Increasing illumination uniformity of interval of local area by illuminator comprising array of light sources

Abstract

The present invention relates to increasing illumination uniformity of an interval of a local area by an illuminator comprising an array of light sources. A depth camera assembly includes an illuminator that dynamically illuminates different sections of a local area. The illuminator includes an array of light sources, such as a vertical cavity surface emitting laser (VCSEL) array, and a lens assembly. The array of light sources may include a plurality of sets of one or more light sources, where each set is independently addressable. The lens assembly is positioned such that a focal point of the lens assembly lies in a plane where illumination from adjacent light sources of the array at least partially overlaps. This positioning of the focal point of the lens assembly causes light from adjacent light sources to be blurred to each other, thereby forming floodlight illumination to an interval of the local area. In some embodiments, the floodlight illumination may alternatively or additionally be accomplished by introducing aberrations to the lens assembly, including an array of microlenses in the illuminator, or some combination thereof.

Description

[0001] Cross - reference to related applications

[0002] This application claims priority to U.S. Non - Provisional Patent Application No. 18 / 520,937, filed on November 28, 2023, the entire content of which is incorporated herein by reference. Technical Field

[0003] The present disclosure generally relates to artificial reality systems, and more particularly, to illuminating a region of interest for depth sensing in an artificial reality system. Background Art

[0004] Various augmented reality (AR) applications utilize the interaction between a user of an augmented reality headset and physical objects in a local area around the augmented reality headset, or the interaction between virtual content placed in the user's environment and physical objects and surfaces in the local area. For example, if a portion of a virtual object is behind a real object, occlusion is detected by the augmented reality headset to prevent the occluded portion of the virtual object from being presented on the user's display. To detect objects in the local area and the distance between the AR headset and these objects, the augmented reality headset determines the depth information of one or more objects in the local area.

[0005] Various augmented reality headsets use direct Time - Of - Flight (dTOF) to obtain the depth information of objects in a local area. The direct Time - Of - Flight measures the round - trip time of photons generated by the emission of multiple light pulses from an illuminator into the local area and the detection of the reflection of the light pulses by a detector. In a traditional direct Time - Of - Flight implementation, the illuminator emits multiple collimated light beams into the local area, where each beam corresponds to a light source within the illuminator. The emission of different collimated light beams causes the beams to illuminate portions of the local area, while portions of the local area outside the collimated beams are not illuminated. This results in uneven illumination of different regions within the local area by the illumination sensor, which may reduce the signal - to - noise ratio of the data collected by the detector. In addition, the detectors used in traditional dTOF sensors typically cannot acquire a complete frame of the depth information of the area illuminated by the illuminator. Therefore, traditional dTOF systems typically scan the regions within the area by illuminating different portions of the local area at different times. Although this alleviates the uneven illumination of the illuminator on the region, such scanning increases the power consumption of the illuminator. Summary of the Invention

[0006] An illuminator for use with an artificial reality head-mounted device can include a plurality of light sources and a lens assembly. The light sources are positioned such that each light source emits light in an emission plane. In various embodiments, the lens assembly is positioned relative to the emission plane such that a focal point of the lens assembly is offset from the emission plane. In some embodiments, the focal point of the lens assembly is located in an overlapping plane that is offset from the emission plane. The overlapping plane is a location where light emitted by adjacent light sources at least partially overlaps or overlaps by at least a threshold amount. For example, the overlapping plane is closer to a local area onto which the illuminator emits along an axis perpendicular to the emission plane than the emission plane. When the lens assembly directs light from the light sources into the local area, positioning the focal point of the lens assembly in the overlapping plane causes the illuminator to emit a light pattern in the overlapping plane into the local area. Since the light pattern in the overlapping plane has light from adjacent light sources that at least partially overlaps, the lens assembly emits more uniform light from the light sources into the local area, thereby providing more uniform illumination of a region of interest in the local area to which the illuminator is directed.

[0007] In various embodiments, an illuminator includes an array of light sources, where each light source is configured to emit light. The illuminator further includes a lens assembly configured to receive light emitted by one or more of the light sources and direct the light into a local area. The lens assembly is positioned relative to the array of light sources such that a focal point of the lens assembly is located in an overlapping plane where light from adjacent light sources of the array at least partially overlaps. The overlapping plane is separated from an emission plane that includes a surface from which the light sources emit light.

[0008] In various embodiments, an illuminator includes an array of light sources, where each light source is configured to emit light. The illuminator further includes a lens assembly configured to receive light emitted by one or more of the light sources and direct the light into a local area. The lens assembly has a focal point located within an emission plane that includes a surface from which the light sources emit light. Additionally, the lens assembly is configured to introduce one or more aberrations into the light from the light sources before directing the light from the light sources into the local area, the one or more aberrations dispersing the light from the light sources.

[0009] In some embodiments, a depth camera assembly includes an illuminator that includes an array of light sources, where each light source is configured to emit light. The illuminator also includes a lens assembly that is configured to receive light emitted by one or more of the light sources and direct the light into a local area. The lens assembly is positioned relative to the array of light sources such that a focal point of the lens assembly lies in an overlap plane, in which light from adjacent light sources of the array at least partially overlaps. The overlap plane is separated from an emission plane that includes a surface from which the light sources emit light. Additionally, the depth camera assembly includes one or more imaging devices that are configured to capture one or more images of an interval into which light from the illuminator is directed in the local area. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0010] Figure 1A is a perspective view of a head-mounted device implemented as an eye-wearable device according to one or more embodiments.

[0011] Figure 1B is a perspective view of a head-mounted device implemented as a head-mounted display according to one or more embodiments.

[0012] Figure 2 is a block diagram of an illuminator included in a head-mounted device according to one or more embodiments.

[0013] Figure 3 is a block diagram of an alternative illuminator having different focal point positions of a lens assembly according to one or more embodiments.

[0014] Figure 4 is a block diagram of an illuminator that includes an array of light pipes according to one or more embodiments.

[0015] Figure 5 is an illuminator according to one or more embodiments, where one or more characteristics of the lens assembly cause overlap between the emitted light before the light emitted by adjacent light sources is transmitted into the local area.

[0016] Figure 6 is an illuminator having a lens assembly that includes a microlens array according to one or more embodiments.

[0017] Figure 7 is an example of an illumination pattern output by an illuminator having a lens assembly that includes a microlens array according to one or more embodiments.

[0018] Figure 8 is a system that includes a head-mounted device according to one or more embodiments.

[0019] These drawings depict various embodiments for illustrative purposes only. Those skilled in the art will readily recognize from the following discussion that alternative embodiments of the structures and methods shown herein may be employed without departing from the principles described herein. Detailed Description

[0020] Various augmented reality (AR) head-mounted devices use direct time-of-flight (dTOF) to obtain depth information of objects in a local area. The direct time-of-flight measures the round-trip time of photons generated by multiple light pulses from an illuminator and detected by a detector from the local area surrounding the illuminator. In a conventional direct time-of-flight implementation, multiple collimated light beams are each emitted by a separate light source within the illuminator and projected or directed into the local area surrounding the illuminator. Because discrete light beams are directed into the local area, different intervals within the local area are illuminated differently. The intervals to which the light beams from the light source are directed have a higher illumination compared to other intervals located between the discrete light beams. This non-uniform illumination may reduce the signal-to-noise ratio of the data collected by the detector. In addition, the illuminator is typically repositioned and activated to illuminate different parts of the intervals of the local area at different times, thereby acquiring a complete frame of depth information of a portion of the local area. Although this illumination of different parts of the intervals of the local area at different times alleviates the non-uniform illumination of the illuminator on the interval, such scanning increases the power consumption of the illuminator.

