JP6626552B1 - Multi-image projector and electronic device having multi-image projector - Google Patents

Abstract

Provided is a multi-image projector in which the resolution of a pattern does not deteriorate, and an electronic device having the multi-image projector. In a projector including a laser module and a lens module, the lens module includes a plurality of lenses and a plurality of diffractive optical elements. The laser module is configured to generate at least one laser beam; each lens receives one of the at least one laser beam to generate a collimated laser beam. Each diffractive optical element corresponds to a lens, and each diffractive optical element is configured to receive a collimated laser beam from a corresponding lens to generate an image. The image generated by the diffractive optical element forms the projected image of the projector. [Selection diagram] Fig. 1

Description

1. TECHNICAL FIELD OF THE INVENTION The present invention relates to projectors, and more particularly to a multi-image projector applied to a 3D sensing system.

2. Description of the prior art
In order to obtain a 3D image, the electronic device may project a specific pattern into a surrounding area using a projector and capture an image having the specific pattern using a camera, and the captured image may be , Is analyzed by a processor to obtain depth information of the image. Conventional projectors have a fixed focal length and a fixed field of view (FOV), so when a particular pattern is projected on an object that is far away or too close to the projector , The resolution of a particular pattern may be degraded and depth information may not be accurately determined.

  Accordingly, an object of the present invention is to provide a projector capable of generating an appropriate projection image for a peripheral area based on a working distance of the projector in order to solve the above-described problem. is there.

  According to one embodiment of the present invention, there is provided a projector including a laser module and a lens module, wherein the lens module comprises a plurality of lenses and a plurality of diffractive optical elements. And In operation of the projector, the laser module is configured to generate at least one laser beam; each lens has at least one laser beam to generate a collimated laser beam. Each of the diffractive optical elements corresponds to a lens, and each diffractive optical element is configured to receive a collimated laser beam from a corresponding lens to produce an image. It is configured to receive.

  According to another embodiment of the present invention, there is provided an electronic device, wherein the electronic device includes a projector, a camera module, and a processor. In operation of the electronic device, the projector is configured to generate a projected image for a surrounding environment, and the camera module is configured to capture an area of the surrounding environment to generate image data. , The processor is configured to analyze the image data to obtain depth information of the image data. In one embodiment, a projector includes a laser module and a lens module, where the lens module includes a plurality of lenses and a plurality of diffractive optical elements. In projector operation, the lens module is configured to generate at least one laser beam; each lens is configured to generate any one of the at least one laser beam to generate a collimated laser beam. Each diffractive optical element is adapted to receive a collimated laser beam from a corresponding lens to generate an image. . The image generated by the diffractive optical element forms the projected image of the projector.

  These and other objects of the present invention will be readily apparent to those skilled in the art with reference to the following detailed description of the preferred embodiments, which are illustrated in various figures and drawings.

FIG. 1 is a view showing an electronic device according to an embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 2 is a diagram showing a projector according to one embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 3 shows a laser module according to an embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 4 shows a laser module according to another embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 5 shows how a projection image is generated according to an embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 6 illustrates the use of a projector when multiple lenses are designed to have different focal lengths, according to one embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 7 shows a laser module and a lens module according to another embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 8 shows the laser module shown in FIG. 7 according to one embodiment of the present invention.

  FIG. 1 is a diagram showing an electronic device 100 according to one embodiment of the present invention. As shown in FIG. 1, the electronic device 100 includes a projector 110, a camera module 120, a processor 130, and a controller 140. In this embodiment, electronic device 100 may be a smart phone or pad, or any other portable device capable of generating a 3D image.

