U.S. patent application number 17/379763 was filed with the patent office on 2022-05-19 for scan mirror systems and methods.
The applicant listed for this patent is Gerard Dirk Smits. Invention is credited to Gerard Dirk Smits.
Application Number | 20220155585 17/379763 |
Document ID | / |
Family ID | |
Filed Date | 2022-05-19 |
United States Patent
Application |
20220155585 |
Kind Code |
A1 |
Smits; Gerard Dirk |
May 19, 2022 |
SCAN MIRROR SYSTEMS AND METHODS
Abstract
A system to scan a field of view with light beams can include a
scanning mirror arrangement having a mirror and a drive mechanism
configured to rotate the mirror about an axis between two terminal
positions; at least one light source configured to simultaneously
produce at least a first light beam and a second light beam
directed at the mirror from different directions. Upon rotation of
the mirror, the first and second light beams can scan a field of
view. The scanning mirror arrangement may include a mirror; hinges
attached at opposite sides of the mirror; and a drive mechanism
attached to the hinges and configured to twist the hinges resulting
in a larger twist to the mirror, wherein the hinges are disposed
between the drive mechanism and the mirror.
Inventors: |
Smits; Gerard Dirk; (Los
Gatos, CA) |
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Applicant: |
Name |
City |
State |
Country |
Type |
Smits; Gerard Dirk |
Los Gatos |
CA |
US |
|
|
Appl. No.: |
17/379763 |
Filed: |
July 19, 2021 |
Related U.S. Patent Documents
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Application
Number |
Filing Date |
Patent Number |
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16679110 |
Nov 8, 2019 |
11067794 |
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17379763 |
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15976269 |
May 10, 2018 |
10473921 |
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16679110 |
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62602937 |
May 10, 2017 |
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International
Class: |
G02B 26/10 20060101
G02B026/10; G01S 17/06 20060101 G01S017/06; G01S 7/481 20060101
G01S007/481; G02B 26/08 20060101 G02B026/08; G01S 17/89 20060101
G01S017/89; G01S 17/87 20060101 G01S017/87; G01S 17/931 20060101
G01S017/931 |
Claims
1. A system to illuminate a field of view (FOV) for a vehicle,
comprising: a first light source and a second light source that are
adapted for attachment to the vehicle, wherein a first light source
is arranged on a first side of the vehicle and the second light
source is arranged on a second side of the vehicle, wherein the
first light source emits a first light beam that illuminates the
FOV in a direction of travel of the vehicle, and wherein the second
light source emits a second light beam that also illuminates the
FOV in the vehicle's direction of travel; a first camera that is
arranged on the first side and a second camera that is arranged on
the second side, wherein the first camera is arranged to detect
reflection of the first light beam in the FOV of the vehicle's
direction of travel and the second camera is arranged to detect
reflection of the second light beam in the FOV of the vehicle's
direction of travel; and in response to the first camera or the
second camera detecting one or more retroreflective reflections of
the corresponding first or second light beams in the FOV of the
vehicle's direction of travel, the first light source and the
second light source are arranged to emit pulses of the first light
beam and the second light beam, wherein the pulses of the first and
second light beams are arranged to reduce an amount of the one or
more retroreflective reflections detected by the first camera and
the second camera.
2. The system of claim 1, wherein the one or more retroreflective
reflections, further comprise retroreflective reflection of the
first or second light beams from one or more atmospheric conditions
in the illuminated FOV in the vehicle's direction of travel,
wherein the one or more atmospheric conditions include snow, rain,
hail, sleet, fog, dust, smoke, or air pollution.
3. The system of claim 1, wherein the pulses of the first and
second light beams, further comprise emitting the pulses of first
light beam and the second light beam 180 degrees out of phase to
each other.
4. The system of claim 1, wherein the arrangement of the first
light source and the first camera on the first side and the
arrangement of the second light source and the second camera on the
second side, further comprises: attaching the first light source on
or towards a left side of a front side or a top side of the
vehicle; attaching the first camera on or towards the left side of
the vehicle's front side or top side; attaching the second light
source on or towards a right side of the vehicle's front side or
top side; and attaching the second camera on or towards the right
side of the vehicle's front side or top side.
