Adaptive illumination method and imaging system for active and distance imaging

Abstract

The invention discloses a self-adaptive lighting method and imaging system for active and distance imaging, and the method comprises the steps: generating a non-uniform light pulse sequence with a self-adaptive power time sequence according to a preset strategy, and enabling the non-uniform light pulse sequence to comprise a plurality of non-uniform light pulses; each non-uniform light pulse has first peak power at the beginning and at least one second peak power at the end, and the first peak power is greater than the second peak power; wherein the non-uniform light pulse sequence may be synchronized with the modulation clock of the TOF pixel array, generating the desired 3D depth data from the camera in a non-standard operating method. According to the scheme, the imaging quality of the active and range imaging system can be improved.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The embodiments of the present application relate to the field of imaging technology, and in particular to an adaptive lighting method and imaging system for active and range imaging. Background Art

[0002] With the continuous development of science and technology, 3D imaging technology is being used more and more widely in various fields. As one of the important technologies, the Time of Flight (TOF) 3D imaging system has attracted wide attention due to its high precision and high speed. Its core is to determine the distance of an object by measuring the time it takes for a light pulse to be emitted and reflected back to the receiver.

[0003] However, traditional TOF imaging systems often face problems such as unstable illumination power and imaging quality being affected by ambient light. Summary of the invention

[0004] The embodiments of the present application provide an adaptive lighting method and imaging system for active and range imaging, which can improve the imaging quality of the active and range imaging system.

[0005] In a first aspect, the present application provides an adaptive lighting method for active and range imaging, comprising:

[0006] generating a non-uniform optical pulse sequence with adaptive power timing according to a preset strategy, wherein the non-uniform optical pulse sequence includes a plurality of non-uniform optical pulses;

[0007] Each of the non-uniform light pulses has a first peak power at the beginning and at least a second peak power at the end, and the first peak power is greater than the second peak power;

[0008] The non-uniform light pulse sequence is synchronized with a modulation clock of a TOF pixel array to generate the required 3D depth data from the camera in non-standard operation.

[0009] In the adaptive illumination method for active and range imaging provided in the embodiment of the present application, the imaging system works as an active 2D IR or 2D NIR camera system without generating the 3D depth data.

[0010] In the adaptive lighting method for active and range imaging provided in the embodiment of the present application, the generating of a non-uniform light pulse sequence with an adaptive power timing according to a preset strategy includes:

[0011] A non-uniform optical pulse train with adaptive power timing is generated using a first driving circuit and a light source.

[0012] In the adaptive lighting method for active and range imaging provided in the embodiment of the present application, the generating of a non-uniform light pulse sequence with an adaptive power timing according to a preset strategy includes:

[0013] A plurality of second driving circuits and a plurality of light sources are used to generate a non-uniform light pulse train with adaptive power timing.

[0014] In the adaptive illumination method for active and range imaging provided in the embodiments of the present application, a non-uniform light pulse sequence with adaptive power timing is generated with an adjustable power level and time width or duty cycle.

[0015] In a second aspect, an embodiment of the present application provides an imaging system, including:

[0016] A generating unit, the generating unit is used to generate a non-uniform light pulse sequence with adaptive power timing according to a preset strategy, the non-uniform light pulse sequence comprising a plurality of non-uniform light pulses; wherein each of the non-uniform light pulses has a first peak power at the beginning and at least a second peak power at the end, and the first peak power is greater than the second peak power; wherein the non-uniform light pulse sequence is synchronized with a modulation clock of a TOF pixel array to generate required 3D depth data from a camera in non-standard operation.

[0017] In the imaging system provided in the embodiment of the present application, the imaging system works as an active 2D IR or 2D NIR camera system without generating the 3D depth data.

[0018] In the imaging system provided in the embodiment of the present application, the generating unit is used to generate a non-uniform light pulse sequence with adaptive power timing using a first driving circuit and a light source.

[0019] In the imaging system provided in the embodiment of the present application, the generating unit is used to generate a non-uniform light pulse sequence with adaptive power timing using a plurality of second driving circuits and a plurality of light sources.

[0020] In the imaging system provided in the embodiment of the present application, a non-uniform optical pulse sequence with adaptive power timing is generated with an adjustable power level and time width or duty cycle.