[0021] To increase the power efficiency of an illuminator (such as an illuminator of a depth camera assembly) and improve the accuracy of data based on the illumination of the illuminator, the illuminator includes a plurality of light sources and a lens assembly. These light sources are positioned such that each light source emits light in an emission plane. For example, the light sources are a set of VSCELs spaced apart by a certain distance, where each VSCEL has an aperture that emits light in a common plane that is the emission plane. In various embodiments, the emission plane corresponds to the minimum spatial extent and maximum divergence of the light emitted by each light source. In various embodiments, the lens assembly is positioned relative to the emission plane such that the focal point of the lens assembly is offset from the emission plane. In some embodiments, the offset is such that the focal point lies in an overlapping plane offset from the emission plane. The overlapping plane is the location where the light emitted by adjacent light sources at least partially overlaps. For example, the overlapping plane is closer to the local region onto which the illuminator emits along an axis perpendicular to the emission plane than the emission plane. When the lens assembly projects the illumination pattern from the focal point of the lens assembly into the local region, having the focal point of the lens assembly at the overlapping plane causes the light pattern in the overlapping plane, where the light from the multiple light sources at least partially overlaps, to be projected into the local region. The transmission of light from the overlapping plane allows the illuminator to emit light that evenly illuminates the region of interest in the local region that the illuminator is directed at.

[0022] In other embodiments, the illuminator includes a lens assembly configured to introduce one or more aberrations into the light before projecting or directing the light emitted by one or more light sources into a local region. For example, the focal point of the lens assembly is the emission plane of an array of light sources, and the lens assembly introduces one or more aberrations (such as spherical aberration) into the light before projecting the light from the light sources into the local region to spread the light from the light sources over a wider area. In some embodiments, this allows the light from adjacent light sources to overlap with each other when directed into the local region without changing the focal point of the lens assembly relative to the emission plane of the array of light sources. In other embodiments, a combination of one or more lens aberrations and a focal point change can be used to cause the light from adjacent light sources to overlap with each other when directed into the local region.

[0023] Embodiments of the present invention may include or be implemented in conjunction with an artificial reality system. Artificial reality is a form of reality that has been adjusted in some way before being presented to a user, and these forms of reality may include, for example, virtual reality (VR), augmented reality (AR), mixed reality (MR), hybrid reality, or some combination and / or derivative thereof. Artificial reality content may include fully generated content or generated content combined with captured (e.g., real-world) content. Artificial reality content may include video, audio, haptic feedback, or some combination thereof, and any of video, audio, haptic feedback, or some combination thereof may be presented in a single channel or multiple channels (such as a stereoscopic video that produces a three-dimensional effect for a viewer). Additionally, in some embodiments, artificial reality may also be associated with applications, products, accessories, services, or some combination thereof, which are used to create content in artificial reality and / or otherwise use artificial reality. An artificial reality system that provides artificial reality content may be implemented on various platforms, including wearable devices (e.g., head-mounted devices) connected to a host computer system, standalone wearable devices (e.g., head-mounted devices), mobile devices or computing systems, or any other hardware platform capable of providing artificial reality content to one or more viewers.

[0024] Figure 1A is a perspective view of a head-mounted device 100 implemented as an eye-wearable device according to one or more embodiments. In some embodiments, the eye-wearable device is a near-eye display (NED). Generally, the head-mounted device 100 can be worn on a user's face so as to present content (e.g., media content) using a display component and / or an audio system. However, the head-mounted device 100 can also be used such that media content is presented to the user in a different manner. Examples of media content presented by the head-mounted device 100 include one or more images, videos, audio, or some combination thereof. The head-mounted device 100 includes a frame and may include other components such as a display component (which includes one or more display elements 120), a depth camera assembly (DCA), an audio system, and a position sensor 190. Although Figure 1A shows an example location of the components of the head-mounted device 100 on the head-mounted device 100, these components may also be located at other locations on the head-mounted device 100, on a peripheral device paired with the head-mounted device 100, or some combination thereof. Similarly, there may be moreFigure 1A more components or fewer components than those shown

[0025] The frame 110 holds other components of the head-mounted device 100. The frame 110 includes: a front portion that holds one or more display elements 120; and end pieces (e.g., temple arms) that are attached to a user's head. The front portion of the frame 110 spans the top of the user's nose. The length of the end pieces can be adjustable (e.g., adjustable temple arm length) to fit different users. The end pieces may also include portions that curve behind the user's ears (e.g., temple tips, earpieces).

[0026] One or more display elements 120 provide light to a user wearing the head-mounted device 100. As shown, the head-mounted device includes a display element 120 for each eye of the user. In some embodiments, the display element 120 generates image light that is provided to the eyebox of the head-mounted device 100. The eyebox is the spatial location occupied by the user's eyes when wearing the head-mounted device 100. For example, the display element 120 can be a waveguide display. The waveguide display includes a light source (e.g., a two-dimensional source, one or more line sources, one or more point sources, etc.) and one or more waveguides. Light from the light source is coupled into the one or more waveguides, and the one or more waveguides output light in such a way that there is pupil replication in the eyebox of the head-mounted device 100. The coupling of light into and / or the coupling of light out of the one or more waveguides can be done using one or more diffraction gratings. In some embodiments, the waveguide display includes a scanning element (e.g., a waveguide, a mirror, etc.) that scans the light when the light from the light source is coupled into the one or more waveguides. Note that in some embodiments, one or both of these display elements 120 are opaque and do not transmit light from a local area around the head-mounted device 100. The local area is the area around the head-mounted device 100. For example, the local area can be the room in which the user wearing the head-mounted device 100 is located, or the user wearing the head-mounted device 100 can be outdoors, and the local area is the outdoor area. In this context, the head-mounted device 100 generates VR content. Alternatively, in some embodiments, one or both of these display elements 120 are at least partially transparent such that light from the local area can be combined with light from the one or more display elements to generate AR content and / or MR content.

[0027] In some embodiments, the display element 120 does not generate image light. Instead, the display element is a lens that transmits light from a local area to the eye zone. For example, one or both of these display elements 120 can be an uncorrected (non-prescription) lens or a prescription lens (e.g., a single vision lens, a bifocal and trifocal lens, or a progressive lens) that helps correct a user's vision defect. In some embodiments, the display element 120 can be polarized and / or colored to protect the user's eyes from the sun.

[0028] In some embodiments, the display element 120 can include an additional optical block (not shown). The optical block can include one or more optical elements (e.g., lenses, Fresnel lenses, etc.) that direct the light from the display element 120 to the eye zone. The optical block can, for example, correct aberrations in part or all of the image content, magnify part or all of the image, or some combination thereof.

[0029] The DCA determines depth information for a portion of the local area around the head-mounted device 100. The DCA includes one or more imaging devices 130 and a DCA controller ( Figure 1A not shown in the figure), and can also include an illuminator 140. In some embodiments, the illuminator 140 uses light to illuminate a portion of the local area. The light can be, for example, infrared (IR) structured light (e.g., a dot pattern, multiple bars, etc.), an IR flash for time-of-flight, etc. In some embodiments, one or more imaging devices 130 acquire images of the portion of the local area that include the light from the illuminator 140. As shown, Figure 1A a single illuminator 140 and two imaging devices 130 are shown. In alternative embodiments, there is no illuminator 140 and there are at least two imaging devices 130.