5. The system of claim 1, wherein the first side and the second
side, further comprise arrangement on the vehicle that is either
parallel or perpendicular to each other:
6. The system of claim 1, further comprising: a third light source
arranged on one of the first side or the second side of the
vehicle; a third camera arranged on the one of the first side or
the second side of the vehicle; and in response to the first
camera, the second camera, and the third camera detecting one or
more reflections of the corresponding first, second, or third light
beams in the FOV of the vehicle's direction of travel, providing
trifocal three dimensional (3D) motion tracking of one or more
objects in the FOV of the vehicle's direction of travel.
7. The system of claim 1, further comprising: a first scanning
mirror arrangement and a second scanning mirror arrangement,
wherein the first and second light sources are arranged to direct
the first light beam and the second light beam at each mirror of
each scanning mirror arrangement, wherein a direction of the first
light beam toward each mirror differs from another direction of the
second light beam toward each mirror, wherein the first and the
second light beams are arranged to separately scan the FOV in the
vehicle's direction of travel.
8. A method to illuminate a field of view (FOV) for a vehicle,
comprising: employing a first light source and a second light
source to illuminate the FOV in a direction of travel of the
vehicle, wherein a first light source is arranged on a first side
of the vehicle and the second light source is arranged on a second
side of the vehicle, wherein the first light source emits a first
light beam that illuminates the FOV in the vehicle's direction of
travel, and wherein the second light source emits a second light
beam that also illuminates the FOV in the vehicle's direction of
travel; employing a first camera that is arranged on the first side
and a second camera that is arranged on the second side to detect
reflection of the first light beam in the FOV of the vehicle's
direction of travel and the second light beam in the FOV of the
vehicle's direction of travel; and in response to the first camera
or the second camera detecting one or more retroreflective
reflections of the corresponding first or second light beams in the
FOV of the vehicle's direction of travel, the first light source
and the second light source are arranged to emit pulses of the
first light beam and the second light beam, wherein the pulses of
the first and second light beams are arranged to reduce an amount
of the one or more retroreflective reflections detected by the
first camera and the second camera.
9. The method of claim 8, wherein the one or more retroreflective
reflections, further comprise retroreflective reflection of the
first or second light beams from one or more atmospheric conditions
in the illuminated FOV in the vehicle's direction of travel,
wherein the one or more atmospheric conditions include snow, rain,
hail, sleet, fog, dust, smoke, or air pollution.
10. The method of claim 8, wherein the pulses of the first and
second light beams, further comprise emitting the pulses of first
light beam and the second light beam 180 degrees out of phase to
each other.
11. The method of claim 8, further comprising: providing a third
light source arranged on one of the first side or the second side
of the vehicle; providing a third camera arranged on the one of the
first side or the second side of the vehicle; and in response to
the first camera, the second camera, and the third camera detecting
one or more reflections of the corresponding first, second, or
third light beams in the FOV of the vehicle's direction of travel,
providing trifocal three dimensional (3D) motion tracking of one or
more objects in the FOV of the vehicle's direction of travel.
12. The method of claim 8, further comprising: providing a first
scanning mirror arrangement and a second scanning mirror
arrangement, wherein the first and second light sources are
arranged to direct the first light beam and the second light beam
at each mirror of each scanning mirror arrangement, wherein a
direction of the first light beam toward each mirror differs from
another direction of the second light beam toward each mirror,
wherein the first and the second light beams are arranged to
separately scan the FOV in the vehicle's direction of travel.
13. The method of claim 8, wherein the arrangement of the first
light source and the first camera on the first side and the
arrangement of the second light source and the second camera on the
second side, further comprises: providing attachment of the first
light source on or towards a left side of a front side or a top
side of the vehicle; providing attachment of the first camera on or
towards the left side of the vehicle's front side or top side;
providing attachment of the second light source on or towards a
right side of the vehicle's front side or front side; and providing
attachment of the second camera on or towards the right side of the
vehicle's front side or top side.
