Granted Patent B2

US 12,416,729 · App. 17/363,831 · Granted Sep 16, 2025

Inventors: Yun-Chung Na (Hsinchu County, TW); Yu-Shiuan Li (Hsinchu County, TW); Hung-Chih Chang (Hsinchu County, TW); Der-Song Lin (Hsinchu County, TW)

Assignee: Artilux, Inc.

G01S17/894G01B11/026G01B11/03H04N23/45

Abstract

Claims (89)

1. An apparatus comprising:

a distance-estimation system comprising a sensor system, the distance-estimation system configured to:

receive a first optical signal; and

determine, based on the first optical signal, a first distance between two points in an environment;

a distance-refinement system comprising one or more indirect time-of-flight sensors, the distance-refinement system configured to:

receive a second optical signal; and

determine, based on the second optical signal, a second distance between the two points in the environment; and

a processing system comprising one or more computing devices, the processing system configured to:

receive information representing the first distance and the second distance; and

determine, based on the first distance and the second distance, a third distance between the two points in the environment, wherein determining the third distance between the two points in the environment comprises:

determining, based on the first distance, a multiplier for an unambiguous range associated with the one or more indirect time-of-flight sensors; and

determining the third distance by adding the second distance to a product of the unambiguous range and the multiplier;

wherein a difference between (i) a true distance of the two points in the environment and (ii) the first distance is larger than a difference between (i) the true distance of the two points in the environment and (ii) the third distance.

2. The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the sensor system comprises:

a sensor array configured to receive the first optical signal and generate one or more first electrical signals; and

one or more storage media configured to store one or more machine-learned models.

3. The apparatus of claim 2 ,

wherein the sensor array is a sensor array of an RGB camera, and

wherein the representation of the one or more first electrical signals includes at least a portion of an optical image outputted by the RGB camera.

4. The apparatus of claim 2 , wherein the one or more machine-learned models comprise a convolutional neural network model.

5. The apparatus of claim 1 ,

wherein the sensor system comprises a stereo camera having a plurality of lenses, and

wherein the first optical signal includes at least a portion of a three-dimensional image outputted by the stereo camera.

6. The apparatus of claim 1 ,

wherein the sensor system comprises a structured light detection system.

7. The apparatus of claim 1 ,

wherein the sensor system comprises one or more direct time-of-flight sensors, and

wherein determining the first distance comprises determining the first distance based on a round-trip travel time of light between the two points in the environment.

8. The apparatus of claim 1 ,

wherein one or more indirect time-of-flight sensors are configured to operate at a first frequency,

wherein the sensor system comprises one or more second indirect time-of-flight sensors operating at a second frequency that is less than the first frequency.

9. The apparatus of claim 1 ,

wherein the sensor system comprises an image-based sensor system and a time-of-flight-based sensor system, and

wherein determining the first distance comprises:

obtaining an output of the image-based sensor system;

obtaining an output of the time-of-flight-based sensor system; and

determining the first distance based on the output of the image-based sensor system and the output of the time-of-flight-based sensor system.

10. The apparatus of claim 1 ,

wherein a first point of the two points in the environment represents a location of the apparatus, and

wherein a second point of the two points in the environment represents a location of an object in the environment.

11. The apparatus of claim 1 ,

wherein the apparatus is a mobile device,

wherein the sensor system includes one or more cameras embedded in the mobile device, and

wherein the one or more indirect time-of-flight sensors include a three-dimensional sensor array embedded in the mobile device.

12. The apparatus of claim 11 , wherein the one or more cameras and the three-dimensional sensor array are embedded in a backside of the mobile device that is on an opposite side of a screen of the mobile device.

13. The apparatus of claim 11 , wherein the one or more cameras and the three-dimensional sensor array are embedded in a frontside of the mobile device that is on a same side of a screen of the mobile device.

14. The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the one or more computing devices comprise one or more processors, one or more hardwired circuitries, one or more field-programmable gate arrays, or a combination thereof.

15. The apparatus of claim 1 ,

wherein the difference between (i) the true distance of the two points in the environment and (ii) the first distance represents a first error that is smaller than an unambiguous range associated with the one or more indirect time-of-flight sensors,

wherein the second distance has a value that is within the unambiguous range, and

wherein the difference between (i) the true distance of the two points in the environment and (ii) the third distance represents a second error that is smaller than the first error.

16. A method of determining a distance between two points in an environment, comprising:

receiving, by a sensor system, a first optical signal;

determining, by the sensor system and based on the first optical signal, a first distance between two points in an environment;

receiving, by one or more indirect time-of-flight sensors separate from the sensor system, a second optical signal;

determining, by the one or more indirect time-of-flight sensors and based on the second optical signal, a second distance between the two points in the environment;

receiving, by one or more computing devices, information representing the first distance and the second distance; and

determining, by the one or more computing devices and based on the first distance and the second distance, a third distance between the two points in the environment, wherein determining the third distance between the two points in the environment comprises:

determining, based on the first distance, a multiplier for an unambiguous range associated with the one or more indirect time-of-flight sensors; and

determining the third distance by adding the second distance to a product of the unambiguous range and the multiplier;

wherein a difference between (i) a true distance of the two points in the environment and (ii) the first distance is larger than a difference between (i) the true distance of the two points in the environment and (ii) the third distance.

17. The method of claim 16 , wherein an autonomous vehicle or a user device comprises the sensor system, the one or more indirect time-of-flight sensors, and one or more computing devices.

18. An apparatus comprising:

a distance-estimation system comprising a sensor system, the distance-estimation system configured to:

receive a first optical signal; and

generate, based on the first optical signal, a first electrical signal for determining a first distance between two points in an environment;

a distance-refinement system comprising one or more indirect time-of-flight sensors, the distance-refinement system configured to:

receive a second optical signal; and

generate, based on the second optical signal, a second electrical signal for determining a second distance between the two points in the environment; and

a processing system comprising one or more computing devices, the processing system configured to:

receive the first electrical signal and the second electrical signal;

provide input information representing the first electrical signal and the second electrical signal to a machine-learned model;

receive output information representing a third distance between the two points in the environment; and

determine the third distance between the two points in the environment,

wherein a maximum value of the second distance is less than an unambiguous range associated with the one or more indirect time-of-flight sensors, and

wherein a maximum value of the third distance is more than the unambiguous range associated with the one or more indirect time-of-flight sensors.

19. An apparatus comprising:

an estimation system comprising a sensor system, the estimation system configured to:

receive a first signal; and

determine, based on the first signal, a first value for a characteristic associated with a target object in an environment;

a refinement system comprising one or more indirect time-of-flight sensors, the refinement system configured to:

receive a second signal; and

determine, based on the second signal, a second value for the characteristic associated with the target object in the environment; and

a processing system comprising one or more computing devices, the processing system configured to:

receive information representing the first value and the second value; and

determine, based on the first value and the second value, a third value for the characteristic associated with the target object in the environment, wherein determining the third value for the characteristic associated with the target object in the environment comprises:

determining, based on the first value, a multiplier for an unambiguous range associated with the one or more indirect time-of-flight sensors; and

determining the third value by adding the second value to a product of the unambiguous range and the multiplier;

wherein a difference between (i) a true value for the characteristic associated with the target object in the environment and (ii) the first value is larger than a difference between (i) true value for the characteristic and (ii) the third value.

Assignments (1)

Continuity (2)

References Cited (12)