Depth camera and electronic equipment

Abstract

The invention discloses a depth camera and electronic equipment. The depth camera comprises a shell, a first transmitting assembly, a second transmitting assembly and a receiving assembly, wherein the first transmitting assembly, the second transmitting assembly and the receiving assembly are arranged in the shell. The receiving assembly comprises a lens, an optical filter and a photosensitive chip which are sequentially arranged in the direction of the optical axis. The optical filter comprises a first filtering area and a second filtering area, and the photosensitive chip comprises a first photosensitive area and a second photosensitive area. Through the partition corresponding design of the optical filter and the photosensitive chip in the direction perpendicular to the optical axis, the depth camera receives optical signals of different wave bands on the premise of one receiving assembly, signal crosstalk is effectively avoided, meanwhile, the size of the depth camera is reduced, the overall size compression and miniaturization design of the depth camera are facilitated, and the application range of the depth camera is widened. And detection requirements in different environments are considered.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] This application relates to the field of camera technology, and more particularly to a depth camera and electronic device. Background Technology

[0002] Depth cameras based on Time-of-Flight (TOF) technology have been widely used in the field of video vision because they can acquire three-dimensional depth information of the environment. They transmit light signals to a target object, which are then reflected by the object and received by a receiving component. The depth information of the target object is obtained by calculating the round-trip time of the light signal.

[0003] In the existing technology, depth cameras based on time-of-flight technology often add independent detection modules in order to adapt to underwater scenes and environments. However, the stacking of such modules not only increases the overall size and structural complexity of the modules, but also hinders the miniaturization of electronic devices. Summary of the Invention

[0004] This application discloses a depth camera and electronic device that can receive optical signals of different wavelengths with a single receiving component, effectively avoiding signal crosstalk while reducing the size of the depth camera.

[0005] To achieve the above objectives, in a first aspect, this application discloses a depth camera, comprising: A housing having a receiving cavity; The first transmitting component, disposed in the receiving cavity, is configured to transmit an optical signal in a first wavelength band; The second transmitting component is disposed in the receiving cavity and is configured to transmit optical signals in a second band. The first band and the second band are different and are applied to different usage environments. A receiving component is disposed in the receiving cavity, and the receiving component is configured to receive the reflected light signal after the light signal of the first band and / or the second band is reflected by the object under test. The receiving component includes a lens, a filter, and a photosensitive chip, wherein the lens, the filter, and the photosensitive chip are arranged sequentially along the optical axis of the lens; The filter includes a first filtering area and a second filtering area, wherein the first filtering area is configured to transmit light signals of the first wavelength band, and the second filtering area is configured to transmit light signals of the second wavelength band. The photosensitive chip includes a first photosensitive area and a second photosensitive area. The first photosensitive area is configured to receive optical signals of the first wavelength band, corresponding to the first filter area. The second photosensitive area is configured to receive optical signals of the second wavelength band, corresponding to the second filter area.

[0006] The first photosensitive area spatially corresponds to the first filter area, and the second photosensitive area corresponds to the second filter area. Therefore, when the first transmitting component emits a light signal of the first band and it is reflected by an object, the reflected light signal can only pass through the first filter area and be transmitted to the first photosensitive area. Similarly, the light signal of the second band emitted by the second transmitting component passes through the second filter area and is transmitted to the second photosensitive area. It is evident that the depth camera of this application, by utilizing the partitioned design of the filter and the photosensitive chip in the direction perpendicular to the optical axis, achieves the reception of the first and second bands separately in a single receiving component, eliminating the need for separate receiving components. While realizing the detection function, it also simplifies the assembly of the depth camera components, thereby reducing the overall size of the depth camera and making it easier to integrate into space-constrained devices. Furthermore, this structural design of this application, capable of emitting and receiving different bands, provides a concrete solution for the switching operation of the depth camera in different environments (e.g., in air and water), which helps to improve the problem that depth cameras cannot simultaneously achieve anti-light interference on water and high penetration underwater.

[0007] As an optional implementation, the receiving component further includes a polarizer disposed along the optical axis on the side of the lens opposite to the photosensitive chip.

[0008] By placing the polarizer on the incident light side of the lens, the path of the light signal into the receiving component is as follows: polarizer, lens, filter, and image sensor. That is, when light from the external environment strikes the receiving component, it first passes through the polarizer. The polarizer filters out clutter signals generated by reflections from the external environment, thus preventing stray light from undergoing multiple refractions or scatterings inside the lens barrel, thereby further improving the imaging accuracy of the depth camera.

[0009] As an optional implementation, the polarizer is a linear polarizer, wherein the transmission axis of the linear polarizer is perpendicular to both the optical axis and the vertical direction relative to the horizontal plane; and / or, the transmittance of the polarizer is K1, satisfying: K1>85%; and / or, the acceptance angle of the polarizer is α, satisfying: α>45°.

[0010] Considering that the depth camera of this application can be applied to different environments, such as aquatic environments, and that stray light reflected in aquatic environments exhibits polarization characteristics, this application has designed the transmission axis of the linear polarizer to be perpendicular to both the optical axis and the vertical direction relative to the horizontal plane. In other words, the transmission axis of the linear polarizer is parallel to the horizontal direction of the depth camera. Since the wavelength emitted by the emission component of the depth camera has linear polarization parallel to the vertical direction relative to the horizontal plane, the reflection of stray light in aquatic environments also exhibits the same polarization characteristics. However, the object being measured will scatter the light signal received from the emission component. By setting the transmission axis perpendicular to the vertical direction relative to the horizontal plane, the linear polarizer can selectively block the light signal reflected from the water while receiving the light signal from the object being measured, thereby helping to filter out background noise generated by water reflection. Furthermore, the design that the transmission axis is perpendicular to both the optical axis and the vertical direction relative to the horizontal plane helps to retain the effective backlight signal within the field of view, thereby improving the underwater imaging effect.

[0011] Since the depth camera of this application is a dual-channel system with different wavelength emission components, it may need to process infrared light and visible light simultaneously, and the field of view is usually wide (e.g., the horizontal field of view may exceed 90°). Therefore, by limiting the transmittance K1 of the polarizer to be greater than 85%, the polarizer has the characteristic of high transmittance, which is beneficial to ensure that the polarizer has low light loss in the spectral range of 450nm to 940nm, and thus helps to maintain the intensity of the reflected signal.

[0012] Furthermore, an acceptance angle α greater than 45° means that even edge light rays incident at large angles can be effectively received, which helps to improve the brightness attenuation phenomenon in the edge area of ​​the lens, and thus helps to improve the uniformity of depth camera data.

[0013] As an optional implementation, the receiving component further includes a driving element connected to the filter; The filter includes a first filter sub-filter and a second filter sub-filter arranged in an array. The first filter sub-filter has a first filtering area, and the second filter sub-filter has a second filtering area. The driving element is configured to drive the filter to move so that the first filter sub-filter or the second filter sub-filter is switched into the optical path of the photosensitive chip.

[0014] The filter can also be dynamically switched under the drive of the driving device. The filter includes a first filter sub-filter and a second filter sub-filter arranged in an array. The first filter sub-filter corresponds to the aforementioned first filtering area, and the second filter sub-filter corresponds to the aforementioned second filtering area. The driving device drives the entire filter to move, thereby pushing the first or second filter sub-filter into the optical path of the photosensitive chip at different times. Because the different filtering areas of the filter are switched by mechanical drive, in different operating modes (e.g., above water only or underwater only), the photosensitive surface of the photosensitive chip is covered by a single type of filter sub-filter. Therefore, light signals in non-target wavelength bands are blocked from the optical path, which helps to reduce the risk of optical crosstalk between the two channels.

[0015] As an optional implementation, the filter includes a filter layer, a reflective film layer, and an antireflective film layer. The filter layer has an incident surface and an exit surface disposed opposite to each other. The reflective film layer is disposed on the incident surface, and the antireflective film layer is disposed on the exit surface.

[0016] The filter layer has two surfaces positioned opposite each other along the optical path: an incident surface facing external light and an exit surface facing the image sensor. A reflective coating is deposited on the incident surface, while an anti-reflection coating is deposited on the exit surface. When stray ambient light of various wavelengths illuminates the filter, light signals in non-corresponding wavelength bands (such as visible light illuminating the infrared filtering region) are directly reflected back from the outer surface of the filter layer. This effectively prevents stray light from entering the filter layer and undergoing secondary reflection. Simultaneously, the anti-reflection coating on the exit surface reduces reflection losses at the glass-air interface for light signals that have already passed through the filter layer (light in the first or second wavelength band). In other words, this coating design achieves effective light signal transmittance while reducing stray light interference, improving the imaging performance of the depth camera.

