Common Sensor Depth Camera System with Infrared Illumination
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Solution Overview
Problem
Current digital camera systems that capture depth information are complex and costly, relying on stereoscopic, time of flight, or infrared sensor technologies, which present economic and practical challenges for widespread adoption.
Innovation Solution
A common sensor depth camera system that uses a single image sensor capable of capturing both color and infrared light, employing a Bayer pattern and image signal processor to record and process depth data, allowing for depth and motion detection using a structured projector and near-infrared illumination, while maintaining a fixed frame rate.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Measurement precision
If stereoscopic cameras, time of flight sensors, or infrared sensors are used to capture depth information, then depth recording capability is improved, but device complexity and cost increase
Solution Approach 1:
The patent combines color imaging and depth sensing functions into a single camera system. The image sensor captures both visible light (for color) and near-infrared light (for depth) through the same lens and sensor array, eliminating the need for separate stereoscopic cameras, time of flight sensors, or infrared projectors. This merging approach maintains depth recording capability while significantly reducing device complexity.
Solution Approach 2:
The image sensor is designed to perform multiple functions: capturing visible light for color images and detecting near-infrared light for depth information. By making the sensor universal, the system eliminates dedicated depth-sensing components and achieves both photometric and geometric imaging capabilities with a single device, thereby reducing overall system complexity.
2Measurement precision
If stereoscopic cameras, time of flight sensors, or infrared sensors are used to capture depth information, then depth recording capability is improved, but system cost increases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent combines color imaging and depth sensing functions into a single camera system. The image sensor captures both visible light (for color) and near-infrared light (for depth) through the same lens and sensor array, eliminating the need for separate stereoscopic cameras, time of flight sensors, or infrared projectors. This merging approach maintains depth recording capability while significantly reducing device complexity.
Solution Approach 2:
The image sensor is designed to perform multiple functions: capturing visible light for color images and detecting near-infrared light for depth information. By making the sensor universal, the system eliminates dedicated depth-sensing components and achieves both photometric and geometric imaging capabilities with a single device, thereby reducing overall system complexity.
3Device complexity
If a single sensor captures both color and infrared light, then device complexity is reduced, but depth measurement precision may be affected by ambient light interference
Solution Approach 1:
The patent employs temporal modulation by alternating between capturing visible light frames and near-infrared light frames at different time intervals. The controller switches the image sensor between visible and infrared detection modes in a periodic sequence, allowing the system to capture both color and depth information while using temporal separation to minimize interference between the two measurement processes.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent applies preliminary processing to separate the captured signals by wavelength before depth calculation. By preprocessing the combined visible and infrared signal data to extract and isolate the near-infrared component, the system removes ambient light interference before performing depth measurements, thereby maintaining measurement precision despite using a single sensor.
Applied Scientific Principles
This section explains which scientific principles are used to turn an abstract innovation direction into a practical engineering solution.
Function Achieved in This Case
Enables efficient and cost-effective capture of depth and motion data using a single sensor, reducing system complexity and cost, while maintaining high frame rates and accurate image processing.
Implementation Method 1
senses an image in near-infrared light reflected from the image plane
Implementation Method 2
record light returned from an object... Time of flight sensor systems rely on recording the two-way transmission time of light reflecting off an object
Data Source
AI summary
A depth-sensing camera system includes a common sensor configured to record color and infrared data from a target, an infrared illuminant that projects infrared light on the target, and a control logic that switches a mode of operation of the. camera between a color mode and an infrared mode. When the camera system is in the infrared mode, the infrared illuminant operates to project the infrared light on the target and when in the color mode, the infrared illuminant is disabled. The camera system also includes a color buffer for storing color chroma and luma values and a depth buffer for storing infrared luma data.