[0030] In various embodiments, the illuminator 140 includes an array of light sources, where each light source is separated from adjacent light sources in the array by a certain distance. Each light source emits light. The illuminator 140 also includes a lens assembly (such as a projection lens) onto which the light from the light sources is incident. The lens assembly directs or projects the light from the light sources into the local area, thereby illuminating an interval within the local area with the light from the light sources. To increase the uniformity of the illumination of the interval by the illuminator, in various embodiments, the lens assembly is configured to introduce an overlap between the light emitted by adjacent light sources when directing the light from the light sources into the local area. For example, the lens assembly has a focal point in an overlap plane, in which plane the light from adjacent light sources at least partially overlaps, or overlaps by at least a threshold amount, as described below in connection with Figures 2 to 4is further described. In other examples, the lens assembly is configured to introduce one or more aberrations into the light from one or more light sources before directing the light into a local area to create an overlap between the light from adjacent light sources, as further described below in connection with Figures 5 to 7 is further described.

[0031] The DCA controller uses the acquired images and one or more depth determination techniques to calculate depth information for the portion of the local area. Depth determination techniques can be, for example, direct time-of-flight (ToF) depth sensing, indirect ToF depth sensing, structured light, passive stereoscopic analysis, active stereoscopic analysis (using the texture added to the scene by the light from illuminator 140), some other techniques for determining the depth of a scene, or some combination thereof.

[0032] The audio system provides audio content. The audio system includes a transducer array, a sensor array, and an audio controller 150. However, in other embodiments, the audio system can include different components and / or additional components. Similarly, in some cases, the functions described with reference to the components of the audio system can be distributed among these components in a manner different from that described herein. For example, some or all of the functions of the controller can be performed by a remote server.

[0033] The transducer array presents sound to the user. The transducer array includes a plurality of transducers. The transducers can be speakers 160 or tissue transducers 170 (e.g., bone conduction transducers or cartilage conduction transducers). Although the speaker 160 is shown outside the frame 110, the speaker 160 can also be encapsulated within the frame 110. In some embodiments, rather than having a separate speaker for each ear, the head-mounted device 100 includes a speaker array that includes a plurality of speakers integrated into the frame 110 to improve the directionality of the presented audio content. The tissue transducer 170 is coupled to the user's head and directly vibrates the user's tissue (e.g., bone or cartilage) to produce sound. The number and / or location of the transducers can be different from the Figure 1A number and / or location shown in

[0034] The sensor array detects sound within a local area of the head-mounted device 100. The sensor array includes a plurality of acoustic sensors 180. The acoustic sensors 180 acquire sound emitted from one or more sound sources in the local area (e.g., a room). Each acoustic sensor is configured to detect sound and convert the detected sound into an electronic format (analog format or digital format). The acoustic sensors 180 can be acoustic wave sensors, microphones, sound transducers, or similar sensors suitable for detecting sound.

[0035] In some embodiments, one or more acoustic sensors 180 may be placed in the ear canal of each ear (e.g., acting as binaural microphones). In some embodiments, the acoustic sensors 180 may be placed on the outer surface of the head-mounted device 100, on the inner surface of the head-mounted device 100, separated from the head-mounted device 100 (e.g., as part of some other device), or some combination thereof. The number and / or location of the acoustic sensors 180 may be different from Figure 1A the number and / or location shown therein. For example, the number of acoustic detection locations may be increased to increase the amount of audio information collected and the sensitivity and / or accuracy of that information. The acoustic detection locations may be oriented such that the microphones can detect sounds in a wide range of directions around the user wearing the head-mounted device 100.

[0036] The audio controller 150 processes information from the sensor array that describes the sounds detected by the sensor array. The audio controller 150 may include a processor and a computer-readable storage medium. The audio controller 150 may be configured to generate a direction of arrival (DOA) estimate result, generate an acoustic transfer function (e.g., an array transfer function and / or a head-related transfer function (HRTF)), track the location of a sound source, form a beam in the direction of the sound source, classify the sound source, generate a sound filter for the speaker 160, or some combination thereof.

[0037] The position sensor 190 generates one or more measurement signals in response to the movement of the head-mounted device 100. The position sensor 190 may be located on a part of the frame 110 of the head-mounted device 100. The position sensor 190 may include an inertial measurement unit (IMU). Examples of the position sensor 190 include: one or more accelerometers, one or more gyroscopes, one or more magnetometers, other suitable types of sensors for detecting movement, a type of sensor for error correction of the IMU, or some combination thereof. The position sensor 190 may be located outside the IMU, inside the IMU, or some combination thereof.

[0038] In some embodiments, the head-mounted device 100 may provide Simultaneous Localization And Mapping (SLAM) for the position of the head-mounted device 100 and the model update of the local area. For example, the head-mounted device 100 may include a Passive Camera Assembly (PCA) that generates color image data. The PCA may include one or more RGB cameras that capture images of some or all of the areas in the local area. In some embodiments, some or all of the imaging devices 130 of the DCA may also be used as the PCA. The images captured by the PCA and the depth information determined by the DCA may be used to determine the parameters of the local area, generate a model of the local area, update the model of the local area, or some combination thereof. In addition, the position sensor 190 tracks the position of the head-mounted device 100 in the room (e.g., location and pose). Additional details regarding the components of the head-mounted device 100 are discussed below in conjunction with Figure 8 Discuss additional details regarding the components of the head-mounted device 100.

[0039] Figure 1B is a perspective view of a head-mounted device 105 implemented as an HMD according to one or more embodiments. In embodiments describing AR systems and / or MR systems, the portions on the front side of the HMD are at least partially transparent in the visible band (from about 380 nanometers (nm) to 750 nm), and the portions of the HMD located between the front side of the HMD and the user's eyes are at least partially transparent (e.g., a partially transparent electronic display). The HMD includes a front rigid body 115 and a strap 175. The head-mounted device 105 includes many of the same components as those described above with reference to Figure 1A but these components are modified to be compatible with the HMD form factor. For example, the HMD includes a display component, a DCA, an audio system, and a position sensor 190. Figure 1B Shows an illuminator 140, a plurality of speakers 160, a plurality of imaging devices 130, a plurality of acoustic sensors 180, and a position sensor 190. The speakers 160 may be located in various positions, such as coupled to the strap 175 (as shown), coupled to the front rigid body 115, or may be configured to be inserted into the user's ear canal.

[0040] Figure 2 is a block diagram of an embodiment of an illuminator 200. The illuminator 200 may be an embodiment of the illuminator 140 further described above in conjunction with Figure 1A The illuminator 200 shown includes an array of light sources 205A to 205F (also referred to and collectively as 205 using the reference numeral) and a lens assembly 215. In other embodiments, the illuminator 200 includes the same as that combined with Figure 2 Figure 2 ​The described components are different or additional components. In various embodiments, the illuminator 140 is included in or coupled to the depth camera assembly (DCA), as described above in connection with Figure 1A further described.

[0041] Each light source 205 in the array of light sources 205 emits light toward a local area in response to receiving a control signal. Each light source 205 has an optical aperture through which the light exits the light source 205. In various embodiments, the light sources 205 are organized into multiple groups, where each group includes one or more light sources 205. Each group can be individually addressable. For example, in various embodiments, different groups can receive different control signals such that the light sources 205 of the selected group emit light while the light sources 205 of the other non-selected groups do not emit light. In some embodiments, different groups of light sources 205 include different numbers of light sources 205, while in other embodiments, each group includes the same number of light sources 205. Configuring the light sources 205 into different groups allows the illuminator 200 to independently activate different light sources 205 to emit light, thereby adjusting the illumination of the intervals in the local area pointed to by the illuminator 200.

[0042] The light sources 205 are positioned such that the optical aperture through which the light of each light source 205 is emitted is located in a common plane (emission plane 210). For example, each light source 205 is a Vertical Surface Emitting Cavity Laser (VSCEL), where the VSCELs are positioned relative to each other such that the optical aperture of each VSCEL is positioned in the emission plane 210. Although Figure 2 the emission plane 210 is shown as a row, in various embodiments, the emission plane 210 can be a two-dimensional grid or array. In other embodiments, each light source 205 can be a different device that emits light in a certain direction from the emission plane 210. Additionally, the light sources 205 are positioned such that there is a certain distance between adjacent light sources 205. In various embodiments, there is the same distance between each pair of adjacent light sources 205.