[0017] As an optional implementation, the receiving component is located between the first transmitting component and the second transmitting component, and the receiving cavity includes a first receiving cavity, a second receiving cavity, and a third receiving cavity arranged at intervals, with the first transmitting component, the receiving component, and the second transmitting component respectively disposed in the first receiving cavity, the second receiving cavity, and the third receiving cavity.

[0018] By placing the receiving component between the first and second transmitting components, this layout shortens the distance between the first and second transmitting components and the receiving component, thus facilitating coverage of different emission sources and making the depth camera more compact in structure. Simultaneously, the first, second, and third transmitting components are independently installed within the first, second, and third receiving cavities, respectively, with gaps between the cavities. This compartmentalized design effectively reduces the path of light signal propagation within the housing. This means that stray light generated by the first or second transmitting component during emission cannot directly penetrate the housing and enter the second receiving cavity where the receiving component is located, thereby reducing optical crosstalk caused by internal reflection or light leakage, and thus improving the accuracy of the reflected light signal acquired by the receiving component. Furthermore, because the refraction and scattering effects of light in the underwater environment are more complex, the independent compartmentalization also helps prevent the light signals from the first and second transmitting components from being directly refracted into the receiving component through the cover glass or internal structure without being reflected by the object being measured, further improving the imaging accuracy of the depth camera.

[0019] As an optional implementation, the first transmitting component, the receiving component, and the second transmitting component are arranged sequentially along a vertical direction relative to the horizontal plane.

[0020] The receiving component is located in the middle of the second receiving cavity, while the first and second transmitting components are located in the first and third receiving cavities on either side, respectively. This sequential arrangement of the receiving cavities along a vertical direction relative to the horizontal plane ensures that the physical layout orientation of the external transmitting components is consistent with the photosensitive zone orientation of the internal receiving components. This allows the light signal emitted by the first transmitting component to enter the corresponding first photosensitive area with minimal optical path offset caused by refraction upon return, thereby improving the efficiency of light energy utilization. Furthermore, because water has a higher refractive index than air, light refracts when entering water from the lens. This not only reduces the field of view but also alters the light propagation path. If there is a significant horizontal positional deviation between the transmitting and receiving components, this refraction effect exacerbates parallax, causing the received light spot to shift on the image sensor. This spot shift, in turn, leads to abnormal depth calculations. Therefore, the vertical arrangement of the depth camera in this application along the relative horizontal plane can adapt to different environments above and below water. It can also reduce the optical path offset between the first and second transmitting components and the receiving component. When applied to an underwater environment, it can suppress the lateral offset of the light spot caused by water refraction, which is beneficial to correct the depth calculation deviation caused by environmental changes and improve the problem of point cloud anomalies.

[0021] As an optional implementation, the first photosensitive area and the second photosensitive area are configured for time-division photosensitive.

[0022] The first and second photosensitive areas do not operate simultaneously; the operating mode includes a first state and a second state. In the first state, the first photosensitive area is activated in conjunction with the light signal emitted by the first emitting component, while the second photosensitive area is inactive. Conversely, in the second state, the second photosensitive area is activated in conjunction with the light signal emitted by the second emitting component, while the first photosensitive area is inactive. This time-division control allows the depth camera to select the appropriate light signal band based on the environment and avoids signal crosstalk between the first and second light bands.

[0023] As an optional implementation, the first band is suitable for depth detection in air environments, and the second band is suitable for depth detection in underwater environments.

[0024] This underwater detection capability is primarily achieved through the structure of the depth camera's second transmitting component and its compatible receiving component. Because second-band optical signals (such as 635nm visible light) have a low absorption coefficient in water, when the depth camera is deployed underwater, the beam emitted by the second transmitting component can effectively penetrate the water layer to reach the object being measured and be reflected back to the receiving component. This allows the depth camera to acquire data about the object being measured even underwater.

[0025] As an optional implementation, the depth camera further includes a controller, which is used to control the second transmitting component to emit a light signal of the second wavelength when the depth camera is in an underwater environment, so that the second photosensitive area is in a photosensitive state, while the first photosensitive area is in a closed or dormant state.

[0026] When the depth camera is in an underwater environment, its second emitting component emits a second-band light signal (e.g., 635nm visible light), simultaneously activating the second photosensitive area of ​​the image sensor and deactivating the first photosensitive area. Therefore, the depth camera can switch between above-water and underwater operation without human intervention, improving its adaptability to complex environments (such as amphibious environments).

[0027] As an optional implementation, the depth camera further includes at least one auxiliary receiving lens, and the housing also has an auxiliary receiving cavity located on one side of the receiving cavity along a first direction, and the first direction intersects with the vertical direction relative to the horizontal plane; The auxiliary receiving lens is configured to receive the reflected light signal after the light signal of the first band and / or the second band is reflected by the object being measured.

[0028] The auxiliary receiving cavity is located on one side (e.g., the left or right) of the receiving cavity along the first direction. When the auxiliary receiving lens receives the light signal reflected from the object being measured, the system can combine the data from the receiving components to form a binocular or multi-view vision system. This design facilitates the introduction of stereo vision computing, thereby further enhancing the detail accuracy based on depth data. In addition, the auxiliary receiving lens can also receive more light signals or features of specific wavelengths. By calculating with the ToF depth information, AI recognition functions (such as distinguishing between aquatic plants and rocks) or supporting visual simultaneous localization and mapping algorithms can be achieved, thereby improving the depth camera's analytical capabilities in complex environments.

[0029] As an optional implementation, the auxiliary receiving lens includes a visible light lens and an auxiliary polarizer disposed on the incident light side of the visible light lens, wherein the transmission axis of the auxiliary polarizer is perpendicular to the vertical direction relative to the horizontal plane.

[0030] The auxiliary polarizer is located at the very front of the visible light lens. Therefore, all incident light rays pass through the auxiliary polarizer before being converged and imaged by the visible light lens. This effectively filters out these interfering stray lights. Furthermore, since the polarization transmission axis of the auxiliary receiving lens is aligned with that of the receiving assembly (both are vertical directions perpendicular to the relative horizontal plane), this helps ensure the consistency of data between the auxiliary receiving lens and the receiving assembly, thereby mitigating errors caused by the different polarization effects of the two lenses.

[0031] As an optional implementation, the wavelength of the first band is λ1, which satisfies: 850nm≤λ1≤940nm; The wavelength of the second band is λ2, which satisfies: 450nm≤λ2≤650nm.

[0032] The wavelength λ1 of the first band satisfies 850nm ≤ λ1 ≤ 940nm (belonging to the near-infrared band). Utilizing the low transmission loss in air and the fact that this band is invisible to the human eye, the depth camera can obtain a high signal-to-noise ratio signal when mapping on water, while also avoiding strong solar background light interference in the visible light band. The wavelength λ2 of the second band satisfies 450nm ≤ λ2 ≤ 650nm (belonging to the visible light band). Taking advantage of the high penetrability of this visible light band in water, the light signal emitted by the second transmitting component can propagate a longer distance underwater without rapid attenuation.

[0033] As an optional implementation, the lens operates in a wavelength range of W, satisfying: 400nm ≤ W ≤ 1000nm; and / or, The transmittance of the lens within the operating wavelength range is T, satisfying: T>90%.

[0034] Because the depth camera comprises a dual-channel structure with a first and a second transmitting component, it needs to simultaneously process a second wavelength band (e.g., visible light 450nm-650nm) for underwater detection and a first wavelength band (e.g., infrared light 850nm-940nm) for surface detection. These two wavelength bands have a large spectral span. Therefore, to ensure that the receiving structure can receive light signals from both wavelength bands, the working wavelength range W of the lens must be set to 400nm to 1000nm, so that the spectral range of the lens can completely encompass the two working wavelength bands. This helps ensure that both underwater echoes and air echoes can pass through the shared lens to reach the filter and chip. Since ToF ranging relies on capturing reflected light signals, increasing the transmittance T to over 90% helps reduce energy loss of the light signal inside the lens glass, thereby improving the signal-to-noise ratio and ranging accuracy of the depth camera in complex environments.

[0035] Secondly, this application also discloses an electronic device comprising a depth camera as described in the first aspect.

[0036] This electronic device possesses the depth camera described in the first aspect above, thus achieving the corresponding beneficial effects of a depth camera. Specifically, it utilizes a partitioned transmission and reception architecture for a first band (such as infrared light) and a second band (such as visible light), achieving reception of both bands within a single receiving component, while avoiding crosstalk between different bands of light signals. Furthermore, by employing the partitioned arrangement of filters and photosensitive chips within the receiving component in the direction perpendicular to the optical axis, and the introduction of a linear polarizer, effective separation and filtering of signals from the dual transmission components are achieved while sharing a single receiving component. This approach is structurally simple, eliminating the need to stack two independent optical modules within the electronic device to achieve amphibious detection, and effectively controlling the signal-to-noise ratio of the detection. Moreover, the independent layout of the three compartments eliminates internal optical path crosstalk. Therefore, the depth camera of this application, while ensuring a compact structure and saving internal space for miniaturization, also achieves compatible detection of both surface and underwater environments, which is beneficial for improving the environmental adaptability and imaging quality of the depth camera.