14. The method of claim 8, wherein the first side and the second
side, further comprise arrangement on the vehicle that is either
parallel or perpendicular to each other:
15. A processor readable non-transitory computer readable media
that includes instructions, wherein execution of the instructions
by one or more processors enables a plurality of actions that
provide for illumination of a field of view (FOV) for a vehicle,
wherein the plurality of actions, comprise: employing a first light
source and a second light source to illuminate the FOV in a
direction of travel of the vehicle, wherein a first light source is
arranged on a first side of the vehicle and the second light source
is arranged on a second side of the vehicle, wherein the first
light source emits a first light beam that illuminates the FOV in
the vehicle's direction of travel, and wherein the second light
source emits a second light beam that also illuminates the FOV in
the vehicle's direction of travel; employing a first camera that is
arranged on the first side and a second camera that is arranged on
the second side to detect reflection of the first light beam in the
FOV of the vehicle's direction of travel and the second light beam
in the FOV of the vehicle's direction of travel; and in response to
the first camera or the second camera detecting one or more
retroreflective reflections of the corresponding first or second
light beams in the FOV of the vehicle's direction of travel, the
first light source and the second light source are arranged to emit
pulses of the first light beam and the second light beam, wherein
the pulses of the first and second light beams are arranged to
reduce an amount of the one or more retroreflective reflections
detected by the first camera and the second camera.
16. The processor readable non-transitory computer readable media
of claim 15, wherein the one or more retroreflective reflections,
further comprise retroreflective reflection of the first or second
light beams from one or more atmospheric conditions in the
illuminated FOV in the vehicle's direction of travel, wherein the
one or more atmospheric conditions include snow, rain, hail, sleet,
fog, dust, smoke, or air pollution.
17. The processor readable non-transitory computer readable media
of claim 15, wherein the pulses of the first and second light
beams, further comprise emitting the pulses of first light beam and
the second light beam 180 degrees out of phase to each other.
18. The processor readable non-transitory computer readable media
of claim 15, further comprising: providing a third light source
arranged on one of the first side or the second side of the
vehicle; providing a third camera arranged on the one of the first
side or the second side of the vehicle; and in response to the
first camera, the second camera, and the third camera detecting one
or more reflections of the corresponding first, second, or third
light beams in the FOV of the vehicle's direction of travel,
providing trifocal three dimensional (3D) motion tracking of one or
more objects in the FOV of the vehicle's direction of travel.
19. The processor readable non-transitory computer readable media
of claim 15, providing a first scanning mirror arrangement and a
second scanning mirror arrangement, wherein the first and second
light sources are arranged to direct the first light beam and the
second light beam at each mirror of each scanning mirror
arrangement, wherein a direction of the first light beam toward
each mirror differs from another direction of the second light beam
toward each mirror, wherein the first and the second light beams
are arranged to separately scan the FOV in the vehicle's direction
of travel.
20. The processor readable non-transitory computer readable media
of claim 15, wherein the arrangement of the first light source and
the first camera on the first side and the arrangement of the
second light source and the second camera on the second side,
further comprises: providing attachment of the first light source
on or towards a left side of a front side or a top side of the
vehicle; providing attachment of the first camera on or towards the
left side of the vehicle's front side or top side; providing
attachment of the second light source on or towards a right side of
the vehicle's front side or top side; and providing attachment of
the second camera on or towards the right side of the vehicle's
front side or top side.
Description
CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS
[0001] This Utility patent application is a Continuation of U.S.
patent application Ser. No. 16/679,110 filed on Nov. 8, 2019, now
U.S. Pat. No. 11,067,794 issued on Jul. 20, 2021, which is a
Divisional of U.S. patent application Ser. No. 15/976,269 filed on
May 10, 2018, now U.S. Pat. No. 10,473,921 issued on Nov. 12, 2019,
which is based on previously filed U.S. Provisional Patent
Application Ser. No. 62/602,937 filed on May 10, 2017, the benefit
of the filing date of which is hereby claimed under 35 U.S.C.
.sctn. 119(e) and .sctn. 120 and the contents of which are each
further incorporated in entirety by reference.
TECHNICAL FIELD
[0002] The present invention relates generally to scanning mirror
systems and arrangements and to methods of making and using the
scanning mirror systems and arrangements. The present invention is
also directed to systems and methods for scanning a field of view
with light beams or determining a position of objects within a
field of view.
BACKGROUND
[0003] Scanning mirrors can be used in a variety of applications.