[0043] In various embodiments, the emission plane 210 corresponds to the emission waist of the light emitted by each light source 205, where the emission waist corresponds to the position at which the divergence of the light emitted by the light source 205 is minimized (e.g., at the emission plane 210). In the emission plane 210, the light emitted from adjacent light sources 205 does not overlap.

[0044] The lens assembly 215 directs light received from one or more light sources 205 into a local area around the illuminator 200. In various embodiments, the lens assembly 215 includes a projection lens. In other embodiments, the lens assembly 215 includes a collimating lens. As shown, the lens assembly 215 is positioned relative to the array of light sources 205 such that the focal point 220 of the lens assembly 215 is positioned in the overlapping plane 225 of the array of light sources 205. In other embodiments, the focal point may be located at some other offset relative to the emission plane 210. The overlapping plane 225 is a location that is separated from the emission plane 210 by a certain distance and is the location at which light emitted by adjacent light sources 205 of the array at least partially overlaps each other. The distance separating the overlapping plane 225 from the emission plane 210 is along an axis perpendicular to the emission plane 210. For example, the overlapping plane 225 is a certain distance from the emission plane 210 and is located at a location at which light emitted by light source 205B overlaps at least partially with light emitted by light source 205A and light emitted by light source 205C. In various embodiments, the overlapping plane 225 corresponds to a distance from the emission plane 210 at which light emitted by adjacent light sources 205 has at least a threshold amount of overlap, which may vary in different embodiments.

[0045] The distance along the axis perpendicular to the emission plane 210 between the emission plane 210 and the overlapping plane 225 is based on characteristics of the lens assembly 215, such as the distance between adjacent light sources 205, the size of the light sources 205, the beam waist of the light emitted by the light sources 205 (e.g., the diameter of the light emitted by the light sources 205 at the emission plane 210), the amount of divergence of the light emitted by the light sources 205, or other characteristics. For example, an array with a smaller distance between adjacent light sources 205 causes the overlapping plane 225 to be closer to the emission plane 210 along the axis perpendicular to the emission plane 210, while an array with a larger distance between adjacent light sources 205 causes the overlapping plane 225 to be farther from the emission plane 210 along the axis perpendicular to the emission plane 210. As another example, an array including light sources 205 with a smaller amount of divergence of the light emitted by the light sources 205 causes the overlapping plane 225 to be located at a greater distance from the emission plane 210 along the axis perpendicular to the emission plane 210 compared to an array including light sources 205 with a greater amount of divergence (i.e., the light diverges more rapidly as it is emitted from the light sources 205).

[0046] When the lens assembly 215 projects (or directs) light from the focal point 220 of the lens assembly into the local area, the illumination pattern from the light sources 205 at the overlapping plane 225 is projected into the local area by the lens assembly 215. In Figure 2In the configuration where light from adjacent light sources 205 overlaps in the overlapping plane 225, the lens assembly 215 projects the overlapping light from the adjacent light sources 205 into a local area. Compared to the configuration where the focal point of the lens assembly 215 is in the emission plane 210, this light projection from the overlapping light sources 205 into the local area provides uniform illumination of the interval in the local area to which the lens assembly 215 guides the light. Increasing the uniformity of the interval of the local area illuminated by the illuminator 200 increases the intensity of the interval of the local area being illuminated, thereby improving the depth sensing of the depth camera assembly without increasing the power consumption of the array of light sources 205.

[0047] In some embodiments, the lens assembly 215 is configured to introduce aberrations into the light received from the overlapping plane 225, where the lens assembly 215 projects the light with the introduced aberrations into a local area, as further described below in conjunction with Figure 5 For example, the lens assembly 215 introduces spherical aberrations into the light received from the overlapping plane 225, where these aberrations further diverge or spread the light from the light source 205 when the light is projected from the exit pupil of the lens assembly 215. For example, the lens assembly 215 includes one or more deformed lenses that introduce spherical aberrations into the light from the overlapping plane 225 before the light exits the exit pupil of the lens assembly 215, thereby increasing the amount of overlap between the light from adjacent light sources 205 when the light illuminates an interval within the local area. When the light is guided through the lens assembly 215, this allows the lens assembly 215 to further increase the amount of overlap between the light from adjacent light sources 205 in the overlapping plane 225 through one or more aberrations introduced by the lens assembly 215, thereby increasing the uniformity of the interval of the local area illuminated by the illuminator 200 with the light from the array of light sources 205.

[0048] Although Figure 2 illustrates an embodiment where the overlapping plane 225 is positioned closer to the local area than the emission plane 210 along an axis perpendicular to the emission plane 210, however Figure 3 illustrates an alternative embodiment of the illuminator 200 in which the lens assembly 215 has a different focal point. Similar to Figure 2 , Figure 3 the illuminator 200 in Figure 3 includes an array of light sources 205A to 205F and a lens assembly 215. In the example shown in Figure 3In this case, the focus 300 of the lens assembly 215 is a position in the virtual overlap plane 305. In various embodiments, Figure 2 the distance between the emission plane 210 and the overlap plane 225 in Figure 3 is equal to the distance between the emission plane 210 and the virtual overlap plane 305 in

[0049] However, the virtual overlap plane 305 is further away from the local area along the axis perpendicular to the emission plane 210, while the overlap plane 225 is closer to the local area along the axis perpendicular to the emission plane 210. Figure 2 The illumination pattern within the virtual overlap plane 305 is symmetric with the illumination pattern within the overlap plane 225. Thus, the illumination pattern emitted by the lens assembly 215 with the focus 300 in the virtual overlap plane 305 into the local area matches the illumination pattern emitted by the local area when the focus 220 of the lens assembly 215 is in the overlap plane 225. Accordingly, positioning the focus 300 of the lens assembly 215 in the virtual overlap plane 305 emits the illumination pattern into the local area where the light emitted by adjacent light sources 205 in the array at least partially overlaps, as further described above in connection with

[0050] In various embodiments, additional optical components may be included in the illuminator to further modify the illumination pattern of the light emitted from the lens assembly of the illuminator into the local area. Figure 4 An example of an illuminator 400 including an array of light pipes 405A - 405F is shown. Figure 4 The illustrated illuminator 400 includes an array of light sources 205A - 205F and a lens assembly 215, as further described above in connection with Figure 2 In addition, the illuminator 400 includes an array of light pipes 405A - 405F (also referred to individually and collectively by the reference numeral 405).

[0051] In the illuminator 400, the light pipe 405 is coupled to each light source 205. The light pipe 405 is a waveguide having a first opening and a second opening, the first opening being coupled to the emission surface of the light source, and the second opening being located at an end of the light pipe 405 opposite the first opening. The light pipe 405 guides the light received via the first opening to the second opening, where the light exits the light pipe 405. Between the first opening and the second opening, the light is contained within the light pipe 405. For example, for a hollow light pipe, reflection of the light emitted by the light source 205 keeps the light from the first opening to the second opening inside the light pipe 405 coupled to the light source 205. Note that in some embodiments, the light pipe can be solid. A solid light pipe can also be used to guide light from the light source to the overlap plane 225 via, for example, total internal reflection. In various embodiments, the light pipe 405 is rigid, while in other embodiments, the light pipe 405 is flexible. Coupling the light pipe 405 to each light source 205 limits the divergence of the light emitted by the light source 205 along the length of the light pipe 405 to the diameter of the light pipe 405.

