Camera depth mapping using structured light patterns

1. A method, performed at an apparatus having a projector, a camera, one or more processors, and memory storing one or more programs for execution by the one or more processors, the method comprising:

identifying one or more areas of interest in a scene in accordance with variation of depth in the scene as detected at a first resolution; and

for each area of interest of the one or more areas of interest:

applying, via the projector, a respective structured-light pattern to the area of interest;

capturing, via the camera, an image of the area of interest with the respective structured-light pattern applied to it; and

creating a respective depth map of the area of interest using the image of the area of interest with the respective structured-light pattern applied to it, the respective depth map having a higher resolution than the first resolution;

for a particular area of interest of the one or more areas of interest:

performing two or more iterations of the applying, the capturing, and the creating to generate one or more additional depth maps of the particular area of interest; and

varying the respective structured light-pattern applied to the particular area of interest for each iteration of the two or more iterations.

2. The method of claim 1 , further comprising generating a first depth map at the apparatus that indicates the variation of depth in the scene at the first resolution;

wherein identifying the one or more areas of interest in the scene comprises identifying object edges within the scene using the first depth map.

3. The method of claim 2 , wherein generating the first depth map comprises using the projector to apply a first structured-light pattern to the scene.

4. The method of claim 3 , wherein:

the first structured-light pattern comprises a dot pattern; and

generating the first depth map further comprises calculating depths in accordance with a spatial frequency of dots in the scene.

5. The method of claim 1 , wherein, for a respective area of interest, applying the respective structured-light pattern comprises generating the respective structured-light pattern based on one or more features of the respective area of interest.

6. The method of claim 5 , wherein generating the respective structured-light pattern based on the one or more features of the respective area of interest comprises generating one or more lines of light perpendicular to a detected edge within the respective area of interest.

7. The method of claim 1 , wherein, for a respective area of interest, the respective structured-light pattern comprises a line pattern.

8. The method of claim 7 , wherein:

capturing the image comprises sensing the line pattern as applied to the respective area of interest; and

creating the respective depth map for the respective area of interest comprises using distortions in the sensed line pattern to determine depth.

9. The method of claim 1 , wherein the projector is an infrared pico-projector.

10. The method of claim 1 , wherein, for a respective area of interest, applying the respective structured-light pattern comprises adjusting a focus of the projector to focus the respective structured-light pattern on the respective area of interest.

11. The method of claim 1 , wherein:

identifying the one or more areas of interest in the scene comprises using a first depth map to select the one or more areas of interest, the first depth map having the first resolution; and

the method further comprises combining the respective depth map for each area of interest of the one or more areas of interest with the first depth map to obtain a detailed depth map of the scene.

12. The method of claim 11 , further comprising:

adjusting a focus of the camera in accordance with the detailed depth map; and

capturing an image of the scene with the focus adjusted in accordance with the detailed depth map.

13. The method of claim 11 , further comprising identifying one or more objects in the scene using the detailed depth map.

14. The method of claim 11 , further comprising enabling three-dimensional gesture control on the apparatus using the detailed depth map.

15. The method of claim 1 , wherein:

the respective structured-light pattern for the particular area of interest comprises parallel lines of light; and

varying the respective structured-light pattern comprises varying an angle at which the parallel lines of light intersect a detected edge within the particular area of interest.

16. An apparatus, comprising:

a projector;

a camera;

one or more processors; and

memory storing one or more programs configured to be executed by the one or more processors, the one or more programs comprising instructions for:

identifying one or more areas of interest in a scene in accordance with variation of depth in the scene as detected at a first resolution; and

for each area of interest of the one or more areas of interest:

applying, via the projector, a respective structured-light pattern to the area of interest;

capturing, via the camera, an image of the area of interest with the respective structured-light pattern applied to it; and

creating a respective depth map of the area of interest using the image of the area of interest with the respective structured-light pattern applied to it, the respective depth map having a higher resolution than the first resolution;

for a particular area of interest of the one or more areas of interest:

performing two or more iterations of the applying, the capturing, and the creating to generate one or more additional depth maps of the particular area of interest; and

varying the respective structured light-pattern applied to the particular area of interest for each iteration of the two or more iterations.

17. The apparatus of claim 16 , wherein, for a respective area of interest, applying the respective structured-light pattern comprises generating the respective structured-light pattern based on one or more features of the respective area of interest.

18. A non-transitory computer-readable storage medium storing one or more programs for execution by one or more processors in an apparatus that further comprises a projector and a camera, the one or more programs comprising instructions for:

identifying one or more areas of interest in a scene in accordance with variation of depth in the scene as detected at a first resolution; and

for each area of interest of the one or more areas of interest:

applying, via the projector, a respective structured-light pattern to the area of interest;

capturing, via the camera, an image of the area of interest with the respective structured-light pattern applied to it; and

creating a respective depth map of the area of interest using the image of the area of interest with the respective structured-light pattern applied to it, the respective depth map having a higher resolution than the first resolution;

for a particular area of interest of the one or more areas of interest:

performing two or more iterations of the applying, the capturing, and the creating to generate one or more additional depth maps of the particular area of interest; and

varying the respective structured light-pattern applied to the particular area of interest for each iteration of the two or more iterations.

19. The storage medium of claim 18 , wherein, for a respective area of interest, applying the respective structured-light pattern comprises generating the respective structured-light pattern based on one or more features of the respective area of interest.