[0037] Compared with the prior art, the beneficial effects of this application are: This application provides a depth camera and electronic device. The receiving component of the depth camera includes a lens, a filter, and a photosensitive chip arranged sequentially along the optical axis, and both the filter and the photosensitive chip include a first region and a second region. By partitioning the filter and the photosensitive chip, the first and second wavebands are received separately within a single receiving component, eliminating the need for separate receiving components. This simplifies the assembly of the depth camera components while achieving the detection function, thereby reducing the overall size of the depth camera and making it easier to integrate into space-constrained devices. Furthermore, this structural design, capable of transmitting and receiving different wavebands, provides a concrete solution for the switching operation of depth cameras in different environments (e.g., in air and water), helping to address the problem that depth cameras cannot simultaneously achieve anti-light interference on water and high penetration underwater, thus improving the environmental adaptability and imaging quality of the depth camera. Attached Figure Description

[0038] To more clearly illustrate the technical solutions in the embodiments of this application, the drawings used in the embodiments will be briefly introduced below. Obviously, the drawings described below are only some embodiments of this application. For those skilled in the art, other drawings can be obtained based on these drawings without creative effort.

[0039] Figure 1 This is a side view structural diagram of the depth camera disclosed in an embodiment of this application; Figure 2 This is a front view structural diagram of the depth camera disclosed in the embodiments of this application; Figure 3 This is a side view of the receiving component disclosed in an embodiment of this application; Figure 4 This is a front view of the filter in the receiving component disclosed in the embodiments of this application; Figure 5 This is a side view of the filter in the receiving component disclosed in the embodiments of this application; Figure 6 This is a schematic diagram of a depth camera equipped with an auxiliary receiving lens disclosed in an embodiment of this application; Figure 7 This is a schematic diagram of another depth camera equipped with an auxiliary receiving lens disclosed in the embodiments of this application; Figure 8 This is a schematic diagram of the structure of the first type of depth camera; Figure 9 yes Figure 8 Experimental results of the first depth camera in China; Figure 10 This is a schematic diagram of the structure of the second type of depth camera; Figure 11 yes Figure 10 Experimental results of the second type of depth camera in China; Figure 12 This is a schematic diagram of the structure of the third type of depth camera; Figure 13 yes Figure 12 Experimental results of the third type of depth camera in China; Figure 14 This is a schematic diagram of the structure of the fourth type of depth camera; Figure 15 yes Figure 14 Experimental results of the fourth type of depth camera in China; Figure 16 This is a schematic diagram of the structure of the fifth type of depth camera; Figure 17 yes Figure 16 Experimental results of the fifth type of depth camera in China; Figure 18 This is a schematic diagram of the electronic device disclosed in the embodiments of this application.

[0040] Explanation of reference numerals in the attached figures: Depth camera - 100; Electronic equipment - 200; Shell-10; Receiving cavity-11; First receiving cavity-111; Second receiving cavity-112; Third receiving cavity-113; Auxiliary receiving cavity-114; First transmitting component-20; First band optical signal-L1; Second transmitting component-30; Second band optical signal-L2; Receiver assembly - 40; Lens - 41; Optical axis direction - O; Filter - 42; First filter area - 421; Second filter area - 422; Filter layer - 423; Incident surface - 423a; Exit surface - 423b; Reflective coating layer - 424; Anti-reflective coating layer - 425; Photosensitive chip - 43; First photosensitive area - 431; Second photosensitive area - 432; Polarizer - 44; Auxiliary receiving lens-50; Visible light lens-51; Auxiliary polarizer-52; Glass cover plate - 60; Related receiving components - 70; Transmitting components - 80; First direction - F1. Detailed Implementation

[0041] The technical solutions of the embodiments of this application will be clearly and completely described below with reference to the accompanying drawings. Obviously, the described embodiments are only some embodiments of this application, and not all embodiments. Based on the embodiments of this application, all other embodiments obtained by those skilled in the art without creative effort are within the scope of protection of this application.

[0042] In this application, the terms "upper," "lower," "inner," and "outer," etc., indicate the orientation or positional relationship based on the orientation or positional relationship shown in the accompanying drawings. These terms are primarily for the purpose of better describing this application and its embodiments, and are not intended to limit the indicated device, element, or component to having a specific orientation, or to be constructed and operated in a specific orientation.

[0043] Furthermore, in addition to indicating location or positional relationship, some of the aforementioned terms may also have other meanings. For example, the term "above" may also be used in some cases to indicate a certain dependency or connection relationship. Those skilled in the art can understand the specific meaning of these terms in this application based on the specific circumstances.

[0044] Furthermore, the terms "installation," "setting," "connection," and "linking" should be interpreted broadly. For example, they can refer to a fixed connection, a detachable connection, or an integral structure; they can refer to a mechanical connection or an electrical connection; they can refer to a direct connection or an indirect connection through an intermediate medium, or an internal connection between two devices, components, or parts. Those skilled in the art can understand the specific meaning of these terms in this application based on the specific circumstances.

[0045] Furthermore, the terms "first," "second," etc., are primarily used to distinguish different devices, components, or parts (which may be the same or different in specific type and construction), and are not intended to indicate or imply the relative importance or quantity of the indicated devices, components, or parts. Unless otherwise stated, "a plurality of" means two or more.

[0046] Before explaining the technical solution of this application, the background of the inventive concept of this application will be explained first.

[0047] As described in the background section of this application, due to the differences in optical properties (such as refractive index and absorptivity) between water and air, depth cameras often require additional independent detection modules to adapt to these two different environments. While this approach covers the functional requirements, it increases the overall size and structural complexity of the module, which is not conducive to the miniaturization of electronic devices.

[0048] Based on this, this application discloses a depth camera and electronic device. By partitioning the filter and the photosensitive chip, the first and second bands are received separately in one receiving component, eliminating the need for separate receiving components. While realizing the detection function, it also helps to simplify the assembly of the depth camera components, thereby reducing the overall size of the depth camera and making it easier to integrate into space-constrained devices.

[0049] The depth camera and electronic device of this application will be described in detail below with reference to the accompanying drawings.

[0050] Please see Figures 1 to 3 , Figure 1 This is a side view structural diagram of the depth camera 100 disclosed in an embodiment of this application. Figure 2 This is a front view structural diagram of the depth camera 100 disclosed in an embodiment of this application. Figure 3 This is a side view of the receiving component 40 disclosed in an embodiment of this application. The depth camera 100 includes a housing 10, a first transmitting component 20, a second transmitting component 30, and a receiving component 40. The housing 10 has a receiving cavity 11. The first transmitting component 20 is disposed in the receiving cavity 11 and is configured to transmit a first-band optical signal L1. The second transmitting component 30 is disposed in the receiving cavity 11 and is configured to transmit a second-band optical signal L2. The first and second bands are different and are applied to different usage environments. The receiving component 40 is disposed in the receiving cavity 11 and is configured to receive the reflected light signal after the first-band and / or second-band optical signals L2 are reflected by the object being measured.

[0051] Furthermore, the receiving component 40 includes a lens 41, a filter 42, and a photosensitive chip 43, which are sequentially arranged along the optical axis O of the lens 41. The filter 42 includes a first filtering region 421 and a second filtering region 422. The first filtering region 421 is configured to transmit a first-band optical signal L1, and the second filtering region 422 is configured to transmit a second-band optical signal L2. The photosensitive chip 43 includes a first photosensitive region 431 and a second photosensitive region 432. The first photosensitive region 431 is configured corresponding to the first filtering region 421 to receive the first-band optical signal L1, and the second photosensitive region 432 is configured corresponding to the second filtering region 422 to receive the second-band optical signal L2.