[0021] In summary, the adaptive illumination method for active and range imaging provided by the embodiment of the present application includes generating a non-uniform light pulse sequence with adaptive power timing according to a preset strategy, wherein the non-uniform light pulse sequence includes a plurality of non-uniform light pulses; wherein each of the non-uniform light pulses has a first peak power at the beginning and at least a second peak power at the end, and the first peak power is greater than the second peak power; wherein the non-uniform light pulse sequence is synchronized with the modulation clock of the TOF pixel array to generate the required 3D depth data from the camera in non-standard operation. This scheme generates non-uniform light pulses with a higher peak power at the beginning and reduced to a smaller peak power at the end, so that the average illumination power remains unchanged, but the signal-to-noise ratio of near and far objects is improved, thereby improving the imaging quality of active and range imaging systems. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0022] In order to more clearly illustrate the technical solutions in the embodiments of the present application, the drawings required for use in the description of the embodiments will be briefly introduced below. Obviously, the drawings described below are only some embodiments of the present application. For those skilled in the art, other drawings can be obtained based on these drawings without creative work.

[0023] Figure 1 It is a schematic diagram of the flow of an adaptive lighting method for active and range imaging provided in an embodiment of the present application.

[0024] Figure 2 is a comparison chart of the two-level adaptive lighting power pulse and the standard uniform active lighting power pulse.

[0025] Figure 3 It is a two-level adaptive active lighting power pulse diagram produced by two different light sources and driving circuits.

[0026] Figure 4 is a timing diagram of a typical three-chip pulsed iTOF camera imaging system using an adaptive illumination approach.

[0027] Figure 5 It is a functional relationship diagram of depth and distance and a functional relationship diagram of signal-to-noise ratio and distance when the pulse iTOF camera adopts uniform illumination method and two-level adaptive illumination method.

[0028] Figure 6 is a comparison chart of the three-level adaptive lighting power pulse and the standard uniform active lighting power pulse.

[0029] Figure 7 It is a schematic diagram of the structure of the imaging system provided in an embodiment of the present application.

[0030] Figure 8It is a flowchart of another adaptive lighting method for active and range imaging provided in an embodiment of the present application.

[0031] Fig. 9 It is a schematic diagram of the structure of another imaging system provided in an embodiment of the present application.

[0032] Fig.10 is a timing diagram of subframe 1 and subframe 2 when the adaptive lighting method is adopted. DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0033] Exemplary embodiments will be described in detail herein, examples of which are shown in the accompanying drawings. When the following description refers to the drawings, the same numbers in different drawings represent the same or similar elements unless otherwise indicated. The implementations described in the following exemplary embodiments do not represent all implementations consistent with the present application. Instead, they are merely examples of devices and methods consistent with some aspects of the present application as detailed in the appended claims.

[0034] It should be noted that, in this article, the terms "include", "comprises" or any other variants thereof are intended to cover non-exclusive inclusion, so that a process, method, article or device including a series of elements includes not only those elements, but also includes other elements not explicitly listed, or also includes elements inherent to such process, method, article or device. In the absence of further restrictions, an element defined by the sentence "includes a ..." does not exclude the existence of other identical elements in the process, method, article or device including the element. In addition, components, features, and elements with the same name in different embodiments of the present application may have the same meaning or different meanings, and their specific meanings need to be determined by their explanation in the specific embodiment or further combined with the context of the specific embodiment.

[0035] It should be understood that the specific embodiments described herein are only used to explain the present application and are not used to limit the present application.

[0036] In the subsequent description, the suffixes such as "module", "component" or "unit" used to represent elements are only used to facilitate the description of the present application, and have no specific meanings. Therefore, "module", "component" or "unit" can be used in a mixed manner.

[0037] In the description of the present application, it should be noted that the terms "upper", "lower", "left", "right", "inner", "outer", etc., indicating the orientation or positional relationship, are based on the orientation or positional relationship shown in the drawings, and are only for the convenience of describing the present application and simplifying the description, rather than indicating or implying that the device or element referred to must have a specific orientation, be constructed and operated in a specific orientation, and therefore cannot be understood as limiting the present application. In addition, the terms "first", "second", and "third" are used for descriptive purposes only, and cannot be understood as indicating or implying relative importance.