  During operation of the electronic device 100, when the electronic device 100 prepares to capture a 3D image of the object 102, first, the processor 130 notifies the controller 140, and the controller 140 transmits the projection image 104 to the object 102. The projector 110 is controlled to generate the image. Thereafter, the camera module 120 captures the projected image 104 along with the object 102 to generate image data. The processor 130 obtains depth information of the image data and analyzes the image data to generate a 3D image. As noted in the background of the invention, if the object 102 is far away from the projector 110, or if the object 102 is too close to the projector, the resolution of the projected image 104 may be degraded. Thus, embodiments of the present invention provide some designs of projector 110 such that image 104 projected onto object 102 has a better resolution or FOV.

  FIG. 2 is a diagram showing a projector 110 according to one embodiment of the present invention. As shown in FIG. 2, the projector 110 includes a laser module 210 and a lens module 220. The lens module 220 includes a substrate 221 and two lenses 221_1 and 222_2 stamped on the surface of the substrate 221. , A substrate 225, two diffractive optical elements (DOEs) 224_1 and 224_2 imprinted on the surface of the substrate 225, and a spacer 223. In this embodiment, the laser module 210 may be a package having at least one infrared laser diode that emits one or two infrared laser beams (FIG. However, the laser beam forms a first image having a pattern of the DOE 224_1 via the substrate 221, the lens 222_1, the DOE 224_1, and the substrate 225. Then, the other laser beam passes through the substrate 221, the lens 222_2, the DOE 224_2, and the substrate 225 to form a second image having a pattern of the DOE 224_2. According to the designer's idea, the first image and the second image can be generated simultaneously or sequentially, or only one of the first image and the second image may be generated. Need attention. For example, when the first image and the second image are generated simultaneously or sequentially, the first image and the second image form the projection image 104 of the projector 110.

  In one embodiment, the infrared laser diode may be surface emitting, such as a vertical-cavity surface-emitting laser (VCSEL), plasma laser diode, or edge emitting. Good. Further, lenses 222_1 and 222_2 may have the same focal length or different focal lengths.

  The arrangement of layers shown in FIG. 2 is for illustrative purposes only, and lens module 220 may have different designs, as long as lens module 220 is capable of generating the first and second images. For example, lens 222_1 or 222_2 may be a biconvex lens, or another lens may be disposed on lens 222_1 or 222_2, or DOEs 224_ and 224_2 are engraved on the upper surface of substrate 225. You may. Further, the substrate 225 may have a single layer DOE, where the DOE 224_1 may be on the left side of the DOE layer and the DOE 224_2 may be on the right side of the DOE layer. Alternative designs are within the scope of the present invention.

  FIG. 3 shows a laser module 210 according to an embodiment of the present invention. As shown in FIG. 3A, the laser module 210 has a submount 310 and two laser diodes 312 and 314, in which case the laser diodes 312 and 314 The submount 310 is coupled to the same side surface. In this embodiment, the laser beam generated by laser diode 312 passes through DOE 224_1 of lens module 220 to generate a first image, and the laser beam generated by laser diode 314 Passing through the DOE 224_2 of the module 220 to generate a second image; In the embodiment shown in FIG. 3 (b), the laser module 210 has a submount 320 and two laser diodes 322 and 324, where the laser diodes 322 and 324 are of the submount 320. Bonded to different side surfaces. The laser beam generated by laser diode 322 passes through DOE 224_1 of lens module 220 to generate a first image, and the laser beam generated by laser diode 324 generates DOE 224_2 of lens module 220. To generate a second image. In the embodiment shown in FIG. 3, the first image and the second image are overlapped when they are projected onto the object 102.