[0052] Specifically, the first photosensitive area 431 spatially corresponds precisely to the first filter area 421, and the second photosensitive area 432 precisely corresponds to the second filter area 422. Therefore, when the first transmitting component 20 emits a first-band light signal L1 and it is reflected by an object, the reflected light signal can only pass through the first filter area 421 and be transmitted to the first photosensitive area 431. Similarly, the second-band light signal L2 emitted by the second transmitting component 30 passes through the second filter area 422 and is transmitted to the second photosensitive area 432. It can be seen that the depth camera 100 of this application, by utilizing the partitioned design of the filter 42 and the photosensitive chip 43 in the direction perpendicular to the optical axis O, achieves the reception of the first and second bands separately in a single receiving component 40, eliminating the need for separate receiving components. While realizing the detection function, it also simplifies the assembly of the depth camera components, thereby reducing the overall size of the depth camera 100 and making it easier to integrate into space-constrained devices. In addition, the structural design of this application, which enables the transmission and reception of different wavebands, provides a specific solution for the switching operation of the depth camera 100 in different environments (such as in air and water), which helps to improve the problem that the depth camera cannot simultaneously achieve anti-light interference on the water surface and high penetration underwater.

[0053] In some embodiments, the wavelength λ1 of the first band satisfies 850nm ≤ λ1 ≤ 940nm (belonging to the near-infrared band). Utilizing the characteristics of this band—low transmission loss in air and invisible to the human eye—the depth camera 100 can obtain a signal with a high signal-to-noise ratio when mapping on water, while also avoiding strong solar background light interference in the visible light band. The wavelength λ2 of the second band satisfies 450nm ≤ λ2 ≤ 650nm (belonging to the visible light band). Utilizing the high penetrability of this visible light band in water, the light signal emitted by the second transmitting component 30 can propagate a long distance underwater without rapid attenuation.

[0054] In other words, by setting up the first and second bands as described above, the depth camera of this application can be used in both surface and underwater environments to achieve information detection.

[0055] It is understandable that the wavelength λ1 of the first band includes 850nm, 880nm, 905nm, 940nm, etc. Among them, 940nm is preferred because the solar spectrum has absorption by water molecules in the atmosphere at 940nm, and working in this band is beneficial for naturally suppressing solar noise.

[0056] It is understandable that the wavelength λ2 of the second band includes: 450nm (blue light), 520nm (green light), 635nm (red light), 650nm, etc. In relatively clear water, blue-green light (450-550nm) has the best penetration. However, in slightly turbid or specific water bodies, red light (635nm) may have better adaptability. Preferably, 635nm can be selected as the second band to balance underwater penetration and photoelectric conversion efficiency.

[0057] Furthermore, since λ1 and λ2 are at least 200 nm apart in the spectrum, this difference in wavelength range helps the filter 42 in the receiving component 40 to separate the two signals more easily, thereby further reducing the risk of crosstalk between channels.

[0058] Understandably, the first transmitting component 20 is configured to transmit a first-band optical signal L1, which typically refers to transmitting infrared light suitable for propagation in the air.

[0059] Understandably, the second transmitting component 30 is configured to transmit a second-band optical signal L2, which typically refers to the transmission of visible light suitable for propagation in water.

[0060] It is understood that the first transmitting component 20 and the second transmitting component 30 have multiple operating schemes. Preferably, they are two independent transmitting devices. In another embodiment, the transmitting component 80 can also be a single transmitting source, which alternately transmits optical signals of different bands through time-division multiplexing to meet the transmission requirements of different band signals.

[0061] Understandably, the first and second bands are applied to different environments and are not limited to the aforementioned surface and underwater scenarios. For example, the first band can be used for conventional mapping with infrared light that has strong atmospheric penetration, while the second band can be selected for use in foggy, rainy, or dusty weather. This allows the depth camera 100 to adjust its detection mode according to changes in environmental visibility or medium density, thereby improving the reliability of the equipment in amphibious, special operations, or all-weather environments.

[0062] It is understandable that the filter 42 includes a first filtering area 421 and a second filtering area 422, which means that the filter 42 is designed in sections. For example, the first filtering area 421 can be a narrow-band filtering area that allows the 940nm±20nm wavelength band to pass through, while the second filtering area 422 can be a narrow-band filtering area that allows the 635nm±20nm wavelength band to pass through.

[0063] It is understandable that the data processing logic of the depth camera 100 is preferentially performed along the horizontal direction of the image, which usually corresponds to the direction with a larger field of view, and the partitioning arrangement direction of the filter 42 and the photosensitive chip 43 is parallel to the vertical direction relative to the horizontal plane.

[0064] Understandably, the photosensitive chip 43 can be a broadband sensor (such as an RGB-IR sensor) capable of simultaneously receiving visible and infrared light. Under this architecture, the photosensitive chip 43 does not need to divide into separate first photosensitive area 431 and second photosensitive area 432, but can achieve shared reception of signals of two bands in the same area by interleaving or stacking multiple layers at the pixel level.

[0065] As can be seen from the foregoing in some embodiments, the depth camera 100 of this application can adapt to different environments. For example, it can acquire data information of the object being measured in both above-water and underwater environments. That is, the depth camera of this application is configured to acquire data information of the object being measured in an underwater environment.

[0066] Specifically, this underwater detection capability is mainly achieved through the structure of the second transmitting component 30 of the depth camera 100 and the adapted receiving component 40. Since the second-band optical signal L2 (such as 635nm visible light) has a low absorption coefficient in water, when the depth camera 100 is deployed underwater, the light beam emitted by the second transmitting component 30 can effectively penetrate the water layer to reach the object being measured and be reflected back to the receiving component 40. This allows the depth camera 100 to acquire data about the object being measured even underwater.

[0067] Understandably, underwater environments can include swimming pool water, river water containing certain impurities, nearshore seawater, or the internal environment of industrial water tanks.

[0068] Understandably, the data information of the object being measured can be depth information, i.e., the distance values ​​from each point on the surface of the object to the camera, or point cloud data, which includes a set of spatial points with three-dimensional X, Y, and Z coordinates, and can also include an infrared or visible light reflectance intensity map of the object's surface.

[0069] In some embodiments, the filter can be a single piece, and the surface of the filter can include a first filtering area and a second filtering area, with the first filtering area and the second filtering area corresponding to the first emitting component and the second emitting component, respectively.

[0070] In other embodiments, the filter may be multiple filters. For example, the receiving component further includes a driver connected to the filter. The filter includes a first filter sub-filter and a second filter sub-filter arranged along a first direction, the first filter sub-filter forming a first filtering region and the second filter sub-filter forming a second filtering region.

[0071] The driving element is configured to drive the filter to move along a first direction so that the first filter sub-filter or the second filter sub-filter is switched into the optical path of the photosensitive chip.

[0072] Specifically, the filter can also be dynamically switched under the drive of the driving device. The filter includes a first filter sub-filter and a second filter sub-filter arranged along a first direction. The first filter sub-filter corresponds to the aforementioned first filtering area, and the second filter sub-filter corresponds to the aforementioned second filtering area. The driving device drives the entire filter to move, thereby pushing the first or second filter sub-filter into the optical path of the photosensitive chip at different times. Because different filtering areas of the filter are switched by mechanical movement, in different operating modes (e.g., above water only or underwater only), the photosensitive surface of the photosensitive chip is covered by a single type of filter sub-filter. Therefore, light signals in non-target wavelength bands are blocked outside the optical path, which helps to reduce the risk of optical crosstalk between the two channels.

[0073] In some embodiments, such as Figure 1 and Figure 2 As shown, when the receiving component, the first transmitting component, and the second transmitting component are housed in the housing, they can be compartmentalized, meaning that the first transmitting component, the receiving component, and the second transmitting component are isolated from each other. Specifically, the receiving component 40 is located between the first transmitting component 20 and the second transmitting component 30. The receiving cavity 11 includes a first receiving cavity 111, a second receiving cavity 112, and a third receiving cavity 113 spaced apart. The first transmitting component 20, the receiving component 40, and the second transmitting component 30 are respectively disposed in the first receiving cavity 111, the second receiving cavity 112, and the third receiving cavity 113.

[0074] By positioning the receiving component 40 between the first transmitting component 20 and the second transmitting component 30, this arrangement helps to shorten the distance between the first transmitting component 20 and the second transmitting component 30 and the receiving component 40, thereby facilitating the coverage of different transmitting sources and making the depth camera 100 more structurally compact.

[0075] Based on this, the first transmitting component 20, the receiving component 40, and the second transmitting component 30 are independently installed inside the first receiving cavity 111, the second receiving cavity 112, and the third receiving cavity 113, respectively, with gaps between the cavities. Therefore, this compartmentalized design effectively reduces the path of optical signal propagation inside the housing 10. This means that the internal stray light generated by the first transmitting component 20 or the second transmitting component 30 when emitting light cannot directly pass through the inside of the housing 10 and enter the second receiving cavity 112 where the receiving component 40 is located. This helps to reduce optical crosstalk caused by internal reflection or light leakage, thereby improving the accuracy of the reflected light signal acquired by the receiving component 40.

[0076] Furthermore, because the light refraction and scattering effects in the underwater environment are more complex, separate compartments help prevent the light signals from the first transmitting component 20 and the second transmitting component 30 from being refracted directly into the receiving component 40 through the cover glass or internal structure without being reflected by the object being measured, which further helps to improve the imaging accuracy of the depth camera 100.

