selectively control the light output unit 710 to transmit a light signal of a first FOI to the object or to transmit a light signal of a second FOI to the object based on information input through a user interface or information input from an external device. Alternatively, the control unit 740 may selectively control the light output unit 710 to transmit a light signal of a first FOI to the object, or to transmit a light signal of a second FOI to the object based on depth information generated by the operation (S1030) of generating depth information of the object.

[0181] Fig. 20 is a flowchart illustrating a control method of a camera device according to an embodiment of the present invention.

[0182] Reference Fig. 20, the light output unit 710 emits a light signal of a first FOI to the object (S1200), the light input unit 720 receives the light signal at a first magnification (S1210), and the depth information generating unit 730 generates depth information using the received light signal (S1220).

[0183] In this case, when the generated depth information is below the preset distance (S1230), the control unit 740 can control the light output unit 710 to transmit a light signal of the first FOI to the object (S1200), control the light input unit 720 to receive the light signal at the first magnification (S1210), and control the depth information generation unit 730 to generate depth information using the received light signal (S1220). Here, the preset distance is the object distance, for example, it can be 900mm.

[0184] In contrast, when the generated depth information exceeds a preset distance, the control unit 740 can control the light output unit 710 to emit a light signal of a second FOI to the object (S1240), control the light input unit 720 to receive the light signal at a second magnification (S1250), and control the depth information generation unit 730 to use the received light signal to generate depth information (S1220).

[0185] Therefore, when the first optical system 712 of the light output unit 710 is initially set to be driven and an object exists at a distance above a medium distance (for example, more than 900 mm), the FOI of the light output unit 710 and the magnification of the light input unit 720 can be adaptively adjusted.

[0186] Furthermore, when an object exists at a short distance (eg, below 900 mm) in a state where the second optical system 714 of the light output unit 710 is driven, the FOI of the light output unit 710 and the magnification of the light input unit 720 may be adaptively adjusted for the short distance.

[0187] Therefore, since automatic switching from the short distance mode to the long distance mode or from the long distance mode to the short distance mode can be performed without separate user setting, depth information for moving an object can be accurately and quickly extracted.

[0188] Fig.21 An example is shown in which the difference measurement performance is improved when the light input unit includes a zoom lens according to an embodiment of the present invention.

[0189] Fig.21 (a) is an image of the image sensor when the light input unit does not include a zoom lens, Fig.21 (b) is an image of the image sensor when the light input unit includes a zoom lens according to an embodiment of the present invention.

[0190] Reference Fig.21 In (a), since some points overlap with each other, it can be seen that it is difficult to accurately calculate the center and difference of the points.

[0191] On the other hand, refer to Fig.21 (b), when the image is magnified 5 times using a zoom lens, the center and difference of the points can be calculated more accurately.

[0192] Therefore, according to an embodiment of the present invention, the problem of reduced sensitivity to disparity at a long distance can be solved, and depth information can be generated at short distances and medium and long distances using a structured light type camera device.

[0193] Although the present specification mainly describes an example in which the zoom optical system is driven at a first magnification or a second magnification higher than the first magnification, the present invention is not limited thereto. The zoom optical system may be driven at two or more magnifications. For example, the zoom optical system may be driven at a first magnification, a second magnification higher than the first magnification, or a third magnification higher than the second magnification. Alternatively, the zoom optical system may be a continuous zoom optical system in which the magnification continuously changes.

[0194] The camera device according to an embodiment of the present invention may be a camera device installed on a vehicle for measuring the distance between the vehicle and an object, but is not limited thereto. For example, the camera device according to an embodiment of the present invention may be a Light Detection And Ranging (LiDAR) camera.

[0195] Although the above mainly describes the embodiments, these embodiments are only illustrative and do not limit the present invention. It is known to those skilled in the art that various modifications and applications not exemplified above can be made without departing from the essential characteristics of these embodiments. For example, each component specifically shown in the embodiment can be implemented by modification. In addition, the differences related to these modifications and applications should be understood to be included in the scope of the present invention defined in the appended claims.

[0196] [Explanation of Reference Numerals]

[0197] 1.700: Camera equipment

[0198] 10.710: Light output unit

[0199] 20, 720: Optical input unit

[0200] 30, 730: Depth information generating unit 40, 740: Control unit

[0201] 100: Light source

[0202] 400: Light output unit

[0203] 410: Light Source

[0204] 420: Collimating lens

[0205] 430: Beam splitter

[0206] 440: Mirror

[0207] 712: First optical system

[0208] 714: Second optical system

[0209] 722: Zoom optical system

[0210] 724: Image Sensor

[0211] 726: IR bandpass filter

[0212] 800: First Light Source

[0213] 802: First diffractive optical element

[0214] 804: First collimating lens

[0215] 810: Second light source

[0216] 812: Second diffractive optical element

[0217] 814: Second collimating lens

Claims

1. A camera device, include: a light output unit configured to generate an output light signal and irradiate the output light signal toward a subject; a light input unit configured to receive an input light signal input after being reflected by the object; as well as a depth information generating unit configured to generate depth information of the object using the input light signal input to the light input unit, Wherein, the light output unit comprises: a light source configured to generate the output light signal; and a beam splitter configured to split the output optical signal generated by the light source into a first polarization component and a second polarization component different from each other, and The first polarization component and the second polarization component are irradiated on the object distinguishably from each other.

2. The camera device according to claim 1, in, The light output unit comprises: a first phase delay element configured to phase-delay the first polarization component; and a second phase delay element configured to phase-delay the second polarization component, and The first polarization component phase-delayed by the first phase delay member and the second polarization component phase-delayed by the second phase delay member are irradiated on the object distinguishably from each other.

3. The camera device according to claim 2, in, One of the first polarization component and the second polarization component is a P polarization component, and the other is an S polarization component, and The first polarization component is circularly polarized in a first direction by the first phase delay member, and the second polarization component is circularly polarized in a second direction different from the first direction by the second phase delay member.

4. The camera device according to claim 1, in, The first polarization component is irradiated onto the object in the form of a first light spot array, the second polarization component is irradiated onto the object in the form of a second light spot array, and The first light spot array is disposed between the first light spot array and the second light spot array and is spaced apart from the second light spot array.

5. The camera device according to claim 1, in, The first polarization component and the second polarization component are simultaneously irradiated on the object.

6. The camera device according to claim 1, in, At least one of the first polarization component and the second polarization component split by the beam splitter is reflected by a mirror and then irradiated on the object.

7. The camera device according to claim 1, further comprising: include: a first optical element disposed on a path where the first polarization component is irradiated to diffuse the first polarization component; and a second optical element disposed on a path on which the second polarization component is irradiated to diffuse the second polarization component, Wherein, at least one of the first optical element and the second optical element is a diffractive optical element, namely, DOE.

8. The camera device according to claim 1, in, The light input unit receives the first polarization component input after being reflected by the object in a first time period, and receives the second polarization component input after being reflected by the object in a second time period not overlapping with the first time period, and The depth information generating unit generates depth information of the object using the first polarization component and the second polarization component.

9. The camera device according to claim 1, in, The depth information generating unit generates depth information using at least one of a phase difference or a time difference between the output light signal and the input light signal.

10. The camera device according to claim 1, in, The output light signal is structured light having a predetermined pattern, and the depth information generating unit generates the depth information using a difference in the structured light.

Images