[0038] The embodiment of the present application provides an adaptive lighting method and imaging system for active and range imaging. The technical solution shown in the present application will be described in detail through specific embodiments. It should be noted that the description order of the following embodiments is not intended to limit the priority order of the embodiments.

[0039] See also Figure 1 , Figure 1 : is a schematic diagram of a process flow of an adaptive lighting method for active and range imaging provided by an embodiment of the present application. The specific process flow of the adaptive lighting method for active and range imaging may be as follows:

[0040] 101. Generate a non-uniform light pulse sequence with adaptive power timing according to a preset strategy, the non-uniform light pulse sequence comprising a plurality of non-uniform light pulses; wherein each non-uniform light pulse has a first peak power at the beginning and at least one second peak power at the end, and the first peak power is greater than the second peak power; wherein the non-uniform light pulse sequence is synchronized with a modulation clock of a TOF pixel array to generate required 3D depth data from a camera in a non-standard operation.

[0041] It is understandable that TOF technology is a commonly used 3D imaging technology that obtains the depth information of an object by measuring the time required for light pulses to be emitted and received. When the non-uniform light pulse sequence is synchronized with the modulation clock of the TOF pixel array, it can ensure that the light pulses are emitted and received at the best time, thereby generating the required 3D depth data from the camera.

[0042] In practical applications, this non-uniform optical pulse sequence with adaptive power timing has broad application prospects. For example, in the field of autonomous driving, by accurately measuring the 3D depth information of objects on the road, the safety and driving efficiency of the vehicle can be improved. In the medical field, this technology can be used to achieve high-precision 3D medical imaging, providing doctors with more accurate diagnosis basis. In addition, in the fields of robot vision, virtual reality, etc., this technology also has broad application potential.

[0043] With the continuous advancement of science and technology, the performance of imaging systems is also continuously improving. Among the many factors that affect imaging quality, the distribution and control of illumination power is particularly important. The embodiment of the present application achieves optimal distribution of illumination power by generating a special non-uniform light pulse, thereby effectively improving the imaging quality of the imaging system.

[0044] The characteristic of this non-uniform light pulse is that it has a higher peak power at the beginning and gradually decreases to a smaller peak power at the end. The purpose of this design is to make full use of the high peak power at the beginning of the light pulse to achieve sufficient illumination of nearby objects. In this way, a higher signal-to-noise ratio can be obtained during the imaging process of nearby objects, making the image details clearer and the edges sharper.

[0045] In addition, each non-uniform light pulse has a first peak power at the beginning and at least one second peak power at the end, which means that the non-uniform light pulse can have multiple peak powers. For example, when the number of second peak powers of the non-uniform light pulse is three, the non-uniform light pulse has four peak powers. The peak power of the non-uniform light pulse gradually decreases from the first peak power to the first second peak power, then from the first second peak power to the second second peak power, and then from the second second peak power to the third second peak power.

[0046] It should be noted that the non-uniform optical pulse sequence with adaptive power timing is generated with adjustable power level and time width or duty cycle. Therefore, the peak power can be adjusted according to the application of the camera. In addition, the time width of the peak is also adjustable.

[0047] As the light pulse ends, the peak power decreases, but this does not mean that the lighting effect is weakened. On the contrary, this design cleverly utilizes the tail of the light pulse so that distant objects can also be adequately illuminated. Since distant objects have relatively low light requirements, even if the peak power decreases at the tail of the light pulse, it is sufficient to meet the lighting needs of distant objects. In this way, the imaging quality of distant objects is also improved, and the signal-to-noise ratio is improved.

[0048] like Figure 2 or Figure 6 As shown, Figure 2 4 is a comparison diagram of a two-level adaptive lighting power pulse (having a first power peak and a second power peak) and a standard uniform active lighting power pulse. Figure 6 : is a comparison diagram of a three-level adaptive lighting power pulse (with one first power peak and two second power peaks) and a standard uniform active lighting power pulse. Figure 6In the above table, LP emitted is the emitted light pulse, LP reflected is the reflected light pulse, Ambient.Light is the ambient light, and Slightly more

[0049] (1.866x) illumination power refers to the illumination power that is slightly higher (1.866 times). The ratio of the three peak powers that has the compensation inverse square law is: (1 2 ,2 2 ,3 2 ). The solid line is the adaptive illumination power pulse, and the dotted line is the standard uniform active illumination power pulse. The design of the non-uniform light pulse can keep the average illumination power unchanged. This means that compared with the traditional uniform light pulse, the embodiment of the present application can achieve the improvement of imaging quality without increasing the total illumination power. That is, the embodiment of the present application can bring significant benefits to the energy efficiency improvement and cost control of the imaging system.