[0077] It is understood that the first, second, and third receiving cavities in the housing can be achieved by providing partitions within the housing. For example, two non-transparent partitions can be used to divide the internal space of the housing into the aforementioned first, second, and third receiving cavities. Alternatively, the aforementioned first, second, and third receiving cavities can be formed by additionally providing shell-like structures within the housing.

[0078] In some embodiments, such as Figure 1 and Figure 2 As shown, the first transmitting component 20, the receiving component 40, and the second transmitting component 30 are arranged sequentially along the vertical direction relative to the horizontal plane.

[0079] Specifically, the receiving component 40 is located in the middle of the second receiving cavity 112, while the first transmitting component 20 and the second transmitting component 30 are located in the first receiving cavity 111 and the third receiving cavity 113 on the sides, respectively. This sequential arrangement of the receiving cavities 11 along a vertical direction relative to the horizontal plane ensures that the physical layout direction of the external transmitting components is consistent with the photosensitive zone direction of the internal receiving component 40. This allows the light signal emitted by the first transmitting component 20 to enter the corresponding first photosensitive area 431 with minimal light path offset caused by refraction upon return, thereby improving the efficiency of light energy utilization. Furthermore, since water has a higher refractive index than air, light refracts when entering the water from the lens 41, which not only reduces the field of view but also alters the light propagation path. If there is a large positional deviation between the transmitting and receiving components 40 in the horizontal direction, this refraction effect will exacerbate parallax, causing the received light spot to shift on the image sensor. This light spot shift, in turn, leads to abnormal depth calculations. Therefore, the vertical arrangement of the depth camera 100 in this application along the relative horizontal plane can adapt to different environments above and below water, and can also reduce the optical path offset between the first transmitting component 20 and the second transmitting component 30 and the receiving component 40. When applied to an underwater environment, it can suppress the lateral offset of the light spot caused by water refraction, which is beneficial to correct the depth calculation deviation caused by environmental changes and improve the problem of point cloud anomalies.

[0080] In some embodiments, the first transmitting component 20 is configured to have a horizontal field of view greater than 90°, and its optical axis has a structurally upward pitch angle, which is set to be greater than 5°. Correspondingly, the second transmitting component 30 is configured to have a horizontal field of view greater than 60°, and its optical axis has a structurally downward pitch angle, which is also set to be greater than 5°. For the first transmitting component 20 responsible for underwater mapping, the optical axis direction O is tilted upward and the horizontal field of view is greater than 90°, so that the component can better scan environmental features above the water surface (such as dikes and walls) and effectively avoid the strong reflective areas of the water surface itself. It also helps to reduce the interference of specular reflection of sunlight on the water surface on the detection signal. For the second transmitting component 30 responsible for underwater obstacle avoidance, the optical axis is tilted downward and a specific vertical field of view range is set (e.g., between 10° and 45°), so that the beam can concentrate on illuminating the underwater area. More importantly, because light refracts when it enters the water from the air (inside lens 41) (the refractive index of water is approximately 1.33), the actual underwater field of view is compressed and narrowed. Therefore, a margin based on refractive index conversion is reserved in the design of the field of view of the second transmitting component 30, and combined with a downward pitch angle, it helps to compensate for the loss of field of view caused by environmental changes, thereby ensuring that the depth camera 100 can still maintain a sufficiently wide detection range underwater.

[0081] It is understandable that the upward pitch angle is greater than 5°, and the specific values ​​can include, but are not limited to: 5°, 7°, 10°, 12°, and 15°.

[0082] It is understandable that the light spot shape of the first emitting component 20 and / or the second emitting component 30 can have multiple schemes to adapt to different needs.

[0083] In a first possible implementation, the first emitting component 20 and / or the second emitting component 30 are configured as area array light sources. That is, both the first and second emitting components can be area array light sources simultaneously, or one can be an area array light source and the other can be a linear array light source. The vertical field of view of the area array light source is greater than 45°, which is beneficial for obtaining height information at close range.

[0084] In the second possible implementation, the first transmitting component 20 and / or the second transmitting component 30 are configured as linear array light sources. That is, both the first and second transmitting components can be linear array light sources simultaneously, or one can be a linear array light source and the other can be a planar array light source. The vertical field of view of the linear array light source is greater than 1°. This scanning method, similar to lidar, is beneficial for concentrating energy on the horizontal plane, thereby improving the detection accuracy at long distances.

[0085] In some embodiments, the operating wavelength range of the lens 41 of the receiving component is W, satisfying: 400nm≤W≤1000nm.

[0086] Specifically, since the depth camera 100 includes a dual-emission component structure of a first transmitting component 20 and a second transmitting component 30, it needs to simultaneously process a second wavelength band (e.g., visible light 450nm-650nm) for underwater detection and a first wavelength band (e.g., infrared light 850nm-940nm) for surface detection. These two wavelength bands have a large spectral span. Therefore, to ensure that the receiving structure can receive light signals from both wavelength bands, the operating wavelength range W of the lens 41 must be set to 400nm to 1000nm, so that the spectral range of the lens 41 can completely encompass the two operating wavelength bands. This helps ensure that both underwater echoes and air echoes can pass through the shared lens 41 to reach the filter 42 and the chip.

[0087] In some embodiments, the transmittance T of lens 41 within the operating wavelength range satisfies: T>90%. Specifically, ToF ranging relies on capturing reflected light signals, so increasing the transmittance T to over 90% helps reduce energy loss of the light signal inside the glass of lens 41, thereby improving the signal-to-noise ratio and ranging accuracy of depth camera 100 in complex environments.

[0088] In some embodiments, such as Figure 3 As shown. The receiving component 40 also includes a polarizer 44, which is disposed along the optical axis direction O on the side of the lens 41 opposite to the photosensitive chip 43.

[0089] Specifically, by placing the polarizer 44 on the light-incident side of the lens 41, the path of the light signal entering the receiving component 40 is as follows: polarizer 44, lens 41, filter 42, and photosensitive chip 43. That is, when light from the external environment shines on the receiving component 40, it will first pass through the polarizer 44. The polarizer 44 can filter out these clutter signals generated by water reflection, which helps to block stray light before it enters the lens barrel and undergoes multiple refractions or scatterings, thereby further improving the imaging accuracy of the depth camera 100.

[0090] It is understood that the polarizer 44 is disposed on the side of the lens 41 away from the photosensitive chip 43. The polarizer 44 can be directly attached to the light-incident surface of the lens 41, or the polarizer 44 can be fixed in front of the lens 41 as an independent component. This embodiment does not make specific limitations on this.

[0091] It is understandable that the polarizer 44 can also be disposed in the space near this side. For example, the polarizer 44 can be mounted on a structural member in front of the lens 41, or fixed as a separate component to the cover plate on the light-incident side of the lens 41.

[0092] It is understandable that polarizers 44 can also be configured in multiple sets, such as two or more sets of polarizers 44. In addition to the first set of polarizers 44 located on the light-incident side of lens 41, a second set of polarizers 44 can be added at other locations in the optical path (such as inside lens 41 or on the light-incident side of filter 42). By cooperating with multiple sets of polarizers 44, the light signal entering the photosensitive chip 43 can be controlled more precisely, thereby improving the detection accuracy of depth camera 100 in underwater and other media environments.

[0093] It is understandable that polarizers or glass covers can also be provided at the emitting ends of the first emitting component 20 and the second emitting component 30. In one optional example, if the emitting component emits unpolarized or randomly polarized light, a polarizer is provided at the emitting end of the emitting component to ensure that the light beam entering the water has a polarized state. In another optional example, if the internal light source itself can directly emit linearly polarized light, a glass cover can be directly provided at the emitting end. Since the light source itself already has polarization characteristics, no additional polarization device is needed to meet the detection requirements, and in this case, the glass cover can serve a protective function.

[0094] In some embodiments, the polarizer 44 is a linear polarizer 44, and the transmission axis of the linear polarizer 44 is perpendicular to both the optical axis direction O and the vertical direction relative to the horizontal plane.

[0095] Specifically, considering that the depth camera 100 of this application can be applied to different environments, such as aquatic environments, and that stray light reflection in aquatic environments exhibits polarization characteristics, this application has oriented the transmission axis of the linear polarizer 44, that is, ensuring that the transmission axis of the linear polarizer is perpendicular to both the optical axis O and the vertical direction relative to the horizontal plane. In other words, the transmission axis of the linear polarizer 44 is parallel to the horizontal direction of the depth camera 100.

