Camera module and method for extracting depth information by same
A camera module according to an embodiment of the present invention includes a structured light projector configured to generate structured light of a specific pattern and changes an optical path of the structured light into units of subpixels of an image sensor for each image frame to project the structured light onto a subject, and a structured light camera configured to photograph the subject onto which the structured light is projected to generate a plurality of low-resolution image frames and generate a high-resolution depth map from the plurality of low-resolution image frames.
1. A camera device comprising:
a structured light projector configured to generate structured light of a specific pattern and change an optical path of the structured light in units of subpixels of an image sensor for each image frame to project the structured light onto a subject, and
a structured light camera configured to photograph the subject onto which the structured light is projected to generate a plurality of low-resolution image frames and extract a high-resolution depth map based on the plurality of low-resolution image frames;
wherein the structured light projector comprises an optical path converter configured to change the optical path of the structured light in units of subpixels of a camera image sensor for each image frame, the optical path converter comprising a liquid layer configured to change a shape of the liquid layer when an external stimulus is applied to the liquid layer.
2. The camera device of claim 1 , wherein the structured light projector is disposed at a predetermined distance from the structured light camera.
3. The camera device of claim 1 , wherein the subpixels each has a size greater than zero pixels and smaller than one pixel.
4. The camera device of claim 1 , wherein the structured light projector comprises:
a light source configured to generate light; and
an optical pattern generator configured to collect the generated light to generate the structured light of the specific pattern.
5. The camera device of claim 4 , wherein an optical path converter changes the optical path of the structured light to one of up, down, left, and right directions with respect to a reference optical path.
6. The camera device of claim 4 , wherein an optical path converter is positioned between the light source and the optical pattern generator to change the optical path of the structured light.
7. The camera device of claim 4 , wherein an optical path converter is positioned in front of the optical pattern generator to change the optical path of the structured light.
8. The camera device of claim 4 , wherein the optical pattern generator comprises:
a light-converging element configured to collect light generated by the light source; and
a pattern element configured to diffract the light collected by the light-converging element to generate the structured light of the specific pattern, and
wherein an optical path converter is positioned between the light-converging element and the pattern element to change the optical path of the structured light.
9. The camera device of claim 1 , wherein optical paths of the structured light corresponding to the plurality of low-resolution image frames are different from each other.
10. The camera devices of claim 9 , wherein the structured light camera is configured to generate a plurality of low-resolution depth maps corresponding to the plurality of low-resolution image frames, respectively and apply a super-resolution method to the plurality of low-resolution depth maps to generate a high-resolution depth map.
11. The camera device of claim 9 , wherein the structured light camera is configured to apply a super-resolution method to the plurality of low resolution image frames to generate a high-resolution image frame and generate a high-resolution depth map corresponding to the high-resolution image frame.