PATENT DOCUMENT

Publication Number: US-10742881-B1
Application Number: US-201816045770-A
Country: US
Kind Code: B1

Title: Combined temporal contrast sensing and line scanning

Abstract:
An optoelectronic device includes a mount, which is configured to rotate about a rotational axis. A line radiation source is attached to the mount and configured to project a line of radiation onto a scene surrounding the mount as the mount rotates. An imaging assembly is attached to the mount in a location that is offset from the radiation source and includes a temporal contrast sensor including a two-dimensional array of sensing elements, which independently and asynchronously generate event signals in response to temporal changes of irradiance, and objective optics, which are configured to image the scene onto the array.

Claims:
The invention claimed is: 
     
       1. An optoelectronic device, comprising:
 a mount, which is configured to rotate about a rotational axis; 
 a line radiation source, which is attached to the mount and configured to project a line of radiation onto a scene surrounding the mount as the mount rotates; 
 an imaging assembly, which is attached to the mount in a location that is offset from the line radiation source and comprises:
 a temporal contrast sensor comprising a two-dimensional array of sensing elements, which independently and asynchronously generate event signals in response to temporal changes of irradiance; and 
 objective optics, which are configured to image the scene onto the array; and 
 
 a processor, which is configured to process the event signals generated by the temporal contrast sensor in response to the line of radiation reflected from the scene as the mount rotates so as to construct a three-dimensional map of the scene using triangulation based on the offset between the line radiation source and the imaging assembly and simultaneously to process the event signals generated by the temporal contrast sensor in response to the rotation of the mount so as to construct a two-dimensional image of the scene. 
 
     
     
       2. The optoelectronic device according to  claim 1 , wherein the line radiation source is temporally modulated at a predetermined frequency, and the processor is configured to extract the event signals that are synchronized with the predetermined frequency, and to construct the three-dimensional map based on the synchronized event signals. 
     
     
       3. The optoelectronic device according to  claim 1 , wherein the three-dimensional map of the scene is registered with the two-dimensional image of the scene using the event signals generated by the temporal contrast sensor in response to the line of radiation reflected from the scene together with the event signals generated by the temporal contrast sensor in response to the rotation of the mount. 
     
     
       4. The optoelectronic device according to  claim 1 , and comprising a flood radiation source, which is configured to illuminate at least a part of the scene that is in a field of view of the imaging assembly as the mount rotates. 
     
     
       5. The optoelectronic device according to  claim 4 , wherein the line and flood radiation sources are configured to emit radiation at a predetermined wavelength, and wherein the imaging assembly comprises a spectral bandpass filter configured to pass the radiation at the predetermined wavelength into the imaging assembly. 
     
     
       6. The optoelectronic device according to  claim 4 , wherein the flood radiation source is attached to rotate with the mount. 
     
     
       7. The optoelectronic device according to  claim 4 , wherein the flood radiation source comprises at least one spatially fixed radiation source, which is configured to illuminate a portion of the scene when the field of view of the imaging assembly coincides with the portion of the scene illuminated by the at least one spatially fixed radiation source. 
     
     
       8. The optoelectronic device according to  claim 1 , wherein the projected line of radiation is parallel to the rotational axis. 
     
     
       9. A method for three-dimensional mapping, comprising:
 rotating a line radiation source about a rotational axis while projecting a line of radiation from the line radiation source onto a scene surrounding the rotational axis; 
 imaging the scene onto a temporal contrast sensor, comprising a two-dimensional array of sensing elements, which independently and asynchronously generate event signals in response to temporal changes of irradiance, while rotating the temporal contrast sensor about the rotational axis in with the temporal contrast sensor offset from the line radiation source; 
 processing the event signals generated by the rotating temporal contrast sensor in response to the line of radiation reflected from the scene so as to construct a three-dimensional map of the scene using triangulation based on the offset between the line radiation source and the temporal contrast sensor; and 
 simultaneously processing the event signals generated by the rotating temporal contrast sensor so as to construct a two-dimensional image of the scene. 
 
     
     
       10. The method according to  claim 9 , wherein projecting the line of radiation comprises temporally modulating the radiation at a predetermined modulation frequency, and wherein processing the event signals comprises extracting the event signals using synchronous detection at the predetermined modulation frequency, and constructing the three-dimensional map based on the extracted event signals. 
     
