Method for performing hybrid depth detection with aid of adaptive projector, and associated apparatus

1. A method for performing hybrid depth detection with aid of an adaptive projector, the method comprising:

utilizing an image processing circuit within a hybrid depth detection device to obtain distance information, wherein the distance information indicates a distance between the hybrid depth detection device and one or more target objects;

utilizing the image processing circuit to determine a distance range according to the distance information, wherein the distance range is selected from multiple predetermined distance ranges regarding the distance;

utilizing the image processing circuit to perform projection type selection to determine at least one selected projection type corresponding to the distance range among multiple predetermined projection types, wherein the at least one selected projection type is selected from the multiple predetermined projection types;

utilizing the adaptive projector within the hybrid depth detection device to perform projection of the at least one selected projection type to capture at least one corresponding image with a camera, and utilizing the image processing circuit to perform at least one type of depth detection corresponding to the at least one selected projection type among multiple types of depth detection according to the at least one corresponding image to generate at least one depth map; and

in response to the at least one selected projection type, utilizing the image processing circuit to selectively output the at least one depth map as a resultant depth map or perform depth data combination according to the at least one depth map to generate a combined depth map as the resultant depth map.

2. The method of claim 1 , wherein the multiple predetermined projection types comprise a first projection type regarding pattern projection of one or more predetermined patterns, and comprise a second projection type regarding non-pattern projection of no pattern.

3. The method of claim 2 , wherein the multiple types of depth detection comprise first depth detection corresponding to the first projection type, and comprise second depth detection corresponding to the second projection type.

4. The method of claim 3 , wherein the first depth detection represents pattern-detection-type depth detection, and the second depth detection represents Time-of-Flight (TOF)-type depth detection.

5. The method of claim 1 , wherein the at least one selected projection type corresponding to the distance range comprises the multiple predetermined projection types, and the at least one type of depth detection corresponding to the at least one selected projection type comprises the multiple types of depth detection.

6. The method of claim 5 , wherein the multiple predetermined projection types comprise a first projection type regarding pattern projection and a second projection type regarding non-pattern projection; and utilizing the adaptive projector within the hybrid depth detection device to perform the projection of the at least one selected projection type to capture the at least one corresponding image with the camera and utilizing the image processing circuit to perform the at least one type of depth detection corresponding to the at least one selected projection type among the multiple types of depth detection according to the at least one corresponding image to generate at least one depth map further comprises:

utilizing the adaptive projector to perform the pattern projection to capture at least one corresponding first image with the camera, and utilizing the image processing circuit to perform first depth detection according to the at least one corresponding first image to generate a first depth map; and

utilizing the adaptive projector to perform the non-pattern projection to capture at least one corresponding second image with the camera, and utilizing the image processing circuit to perform second depth detection according to the at least one corresponding second image to generate a second depth map;

wherein, in a situation where the at least one selected projection type comprises the multiple predetermined projection types, the image processing circuit is arranged to perform the depth data combination according to the first depth map and the second depth map to generate the combined depth map as the resultant depth map.

7. The method of claim 1 , wherein utilizing the image processing circuit to selectively output the at least one depth map as the resultant depth map or perform the depth data combination according to the at least one depth map to generate the combined depth map as the resultant depth map further comprises:

if the at least one selected projection type represents one of the multiple predetermined projection types, utilizing the image processing circuit to output the at least one depth map as the resultant depth map, wherein the at least one depth map represents a depth map corresponding to the one of the multiple predetermined projection types; otherwise, utilizing the image processing circuit to perform the depth data combination according to the at least one depth map to generate the combined depth map as the resultant depth map, wherein the at least one depth map comprises a first depth map corresponding to a first projection type of the multiple predetermined projection types, and comprises a second depth map corresponding to a second projection type of the multiple predetermined projection types.

8. The method of claim 1 , wherein an information source of the distance information comprises one or a combination of a distance sensor within the hybrid depth detection device and a previous depth detection operation of the hybrid depth detection device.

9. The adaptive projector that operates according to the method of claim 1 .

10. The image processing circuit that operates according to the method of claim 1 .

11. A hybrid depth detection device, comprising:

an image processing circuit, arranged to obtain distance information, determines a distance range according to the distance information, and perform projection type selection to determine at least one selected projection type corresponding to the distance range among multiple predetermined projection types, wherein the distance information indicates a distance between the hybrid depth detection device and one or more target objects, the distance range is selected from multiple predetermined distance ranges regarding the distance, and the at least one selected projection type is selected from the multiple predetermined projection types;

an adaptive projector, coupled to the image processing circuit, arranged to perform projection of the at least one selected projection type to allow the hybrid depth detection device to capture at least one corresponding image with a camera; and

the camera, coupled to the image processing circuit, arranged to capture the at least one corresponding image;

wherein:

the image processing circuit performs at least one type of depth detection corresponding to the at least one selected projection type among multiple types of depth detection according to the at least one corresponding image to generate at least one depth map; and

in response to the at least one selected projection type, the image processing circuit selectively outputs the at least one depth map as a resultant depth map or performs depth data combination according to the at least one depth map to generate a combined depth map as the resultant depth map.