IP Library Granted Patent US 11,601,607
Granted Patent B2
US 11,601,607 · App. 17/069,709 · Granted Mar 7, 2023

Infrared and non-infrared channel blender for depth mapping using structured light

Inventors: Rajesh Lachhmandas Chhabria (San Jose, CA); Shuochen Su (Seattle, WA); Monica Stewart (Seattle, WA); David Vakrat (Sunnyvale, CA); Shengqiong Xie (Sunnyvale, CA); Michael Hall (Bellevue, WA)
Assignee: META PLATFORMS TECHNOLOGIES, LLC
H04N5/33G02B27/0093G02B27/0172G02B2027/0178
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Quick Facts
Patent No.
US 11,601,607
App. No.
17/069,709
Granted
Mar 7, 2023
Kind
B2
Abstract

An electronic device includes one or more processors and memory storing instructions for execution by the one or more processors. The stored instructions include instructions for: receiving infrared image information for a three-dimensional area; receiving non-infrared image information for the same three-dimensional area; performing nonlinear intensity adjustment for the received infrared image information; performing nonlinear intensity adjustment for the received non-infrared image information; blending the intensity-adjusted infrared image information and the intensity-adjusted non-infrared image information to obtain a merged image information; and providing the merged image information for determining a depth map. Also disclosed are a corresponding method performed by the electronic device and a computer readable storage medium storing instructions for execution by one or more processors of an electronic device.

Claims (52)

1. An electronic device, comprising:

one or more processors; and

memory storing instructions for execution by the one or more processors, the stored instructions including instructions for:

receiving infrared image information for a three-dimensional area;

receiving non-infrared image information for the same three-dimensional area;

performing nonlinear intensity adjustment for the received infrared image information;

performing nonlinear intensity adjustment for the received non-infrared image information;

blending the intensity-adjusted infrared image information and the intensity-adjusted non-infrared image information to obtain monochrome merged image information including obtaining a weighted sum of the intensity-adjusted infrared image information and the intensity-adjusted non-infrared image information; and

subsequent to blending the intensity-adjusted infrared image information and the intensity-adjusted non-infrared image information, providing the monochrome merged image information for determining a depth map.

2. The device of claim 1 , wherein the stored instructions include instructions for:

determining a depth map from the monochrome merged image information.

3. The device of claim 1 , wherein the stored instructions include instructions for:

denoising the infrared image information.

4. The device of claim 3 , wherein denoising the non-infrared image information includes performing a Gaussian blur on the infrared image information.

5. The device of claim 1 , wherein the stored instructions include instructions for:

subsequent to blending the intensity-adjusted infrared image information and the intensity-adjusted non-infrared image information, compressing the monochrome merged image information, scaling the monochrome merged image information, and flattening the monochrome merged image information prior to providing the monochrome merged image information for determining a depth map.

6. The device of claim 1 , wherein the received infrared image information and the received non-infrared image information correspond to a same number of pixels.

7. The device of claim 1 , further comprising:

one or more cameras, a respective camera including a plurality of pixels, a respective pixel of the plurality of pixels including at least one infrared photodetector and at least one non-infrared photodetector positioned adjacent to the at least one infrared photodetector.

8. The device of claim 7 , wherein:

both the at least one infrared photodetector and the at least one non-infrared photodetector of the respective pixel are coupled with a common microlens.

9. A method for processing an image, comprising:

receiving infrared image information for a three-dimensional area;

receiving non-infrared image information for the same three-dimensional area;

performing nonlinear intensity adjustment for the received infrared image information;

performing nonlinear intensity adjustment for the received non-infrared image information;

blending the intensity-adjusted infrared image information and the intensity-adjusted non-infrared image information to obtain monochrome merged image information including obtaining a weighted sum of the intensity-adjusted infrared image information and the intensity-adjusted non-infrared image information; and

subsequent to blending the intensity-adjusted infrared image information and the intensity-adjusted non-infrared image information, providing the monochrome merged image information for determining a depth map.

10. The method of claim 9 , further comprising:

determining a depth map from the monochrome merged image information.

11. The method of claim 9 , further comprising:

denoising the infrared image information.

12. The method of claim 11 , wherein denoising the non-infrared image information includes performing a Gaussian blur on the infrared image information.

13. The method of claim 9 , further comprising:

subsequent to blending the intensity-adjusted infrared image information and the intensity-adjusted non-infrared image information, compressing the monochrome merged image information, scaling the monochrome merged image information, and flattening the monochrome merged image information prior to providing the monochrome merged image information for determining a depth map.

14. The method of claim 9 , wherein the received infrared image information and the received non-infrared image information correspond to a same number of pixels.

15. A non-transitory computer readable storage medium storing instructions, which, when executed by one or more processors of an electronic device, cause the electronic device to:

receive infrared image information for a three-dimensional area;

receive non-infrared image information for the same three-dimensional area;

perform nonlinear intensity adjustment for the received infrared image information;

perform nonlinear intensity adjustment for the received non-infrared image information;

blend the intensity-adjusted infrared image information and the intensity-adjusted non-infrared image information to obtain monochrome merged image information including obtaining a weighted sum of the intensity-adjusted infrared image information and the intensity-adjusted non-infrared image information; and

subsequent to blending the intensity-adjusted infrared image information and the intensity-adjusted non-infrared image information, provide the monochrome merged image information for determining a depth map.

16. The device of claim 1 , wherein the monochrome merged image information consists of a sum of the intensity-adjusted infrared image information and the intensity-adjusted non-infrared image information.

17. The method of claim 9 , further comprising:

before receiving the infrared image information for the three-dimensional area:

projecting with an illumination device an infrared light pattern onto a local area;

capturing an infrared image using one or more imaging devices; and

receiving the infrared image information captured from the infrared image.

18. The device of claim 1 , further comprising:

an illumination device for projecting an infrared light pattern onto a local area; and

one or more imaging devices for capturing an infrared image, wherein a respective imaging device of the one or more imaging devices includes a plurality of pixels, a respective pixel of the plurality of pixels including at least one infrared photodetector and at least one non-infrared photodetector positioned adjacent to the at least one infrared photodetector.

Assignments (3)
CHANGE OF NAME Recorded Jun 24, 2022
From: FACEBOOK TECHNOLOGIES, LLC
To: META PLATFORMS TECHNOLOGIES, LLC
Reel/Frame 060440/0855 →
CHANGE OF NAME Recorded Jun 7, 2022
From: FACEBOOK TECHNOLOGIES, LLC
To: META PLATFORMS TECHNOLOGIES, LLC
Reel/Frame 060306/0247 →
ASSIGNMENT OF ASSIGNOR'S INTEREST Recorded Feb 5, 2021
From: CHHABRIA, RAJESH LACHHMANDAS; SU, SHUOCHEN; STEWART, MONICA; VAKRAT, DAVID; XIE, SHENGQIONG; HALL, MICHAEL
To: FACEBOOK TECHNOLOGIES, LLC
Reel/Frame 055168/0482 →