[0050] In addition, the application of the non-uniform light pulse also improves the dynamic range of the imaging system. In traditional imaging systems, in order to obtain higher imaging quality, it is often necessary to use a very long integration time, or to use shorter light pulses and higher modulation frequencies. However, these methods often lead to an increase in system complexity and may even introduce additional noise. The embodiment of the present application, through the design of non-uniform light pulses, improves the dynamic range of the imaging system without increasing the complexity of the system, thereby achieving higher imaging quality.

[0051] It should be noted that the imaging system provided in the embodiment of the present application can not only generate accurate 3D depth data, but also work as an active 2D IR (infrared) or 2D NIR (near infrared) camera system to capture images of infrared or near infrared light without generating such data, so that the imaging system has a wide range of application prospects in many fields.

[0052] In some embodiments, a first driving circuit and a light source can be used to generate a non-uniform light pulse sequence with an adaptive power timing. The key to this method lies in the design of the first driving circuit. The first driving circuit needs to have high precision, high stability and fast response capabilities, and can generate a non-uniform light pulse sequence with an adaptive power timing by accurately controlling the waveform and timing of the current or voltage. At the same time, the selection of the light source is also very important, and it needs to have the characteristics of high sensitivity and fast response so that it can accurately respond to the control signal of the driving circuit.

[0053] In another embodiment, multiple second drive circuits and multiple light sources can be used to generate a non-uniform light pulse sequence with adaptive power timing. This method can control multiple light sources simultaneously to generate a more complex light pulse sequence. Each second drive circuit can independently control a light source, and by accurately synchronizing the working timing of each second drive circuit, a light pulse sequence with a specific timing and power distribution can be generated. This method requires a high degree of coordination and stability between the various components to ensure the accuracy of the generated light pulse sequence. For example, Figure 3 and Figure 4 As shown, Figure 3 A two-level adaptive active lighting power pulse diagram produced by using two different light sources and driving circuits. Figure 4 The timing diagram of a typical three-chip pulse iTOF camera imaging system using an adaptive illumination method. Figure 4 In the equation, LP emitted is the emitted light pulse, and LP reflected is the reflected light pulse. st Cycle is the first cycle, N st Cycle is the Nth cycle, Integration time is the integration time, Readout Time is the readout time, PGA, PGB and PGC are the three tab control signals on the transfer gate in the iTOF pixel of the ToF pulse, and their function is to guide the image-generated signals to a specific readout circuit according to their detection time.

[0054] PGDD is the control signal of the draining transfer gate, which is responsible for clearing any unwanted light detection in the pixel during idle operation time. The draining transfer gate refers to a specific circuit structure used to achieve signal transfer and impedance matching.

[0055] It should be noted that in the embodiments of the present application, the first drive circuit refers to a complex drive circuit, and the second drive circuit refers to a simple drive circuit. Complex drive circuits contain more electronic components and functional modules, require more complex design and layout, and require the use of multiple devices, integrated circuits, logic gates, timing circuits, etc. to meet complex circuit function requirements. In contrast, simple drive circuits are usually composed of fewer components and are relatively simple in design.

[0056] In summary, the embodiment of the present application generates a non-uniform light pulse with a higher peak power at the beginning and a lower peak power at the end, so that the average illumination power remains unchanged, but the signal-to-noise ratio of the near and far objects is improved (see Figure 5 ,exist Figure 5In the figure, the dotted line is a uniform illumination power pulse, and the solid line is a two-level adaptive illumination power pulse), thereby improving the imaging quality of the imaging system. In addition, the dynamic range of the imaging system is also improved, without the need for a long integration time or a shorter light pulse and a higher modulation frequency. That is, the embodiment of the present application can achieve the optimal allocation of illumination power, effectively improve the imaging quality of the imaging system, and at the same time improve the dynamic range of the system.

[0057] In order to better implement the adaptive lighting method for active and range imaging provided in the embodiment of the present application, the embodiment of the present application also provides an imaging system. The meanings of the terms are the same as those in the adaptive lighting method for active and range imaging described above, and the specific implementation details can refer to the description in the method embodiment.