[0096] Because the wavelength emitted by the emitting component of the depth camera 100 has linear polarization parallel to the vertical direction relative to the horizontal plane, stray light reflected in the water environment also has the same polarization characteristics. However, the object being measured will scatter the light signal after receiving the light signal from the emitting component. By setting the transmission axis to be perpendicular to the vertical direction relative to the horizontal plane, the linear polarizer 44 can selectively block the light signal reflected by the water and receive the light signal from the object being measured, thereby helping to filter out the background noise generated by water reflection. In addition, the design that the transmission axis direction is perpendicular to both the optical axis direction O and the vertical direction relative to the horizontal plane helps to retain the effective backlight signal within the field of view, thereby improving the underwater imaging effect.

[0097] It is understandable that the transmission axis refers to the physical axis of the linear polarizer 44. Only light signal components whose vibration direction is parallel to this axis can pass through, while light signal components whose vibration direction is perpendicular to this axis will be blocked.

[0098] In some embodiments, the transmittance K1 of the polarizer 44 satisfies: K1 > 85%. Since the depth camera 100 of this application is a dual-emission system with different wavelength emission components, it may need to process infrared and visible light simultaneously, and the field of view is typically wide (e.g., the horizontal field of view may exceed 90°). Therefore, by limiting the transmittance K1 of the polarizer 44 to be greater than 85%, the polarizer 44 has a high transmittance characteristic, which helps ensure that the polarizer 44 has low light loss in the spectral range of 450nm to 940nm, thereby helping to maintain the intensity of the reflected signal. If K1 is too low, the amount of light entering the photosensitive chip 43 will decrease, thereby reducing the effective detection distance of the depth camera 100. If K1 is too high, although the amount of light entering will increase, it will also increase manufacturing costs.

[0099] It is understood that the specific value of the light transmittance K1 can be: 86%, 88%, 89.5%, 90%, 91%, 92.5%, 93%, 94%, 95%, 96%, 97%, 98% or 99%, and this embodiment does not make a specific limitation on it.

[0100] In some embodiments, the acceptance angle of polarizer 44 is α, satisfying α > 45°. Specifically, an acceptance angle α greater than 45° means that polarizer 44 can maintain a good transmittance at the incident angle. This means that even edge light rays incident at large angles can be effectively received, which helps to improve the brightness attenuation phenomenon in the edge area of ​​the lens, and thus helps to improve the uniformity of the depth camera 100 data. For depth cameras, the incident angle of the edge field of view is often large. If α is too small, less light will be received in the edge area, resulting in unclear edges of the depth map.

[0101] It is understood that the angle α can be 46°, 48°, 50°, 55°, 60°, 65°, 70°, 75°, 80°, 85° or 88°, and this embodiment does not make a specific limitation on it.

[0102] In some embodiments, such as Figure 4 and Figure 5 As shown, Figure 4 This is a front view of the filter 42 in the receiving component 40 disclosed in the embodiments of this application. Figure 5This is a side view of the filter in the receiving assembly disclosed in this application embodiment. The filter 42 includes a filter layer 423, a reflective film layer 424, and an anti-reflection film layer 425. The filter layer 423 has an incident surface 423a and an exit surface 423b disposed opposite to each other. The reflective film layer 424 is disposed in the first filtering region 421 and the second filtering region 422 to reflect light signals of non-corresponding wavelength bands. The anti-reflection film layer 425 is disposed on the exit surface 423b.

[0103] Specifically, the filter layer 423 has two surfaces arranged opposite each other in the optical path: an incident surface 423a facing external light and an exit surface 423b facing the photosensitive chip 43. A reflective film layer 424 is deposited on the incident surface 423a, and an anti-reflection film layer 425 is deposited on the exit surface 423b of the filter layer 423. When stray ambient light containing various wavelengths shines on the filter 42, light signals in non-corresponding bands (such as visible light shining on the infrared filtering region) are directly reflected back from the outer surface of the filter layer 423. This effectively prevents stray light from entering the filter layer 423 and undergoing secondary reflection. At the same time, the anti-reflection film layer 425 is provided on the exit surface 423b, so for light signals (light in the first or second band) that have already passed through the filter layer 423, the anti-reflection film layer 425 can reduce their reflection loss at the glass-air interface. In other words, this film design improves the transmittance of effective light signals while reducing stray light interference, thereby improving the imaging effect of the depth camera 100.

[0104] It is understood that the filter layer 423 should have good light transmittance and flatness, and its material can be blue glass or white glass. This embodiment does not make specific limitations on this.

[0105] Understandably, the reflective film layer 424 is disposed in the first filter region 421 and the second filter region 422 to reflect optical signals of non-corresponding wavelengths. For example, in the first filter region 421, the reflective film layer 424 is configured to allow only light of 940nm±20nm to pass through, and to reflect other light rays of 400nm-900nm and above 960nm. In the second filter region 422, the reflective film layer 424 is configured to allow only light of 635nm±20nm to pass through, and to reflect light rays of other wavelengths.

[0106] It is understood that the material of the antireflective coating layer 425 can be magnesium fluoride, silicon dioxide, etc., and this embodiment does not specifically limit it.

[0107] In some embodiments, the first photosensitive area 431 and the second photosensitive area 432 are configured for time-division photosensitive.

[0108] Specifically, the first photosensitive area 431 and the second photosensitive area 432 do not operate simultaneously; this operating mode includes a first state and a second state. In the first state, in conjunction with the light signal emission of the first emitting component 20, the first photosensitive area 431 is activated, while the second photosensitive area 432 is deactivated. Conversely, in the second state, in conjunction with the light signal emission of the second emitting component 30, the second photosensitive area 432 is activated, while the first photosensitive area 431 is deactivated. Through this time-division control, the depth camera 100 can select the appropriate light signal band for operation based on environmental conditions, and can also avoid signal crosstalk between the first and second light bands.

[0109] In some embodiments, the depth camera 100 also includes a controller for controlling the second transmitting component 30 to emit a second-band optical signal L2 when the depth camera 100 is in an underwater environment, with the second photosensitive area 432 in a photosensitive state and the first photosensitive area 431 in a closed or dormant state.

[0110] Specifically, when the depth camera 100 is in an underwater environment, its controller controls the second emitting component 30 to emit a second-band light signal L2 (e.g., 635nm visible light), while simultaneously activating the second photosensitive area 432 of the photosensitive chip 43 and deactivating the first photosensitive area 431. Therefore, the depth camera 100 can switch between above-water and underwater operation without human intervention, improving its adaptability in complex environments (such as amphibious environments).

[0111] Understandably, the depth camera 100 acquires environmental state information about its surroundings in various ways.

[0112] In one possible implementation, the depth camera 100 integrates an environmental sensor (such as a miniature photoelectric liquid level sensor or a conductivity sensor), and the depth camera 100 determines whether the environment is underwater by reading the values ​​of the internal sensor.

[0113] In another possible implementation, the depth camera 100 receives environmental status signals or control commands from external devices (such as the main control board of an amphibious robot or submersible) via a communication interface. For example, the external device has a liquid level detection switch installed on its body. When the depth camera 100 enters the water, the main control board notifies the depth camera 100 to switch to underwater mode via an electrical level signal.

[0114] It is understandable that environmental state information is not limited to feedback from physical sensors, but can also be the result of software analysis based on image data. For example, a depth camera 100 or an external processor calculates and outputs environmental state information by analyzing image features acquired by the receiving components (such as bubbles, distortion caused by changes in the refractive index of light).

[0115] It is understood that the sensor in this application can be of various types of environmental detection elements. For example, it can be a photoelectric liquid level sensor, which determines whether water has entered the water by detecting changes in the refractive index of the contact medium. Alternatively, it can be an RGB camera of a depth camera 100, which uses image recognition algorithms (such as recognizing water ripples, bubbles, or color features) to determine the environmental state. It can also be a pressure sensor or a conductivity sensor; this embodiment does not specifically limit it to these.

[0116] Understandably, in practical applications, when the sensor of the depth camera 100 detects that the depth camera 100 is in a semi-submerged state with water surface ripples, the control circuit board (e.g., the control circuit board in an electronic device) controls the depth camera 100 to execute an alternating transmission mode. In this mode, the control circuit board will control the depth camera 100 to drive the first transmission component 20 and the second transmission component 30 in turn frame by frame, so that data above and below the water can be acquired simultaneously within the same time period.

[0117] In some embodiments, such as Figure 6 and Figure 7 As shown, Figure 6 This is a schematic diagram of a depth camera 100 equipped with an auxiliary receiving lens 50, as disclosed in an embodiment of this application. Figure 7 This is a schematic diagram of another depth camera 100 with an auxiliary receiving lens 50 disclosed in this application embodiment. The depth camera 100 also includes at least one auxiliary receiving lens 50, and the housing 10 also has an auxiliary receiving cavity 114, which is located on one side of the receiving cavity 11 along the first direction F1. The auxiliary receiving lens 50 is disposed in the auxiliary receiving cavity 114 and is configured to receive the reflected light signal after the first band and / or second band optical signal L2 is reflected by the object being measured.