     
       11. The method according to  claim 9  wherein the three-dimensional map of the scene is registered with the two-dimensional image of the scene using the event signals generated by the temporal contrast sensor in response to the line of radiation reflected from the scene together with the event signals generated rotation of the temporal contrast sensor. 
     
     
       12. The method according to  claim 9 , and comprising illuminating at least a part of the scene that is in a field of view of the rotating temporal contrast sensor with flood radiation emitted by a flood radiation source. 
     
     
       13. The method according to  claim 12 , wherein illuminating at least the part of the scene comprises rotating the flood radiation source together with the temporal contrast sensor. 
     
     
       14. The method according to  claim 12 , wherein the flood radiation source comprises at least one spatially fixed radiation source, and wherein illuminating at least the part of the scene comprises energizing the at least one spatially fixed radiation source when the field of view of the rotating the temporal contrast sensor coincides with the part of the scene that is illuminated by the spatially fixed radiation source. 
     
     
       15. The method according to  claim 9 , wherein the projected line of radiation is parallel to the rotational axis.

Description:
CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATION 
     This application claims the benefit of U.S. Provisional Patent Application 62/563,781, filed Sep. 27, 2017, which is incorporated herein by reference. 
     FIELD OF THE INVENTION 
     The present invention relates generally to optoelectronic devices, and particularly to optoelectronic devices used for three-dimensional mapping and imaging of scenes. 
     BACKGROUND 
     Temporal contrast sensors (some examples of which are sometimes referred to as Dynamic Vision Sensors) are a class of sensor arrays whose sensing elements respond asynchronously to relative changes in incident intensity, i.e., changes in irradiance, also referred to as temporal contrast. The sensor output is an asynchronous stream of pixel address-events that directly encode temporal brightness changes in the scene that is imaged onto the array, thus reducing data redundancy while preserving precise timing information. Sensors of this sort are described, for example, by Lichsteiner et al., in “A 128×128 120 dB 15 μs Latency Asynchronous Temporal Contrast Vision Sensor,” IEEE Journal of Solid-State Circuits 43:2 (2008), pages 566-576. 
     Depth sensors enable the remote measurement of distance to each point on a target scene—so-called target scene depth—by illuminating the target scene with one or more optical beams and analyzing the reflected optical signal. 
     SUMMARY 
     Embodiments of the present invention that are described hereinbelow provide systems and methods for panoramic three-dimensional mapping. 
     There is therefore provided, in accordance with an embodiment of the invention, an optoelectronic device, including a mount, which is configured to rotate about a rotational axis. A line radiation source is attached to the mount and configured to project a line of radiation onto a scene surrounding the mount as the mount rotates. An imaging assembly is attached to the mount in a location that is offset from the radiation source and includes a temporal contrast sensor including a two-dimensional array of sensing elements, which independently and asynchronously generate event signals in response to temporal changes of irradiance, and objective optics, which are configured to image the scene onto the array. 
     In some embodiments, the optoelectronic device includes a processor, which is configured to process the event signals generated by the temporal contrast sensor in response to the line of radiation reflected from the scene as the mount rotates so as to construct a three-dimensional map of the scene. In one embodiment, the radiation source is temporally modulated at a predetermined frequency, and the processor is configured to extract the event signals that are synchronized with the predetermined frequency, and to construct the three-dimensional map based on the synchronized event signals. Additionally or alternatively, the processor is configured to construct the three-dimensional map of the scene using triangulation based on the offset between the radiation source and the imaging assembly. 
     Further additionally or alternatively, the processor is configured to process the event signals generated by the temporal contrast sensor in response to the rotation of the mount so as to construct a two-dimensional image of the scene and to possibly register the three-dimensional map of the scene with the two-dimensional image of the scene. 
     In some embodiments, the optoelectronic device includes a flood radiation source, which is configured to illuminate at least a part of the scene that is in a field of view of the imaging assembly as the mount rotates. In a disclosed embodiment, the line and flood radiation sources are configured to emit radiation at a predetermined wavelength, and the imaging assembly includes a spectral bandpass filter configured to pass the radiation at the predetermined wavelength into the imaging assembly. In one embodiment, the flood radiation source is attached to rotate with the mount. In an alternative embodiment, the flood radiation source includes at least one spatially fixed radiation source, which is configured to illuminate a portion of the scene when the field of view of the imaging assembly coincides with the portion of the scene illuminated by the radiation source. 
     In a disclosed embodiment, the projected line of radiation is parallel to the rotational axis. 
     There is also provided, in accordance with an embodiment of the invention, a method for three-dimensional mapping, which includes rotating a line radiation source about a rotational axis while projecting a line of radiation from the line radiation source onto a scene surrounding the rotational axis. The scene is imaged onto a temporal contrast sensor, including a two-dimensional array of sensing elements, which independently and asynchronously generate event signals in response to temporal changes of irradiance, while rotating the temporal contrast sensor about the rotational axis in with the temporal contrast sensor offset from the line radiation source. The event signals generated by the rotating temporal contrast sensor in response to the line of radiation reflected from the scene are processed so as to construct a three-dimensional map of the scene. 
     The present invention will be more fully understood from the following detailed description of the embodiments thereof, taken together with the drawings in which: 
    