[0058] See also Figure 7 , Figure 7 201 is a schematic diagram of the structure of an imaging system provided in an embodiment of the present application. The imaging system may include a generating unit 201.

[0059] The generating unit 201 is used to generate a non-uniform optical pulse sequence with an adaptive power timing according to a preset strategy, and the non-uniform optical pulse sequence includes a plurality of non-uniform optical pulses;

[0060] Each non-uniform optical pulse has a first peak power at the beginning and a second peak power at the end, and the first peak power is greater than the second peak power;

[0061] Here, a non-uniform sequence of light pulses is synchronized with the modulation clock of the TOF pixel array to generate the required 3D depth data from the camera in non-standard operation.

[0062] In some embodiments, the imaging system operates as an active 2DIR or 2DNIR camera system without generating 3D depth data.

[0063] In some embodiments, the generating unit 201 is configured to generate a non-uniform optical pulse sequence with adaptive power timing using a first driving circuit and a light source.

[0064] In another embodiment, the generating unit 201 is configured to generate a non-uniform optical pulse sequence with adaptive power timing using a plurality of second driving circuits and a plurality of light sources.

[0065] The specific implementation of each of the above units can refer to the above-mentioned embodiment of the adaptive lighting method for active and range imaging, which will not be described one by one here.

[0066] In summary, the imaging system provided by the embodiment of the present application can generate non-uniform light pulses with a higher peak power at the beginning and a lower peak power at the end, so that the average illumination power remains unchanged, but the signal-to-noise ratio of near and far objects is improved, thereby improving the imaging quality of the imaging system. In addition, the dynamic range of the imaging system is also improved, without the need for a long integration time or shorter light pulses and a higher modulation frequency. In other words, the embodiment of the present application can achieve the optimal allocation of illumination power, effectively improve the imaging quality of the imaging system, and at the same time improve the dynamic range of the system.

[0067] See also Figure 8 , Figure 8 1 is a flow chart of another adaptive lighting method for active and range imaging provided by an embodiment of the present application. The specific flow of the adaptive lighting method for active and range imaging can be as follows:

[0068] 301. Divide the operating range of the camera into multiple sub-areas, each sub-area having a different integration time.

[0069] 302. Setting different peak powers according to the distance between each sub-area and the camera;

[0070] 303. Generate a short-duration uniform optical pulse sequence in the sub-region according to the peak power;

[0071] 304. Calculate 3D depth data according to the integration time corresponding to the sub-region;

[0072] Here, a sequence of short uniform light pulses is synchronized with the modulation clock of the TOF pixel array to generate the required 3D depth data from the camera in multi-frame non-standard operation.

[0073] In an embodiment of the present application, the operating range of the camera can be divided into multiple sub-areas (sub-frames) with different integration times based on the distance of the object from the camera so that each sub-area can be optimized according to actual needs.

[0074] For example, Fig. 9 As shown in the figure, for nearby objects, shorter light pulses can be used for detection while keeping the peak power low. For distant objects, shorter light pulses are also used, but the imaging quality is ensured by adjusting the offset time and increasing the peak power.

[0075] exist Fig. 9In the figure, Subframe 1 is subframe 1, Subframe 2 is subframe 2, LED1 emitted is the light pulse emitted by LED1, LED1 reflected is the light pulse reflected by LED1, LED2 emitted is the light pulse emitted by LED2, LED2 reflected is the light pulse reflected by LED2, 1 st Cycle is the first cycle, N st Cycle is the Nth cycle, Integration time is the integration time, Readout Time is the readout time, and the meanings of PGA, PGB, PGC and PGDD are the same as those in the above embodiments, and the details can be referred to the above embodiments.

[0076] It should be noted that the imaging system provided in the embodiment of the present application can not only generate accurate 3D depth data, but also work as an active 2D IR (infrared) or 2D NIR (near infrared) camera system to capture images of infrared or near infrared light without generating such data, so that the imaging system has a wide range of application prospects in many fields.

[0077] In some embodiments, a first driving circuit and a light source can be used to generate a short-duration uniform light pulse sequence according to the peak power. The key to this method is to design a driving circuit that can accurately control the output power of the light source. By finely adjusting the parameters of the driving circuit, it can be ensured that the light source generates the required peak power within a specific time window, thereby generating a uniform light pulse sequence.