[0052] The light diverges after leaving the second opening of the light pipe 405. In Figure 4 the example of, the lens assembly 215 is positioned relative to the emission plane 210 that includes the emission surface of each light source 205 such that the focal point 220 of the lens assembly lies in the overlap plane 225. As described above in connection with Figure 2 further, the emission plane 210 is a position relative to the emission plane 210 along an axis perpendicular to the emission plane 210 such that when the light exits the light pipe 405 coupled to the corresponding light source 205, the light emitted by adjacent light sources 205 overlaps at least partially (or overlaps by at least a threshold amount). In various embodiments, the length of each light pipe 405 is less than the distance between the emission plane 210 and the overlap plane 225 such that the overlap plane 225 corresponds to the position at which the light exiting the second openings of adjacent light pipes 405 overlaps by at least a threshold amount or at least partially overlaps.

[0053] Although Figures 2 to 4 an illuminator is described in which the focal point of the lens assembly 215 is positioned relative to the emission plane 210 of the light source 205 to project more uniform light from the light source 205 onto a local area, in some embodiments, the focal point of the lens assembly lies within the emission plane of the light source, and the lens assembly of the illuminator is configured to introduce overlap between the light emitted by adjacent light sources when projecting the light onto a local area. Figure 5 is an example of an illuminator in which one or more characteristics of the lens assembly cause overlap between the emitted light before the light emitted by adjacent light sources is projected onto a local area. In Figure 5In the example, the illuminator 500 includes an array of light sources 205A through 205F (also individually and collectively referred to using the reference numeral 205) and a lens assembly 505. In other embodiments, the illuminator 500 includes components different from or additional to those described in connection with Figure 5 the components described.

[0054] As described above in connection with Figure 2 each light source 205 of the array of light sources 205 emits light toward a local area in response to receiving a control signal. The light sources 205 may be organized into multiple groups, where each group includes one or more light sources 205. In various embodiments, different groups may receive different control signals, thereby allowing the light sources 205 of the selected group to emit light while the light sources 205 of the other non-selected groups do not emit light. The light sources 205 are positioned such that the optical aperture through which the light of each light source 205 is emitted lies in a common plane (i.e., the emission plane 210). For example, each light source 205 is a vertical-cavity surface-emitting laser (VSCEL), where the VSCELs are positioned relative to one another such that the optical aperture of each VSCEL is positioned in the emission plane 210. Adjacent light sources 205 in the array are separated by a certain distance. In some embodiments, there is the same distance between each pair of adjacent light sources 205.

[0055] The lens assembly 505 is positioned at a distance from the emission plane 210 along an axis perpendicular to the emission plane 210 such that the focal point 510 of the lens assembly 505 lies within the emission plane 210. However, the light emitted by different light sources 205 has a minimal divergence in the emission plane 210, and thus the illumination pattern at the emission plane 210 includes discrete light beams, where the light from a light source 205 does not overlap with the light from an adjacent light source 205. When the lens assembly 505 projects the illumination pattern at the focal point 510 of the lens assembly 505 into the local area, positioning the focal point 510 of the lens assembly 505 within the emission plane 210 causes the discrete light beams from the emission plane 210 to be projected into the local area.

[0056] To provide more uniform illumination for an interval of a local region, the lens assembly 505 introduces one or more aberrations into the light from the emission plane 210 to expand or spread the light before the light from the emission plane 210 is projected onto the interval of the local region. In various embodiments, the lens of the lens assembly 505 changes shape to introduce aberrations into the light emitted by the lens assembly 505. For example, the lens of the lens assembly 505 closest to the exit pupil changes shape to introduce aberrations (such as spherical aberration) into the light that exits the exit pupil of the lens assembly 505 and enters the local region. In some embodiments, the lens assembly 505 is a collimating lens that expands or spreads the light received from the emission plane 210, wherein the portion of the collimating lens closest to the exit pupil of the collimating lens changes shape to introduce one or more aberrations (such as spherical aberration) into the light projected by the lens assembly 505 into the local region. The lens assembly 505 is configured to introduce one or more aberrations into the light received from the emission plane 210 such that when the light is projected from the lens assembly 505 into the local region, the lens assembly 505 introduces an overlap between the light emitted by adjacent light sources 205, thereby increasing the uniformity of the illumination of the interval within the local region by the light emitted by the array of light sources 205 without repositioning the focus 510 of the lens assembly 505 relative to the emission plane 210.

[0057] Although Figure 5 Embodiments are shown in which the nature of the lens assembly 505 introduces an overlap between the light emitted by adjacent light sources 205 of the array, but in various embodiments, additional optical components are included in the lens assembly to introduce aberrations that cause an overlap between the light emitted by adjacent light sources 205. Figure 6 Embodiments of an illuminator 600 are shown having a lens assembly 605 that includes a microlens array 615. In Figure 6 The embodiment shown, the illuminator 600 includes an array of light sources 205A - 205F and a lens assembly 605, while in other embodiments different or additional components may be included.

[0058] As described above in connection with Figure 2 Further described, each light source 205 in the array of light sources 205 emits light toward the local region in response to receiving a control signal. The light sources 205 may be organized into multiple groups, where each group includes one or more light sources 205. For example, each light source 205 is a vertical - cavity surface - emitting laser (VSCEL), while in other embodiments, the light source may be another device configured to emit light.

[0059] The lens assembly 605 is positioned at a distance from the emission plane 210 such that the focal point 610 of the lens assembly 605 lies within the emission plane 210. However, the illumination pattern from the light source 205 within the emission plane 210 includes discrete light beams, where the light from the light source 205 does not overlap with the light from adjacent light sources 205 because the light emitted by the light source 205 has a minimal degree of divergence in the emission plane 210. When the lens assembly 605 projects the illumination pattern at the focal point 610 of the lens assembly 605 into a local area, positioning the focal point 610 of the lens assembly 605 within the emission plane 210 causes the discrete light beams from the emission plane 210 to be projected into the local area.

[0060] To increase the uniformity of the intervals in the illuminated local area, the lens assembly 605 includes a microlens array 615. The microlens array 615 includes a plurality of microlenses arranged in a one-dimensional array or a two-dimensional array. In various embodiments, each microlens of the microlens array 615 has a diameter less than 1 millimeter. The microlens array 615 is positioned at the exit pupil of the lens assembly 605, where light leaves the lens assembly 605 into the local area around the illuminator 600. The microlens array 615 divides the exit pupil of the lens assembly 605 into a plurality of sub-exit pupils, each sub-exit pupil having a smaller diameter than the exit pupil. In various embodiments, the number of sub-exit pupils generated by the microlens array 615 is equal to the number of microlenses in the microlens array 615, where the relative positions of the sub-exit pupils with respect to each other are based on the relative positions of the microlenses with respect to each other.

[0061] In various embodiments, the microlenses including the microlens array 615 are each prisms, where each prism deviates the angle of the light leaving the sub-exit pupil corresponding to the prism. The deviation of the light caused by the microlenses (e.g., prisms) causes the light leaving the lens assembly 605 to have an illumination pattern corresponding to the pattern of the microlenses in the microlens array 615. For example, the microlens array 615 is a 2×2 prism array, so the illumination pattern emitted from the light source 205 through the lens assembly 605 into the local area is a 2×2 array of light beams. As another example, the microlens array 615 includes a plurality of wedge-shaped lenses, where the wedge-shaped lenses serve as a combination of a prism and an aberration generator. The wedge-shaped lens has an angle less than a threshold between the input surface and the output surface of the wedge-shaped lens.