    
     
       BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
         FIG. 1  is a schematic side view of a panoramic imager, in accordance with an embodiment of the invention; 
         FIG. 2  is a schematic pictorial view of a panoramic imager in operation, in accordance with an embodiment of the invention; 
         FIG. 3  is a schematic pictorial view of a line of radiation and its image, in accordance with an embodiment of the invention; 
         FIGS. 4-5  are schematic top views of a panoramic imager in different rotational positions, in accordance with an embodiment of the invention; 
         FIG. 6  is a schematic top view of a panoramic imager, in accordance with another embodiment of the invention; 
         FIG. 7  is a schematic top view of a panoramic imager, in accordance with yet another embodiment of the invention; and 
         FIG. 8  is a schematic top view of a panoramic imager, in accordance with a further embodiment of the invention. 
     
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF EMBODIMENTS 
     Embodiments of the present invention that are described herein take advantage of the unique capabilities of temporal contrast sensors to map in real time a three-dimensional image of a scene. Specifically, these embodiments use a two-dimensional temporal contrast sensor together with a radiation source that projects a line of radiation onto the scene, which rotate together about an axis. An image of the scene is formed on the temporal contrast sensor, and the position of the image of the projected line, reflected from the scene, on the sensing elements of the temporal contrast sensor is used to calculate the scene depth by triangulation as the projected line of radiation sweeps across the scene. 
     The disclosed embodiments provide an optoelectronic device, comprising a mount, which rotates about a rotational axis. A radiation source, which is attached to the mount, projects a line of radiation onto a scene surrounding the mount as the mount rotates. The line may conveniently be parallel to the rotational axis, as shown in the figures below; but alternatively, any suitable line may be projected as long as it is not perpendicular to the rotational axis and extends across a sufficient range of elevation angles to illuminate a desired portion of the field of view of the device. (In fact, the line need not even be a straight line.) An imaging assembly is also attached to the mount in a location offset from the radiation source. The imaging assembly comprises a temporal contrast sensor comprising a two-dimensional array of sensing elements and objective optics, which image the scene onto the array as the mount rotates. A processor processes the event signals generated by the temporal contrast sensor in response to the line of radiation reflected from the scene so as to construct a three-dimensional map of the scene. 
     In some embodiments, detection of the reflected line of radiation can be enhanced by modulating the radiation source at a predetermined frequency. The processor is then able to extract the specific event signals that are synchronized with this frequency, and thus to construct the three-dimensional map based on the synchronized event signals. This synchronous detection approach achieves a high signal/noise ratio, since spurious event signals are easily rejected. 
     In some embodiments, the processor processes additional event signals generated by the temporal contrast sensor as the mount rotates so as to supplement and enhance the processing of the three-dimensional map. The event signals that are used for this purpose are not due to the line of radiation, but rather to the edges in the scene as a whole as they are imaged by the temporal contrast sensor, and may be enhanced by flood illumination of the scene. The processor can easily register the three-dimensional map of the scene with these additional events, since the same temporal contrast sensor captures all of the events. This integrated approach is advantageous particularly since the edge information provided by the additional events can be used to fill in gaps and areas of uncertainty in the three-dimensional map. In some embodiments, the processor uses the additional event signals in constructing a two-dimensional image of the scene, which is thus registered inherently with the three-dimensional map. 
       FIG. 1  is a schematic side view of a panoramic imager  10 , in accordance with an embodiment of the invention. Panoramic imager  10  comprises a mount  12 , which is rotated by a motor  28  about a rotational axis  14  as indicated by an arrow  15 . A line radiation source  16  and an imaging assembly  18  are attached to rotate with mount  12 . A processor  20  drives line radiation source  16  and receives signals from imaging assembly  18 , as described below. The processor may also rotate with mount  12 , or it may alternatively be stationary, with suitable coupling to the rotating elements. 
     Line radiation source  16  projects onto a scene a line of radiation (shown in  FIG. 2 ), which in the present embodiment is parallel to rotational axis  14 . Imaging assembly  18  is attached to mount  12  in a location that is laterally offset from line radiation source  16  (the offset is shown in  FIG. 4 ). The imaging assembly comprises a temporal contrast sensor  22 , comprising a two-dimensional array of sensing elements  24 , which independently and asynchronously generate event signals in response to temporal changes of irradiance. Objective optics  26  (e.g., one or more lens elements) in imaging assembly  18  image the scene onto sensor  22 . 