[0078] In another embodiment, multiple second drive circuits and multiple light sources can be used to generate a short-duration uniform optical pulse sequence according to the peak power. This method can achieve higher peak power output and more precise pulse control by increasing the number of light sources and second drive circuits. Each light source is controlled by an independent second drive circuit, and the output power and pulse timing of each light source can be independently adjusted, thereby generating an optical pulse sequence with complex characteristics.

[0079] In actual application, the first driving circuit and a single light source or multiple second driving circuits and multiple light sources may be selected to generate a short-duration uniform optical pulse sequence according to the requirements of peak power and system complexity.

[0080] It should be noted that in the embodiments of the present application, the first drive circuit refers to a complex drive circuit, and the second drive circuit refers to a simple drive circuit. Complex drive circuits contain more electronic components and functional modules, require more complex design and layout, and require the use of multiple devices, integrated circuits, logic gates, timing circuits, etc. to meet complex circuit function requirements. In contrast, simple drive circuits are usually composed of fewer components and are relatively simple in design.

[0081] In summary, the embodiments of the present application make full use of the flexibility of optical power. Since the optical power required for distant objects is high, the system meets the demand by increasing the peak power instead of extending the integration time. In this way, distant objects can obtain sufficient exposure in a shorter time, thereby avoiding image blur or other quality problems that may be caused by long integration time. At the same time, since the time of the light pulse is shorter, the average power is also effectively reduced, further improving the energy efficiency of the system.

[0082] In order to better implement the adaptive lighting method for active and range imaging provided in the embodiment of the present application, the embodiment of the present application also provides an imaging system. The meanings of the terms are the same as those in the adaptive lighting method for active and range imaging described above, and the specific implementation details can refer to the description in the method embodiment.

[0083] See also Fig.10 , Fig.10 401 is a schematic diagram of the structure of another imaging system provided in an embodiment of the present application. The imaging system may include a dividing unit 401, a setting unit 402, a generating unit 403 and a calculating unit 404.

[0084] A division unit 401 is used to divide the operating range of the camera into a plurality of sub-areas, each sub-area having a different integration time;

[0085] A setting unit 402, configured to set different peak powers according to the distance between each sub-area and the camera;

[0086] A generating unit 403, configured to generate a short-time uniform light pulse sequence for a sub-area according to the peak power, wherein the short-time uniform light pulse sequence is synchronized with a modulation clock of the TOF pixel array to generate required 3D depth data from the camera in a multi-frame non-standard operation;

[0087] The calculation unit 404 is used to calculate the 3D depth data according to the integration time corresponding to the sub-region.

[0088] In some embodiments, the imaging system operates as an active 2DIR or 2DNIR camera system without generating 3D depth data.

[0089] In some embodiments, the generating unit 403 is configured to use a first driving circuit and a light source to generate a short-duration uniform light pulse sequence for a sub-area according to a peak power.

[0090] In another embodiment, the generating unit 403 is configured to use a plurality of second driving circuits and a plurality of light sources to generate a short-duration uniform light pulse sequence for a sub-region according to the peak power.

[0091] The specific implementation of each of the above units can refer to the above-mentioned embodiment of the adaptive lighting method for active and range imaging, which will not be described one by one here.

[0092] In summary, the imaging system provided by the embodiment of the present application makes full use of the flexibility of optical power. Since the optical power required for distant objects is high, the system meets the demand by increasing the peak power instead of extending the integration time. In this way, distant objects can obtain sufficient exposure in a shorter time, thereby avoiding image blur or other quality problems that may be caused by long integration time. At the same time, since the time of the light pulse is shorter, the average power is also effectively reduced, further improving the energy efficiency of the system.

[0093] An embodiment of the present application also provides an electronic device, in which the imaging system of the embodiment of the present application can be integrated. The electronic device may include a memory, a processor, and a computer program stored in the memory and executable on the processor, wherein the processor implements any of the above-mentioned adaptive lighting methods for active and range imaging when executing the computer program.

[0094] In the above embodiments, the description of each embodiment has its own focus. For the part that is not described in detail in a certain embodiment, please refer to the detailed description of the adaptive lighting method for active and range imaging above, which will not be repeated here.