[0062] Figure 7 An example of the illumination pattern output by Figure 6 the lens assembly 605 is shown. In Figure 7 the example, the microlens array 615 of the lens assembly 605 includes a 2×2 prism array. For illustrative purposes, Figure 7Shows the irradiation of an interval 700 in a local area onto which light from the illuminator 600 is projected. Figure 7 Shows the irradiation pattern output by the lens assembly 605, which includes a microlens array 615 and has a focal point in the emission plane 210 of the light source 205. In Figure 7 the example, light emitted by a single light source 205 is received by the lens assembly 605, which guides the light through the microlens array 615 and into the local area. The output of the microlens array 615 exits the lens assembly 605 and causes light beams 705A, 705B, 705C, and 705D to be projected from the lens assembly 605 into the interval 700. The positions of the light beams 705A to 705D relative to each other are determined by the positions of the microlenses in the microlens array 615 relative to each other. In Figure 7 the example, the microlens array 615 includes a 2×2 microlens array, thereby producing a 2×2 pattern of the light beams 705A to 705D emitted through the lens assembly 605 into the local area.

[0063] For comparison, Figure 7 shows an alternative, where the interval 710 is irradiated by a conventional illuminator having a conventional lens assembly with a focal point in the emission plane 210 of the light source 205. In this conventional configuration, a single light beam 715 is projected from a single light source 205 into the interval 710. The area of the interval 710 irradiated by projecting a single light beam 715 from a single light source 205 is smaller than the area of the interval 700 irradiated by the multiple light beams 705A to 705D projected from a single light source 205 by the microlens array 615. Thus, compared to the irradiation provided by a conventional illuminator, the microlens array 615 allows for more uniform irradiation of the interval 700.

[0064] Returning to reference Figure 6 , in some embodiments, the lens assembly 605 includes a microlens array 615 and is configured to introduce one or more aberrations into the light exiting the lens assembly 605, as further described above in connection with Figure 5 . This combination of the configuration of the microlens array 615 and the lens assembly 605 for introducing one or more aberrations allows the lens assembly 605 to broaden or spread the light emitted by the light source 205 while dividing the broadened light into a pattern corresponding to the microlens pattern of the microlens array 615, thereby increasing the uniformity of the interval of the local area irradiated by the illuminator 600. Additionally, in some embodiments, the focal point 610 of the lens assembly 605 is located in the overlapping plane 225 (as described above in connection with Figures 2 to 4(which will be further described), rather than being located in the emission plane 210. Positioning the focal point 610 of the lens assembly 605 in the overlap plane 225 (in which there is at least partial overlap between the light emitted by adjacent light sources 205) allows the illuminator 600 to further increase the uniformity of the illumination of the intervals within the local area.

[0065] Figure 8 System 800 including a head-mounted device 805 according to one or more embodiments. In some embodiments, the head-mounted device 805 can be Figure 1A the head-mounted device 100 or Figure 1B the head-mounted device 105. The system 800 can operate in an artificial reality environment (e.g., a virtual reality environment, an augmented reality environment, a mixed reality environment, or some combination thereof). Figure 8 The system 800 shown includes a head-mounted device 805, an input / output (I / O) interface 810 coupled to a console 815, a network 820, and a map building server 825. Although Figure 8 an example system 800 including one head-mounted device 805 and one I / O interface 810 is shown, in other embodiments, any number of these components can be included in the system 800. For example, there can be multiple head-mounted devices, each head-mounted device having an associated I / O interface 810, where each head-mounted device and I / O interface 810 communicate with the console 815. In alternative configurations, different components and / or additional components can be included in the system 800. Additionally, in some embodiments, the functions described in connection with Figure 8 one or more of the components shown can be distributed among these components in a manner different from that described in connection with Figure 8 described. For example, some or all of the functions of the console 815 can be provided by the head-mounted device 805.

[0066] The head-mounted device 805 includes a display component 830, an optical block 835, one or more position sensors 840, and a DCA 845. Some embodiments of the head-mounted device 805 have components different from those described in connection with Figure 8 described. Additionally, in other embodiments, the functions provided by the various components described in connection with Figure 8 described can be distributed differently among the components of the head-mounted device 805, or can be embodied in separate components remote from the head-mounted device 805.

[0067] The display component 830 displays content to a user based on data received from the console 815. The display component 830 uses one or more display elements (e.g., display element 120) to display the content. The display element can be, for example, an electronic display. In various embodiments, the display component 830 includes a single display element or multiple display elements (e.g., one display for each eye of the user). Examples of electronic displays include: Liquid Crystal Display (LCD), Organic Light Emitting Diode (OLED) display, Active-Matrix Organic Light-Emitting Diode Display (AMOLED), waveguide display, some other display, or some combination thereof. Note that in some embodiments, the display element 120 may also include some or all of the functions of the optical block 835.

[0068] The optical block 835 can magnify the image light received from the electronic display, correct optical errors associated with the image light, and present the corrected image light to one or both eyesight areas of the head-mounted device 805. In various embodiments, the optical block 835 includes one or more optical elements. Example optical elements included in the optical block 835 include: apertures, Fresnel lenses, convex lenses, concave lenses, filters, reflective surfaces, or any other suitable optical elements that affect image light. Additionally, the optical block 835 can include a combination of different optical elements. In some embodiments, one or more optical elements in the optical block 835 can have one or more coatings, such as a partially reflective coating or an anti-reflective coating.

[0069] The magnification and focusing of the image light by the optical block 835 allows the electronic display to be physically smaller, lighter, and consume less power than a larger display. Additionally, the magnification can increase the field of view of the content presented by the electronic display. For example, the field of view of the displayed content is such that the displayed content is presented using almost all (e.g., approximately 110 degrees diagonal) of the user's field of view, and in some cases, the displayed content is presented using the entire user's field of view. Additionally, in some embodiments, the magnification amount can be adjusted by adding or removing optical elements.

[0070] In some embodiments, the optical device block 835 may be designed to correct one or more types of optical errors. Examples of optical errors include barrel distortion or pincushion distortion, longitudinal chromatic aberration or lateral chromatic aberration. Other types of optical errors may also include: spherical aberration; chromatic aberration; or errors caused by lens field curvature, astigmatism; or any other type of optical error. In some embodiments, the content provided to the electronic display for display is pre-distorted, and the optical device block 835 corrects the distortion when it receives the image light generated based on the content from the electronic display.

[0071] The position sensor 840 is an electronic device that generates data indicating the position of the head-mounted device 805. The position sensor 840 generates one or more measurement signals in response to the movement of the head-mounted device 805. The position sensor 190 is an embodiment of the position sensor 840. Examples of the position sensor 840 include: one or more IMUs, one or more accelerometers, one or more gyroscopes, one or more magnetometers, another suitable type of sensor for detecting movement, or some combination thereof. The position sensor 840 may include multiple accelerometers for measuring translational motion (forward / backward, up / down, left / right) and multiple gyroscopes for measuring rotational motion (e.g., pitch, yaw, roll). In some embodiments, the IMU samples the measurement signals quickly and calculates the estimated position of the head-mounted device 805 based on the sampled data. For example, the IMU integrates the measurement signals received from the accelerometers over time to estimate the velocity vector, and integrates the velocity vector over time to determine the estimated position of a reference point on the head-mounted device 805. The reference point is a point that can be used to describe the position of the head-mounted device 805. Although the reference point can generally be defined as a point in space, in fact, the reference point is defined as a point within the head-mounted device 805.