     Processor  20  typically comprises one or more programmable processors, which are programmed in software and/or firmware to carry out the functions that are described herein. Additionally or alternatively, at least some of the functions of processor  20  may be carried out by hardware logic circuits, which may be hard-wired or programmable. Thus, although processor  20  is shown and described herein, for the sake of simplicity, as a single functional block, in practice the various functions of processor  20  may be carried out by two or more different physical components. In any case, processor  20  has suitable interfaces for receiving data and transmitting instructions to other elements of the system as described. Thus, for example, processor  20  can be coupled to drive line radiation source  16  and to control the rotation of motor  28  and to receive the event signals generated by temporal contrast sensor  22 . Assuming processor  20  to be stationary, a slip ring  30  is attached to mount  12  and conveys electrical signals between processor  20  and the components attached to mount  12  (such as temporal contrast sensor  22  and line radiation source  16 ). 
     Processor  20  utilizes the event signals generated in response to the image of the line of radiation that is projected by line radiation source  16  and reflected back from the scene to construct a three-dimensional map of the scene. Processor  20  can, in some embodiments, further utilize the event signals generated by the reflection of ambient or other unstructured illumination from the scene so as to construct a two-dimensional image of the scene, for example an edge image or, alternatively or additionally, a gray-scale image. 
     In alternative embodiments, mount  12  may be rotated by other means, which are not necessarily integral with imager  10  as in the pictured embodiment. Furthermore, processor  20  may be attached to mount  12 , and the components attached to the mount may be powered, for example, by a battery attached to the mount, and communicate images over a wireless link, thus obviating the use of slip ring  30 . Still furthermore, the mechanical design of mount  12  and the attached components is shown for the sake of clarity only, and other designs may be considered. 
       FIG. 2  is a schematic pictorial view of panoramic imager  10  and a scene  42 , with covers  44 ,  46 , and  48  added to the panoramic imager, in accordance with an embodiment of the invention. (The scene in this example is shown, for the sake of illustration, as a wall with a window in it, but the principles of this embodiment may similarly be applied to any suitable scene.) Cover  44  encloses mount  12 , as well as the components attached to the mount, and rotates together with the mount. An opening  50  is provided in cover  44  as an exit for radiation emitted by line radiation source  16  and for the field of view of imaging assembly  18 . (Opening  50  may not actually be physically open, but may rather comprise a window that is transparent to the wavelength range of interest. Cover  46  encloses motor  28 , while cover  48  contains processor  20 . 
     The general physical structure of imager  10 , including covers  44 ,  46  and  48 , is shown here solely for purposes of illustration, and other physical configurations will be apparent to those skilled in the art after reading the present description and are considered to be within the scope of the present invention. For example, imager  10  may include a larger or smaller number of cover components, including possible only a single cover. One of the covers may move along with the sensor, or the covers may be stationary (in which case opening  50  may have the form of a circumferential window in the cover). Alternatively, imager  10  may be incorporated as a module inside another device, which may in turn have one or more external covers or housings through which the module emits and receives radiation. 
     A field of view  52  of imaging assembly  18  is covers an area of scene  42 , while a line of radiation  54  is projected onto this area by line radiation source  16 . Due to the rotation of imaging assembly  18  about axis  14 , both field of view  52  and line of radiation  54  sweep across scene  42 , as indicated by an arrow  56  and lines  58 . (Lines  58  are actual arcs, which form circles around axis  14 .) In this way, panoramic imager  10  sweeps over scene  42 , covering a horizontal angle of 360° during one full rotation of mount  12 . 
     In  FIG. 2 , line of radiation  54  is shown as a straight, vertical line, because scene  42  is vertical and planar at the current location of the line of radiation. In general, however, in parts of scene  42  that are inclined and/or non-planar, the image of line of radiation  54  that is captured by imaging assembly  18  will not be a straight, vertical line, but rather will be inclined and/or broken due to parallax. Processor  20  uses these parallax effects in triangulating the depth coordinates of the locations in scene  42  that are traversed by line of radiation  54 . 
       FIG. 3  is a schematic pictorial view of line of radiation  54  and its image  59 , in accordance with an embodiment of the invention. As in  FIG. 2 , line radiation source  16  projects line of radiation  54  onto scene  42 . Objective optics  26  form an image  59  of line of radiation  54  on temporal contrast sensor  22 . In the pictured embodiment, the topography of scene  42  is not planar, and line of radiation  54  does not appear in the image formed on temporal contrast sensor  22  as a straight line, but rather an irregular line reflecting the non-planar topography of scene  42  and the optical effect of parallax. 
       FIGS. 4-5  are schematic top views of panoramic imager  10  in two different rotational positions, as the field of view of the panoramic imager scans across scene  42 , in accordance with an embodiment of the invention. Components identical to those of  FIG. 1  are indicated with the same labels as used in that figure. 