  FIG. 4 shows a laser module 210 according to another embodiment of the present invention. As shown in FIG. 4 (a), the laser module 210 has a submount 410, a laser diode 412, and two prisms 414 and 416, in this case generated by the laser diode 412. One portion of the laser beam is reflected by prism 414 and another portion of the laser beam passes through prism 414 and is reflected by prism 416. The laser beam reflected by prism 416 passes through DOE 224_1 of lens module 220 to produce a first image, and the laser beam reflected by prism 414 passes through DOE 224_2 of lens module 220. Generate a second image. In the embodiment shown in FIG. 4 (b), the laser module 210 has a submount 420, a laser diode 422, two prisms 424 and 426, and a lens 428, where the laser A portion of the laser beam generated by diode 422 passes through lens 428 and is reflected by prism 424, and another portion of the laser beam passes through lens 428 and prism 424 and is reflected by prism 426. You. The laser beam reflected by prism 426 passes through DOE 224_1 of lens module 220 to produce a first image, and the laser beam reflected by prism 424 passes through DOE 224_2 of lens module 220. Generate a second image. In the embodiment shown in FIG. 4, the first image and the second image are overlapped when they are projected onto the object 102.

  FIG. 5 shows how a projection image 104 is generated according to an embodiment of the present invention. As shown in FIG. 5, one laser beam passes through the DOE 224_1 of the lens module 220 to generate a first image 502 for the object 102, and the other laser beam passes through the DOE 224_2 of the lens module 220. To generate a second image 502 for the object 102, where each of the first image 502 and the second image 504 has a plurality of light spots (or light spots). The position of the first image 502 and the second image 504 is such that the projected image 104 including the first image 502 and the second image 504 has a higher light spot density (i.e., higher resolution), as shown in FIG. As such, it can be carefully designed.

  It should be noted that the patterns shown in FIG. 5 are for illustrative purposes only and are not a limitation of the present invention. For example, the pattern of the first image 502 and the second image 504 (i.e., the pattern of the DOEs 224_1 and 224_2) may be the same or different, and the density / resolution of the first image 502 and the second image 504 may be different. May be the same or different. Further, in the embodiment shown in FIG. 5, although the entire region of the first image 502 and the second image 504 almost overlap each other, the overlap of the first image 502 and the second image 504 is shown. The ratio may be set according to an engineer's idea. For example, the projector 110 can be designed such that only the left portion of the first image 502 and the right portion of the second image 504 overlap. These alternative designs fall within the scope of the present invention.

  FIG. 6 illustrates utilizing projector 110 when multiple lenses 222_1 and 222_2 are designed to have different focal lengths, according to one embodiment of the present invention. As shown in FIG. 6, lens 222_1 has a focal length f1, and lens 222_2 has a focal length f2, for example, f1 may be 0.2 meters while f2 may be equal to 0.5 meters. In this embodiment, when the object 102 is close to the projector 110 (for example, at a position of 0.15 m), the first image output by the DOE 224_1 is sharp, and when the object 102 is far from the projector 110 (for example, 0.75 (In meters), the first image output by DOE224_1 may be unclear. On the other hand, when the object 102 is close to the projector 110, the second image output by the DOE224_2 may be unclear, and when the object 102 is far from the projector 110, the second image output by the DOE224_2 may be clear. Since each of the lenses 222_1 and 222_2 has its own corresponding working distance (working distance), the electronic device 100 selects a first image and a second image having a sharp pattern and analyzes the selected one. Thus, the depth information of the projection image 104 can be obtained.

  With respect to the control of the projector shown in FIG. 6, the first image and the second image may be sequentially generated for the object 102, and the camera module 120 may generate image data corresponding to the first image and the second image, respectively. And the processor 130 determines which of the first image and the second image is sharper, the processor 130 selects the sharper one, and obtains depth information of the projection image. In another embodiment, the electronic device 100 may utilize other elements or methods that can measure the distance between the electronic device 100 and the object 102, and the controller 140 may use the The projector 110 is controlled so as to generate an image corresponding to the lens closer to the measured distance. 3A and 6 as an example, if the electronic device 100 determines that the distance between the electronic device 100 and the object 102 is short, the controller 140 turns on the laser diode 312, The projector 110 may be controlled such that a laser beam is generated to the lens 222_1 and the DOE 224_1 to generate a first image while the laser diode 314 is turned off. If the electronic device 100 determines that the distance between the electronic device 100 and the object 102 is long, the controller 140 turns on the laser diode 314 and generates a laser beam to the lens 222_2 and the DOE 224_2 to generate a second laser beam. The projector 110 may be controlled to generate an image while the laser diode 312 is turned off.