There are several mirror design parameters that can be challenging
to manage or optimize. A high line resonance frequency keeps the
resonant mirror small and with a relative low resonant mass. A wide
scan field (for a wide field of view (FoV)) is often desirable, but
due to the inherent dynamics of a conventional resonant MEMS mirror
design, this typically results in slower scan speeds. A mirror
surface with high quality optical characteristics is desirable for
achieving good beam quality. Uniform illumination scan coverage is
desirable in many systems. These four design parameters are often
in starkly opposite directions, and in many conventional designs,
significant trade-offs are made between the design parameters which
may limit system performance parameters such a resolution, range,
and voxel acquisition rate.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
[0004] FIG. 1 shows an embodiment of an exemplary environment in
which various embodiments of the invention may be implemented;
[0005] FIG. 2 illustrates an embodiment of an exemplary mobile
computer that may be included in a system such as that shown in
FIG. 1;
[0006] FIG. 3 shows an embodiment of an exemplary network computer
that may be included in a system such as that shown in FIG. 1;
[0007] FIG. 4A illustrates an embodiment of a scanning mirror
arrangement or system;
[0008] FIG. 4B illustrates rotation of the mirror of the scanning
mirror arrangement or system of FIG. 4A;
[0009] FIG. 4C illustrates a sinusoidal operation of the scanning
mirror arrangement or system of FIG. 4A;
[0010] FIG. 4D illustrates a phase rotation diagram of the scanning
mirror arrangement or system of FIG. 4A;
[0011] FIG. 5 illustrates an embodiment of a scanning mirror
arrangement or system with illumination of the mirror by two light
beams (which are only illustrated after reflection from the mirror)
at different rotational positions of the mirror (a) 0.degree., (b)
+5.degree., and (c) -5.degree.;
[0012] FIG. 6 illustrates an embodiment of a scanning mirror
arrangement or system with illumination of the mirror by two light
beams at different rotational positions of the mirror (a)
+10.degree. and (b) -10.degree.;
[0013] FIG. 7A illustrates an embodiment of a scanning mirror
arrangement or system with illumination of the mirror by three
light beams (which are only illustrated prior to reflection by the
mirror);
[0014] FIG. 7B illustrates an embodiment of a scanning mirror
arrangement or system with illumination of the mirror by four light
beams (which are only illustrated prior to reflection by the
mirror);
[0015] FIG. 8 illustrates an embodiment of a system for determining
a position of an object using the scanning mirror system or
arrangement of FIG. 7B;
[0016] FIG. 9A illustrates an embodiment of a scanning mirror
arrangement or system with a driving mechanism disposed between a
mirror and hinges;
[0017] FIG. 9B illustrates an embodiment of a scanning mirror
arrangement or system with hinges disposed between a mirror and a
driving mechanism;
[0018] FIG. 10 is a flowchart of an embodiment of a method of
scanning a field of view;
[0019] FIG. 11 is a flowchart of an embodiment of a method of
determining a position of an object in a field of view;
[0020] FIGS. 12A to 12B illustrate an embodiment of a scanning
mirror arrangement or system with illumination of the mirror by two
light beams at different rotational positions of the mirror (12A)
+10.degree. and (12B) -10.degree. with diffuse reflection of the
light;
[0021] FIGS. 13A to 13C illustrate an embodiment of a device with a
single scanning headlight during different modes of operation;
and
[0022] FIGS. 14A to 14C illustrate an embodiment of a vehicle with
a dual head light assembly during different modes of operation.
DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION
[0023] Various embodiments now will be described more fully
hereinafter with reference to the accompanying drawings, which form
a part hereof, and which show, by way of illustration, specific
embodiments by which the invention may be practiced. The
embodiments may, however, be embodied in many different forms and
should not be construed as limited to the embodiments set forth
herein; rather, these embodiments are provided so that this
disclosure will be thorough and complete, and will fully convey the
scope of the embodiments to those skilled in the art. Among other
things, the various embodiments may be methods, systems, media, or
devices. Accordingly, the various embodiments may take the form of
an entirely hardware embodiment, an entirely software embodiment,
or an embodiment combining software and hardware aspects. The
following detailed description is, therefore, not to be taken in a
limiting sense.
[0024] Throughout the specification and claims, the following terms
take the meanings explicitly associated herein, unless the context
clearly dictates otherwise. The phrase "in one embodiment" as used
herein does not necessarily refer to the same embodiment, though it
may. Furthermore, the phrase "in another embodiment" as used herein
does not necessarily refer to a different embodiment, although it
may. Thus, as described below, various embodiments of the invention
may be readily combined, without departing from the scope or spirit
of the invention.