[0072] The DCA 845 generates depth information for a portion of a local area. The DCA includes one or more imaging devices and a DCA controller. The DCA 845 may also include an illuminator. As described above with respect to Figure 1A the operation and structure of the DCA 845 are described. In various embodiments, the illuminator of the DCA 845 is configured to uniformly illuminate an interval within a local area around the head-mounted device 805 using an array of light sources. As described above in connection with Figures 2 to 7 further described, in various embodiments, the illuminator includes a lens assembly configured to project light from different light sources into the interval of the local area in such a way that the light from adjacent light sources at least partially overlaps or overlaps by at least a threshold amount. The overlap between the light from adjacent light sources increases the uniformity of the illumination of the interval by the illuminator of the DCA 845, thereby improving the accuracy of the depth information determined by the DCA 845.

[0073] The audio system 850 provides audio content to a user of the head-mounted device 805. The audio system 850 may include one or more acoustic sensors, one or more transducers, and an audio controller. The audio system 850 may provide spatialized audio content to the user. In some embodiments, the audio system 850 may request acoustic parameters from the map building server 825 via the network 820. These acoustic parameters describe one or more acoustic characteristics of a local area (e.g., room impulse response, reverberation time, reverberation level, etc.). The audio system 850 may provide information describing at least a portion of the local area from, for example, the DCA 845 and / or position information of the head-mounted device 805 from the position sensor 840. The audio system 850 may use one or more acoustic parameters received from the map building server 825 to generate one or more sound filters and use these sound filters to provide audio content to the user.

[0074] The I / O interface 810 is a device that allows a user to send action requests to the console 815 and receive responses from the console. An action request is a request to perform a specific action. For example, an action request may be an instruction to start or end the acquisition of image data or video data, or an instruction to perform a specific action within an application. The I / O interface 810 may include one or more input devices. Example input devices include: a keyboard, a mouse, a game controller, or any other suitable device for receiving action requests and transmitting the action requests to the console 815. The action requests received by the I / O interface 810 are transmitted to the console 815, which performs the action corresponding to the action request. In some embodiments, the I / O interface 810 includes an IMU that acquires calibration data indicating an estimated position of the I / O interface 810 relative to an initial position of the I / O interface 810. In some embodiments, the I / O interface 810 may provide haptic feedback to the user according to instructions received from the console 815. For example, haptic feedback is provided when an action request is received, or when the console 815 performs an action, the console 815 transmits an instruction to the I / O interface 810 such that the I / O interface 810 generates haptic feedback.

[0075] The console 815 provides content for processing to the head-mounted device 805 based on information received from one or more of the following: the DCA 845, the head-mounted device 805, and the I / O interface 810. In Figure 8 the example shown, the console 815 includes an application repository 855, a tracking module 860, and an engine 865. Some embodiments of the console 815 have modules or components different from those described in connection with Figure 8 Similarly, the functions described further below may be implemented in a manner different from that described in connection with Figure 8The described ways are distributed among the various components of the console 815 in different ways. In some embodiments, the functions described herein with respect to the console 815 may be implemented in the head-mounted device 805 or a remote system.

[0076] The application repository 855 stores one or more applications for execution by the console 815. An application is a set of instructions that, when executed by a processor, generate content for presentation to a user. The content generated by an application may be in response to input received from a user in response to movement via the head-mounted device 805 or the I / O interface 810. Examples of applications include: game applications, conference applications, video playback applications, or other suitable applications.

[0077] The tracking module 860 uses information from the DCA 845, one or more position sensors 840, or some combination thereof to track the movement of the head-mounted device 805 or the I / O interface 810. For example, the tracking module 860 determines the position of a reference point of the head-mounted device 805 in a map of a local area based on information from the head-mounted device 805. The tracking module 860 may also determine the position of an object or a virtual object. Additionally, in some embodiments, the tracking module 860 may use some portion of the data from the position sensor 840 indicating the position of the head-mounted device 805 and a representation of the local area from the DCA 845 to predict the future position of the head-mounted device 805. The tracking module 860 provides the estimated or predicted future position of the head-mounted device 805 or the I / O interface 810 to the engine 865.

[0078] The engine 865 executes the applications and receives the position information, acceleration information, speed information, predicted future position, or some combination thereof of the head-mounted device 805 from the tracking module 860. Based on the received information, the engine 865 determines the content to be provided to the head-mounted device 805 for presentation to the user. For example, if the received information indicates that the user has looked to the left, the engine 865 generates content for the head-mounted device 805 that reflects the movement of the user in a virtual local area or a local area enhanced with additional content. Additionally, the engine 865 performs an action within the application being executed on the console 815 in response to an action request received from the I / O interface 810 and provides feedback to the user that the action has been performed. The feedback provided may be visual feedback or auditory feedback via the head-mounted device 805, or tactile feedback via the I / O interface 810.

[0079] Network 820 couples the head-mounted device 805 and / or the console 815 to the map building server 825. Network 820 can include any combination of local area networks and / or wide area networks using wireless communication systems and / or wired communication systems. For example, network 820 can include the Internet and mobile phone networks. In one embodiment, network 820 uses standard communication technologies and / or standard communication protocols. Thus, network 820 can include links using technologies such as Ethernet, 802.11, Worldwide Interoperability For Microwave Access (WiMAX), 2G / 3G / 4G mobile communication protocols, Digital Subscriber Line (DSL), Asynchronous Transfer Mode (ATM), InfiniBand, PCI Express Advanced Switching, etc. Similarly, the networking protocols used on network 820 can include Multiprotocol Label Switching (MPLS), Transmission Control Protocol / Internet Protocol (TCP / IP), User Datagram Protocol (UDP), Hypertext Transport Protocol (HTTP), Simple Mail Transfer Protocol (SMTP), File Transfer Protocol (FTP), etc. Data exchanged over network 820 can be represented using the following technologies and / or formats: the technologies and / or formats include image data in binary form (e.g., Portable Network Graphics (PNG)), Hypertext Markup Language (HTML), Extensible Markup Language (XML), etc.In addition, all or some of the links can be encrypted using conventional encryption techniques such as Secure Sockets Layer (SSL), Transport Layer Security (TLS), Virtual Private Network (VPN), Internet Protocol security (IPsec), etc.

[0080] The map building server 825 can include a database storing virtual models describing multiple spaces, where a location in the virtual model corresponds to the current configuration of a local area of the head-mounted device 805. The map building server 825 receives, via the network 820, information describing at least a part of the local area and / or location information of the local area from the head-mounted device 805. The user can adjust privacy settings to allow or block the head-mounted device 805 from sending information to the map building server 825. The map building server 825 determines a location in the virtual model associated with the local area of the head-mounted device 805 based on the received information and / or location information. The map building server 825 determines (e.g., retrieves) one or more acoustic parameters associated with the local area based at least in part on the determined location in the virtual model and any acoustic parameters associated with the determined location. The map building server 825 can send the location of the local area and any values of the acoustic parameters associated with the local area to the head-mounted device 805.

[0081] One or more components in the system 800 can include a privacy module that stores one or more privacy settings for user data elements. The user data elements describe the user or the head-mounted device 805. For example, the user data elements can describe the physical characteristics of the user, actions performed by the user, the location of the user of the head-mounted device 805, the location of the head-mounted device 805, the head-related transfer function (HRTF) of the user, etc. The privacy settings (or "access settings") of the user data elements can be stored in any suitable manner, such as storing them in association with the user data elements, storing them in an index on an authorization server, storing them in another suitable manner, or any suitable combination thereof.

[0082] Privacy settings for user data elements specify how the user data elements (or specific information associated with the user data elements) can be accessed, stored, or otherwise used (e.g., viewed, shared, modified, copied, executed, displayed, or identified). In some embodiments, the privacy settings for user data elements can specify a "blacklist" of entities that are not permitted to access certain information associated with the user data elements. The privacy settings associated with user data elements can specify any suitable granularity of access permitted or denied. For example, some entities can have permission to ascertain the existence of a particular user data element, some entities can have permission to view the content of a particular user data element, and some entities can have permission to modify a particular user data element. The privacy settings can allow a user to permit other entities to access or store the user data elements for a limited period of time.