[0095] It should be noted that, for the adaptive lighting method for active and range imaging in the embodiments of the present application, those skilled in the art can understand that all or part of the processes of the adaptive lighting method for active and range imaging in the embodiments of the present application can be achieved by controlling the relevant hardware through a computer program. The computer program can be stored in a computer-readable storage medium, such as in a memory of a terminal, and executed by at least one processor in the terminal. During the execution process, it may include the process of the embodiment of the adaptive lighting method for active and range imaging.

[0096] For the imaging system of the embodiment of the present application, each functional module can be integrated into a processing chip, or each module can exist physically separately, or two or more modules can be integrated into one module. The above-mentioned integrated module can be implemented in the form of hardware or in the form of software functional modules. If the integrated module is implemented in the form of a software functional module and sold or used as an independent product, it can also be stored in a computer-readable storage medium.

[0097] To this end, an embodiment of the present application provides a storage medium in which a plurality of instructions are stored, and the instructions can be loaded by a processor to execute the steps in any one of the adaptive lighting methods for active and range imaging provided in the embodiment of the present application. The storage medium may be a disk, an optical disk, a read-only memory (ROM), a random access memory (RAM), etc.

[0098] The above is a detailed introduction to the adaptive lighting method and imaging system for active and range imaging provided by the present application. Specific examples are used in this article to illustrate the principles and implementation methods of the present application. The description of the above embodiments is only used to help understand the core idea of ​​the present application. At the same time, for technicians in this field, according to the idea of ​​the present application, there will be changes in the specific implementation methods and application scope. In summary, the content of this specification should not be understood as a limitation on the present application.

Claims

1. An adaptive lighting method for active and range imaging, characterized in that include: generating a non-uniform optical pulse sequence with adaptive power timing according to a preset strategy, wherein the non-uniform optical pulse sequence includes a plurality of non-uniform optical pulses; Each of the non-uniform light pulses has a first peak power at the beginning and at least a second peak power at the end, and the first peak power is greater than the second peak power; The non-uniform light pulse sequence is synchronized with a modulation clock of a TOF pixel array to generate the required 3D depth data from the camera in non-standard operation.

2. The adaptive lighting method for active and range imaging according to claim 1, characterized in that The imaging system operates as an active 2D IR or 2D NIR camera system without generating the 3D depth data.

3. The adaptive lighting method for active and range imaging according to claim 1 or 2, characterized in that: The method of generating a non-uniform optical pulse sequence with an adaptive power timing according to a preset strategy includes: A non-uniform optical pulse train with adaptive power timing is generated using a first driving circuit and a light source.

4. The adaptive lighting method for active and range imaging according to claim 1 or 2, characterized in that: The method of generating a non-uniform optical pulse sequence with an adaptive power timing according to a preset strategy includes: A plurality of second driving circuits and a plurality of light sources are used to generate a non-uniform light pulse train with adaptive power timing.

5. The adaptive lighting method for active and range imaging according to claims 1 and 2, characterized in that A non-uniform optical pulse train with adaptive power timing is generated with adjustable power level and time width or duty cycle.

6. An imaging system, characterized in that: include: A generating unit, the generating unit is used to generate a non-uniform light pulse sequence with adaptive power timing according to a preset strategy, the non-uniform light pulse sequence comprising a plurality of non-uniform light pulses; wherein each of the non-uniform light pulses has a first peak power at the beginning and at least a second peak power at the end, and the first peak power is greater than the second peak power; wherein the non-uniform light pulse sequence is synchronized with a modulation clock of a TOF pixel array to generate required 3D depth data from a camera in non-standard operation.

7. The imaging system according to claim 6, characterized in that The imaging system operates as an active 2D IR or 2D NIR camera system without generating the 3D depth data.

8. The imaging system according to claim 6 or 7, characterized in that: The generating unit is used to generate a non-uniform optical pulse sequence with adaptive power timing by using a first driving circuit and a light source.

9. The imaging system according to claim 6 or 7, characterized in that: The generating unit is used to generate a non-uniform optical pulse sequence with adaptive power timing by using a plurality of second driving circuits and a plurality of light sources.

10. The imaging system according to claim 6 or 7, characterized in that: A non-uniform optical pulse train with adaptive power timing is generated with adjustable power level and time width or duty cycle.

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