[0025] In addition, as used herein, the term "or" is an inclusive
"or" operator, and is equivalent to the term "and/or," unless the
context clearly dictates otherwise. The term "based on" is not
exclusive and allows for being based on additional factors not
described, unless the context clearly dictates otherwise. In
addition, throughout the specification, the meaning of "a," "an,"
and "the" include plural references. The meaning of "in" includes
"in" and "on."
[0026] As used herein, the terms "photon beam," "light beam,"
"electromagnetic beam," "image beam," or "beam" refer to a somewhat
localized (in time and space) beam or bundle of photons or
electromagnetic (EM) waves of various frequencies or wavelengths
within the EM spectrum. An outgoing light beam is a beam that is
transmitted by various ones of the various embodiments disclosed
herein. An incoming light beam is a beam that is detected by
various ones of the various embodiments disclosed herein.
[0027] As used herein, the terms "light source," "photon source,"
or "source" refer to various devices that are capable of emitting,
providing, transmitting, or generating one or more photons or EM
waves of one or more wavelengths or frequencies within the EM
spectrum. A light or photon source may transmit one or more
outgoing light beams. A photon source may be a laser, a light
emitting diode (LED), an organic light emitting diode (OLED), a
light bulb, or the like. A photon source may generate photons via
stimulated emissions of atoms or molecules, an incandescent
process, or various other mechanism that generates an EM wave or
one or more photons. A photon source may provide continuous or
pulsed outgoing light beams of a predetermined frequency, or range
of frequencies. The outgoing light beams may be coherent light
beams. The photons emitted by a light source may be of various
wavelengths or frequencies.
[0028] As used herein, the terms "receiver," "photon receiver,"
"photon detector," "light detector," "detector," "photon sensor,"
"light sensor," or "sensor" refer to various devices that are
sensitive to the presence of one or more photons of one or more
wavelengths or frequencies of the EM spectrum. A photon detector
may include an array of photon detectors, such as an arrangement of
a plurality of photon detecting or sensing pixels. One or more of
the pixels may be a photosensor that is sensitive to the absorption
of one or more photons. A photon detector may generate a signal in
response to the absorption of one or more photons. A photon
detector may include a one-dimensional (1D) array of pixels.
However, in other embodiments, photon detector may include at least
a two-dimensional (2D) array of pixels. The pixels may include
various photon-sensitive technologies, such as one or more of
active-pixel sensors (APS), charge-coupled devices (CCDs), Single
Photon Avalanche Detector (SPAD) (operated in avalanche mode or
Geiger mode), complementary metal-oxide-semiconductor (CMOS)
devices, silicon photomultipliers (SiPM), photovoltaic cells,
phototransistors, twitchy pixels, or the like. A photon detector
may detect one or more incoming light beams.
[0029] As used herein, the term "target" is one or more various 2D
or 3D bodies that reflect or scatter at least a portion of incident
light, EM waves, or photons. The target may also be referred to as
an "object." For instance, a target or object may scatter or
reflect an outgoing light beam that is transmitted by various ones
of the various embodiments disclosed herein. In the various
embodiments described herein, one or more light sources may be in
relative motion to one or more of receivers and/or one or more
targets or objects. Similarly, one or more receivers may be in
relative motion to one or more of light sources and/or one or more
targets or objects. One or more targets or objects may be in
relative motion to one or more of light sources and/or one or more
receivers.
[0030] The following briefly describes embodiments of the invention
in order to provide a basic understanding of some aspects of the
invention. This brief description is not intended as an extensive
overview. It is not intended to identify key or critical elements,
or to delineate or otherwise narrow the scope. Its purpose is
merely to present some concepts in a simplified form as a prelude
to the more detailed description that is presented later.
[0031] Briefly stated, various embodiments are directed to a
scanning mirror arrangement to scan a field of view with light
beams. The arrangement can include a scanning mirror arrangement
having a mirror and a drive mechanism configured to rotate the
mirror about an axis between two terminal positions; at least one
light source configured to simultaneously produce at least a first
light beam and a second light beam directed at the mirror from
different directions. Upon rotation of the mirror, the first and
second light beams can scan a field of view.
[0032] Another example of a scanning mirror arrangement includes a
mirror; hinges attached at opposite sides of the mirror; and a
drive mechanism attached to the hinges and configured to twist the
hinges resulting in a larger twist to the mirror, wherein the
hinges are disposed between the drive mechanism and the mirror.