[0083] The privacy settings can allow a user to specify one or more geographical locations from which the user data elements can be accessed. Access to or denial of access to the user data elements can depend on the geographical location of the entity attempting to access the user data elements. For example, a user can permit access to the user data elements and specify that the user data elements are only accessible to an entity when the user is in a particular location. If the user leaves that particular location, the user data elements can no longer be accessible to that entity. As another example, a user can specify that the user data elements are only accessible to entities within a threshold distance of the user (such as another user of a head-mounted device within the same local area as the user). If the user subsequently changes location, entities that have access rights to the user data elements may lose their access rights, while a new set of entities can gain access rights when those new entities come within the user's threshold distance.

[0084] System 800 can include one or more authorization / privacy servers for implementing the privacy settings. A request from an entity for a particular user data element can identify the entity associated with the request, and if the authorization server determines, based on the privacy settings associated with the user data element, that the entity is authorized to access the user data element, the user data element can be sent only to that entity. If the requesting entity is not authorized to access the user data element, the authorization server can prevent the requested user data element from being retrieved or can prevent the requested user data element from being sent to the entity. Although this disclosure describes implementing the privacy settings in a particular manner, this disclosure contemplates implementing the privacy settings in any suitable manner.

[0085] Additional configuration information

[0086] The foregoing description of the embodiments has been presented for purposes of illustration; it is not intended to be exhaustive or to limit the patent rights to the precise forms disclosed. Persons skilled in the relevant art can understand that, in light of the foregoing disclosure, many modifications and variations are possible.

[0087] Some portions of this description describe embodiments in terms of algorithms and symbolic representations of operations on information. These algorithmic descriptions and representations are commonly used by those skilled in the data processing arts to effectively convey the substance of their work to others skilled in the art. Although these operations are described functionally, computationally, or logically, these operations are understood to be implemented by a computer program or equivalent circuitry or microcode, etc. Moreover, it has been found that, without loss of generality, it is sometimes convenient to refer to the arrangement of these operations as a module. The described operations and their associated modules can be implemented in software, firmware, hardware, or any combination thereof.

[0088] Any of the steps, operations, or processes described herein can be performed or implemented using one or more hardware or software modules, either alone or in combination with other devices. In one embodiment, a software module is implemented using a computer program product that includes a computer-readable medium containing computer program code that can be executed by a computer processor to perform any or all of the described steps, operations, or processes.

[0089] Embodiments may also relate to an apparatus for performing the operations herein. The apparatus may be specially constructed for the required purposes and / or the apparatus may include a general-purpose computing device selectively activated or reconfigured by a computer program stored in the computer. Such a computer program may be stored in a non-transitory tangible computer-readable storage medium that can be coupled to a computer system bus, or in any type of medium suitable for storing electronic instructions. Additionally, any computing system mentioned in the specification may include a single processor or may be an architecture that employs a multi-processor design to increase computing power.

[0090] Embodiments may also relate to a product produced by the computing processes described herein. Such a product may include information obtained from the computing process, where the information is stored on a non-transitory tangible computer-readable storage medium and may include any embodiment of the computer program product or other data combinations described herein.

[0091] Finally, the language used in this specification has been principally selected for readability and guidance, and may not have been selected to circumscribe or delimit the patent rights. Accordingly, it is intended that the scope of the patent rights not be limited by this specific implementation, but rather by any claims published on the application based on this text. Thus, the disclosure of the embodiments is intended to illustrate rather than limit the scope of the patent rights, which scope is set forth in the appended claims.

Claims

1. An illuminator, comprising: an array of light sources, each light source configured to emit light; as well as A lens assembly configured to receive light emitted by one or more of the light sources and direct the light into a local area, the lens assembly being positioned relative to the array of light sources so that a focus of the lens assembly is located within an overlap plane in which light from adjacent light sources in the array at least partially overlaps, the overlap plane being separate from an emission plane that includes surfaces of the light sources from which light is emitted.

2. The illuminator according to claim 1, wherein: The array of light sources includes a plurality of groups of light sources, wherein each group of light sources is individually addressable.

3. The illuminator according to claim 1, wherein: The lens assembly includes a projection lens.

4. The illuminator according to claim 1, wherein: The overlapping plane is closer to the local area than the emitting plane along an axis perpendicular to the emitting plane.

5. The illuminator according to claim 1, wherein: The overlapping plane is further away from the local area than the emission plane along an axis perpendicular to the emission plane.

6. The illuminator according to claim 1, wherein: The lens assembly is configured to introduce one or more aberrations into light received by the one or more light sources prior to directing the light received by the one or more light sources into the localized region.

7. The illuminator according to claim 6, wherein: The aberration among the one or more aberrations includes spherical aberration.

8. The illuminator according to claim 1, wherein: The lens assembly includes a microlens array, which includes a plurality of microlenses located at an exit pupil of the lens assembly to form a plurality of sub-exit pupils, each of the plurality of sub-exit pupils corresponds to a microlens, the lens assembly guides light to the local area through the exit pupil, and each microlens is configured to deviate the angle of light leaving the sub-exit pupil corresponding to the microlens.

9. The illuminator according to claim 8, wherein: Each microlens includes a prism.

10. The illuminator according to claim 8, wherein: Each microlens includes a wedge-shaped lens.

11. The illuminator of claim 1 , further comprising a plurality of light pipes, each light pipe coupled to a light source of the array at a first opening and configured to direct light from the first opening to a second opening, and each light pipe being located between the emission plane and the overlap plane.

12. An illuminator, comprising: an array of light sources, each light source configured to emit light; as well as A lens assembly configured to receive light emitted by one or more of the light sources and direct the light into a local area, the lens assembly having a focus located in an emission plane, the emission plane including surfaces of the light sources from which the light is emitted, and the lens assembly configured to introduce one or more aberrations into the light from the light sources before directing the light from the light sources into the local area, the one or more aberrations causing the light from the light sources to disperse.

13. The illuminator according to claim 12, wherein: The aberration among the one or more aberrations includes spherical aberration.

14. The illuminator according to claim 12, wherein: The lens assembly includes a microlens array, which includes a plurality of microlenses located at an exit pupil of the lens assembly to form a plurality of sub-exit pupils, each of the plurality of sub-exit pupils corresponds to a microlens, the lens assembly guides light to the local area through the exit pupil, and each microlens is configured to deviate the angle of light leaving the sub-exit pupil corresponding to the microlens.

15. The illuminator according to claim 14, wherein Each microlens includes a prism.

16. The illuminator according to claim 14, wherein: Each microlens includes a wedge-shaped lens.

17. A depth camera assembly, the depth camera assembly comprising: An illuminator, the illuminator comprising: an array of light sources, each light source configured to emit light; and a lens assembly configured to receive light emitted by one or more of the light sources and direct the light into a localized area, the lens assembly being positioned relative to the array of light sources such that a focal point of the lens assembly is located within an overlap plane where light from adjacent light sources of the array at least partially overlaps, the overlap plane being separate from an emission plane including surfaces of the light sources from which light is emitted; and One or more imaging devices are configured to capture images of the local area where light from the illuminator is directed.

18. The depth camera assembly according to claim 17, wherein: The overlapping plane is closer to the local area than the emitting plane along an axis perpendicular to the emitting plane.

19. The depth camera assembly of claim 17, wherein: The overlapping plane is further away from the local area than the emission plane along an axis perpendicular to the emission plane.

20. The depth camera assembly of claim 17, wherein: The lens assembly is configured to introduce one or more aberrations into light received by the one or more light sources prior to directing the light received by the one or more light sources into the localized region.

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