     In  FIG. 4 , line radiation source  16  projects line of radiation  54  along a direction  62  as indicated by an arrow  63 , with the orientation of the line of radiation perpendicular to the plane of the figure. The projection of line of radiation  54  onto scene  42  in the plane of  FIG. 4  is indicated by a point  64 . Rays  66  reflected from point  64  are imaged by objective optics  26  onto a point  68  on temporal contrast sensor  22 , causing corresponding event signals to be emitted by a sensing element  69  as line of radiation  54  traverses point  64 . A center  70  of objective optics  26  is marked to assist in the tracing of rays  66 . 
     In the pictured embodiment, line radiation source  16  emits DC radiation (constant intensity in time). As sensing elements  24  generate event signals in response to temporal changes of irradiance, the sensing elements in the vicinity of image  59  (represented in the plane of  FIG. 4  by point  68 ) generate event signals when either the image shifts across the sensing elements due to a change in the distance to scene  42  or due to change in scene reflectance as mount  12  rotates. 
     In an alternative embodiment, the radiation projected by line radiation source  16  is modulated in time at a predetermined frequency, for instance pulsed at a frequency of 100Hz. Consequently, both line of radiation  54  and its image  59  are modulated at the same predetermined frequency, and temporal contrast sensor  22  will output event signals from sensing elements  24  within image  59  that are synchronized with the pulse frequency. Processor  20  is then able to extract the specific event signals that are synchronized with this frequency, for example using a temporal signature or filter that is matched to the modulation frequency, and thus to construct the three-dimensional map based on the synchronized event signals. This synchronous detection approach achieves a high signal/noise ratio, since spurious event signals are easily rejected, and the depth-related events due to image  59  are generated over all areas of the scene, include flat areas, independently of depth variations. 
     Line radiation source  16  is offset from temporal contrast sensor  22  by a known displacement in a direction perpendicular to line of radiation  54  that is projected by line radiation source  16 , as indicated by an arrow  72  in  FIG. 4 . For this reason, the position of point  68  on temporal contrast sensor  22  varies, due to parallax, with the distance between imaging assembly  18  and scene  42 . The distance between imaging assembly  18  and each point in scene  42  may thus be calculated by triangulation from the known offset and position of point  68  at which sensing element  69  has emitted event signals. (In addition, there may be known relationship between the direction of emission of radiation source  16  and the orientation of sensor  22 . For example, radiation source  16  may be positioned at different points along the line indicated by arrow  63  and will still give rise to similar parallax to that described here.) 
     As noted earlier, when scene  42  is not planar, image  59  of line of radiation  54  on temporal contrast sensor  22  may not be a straight line. The depth of scene  42  along line of radiation  54  is calculated separately for each point of image  59 . In this manner, processor  20  is able to construct a depth map of the entire scene surrounding imager  10 , over 360° of azimuth and a range of elevations determined by the height of field of view  52  of the imager. 
     In addition to receiving image  59  from line of radiation  54 , temporal contrast sensor  22  receives radiation reflected from field of view  52  on scene  42 , which is indicated by rays  75 . As field of view  52  sweeps over scene  42 , temporal contrast sensor  22  generates event signals from edges in the scene. Processor  20  can use these event signals in constructing a two-dimensional edge image of the scene, and possible a gray-scale image, as well. 
       FIG. 5  shows panoramic imager  10  rotated counter-clockwise from its orientation in  FIG. 4 . Due to the rotation of panoramic imager  10 , line of radiation  54  now illuminates scene  42  at a different location, with a point  80  showing the intercept of the line of radiation with the plane of  FIG. 5 . Rays  82  show how point  80  is imaged onto a point  84  on temporal contrast sensor  22 . As the distance from imaging assembly  18  to point  80  is different from that to point  64  in  FIG. 4 , image  59  is shifted on temporal contrast sensor  22 . Consequently, point  84  is shifted relative to point  68  in  FIG. 4  (in the spatial framework of temporal contrast sensor  22 ), and a different sensing element  86  emits a signal in response to line of radiation  54 . The distance from imaging assembly  18  to scene  42  in the current position of rotation may again be calculated by triangulation. 
     Using triangulation as described above, processor  20  constructs a three-dimensional map of the 360° field based on the event signals associated with line of radiation  54 . Processor  20  can easily register the three-dimensional map of scene  42  with the sort of two-dimensional image mentioned above, since the same temporal contrast sensor  22  is used to construct both the map and the image simultaneously. This integrated approach is advantageous particularly since the edge information in the two-dimensional image can be used to fill in gaps and areas of uncertainty in the three-dimensional map. 
       FIG. 6  is a schematic top view of panoramic imager  10  with the addition of a flood radiation source  100 , in accordance with an embodiment of the invention. Flood radiation source  100  is attached to mount  12 . Except for the addition of flood radiation source  100  and extending mount  12  to accommodate the source, the embodiment of  FIG. 6  is identical to that of  FIG. 4 , and components identical to those of  FIG. 4  are indicated with the same labels as used in that figure. 