Illustrated Operating Environment
[0033] FIG. 1 shows exemplary components of one embodiment of an
exemplary environment in which various exemplary embodiments of the
invention may be practiced. Not all of the components may be
required to practice the invention, and variations in the
arrangement and type of the components may be made without
departing from the spirit or scope of the invention.
[0034] A scanning mirror 105 can rotate or otherwise move to scan
light received from a light source over a field of view. The
scanning mirror 105 may be any suitable scanning mirror including,
but not limited to, a MEMS scanning mirror, acousto-optical,
electro-optical scanning mirrors, or fast phased arrays, such as 1D
ribbon MEMS arrays or Optical Phased Arrays (OPA). Scanning mirror
105 may also include an optical system that includes optical
components to direct or focus the incoming or outgoing light beams.
The optical systems may aim and shape the spatial and temporal beam
profiles of incoming or outgoing light beams. The optical system
may collimate, fan-out, or otherwise manipulate the incoming or
outgoing light beams. Scanning mirror 105 may include various ones
of the features, components, or functionality of a computer device,
including but not limited to mobile computer 200 of FIG. 2 and/or
network computer 300 of FIG. 3.
[0035] FIG. 1 illustrates one embodiment of a system 100 that
includes the scanning mirror 105. It will be understood that the
scanning mirror can be used in a variety of other systems
including, but not limited to, scanning laser vision, motion
tracking LIDAR, illumination, and imaging type display systems for
AR and VR, such as described in U.S. Pat. Nos. 8,282,222;
8,430,512, 8,573,783; 8,696141; 8,711,370 8,971,568; 9377553;
9,501,175; 9,581,883; 9753,126; 9,810,913; 9,813,673; 9,946,076;
U.S. Patent Application Publication Nos. 2013/0300637 and
2016/0041266; U.S. Provisional Patent Application Ser. Nos.
62/498,534; 62/606,879; 62/707,194; and 62/709,715 and U.S. patent
application Ser. No. 15/853,783. Each of these U.S. patents and
U.S. patent applications publications listed above are herein
incorporated by reference in the entirety.
[0036] The system 100 of FIG. 1 also includes network 102, one or
more light sources 104, receiver 106, one or more objects or
targets 108, and a system computer device 110. In some embodiments,
system 100 may include one or more other computers, such as but not
limited to laptop computer 112 and/or mobile computer, such as but
not limited to a smartphone or tablet 114. In some embodiments,
light source 104 and/or receiver 106 may include one or more
components included in a computer, such as but not limited to
various ones of computers 110, 112, or 114. The one or more light
sources 104, scanning mirror 105, and receiver 106 can be coupled
directly to the computer 110, 112, or 114 by any wireless or wired
technique or may be coupled to the computer 110, 112, or 114
through a network 102.
[0037] System 100, as well as other systems discussed herein, may
be a sequential-pixel photon projection system. In one or more
embodiment system 100 is a sequential-pixel laser projection system
that includes visible and/or non-visible photon sources. Various
embodiments of such systems are described in detail in at least
U.S. Pat. Nos. 8,282,222, 8,430,512; 8,573,783; 8,696,141;
8,711,370; 9,377,553; 9,753,126; 9,946,076; U.S. Patent Application
Publication Nos. 2013/0300637 and 2016/0041266; U.S. Provisional
Patent Application Ser. Nos. 62/498,534 and 62/606,879; and U.S.
patent application Ser. No. 15/853,783, each of which is herein
incorporated by reference in the entirety.
[0038] Light sources 104 may include one or more light sources for
transmitting light or photon beams. Examples of suitable light
sources includes lasers, laser diodes, light emitting diodes,
organic light emitting diodes, or the like. For instance, light
source 104 may include one or more visible and/or non-visible laser
sources. In at least some embodiments, light source 104 includes
one or more of a red (R), a green (G), or a blue (B) laser source.
In at least some embodiment, light source includes one or more
non-visible laser sources, such as a near-infrared (NIR) or
infrared (IR) laser. A light source may provide continuous or
pulsed light beams of a predetermined frequency, or range of
frequencies. The provided light beams may be coherent light beams.