[0118] Specifically, the auxiliary receiving cavity 114 is located on one side (e.g., the left or right side) of the receiving cavity along the first direction F1, and this first direction F1 intersects with the vertical direction relative to the horizontal plane, preferably a mutually perpendicular horizontal direction. When the auxiliary receiving lens 50 receives the light signal reflected by the object being measured, the system can combine the data from the receiving component 40 to form a binocular or multi-view vision system. This design facilitates the introduction of stereo vision computing, thereby further enhancing the detail accuracy based on the ToF depth data. In addition, the auxiliary receiving lens 50 can also receive more light signals or features of specific wavelengths. By calculating these information with the ToF depth information, AI recognition functions (such as distinguishing between aquatic plants and rocks) or support for VSLAM (Visual Simultaneous Localization and Mapping) algorithms can be realized, thereby improving the analysis capabilities of the depth camera 100 in complex environments.

[0119] It is understood that the auxiliary receiving lens 50 is configured to receive reflected light signals, meaning that it can receive both ambient light and active light signals (such as infrared or visible light) emitted by the first transmitting component 20 or the second transmitting component 30. This embodiment does not specifically limit this.

[0120] In other embodiments, the depth camera 100 may be equipped with binocular auxiliary receiving lenses (located on the left and right sides of the containment cavity, respectively) to provide a wider field of view coverage.

[0121] In some embodiments, such as Figure 6 and Figure 7 As shown, the auxiliary receiving lens 50 includes a visible light lens 51 and an auxiliary polarizer 52 disposed on the light incident side of the visible light lens 51. The transmission axis of the auxiliary polarizer 52 is perpendicular to the vertical direction relative to the horizontal plane.

[0122] Specifically, the auxiliary polarizer 52 is located at the very front of the visible light lens 51. Therefore, all incident light rays are filtered by the auxiliary polarizer 52 before being converged and imaged by the visible light lens 51. This effectively filters out these interfering stray lights. Furthermore, since the polarization transmission axis of the auxiliary receiving lens 50 is aligned with that of the receiving assembly 40 (both are vertical directions perpendicular to the relative horizontal plane), this helps ensure the consistency of data between the auxiliary receiving lens 50 and the receiving assembly 40, thereby mitigating errors caused by the different polarization effects of the two lenses.

[0123] Understandably, the visible light lens 51 may be an optical lens assembly for chromatic aberration correction in the 400nm-700nm wavelength band, configured to transmit a color image of the external environment onto the RGB sensor at the back end.

[0124] The following description, with reference to the accompanying drawings, illustrates the data detection capabilities of the depth cameras used in related technologies and the depth camera of this application in underwater environments: Please see Figure 8 , Figure 8 A schematic diagram of the structure of a depth camera in the related technology is shown, wherein, Figure 8 The system employs a 940nm infrared light source and uses an integrated cover glass 60 on the transmitting component 80 and the associated receiving component 70. The arrangement of the transmitting component 80 and the associated receiving component 70 is parallel to the horizontal direction of depth calculation (hereinafter referred to as Comparative Example 1) for underwater data detection. Figure 9 ( Figure 9 (a) in the image is an underwater point cloud map. Figure 9 The experimental results (b) in the figure show that in the underwater environment, the receiving component can hardly obtain effective reflected signals, and there is no effective information in the underwater point cloud map and the infrared intensity map.

[0125] Please see Figure 10 Based on Comparative Example 1, the inventors adjusted the light source to 635nm red light, which has higher transmittance in water (hereinafter referred to as Comparative Example 2). In Comparative Example 2, according to Figure 11 ( Figure 11 (a) in the image is an underwater point cloud map. Figure 11 The experimental results of (b) (infrared intensity map) show that although the relevant receiving component 70 restored the signal reception problem in the underwater environment, underwater point cloud shift and infrared intensity map signal overexposure and ghosting phenomena immediately appeared.

[0126] Please see Figure 12 Based on Comparative Example 2, the inventors adjusted the transmitting component 80 and the related receiving component 70 into separate, independently isolated compartmentalized structures (hereinafter referred to as Comparative Example 3). Figure 13 ( Figure 13 (a) in the image is an underwater point cloud map. Figure 13 The experimental results of (b) infrared intensity map show that this compartmentalized design can improve the offset problem of underwater point clouds.

[0127] Please see Figure 14 Based on Comparative Example 3, the inventors attempted to attach a polarizer 44 (hereinafter referred to as Comparative Example 4) to the surface of the relevant receiving component 70. Figure 15 ( Figure 15 (a) in the image is an underwater point cloud map. Figure 15 The experimental results (b) of the infrared intensity map show that after the introduction of polarizer 44, the interference signal in the infrared intensity map is further reduced, which confirms that polarizer 44 can suppress stray light in non-target directions.

[0128] Please see Figure 16 Based on Comparative Example 4, the inventors arranged the transmitting component 80 and the associated receiving component 70 perpendicular to the horizontal direction of the depth calculation (i.e., as in this application, the transmitting and receiving components are arranged vertically relative to the horizontal plane). According to Figure 17 ( Figure 17 (a) in the image is an underwater point cloud map. Figure 17 The experimental results (b) of the infrared intensity map show that this arrangement can effectively improve the offset problem of underwater point clouds and also improve the detection accuracy, making the infrared intensity map clearer.

[0129] Therefore, this application, while achieving miniaturization of the depth camera 100 by using a single receiving component to receive optical signals of different wavelengths, has made several improvements to further enhance the detection accuracy of the depth camera in underwater environments. Specifically, for underwater environments, the light source wavelength is set to the visible light band (band range 450nm to 650nm). Utilizing the high penetrability of the visible light band in water, the optical signal emitted by the transmitting component can propagate a longer distance underwater without rapid attenuation.

[0130] Next, based on the realization of underwater optical signal propagation, considering the signal overexposure and internal crosstalk problems that are easily caused by a single receiving component in a compact space, this application adopts a compartmentalized structure in which the transmitting component 80 and the receiving component 70 are independently isolated, which blocks the leakage of optical signal inside the cover glass 60 and improves ghost interference.

[0131] By introducing a polarizer 44 into the optical path, the polarization characteristics of light are utilized to effectively filter out noise from non-target directions and effectively filter out the interference of scattering clutter generated by water on the image, thereby improving the signal-to-noise ratio of the image. Next, the arrangement of the transmitting component 80 and the associated receiving component 70 is adjusted to be perpendicular to the horizontal direction of depth calculation to address the problems of field-of-view shrinkage and point cloud horizontal shift caused by changes in the refractive index of the underwater medium, effectively avoiding the impact of water refraction on horizontal parallax calculation.

[0132] In summary, this application, while achieving a single receiving component, further considers the detection accuracy problem in underwater environments caused by using a single receiving component. This allows the depth camera 100 of this application to achieve detection functions in different environments above and below water while reducing the overall size, thus balancing environmental adaptability and imaging quality.

[0133] In some embodiments, this application also discloses a control method for a depth camera 100, wherein the depth camera 100 is as described in the first aspect, and the control method includes: Depending on the environment in which the depth camera 100 is located, the first transmitting component 20 or the second transmitting component 30 is controlled to emit light signals so that the first photosensitive area 431 or the second photosensitive area 432 is photosensitive to receive the corresponding light signals.

[0134] Specifically, the depth camera 100 first acquires real-time characteristic data of its environment (e.g., through a liquid level sensor or image recognition). When the current environment is determined to be underwater, the depth camera 100 drives the second emitting component 30 to emit a second-band light signal with strong penetrating power, and simultaneously controls the second photosensitive area 432 of the photosensitive chip 43 to be in a photosensitive active state, while the first photosensitive area 431 is placed in a non-photosensitive state. When the environment is determined to be air, the operation switches to the first emitting component 20 and the first photosensitive area 431. Therefore, this method ensures that the depth camera 100 always uses the most suitable band (e.g., visible light underwater, infrared light above water) for detection, thus helping to solve the problem that a single band cannot work in different media.

[0135] In other embodiments, the control method further includes an alternating emission mode. When the depth camera 100 determines that the environment is critical (e.g., the machine is in a semi-submerged state), the depth camera 100 controls the first emission component 20 and the second emission component 30 to alternately emit light signals according to a preset timing sequence. For example, in the Nth frame, the first emission component 20 is driven to emit a first-band light signal, and the photosensitive chip 43 is simultaneously controlled to only activate the first photosensitive area 431 for signal acquisition. In the immediately following N+1th frame, the second emission component 30 is driven to emit a second-band light signal, and the photosensitive chip 43 is simultaneously controlled to only activate the second photosensitive area 432 for signal acquisition. By adopting an alternating emission method, the depth camera 100 can simultaneously capture reflection information of two bands, thereby constructing a complete image containing information above and below the water surface.