     Flood radiation source  100  projects flood radiation  102 , as indicated by an arrow  104 , onto scene  42  at least within field of view  52  over the expected range of distances between imaging assembly  18  and the scene. Consequently, temporal contrast sensor  22  also receives reflected flood radiation from scene  42 , in addition to the reflected ambient illumination. This enables processor  20  to receive event signals and, if desired, to construct a two-dimensional image even under a very low level of ambient illumination. Flood radiation source  100  may be active at all times during operation of imager  10 , or it may alternatively be activated selectively, for example when the output of sensor  22  indicates that the level of ambient radiation is low. 
       FIG. 7  is a schematic top view of panoramic imager  10 , with flood radiation source  100  and the addition of a narrow-band transmission filter  106  to imaging assembly  18 , in accordance with an embodiment of the invention. Except for the addition of narrow-band transmission filter  106 , 
       FIG. 7  is identical to  FIG. 6 , and components identical to those of  FIG. 6  are indicated with the same labels as used in that figure. In the embodiment of  FIG. 7 , line radiation source  16  and flood radiation source  100  emit radiation at a common wavelength or in the same wavelength range, for example, around 940 nm. Narrow-band transmission filter  106 , which is positioned adjacent to objective optics  26 , has a pass-band covering at least this same range. In these embodiments it may be desirable to tailor the pass-band of the filter closely to the wavelength or wavelengths emitted by the line radiation source and flood radiation source (or the line radiation source in embodiments that do not include a flood radiation source). The filtering of radiation that enters imaging assembly  18  substantially reduces the contribution of ambient illumination on image  59 , thus increasing the signal-to-noise ratio of the triangulation process. 
       FIG. 8  is a schematic top view of panoramic imaging sensor  10  with the addition of multiple flood radiation sources  110   a - d , in accordance with another embodiment of the invention. Although four flood radiation sources  110   a - d  are shown in  FIG. 8 , in other embodiments a larger or smaller number of flood radiation sources may be used. In these embodiments, the flood radiation sources may be stationary while the temporal contrast sensor is moved. For the sake of simplicity, the components of panoramic imaging sensor  10  have not been labelled in this figure. 
     Flood radiation sources  110   a - d  emit radiation into angular fields of view  112   a - d , respectively, wherein the central directions of radiation are shown by arrows  114   a - d , respectively. Each flood radiation source  110   a - d  illuminates a portion of the scene (not shown in  FIG. 8 ) according to its angular field of view  112   a - d , respectively. Angular fields of view  112   a - d  together illuminate an entire 360° field of view. Multiple flood radiation sources  110   a - d  are positioned, for instance, either above or below the plane of  FIG. 8 , so that they do not interfere with field of view  52  of imaging assembly  18  (referring to  FIG. 2 ) nor with the line of radiation projected by line radiation source  16 . Each of angular fields of view  112   a - d  exceeds 90° in order to achieve a full 360° coverage, although these angular fields may vary in embodiments with different numbers of flood radiation sources. 
     Processor  20  ( FIG. 1 ) energizes flood radiation sources  110   a - d  in synchronization with the rotation of panoramic imager  10  about axis  14 . Thus, processor  20  energizes flood radiation source  110   a  when panoramic imager  10  has rotated to an angular range where its field of view  52  falls within the portion of the scene illuminated by angular field of view  112   a . When panoramic imager  10  has further rotated to an angular range where field of view  52  falls within with the portion of the scene illuminated by angular field of view  112   b , processor  20  de-energizes flood radiation source  110   a  and energizes flood radiation source  110   b . Similarly, flood radiation sources  110   c  and  110   d  are energized in turn while panoramic imager  10  rotates, while the other sources are de-energized. After a full rotation of 360° , flood radiation source  110   a  is again energized. 
     In some instances two flood radiation sources are energized simultaneously. For example (depending on the time required to energize a radiation source relative to the rotation speed of the imager), flood radiation source  110   b  may be energized while panoramic imager  10  is still imaging the region illuminated by radiation source  110   a  in anticipation of the panoramic imager reaching the next region. 
     In an alternative embodiment, all flood radiation sources  110   a - d  are continuously energized. 
     As in the embodiment of  FIG. 7 , line radiation source  16  and flood radiation sources  110   a - d  may emit radiation in the same wavelength range, and a narrow-band transmission filter that passes this wavelength range may be positioned adjacent to objective optics  26 . 
     Although four flood radiation sources are shown in  FIG. 8 , alternative embodiments may comprise other numbers of flood radiation sources, both larger and smaller than four. 
     It will be appreciated that the embodiments described above are cited by way of example, and that the present invention is not limited to what has been particularly shown and described hereinabove. Rather, the scope of the present invention includes both combinations and subcombinations of the various features described hereinabove, as well as variations and modifications thereof which would occur to persons skilled in the art upon reading the foregoing description and which are not disclosed in the prior art.

