Cambridge Mechatronics Limited

David Richards

Joshua Carr

Broadly speaking, embodiments of the present techniques provide apparatus and methods for generating a three-dimensional (3D) representation of a scene (also known as 3D sensing) using a time-of-flight imaging system. In particular, the present techniques provide an apparatus comprising a time-of-flight imaging camera system that emits illumination having a spatially-nonuniform intensity over a field of view of the sensor that is moved across at least part of the field of view of a sensor using an actuation mechanism.

3D sensing

A method suitable for use by a time-of-flight (TOF) imaging system (), wherein the system emits illumination in multiple configurations, each configuration having a different spatially-varying intensity over a field of view of an image sensor (), the method comprising: moving an actuation mechanism () to change the illumination via a first sequence of configurations from a first configuration (A) to a final configuration (B); moving the actuation mechanism () to subsequently change the illumination via a second sequence of configurations from the final configuration to the first configuration or a second configuration; and obtaining a set of data from the image sensor () for each of the configurations (A, B) in the first and second sequences, thereby obtaining two sets of data for each configuration that are suitable for producing two depth image frames, wherein the two sets of data corresponding to the final configuration are consecutively obtained from the first and second sequences. Light emitted by light source () passes through a set of one or more optical elements () before being emitted from the TOF system (). The set of optical elements () includes a diffractive optical element to produce an optical field, and also includes a shift lens to which the actuation mechanism () is operatively connected. Translational movement of the shift lens in directions perpendicular to the optical axis result in steering of the light. The imaging part includes a receiver lens and/or filter system () and an image a multipixel sensor (). The TOF system () also includes a controller ().

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Cambridge, United Kingdom

David Richards