  Although the embodiment 110 shown in FIG. 2-6 shows only two lenses 222_1, 222_2 and two DOEs 224_1, 224_2, the number of lenses and DOEs may be more than two (eg, a 1 × N array). , M × 1 array, M × N array, where M and N are any suitable integers). FIG. 7 shows a laser module having a submount 710 on which four laser diodes 712, 714, 716, 718 are mounted, and a lens module having four DOEs 724_1-724_4. In the embodiment shown in FIG. 7, a laser diode 712 is configured to generate a laser beam to DOE 724_1 to generate a first image, and a laser diode 714 is configured to generate a laser beam to DOE 724_2 to generate a second image. The laser diode 716 is configured to generate a laser beam, the laser diode 716 is configured to generate a laser beam to the DOE724_3 to generate a third image, and the laser diode 718 is configured to generate a first image. It is configured to generate a laser beam to DOE724_4. In the embodiment shown in FIG. 7, the laser diodes 712, 714, 716, 718 can be turned on at the same time, can be turned on sequentially, or have a working distance. Accordingly, only a portion of the laser diodes 712, 714, 716, 718 may be turned on. After understanding the above embodiments, those skilled in the art will understand the operations and applications of the embodiments shown in FIG. 7, and will not be further described herein.

    FIG. 8 shows the laser module shown in FIG. 7 according to one embodiment of the present invention. As shown in FIG. 8 (a), the laser module has a submount 810, two laser diodes 812, 814, and two prisms 816, 818. In this case, the laser diode 812 A portion of the laser beam generated by the laser beam is reflected by prism 816 and another portion of the laser beam passes through prism 816 and is reflected by prism 818; One portion is reflected by prism 816 and another portion of the laser beam passes through prism 816 and is reflected by prism 818. The laser beam generated by laser diode 812 and reflected by prism 816 passes through DOE824_1 of the lens module to generate a first image, and the laser beam generated by laser diode 814 and reflected by prism 816 The beam passes through the DOE824_2 of the lens module to generate a second image, and the laser beam generated by the laser diode 812 and reflected by the prism 818 passes through the DOE824_3 of the lens module to generate a third image. An image is generated, and the laser beam generated by laser diode 814 and reflected by prism 818 passes through lens module DOE 824_4 to generate a fourth image. In the embodiment shown in FIG. 8 (b), the laser module has a submount 830, two laser diodes 832, 834, two prisms 836, 838, and two lenses 839_1, 839_2. In this case, a portion of the laser beam generated by laser diode 832 passes through lens 839_1 and is reflected by prism 836, another portion of the laser beam passes through lens 839_1 and prism 836, Reflected by 838; a portion of the laser beam generated by laser diode 834 passes through lens 839_2 and is reflected by prism 836, another portion of the laser beam passes through lens 839_2 and prism 836; The light is reflected by the prism 838. The laser beam generated by the laser diode 832 and reflected by the prism 836 passes through the lens module DOE824_1 to generate a first image, and the laser beam generated by the laser diode 834 and reflected by the prism 836 The beam passes through the DOE824_2 of the lens module to generate a second image, and the laser beam generated by the laser diode 832 and reflected by the prism 838 passes through the DOE824_3 of the lens module to generate a third image. The image is generated and the laser beam generated by laser diode 834 and reflected by prism 838 passes through DOE824_4 of the lens module to generate a fourth image.

  In short, in the projector of the present invention, the projector is capable of generating a plurality of images, the plurality of images being simultaneously or sequentially, so as to obtain a projected image having a higher density / resolution and / or FOV. Only a portion of the plurality of images may be generated based on the distance between the projector and the object to obtain a sharper projected image.