[0136] In some embodiments, the dual-emission assembly of the depth camera 100 employs a calibration method for the dual-channel system. Since the propagation speed and refractive index of light in water differ from those in air, the calibration process mainly includes a first environmental calibration (e.g., air environment calibration) for the first emission assembly 20 and a second environmental calibration (e.g., underwater environment calibration) for the second emission assembly 30.

[0137] Calibration of the first transmitting component 20 is typically performed in an air environment. Specifically, the depth camera 100 is placed in an air calibration environment (e.g., a standard air light box), the first transmitting component 20 is activated to emit a first-band optical signal, and the second transmitting component 30 is deactivated. The data collected by the receiving component 40 at this time is the raw data in the air environment. Based on this raw data, a first intrinsic parameter model of the depth camera 100 in air is calibrated. This first intrinsic parameter model is mainly used to characterize the focal length and basic optical distortion characteristics of the lens in the air medium.

[0138] For the calibration of the second transmitting component 30, considering the convenience and efficiency of the production line, the depth camera 100 is still placed in an air calibration environment, but the second transmitting component 30 is activated to emit a second-band optical signal, while the first transmitting component 20 is deactivated. At this time, although the second transmitting component 30 is designed for underwater use, it can still image in air to obtain its reference intrinsic parameter data and reference depth value in the air medium. Subsequently, the aforementioned reference intrinsic parameter data is corrected based on a preset medium optical difference model to obtain a second intrinsic parameter model suitable for the underwater environment. In this way, the depth camera 100 can correct underwater distortion correction parameters without immersing itself in a physical water tank, thereby correcting distortion caused by medium changes (such as water refraction), which helps simplify the mass production calibration process.

[0139] Of course, in another possible implementation, the calibration of the second transmitting component 30 can also be carried out using physical simulation. For example, the depth camera 100 can be actually placed in an underwater calibration device filled with water, and the second transmitting component 30 can be directly activated in the simulated underwater optical path to collect data, thereby calculating and obtaining the second intrinsic parameter model.

[0140] Secondly, such as Figure 18 As shown, Figure 18 This is a schematic diagram of the electronic device 200 disclosed in an embodiment of this application. This application also includes an electronic device 200, which includes the aforementioned depth camera 100.

[0141] The electronic device 200 has the aforementioned depth camera 100 from the first aspect, and therefore can achieve the corresponding beneficial effects of the depth camera 100. Specifically, by utilizing a partitioned transmission and reception architecture for a first band (such as infrared light) and a second band (such as visible light), reception of the first and second bands is achieved within a single receiving component 40, while also avoiding crosstalk between different band light signals. Simultaneously, by utilizing the partitioned arrangement of the filter 42 and the photosensitive chip 43 within the receiving component 40 in the direction perpendicular to the optical axis O, and by introducing a linear polarizer 44, effective separation and filtering of signals from the dual transmission components are achieved while sharing a single receiving component 40. This method has a simple structure, eliminating the need to stack two independent optical modules within the electronic device 200 to achieve amphibious detection, and the signal-to-noise ratio of the detection can be effectively controlled. Furthermore, the independent layout of the three compartments cuts off internal optical path crosstalk. As can be seen, the depth camera 100 of this application, while ensuring a compact structure and saving internal space of the electronic equipment 200 to achieve miniaturization, also achieves compatible detection of both above-water and underwater environments, which is conducive to improving the environmental adaptability and imaging quality of the depth camera 100.

[0142] It is understood that electronic device 200 includes products such as amphibious robots, underwater drones, pool cleaning robots, intelligent sweeping and mopping robots, or waterproof outdoor handheld detection terminals, etc., and this embodiment does not specifically limit them.

[0143] Finally, it should be noted that the above embodiments are only used to illustrate the technical solutions of this application, and are not intended to limit them. Although this application has been described in detail with reference to the foregoing embodiments, those skilled in the art should understand that modifications can still be made to the technical solutions described in the foregoing embodiments, or equivalent substitutions can be made to some or all of the technical features therein. Such modifications or substitutions do not cause the essence of the corresponding technical solutions to deviate from the scope of the technical solutions of the embodiments of this application.

Claims

1. A depth camera, characterized in that, include: A housing having a receiving cavity; The first transmitting component, disposed in the receiving cavity, is configured to transmit an optical signal in a first wavelength band; The second transmitting component, disposed in the receiving cavity, is configured to transmit optical signals in a second band; the first band and the second band are different and are applied to different usage environments; A receiving component is disposed in the receiving cavity, and the receiving component is configured to receive the reflected light signal after the light signal of the first band and / or the second band is reflected by the object under test. The receiving component includes a lens, a filter, and a photosensitive chip, wherein the lens, the filter, and the photosensitive chip are arranged sequentially along the optical axis of the lens; The filter includes a first filtering area and a second filtering area, wherein the first filtering area is configured to transmit light signals of the first wavelength band, and the second filtering area is configured to transmit light signals of the second wavelength band. The photosensitive chip includes a first photosensitive area and a second photosensitive area. The first photosensitive area is configured to receive optical signals of the first wavelength band, corresponding to the first filter area. The second photosensitive area is configured to receive optical signals of the second wavelength band, corresponding to the second filter area.

2. The depth camera according to claim 1, characterized in that, The receiving component further includes a polarizer, which is disposed along the optical axis on the side of the lens opposite to the photosensitive chip.

3. The depth camera according to claim 2, characterized in that, The polarizer is a linear polarizer, and the transmission axis of the linear polarizer is perpendicular to both the optical axis and the vertical direction relative to the horizontal plane; and / or, The transmittance of the polarizer is K1, satisfying: K1 > 85%; and / or, The polarizer has an acceptance angle of α, which satisfies the condition that α > 45°.

4. The depth camera according to claim 1, characterized in that, The receiving component further includes a driving element, which is connected to the filter. The filter includes a first filter sub-filter and a second filter sub-filter arranged in an array. The first filter sub-filter has a first filtering area, and the second filter sub-filter has a second filtering area. The driving element is configured to drive the filter to move so that the first filter sub-filter or the second filter sub-filter is switched into the optical path of the photosensitive chip.

5. The depth camera according to claim 1, characterized in that, The first and second photosensitive areas are configured for time-division photosensitive; and / or, the first band is suitable for depth detection in air environments, and the second band is suitable for depth detection in underwater environments.

6. The depth camera according to claim 5, characterized in that, The depth camera also includes a controller, which is used to control the second transmitting component to emit a light signal of the second wavelength when the depth camera is in an underwater environment, so that the second photosensitive area is in a photosensitive state, while the first photosensitive area is in a closed or dormant state.

7. The depth camera according to any one of claims 1-5, characterized in that, The receiving component is located between the first transmitting component and the second transmitting component. The receiving cavity includes a first receiving cavity, a second receiving cavity, and a third receiving cavity spaced apart. The first transmitting component, the receiving component, and the second transmitting component are respectively disposed in the first receiving cavity, the second receiving cavity, and the third receiving cavity; and / or, The first transmitting component, the receiving component, and the second transmitting component are arranged sequentially along a vertical direction relative to the horizontal plane.

8. The depth camera according to any one of claims 1-5, characterized in that, The depth camera further includes at least one auxiliary receiving lens, and the housing also has an auxiliary receiving cavity located on one side of the receiving cavity along a first direction, and the first direction intersects with the vertical direction relative to the horizontal plane; The auxiliary receiving lens is disposed in the auxiliary receiving cavity. The auxiliary receiving lens is configured to receive the reflected light signal after the light signal of the first band and / or the second band is reflected by the object under test. The auxiliary receiving lens includes a visible light lens and an auxiliary polarizer disposed on the light incident side of the visible light lens. The transmission axis of the auxiliary polarizer is perpendicular to the vertical direction relative to the horizontal plane.

9. The depth camera according to any one of claims 1-5, characterized in that, The wavelength of the first band is λ1, which satisfies: 850nm≤λ1≤940nm; The wavelength of the second band is λ2, satisfying: 450nm ≤ λ2 ≤ 650nm; and / or, The lens operates in a wavelength range of W, satisfying: 400nm ≤ W ≤ 1000nm; and / or, The transmittance of the lens within the operating wavelength range is T, satisfying: T>90%.

10. An electronic device, characterized in that, The electronic device includes a depth camera as described in any one of claims 1-9.

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