Metadata:
Filing Date: 20180726
Publication Date: 20200811
Grant Date: 20200811
Priority Date: 20170927
Inventors: HERRINGTON, ANDREW
HELMS, MATTHEW A
Assignee: APPLE INC
CPC Classifications: [{"code": "G01S17/89", "inventive": true, "first": true, "tree": "[]"}, {"code": "H04N23/698", "inventive": true, "first": true, "tree": "[]"}, {"code": "H04N23/698", "inventive": true, "first": false, "tree": "[]"}, {"code": "H04N23/54", "inventive": true, "first": false, "tree": "[]"}, {"code": "G01B11/2518", "inventive": true, "first": false, "tree": "[]"}, {"code": "G01S17/48", "inventive": true, "first": false, "tree": "[]"}, {"code": "H04N13/106", "inventive": true, "first": false, "tree": "[]"}, {"code": "H04N13/254", "inventive": true, "first": false, "tree": "[]"}, {"code": "H04N13/254", "inventive": true, "first": false, "tree": "[]"}, {"code": "H04N5/23238", "inventive": true, "first": true, "tree": "[]"}, {"code": "H04N13/106", "inventive": true, "first": false, "tree": "[]"}, {"code": "H04N5/2253", "inventive": true, "first": false, "tree": "[]"}]
Family ID: 71993915