  Those skilled in the art will readily observe that numerous modifications and alterations of the devices and methods may be made while maintaining the teachings of the invention. Accordingly, the above disclosure should be construed as limited only by the metes and bounds of the appended claims.

Claims (16)

A laser module for producing at least one laser beam; and a lens module;
Wherein the lens module comprises:
A plurality of lenses, each lens configured to receive any of the at least one laser beam to generate a collimated laser beam, wherein at least one of the plurality of lenses is configured to receive at least one of the at least one laser beam. A plurality of lenses, each having a different focal length ; and a plurality of diffractive optical elements, each corresponding to the plurality of lenses, wherein each diffractive optical element is configured to generate an image from a corresponding lens: A plurality of diffractive optical elements configured to receive the collimated laser beam, wherein the plurality of generated images at least partially overlap ;
Has a projector.   The projector according to claim 1, wherein the laser module includes a plurality of laser diodes, each configured to generate a plurality of laser beams to the plurality of lenses.   3. The projector according to claim 2, wherein the number of laser diodes, the number of lenses, and the number of diffractive optical elements are the same. The laser diode, to generate the image, the lens and the being turned on at the same time or one after the other to generate the laser beam to the diffractive optical element, according to 請 Motomeko 2 projector.   7. The image of claim 2, wherein each of the plurality of images includes a plurality of light spots, wherein the images form a projection image of the projector, wherein a light spot density of the projection images is higher than for each of the plurality of images. 4. The projector according to 4.   The projector according to claim 2, wherein only one laser diode is turned on to generate the laser beam to a corresponding lens and diffractive optical element to generate the image. The projector according to claim 6 , wherein at least two of the plurality of diffractive optical elements have different patterns.   The projector of claim 1, wherein the laser module has at least one laser diode, wherein the at least one laser diode is configured to generate a plurality of laser beams to the lens. 9. The projector according to claim 8 , wherein the number of the laser diodes is smaller than the number of lenses or the number of the diffractive optical elements. The projector according to claim 8 , wherein the at least one laser diode is configured to generate the laser beam to the lens by utilizing at least one prism. An electronic device having a projector, a camera module, and a processor, wherein the projector has a laser module that generates at least one laser beam, and a lens module, wherein the lens module includes:
A plurality of lenses, each lens configured to receive any of the at least one laser beam to generate a collimated laser beam, wherein at least one of the plurality of lenses is configured to receive at least one of the at least one laser beam. A plurality of lenses, each having a different focal length ; and a plurality of diffractive optical elements respectively corresponding to the plurality of lenses, each diffractive optical element corresponding to generating an image to a surrounding environment. A plurality of diffractive optical elements configured to receive the collimated laser beam from the lens, wherein the plurality of images generated are at least partially overlapped ;
Wherein the camera module captures an area of the surrounding environment to generate image data;
The electronic device, wherein the processor analyzes the image data to obtain depth information of the image data. The electronic device of claim 11 , wherein the laser module includes a plurality of laser diodes, each configured to generate a plurality of laser beams to the plurality of lenses. The laser diode, to generate the image, the lens and the Ru is turned on at the same time or one after the other to generate a laser beam to the diffractive optical element according to 請 Motomeko 12 Electronic device. Each of the plurality of images includes a plurality of light spots, wherein the images form a projected image of the projector, wherein a light spot density of the projected images is higher than for each of the plurality of images. Item 14. The electronic device according to item 13 . 13. The electronic device of claim 12 , wherein only one laser diode is turned on to generate the laser beam to a corresponding lens and diffractive optical element to generate the image. The processor determines whether to switch the laser diode to generate another image to the surrounding environment by utilizing another laser diode, a corresponding lens and a diffractive optical element. Analyzing the image data; if the laser diode is switched and the projector generates the another image, the camera module outputs the image data of the other image from the surrounding environment to generate image data of the another image. The electronic device of claim 15 , wherein the processor analyzes the image data of the another image to capture a region of the another image to obtain depth information of the image data.

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