Light source 104 may include various ones of the features,
components, or functionality of a computer device, including but
not limited to mobile computer 200 of FIG. 2 and/or network
computer 300 of FIG. 3. In at least some embodiments, there are two
or more light beams directed at the scanning mirror 105. The light
beams can be from different light sources 104, as illustrated in
FIG. 1, or from the same light source 104 where the beam from the
light source has been split into two different beams using, for
example, a beam splitting arrangement. For example, a beamsplitting
arrangement can include a beamsplitter and one or more mirrors or
other optical elements to redirect at least one of the light beams.
As another example, a reflective polarizer can split the beam into
two parts with mirrors or other optical elements to redirect at
least one of the light beams.
[0039] Light source 104 may also include an optical system that
includes optical components to direct or focus the transmitted or
outgoing light beams. The optical systems may aim and shape the
spatial and temporal beam profiles of outgoing light beams. The
optical system may collimate, fan-out, or otherwise manipulate the
outgoing light beams. At least a portion of the outgoing light
beams are aimed at the scanning mirror 105 which aims the light
beam at the object 108.
[0040] Receiver 106 can be any suitable light receiver including,
but not limited to, one or more photon-sensitive, or
photon-detecting, arrays of sensor pixels. An array of sensor
pixels detects continuous or pulsed light beams reflected from
target 108. The array of pixels may be a one dimensional-array or a
two-dimensional array. The pixels may include SPAD pixels or other
photo-sensitive elements that avalanche upon the illumination one
or a few incoming photons. The pixels may have ultra-fast response
times in detecting a single or a few photons that are on the order
of a few nanoseconds. The pixels may be sensitive to the
frequencies emitted or transmitted by light source 104 and
relatively insensitive to other frequencies. Receiver 106 also
includes an optical system that includes optical components to
direct and focus the received beams, across the array of pixels.
Receiver 106 may include various ones of the features, components,
or functionality of a computer device, including but not limited to
mobile computer 200 of FIG. 2 and/or network computer 300 of FIG.
3.
[0041] Various embodiment of computer device 110 are described in
more detail below in conjunction with FIGS. 2-3 (e.g., computer
device 110 may be an embodiment of mobile computer 200 of FIG. 2
and/or network computer 300 of FIG. 3). Briefly, however, computer
device 110 includes virtually various computer devices enabled to
operate a scanning mirror arrangement or to perform the various
position determination processes and/or methods discussed herein,
based on the detection of photons reflected from one or more
surfaces, including but not limited to surfaces of object or target
108. Based on the detected photons or light beams, computer device
110 may alter or otherwise modify one or more configurations of
light source 104 and receiver 106. It should be understood that the
functionality of computer device 110 may be performed by light
source 104, scanning mirror 105, receiver 106, or a combination
thereof, without communicating to a separate device.
[0042] In some embodiments, at least some of the scanning mirror
operation or position determination functionality may be performed
by other computers, including but not limited to laptop computer
112 and/or a mobile computer, such as but not limited to a
smartphone or tablet 114. Various embodiments of such computers are
described in more detail below in conjunction with mobile computer
200 of FIG. 2 and/or network computer 300 of FIG. 3.
[0043] Network 102 may be configured to couple network computers
with other computing devices, including light source 104, photon
receiver 106, tracking computer device 110, laptop computer 112, or
smartphone/tablet 114. Network 102 may include various wired and/or
wireless technologies for communicating with a remote device, such
as, but not limited to, USB cable, Bluetooth.RTM., Wi-Fi.RTM., or
the like. In some embodiments, network 102 may be a network
configured to couple network computers with other computing
devices. In various embodiments, information communicated between
devices may include various kinds of information, including, but
not limited to, processor-readable instructions, remote requests,
server responses, program modules, applications, raw data, control
data, system information (e.g., log files), video data, voice data,
image data, text data, structured/unstructured data, or the like.
In some embodiments, this information may be communicated between
devices using one or more technologies and/or network
protocols.
[0044] In some embodiments, such a network may include various
wired networks, wireless networks, or various combinations thereof.
In various embodiments, network 102 may be enabled to employ
various forms of communication technology, topology,
computer-readable media, or the like, for communicating information
from one electronic device to another. For example, network 102 can
include--in addition to the Internet--LANs, WANs, Personal Area
Networks (PANs), Campus Area Networks, Metropolitan Area Networks
(MANs), direct communication connections (such as through a
universal serial bus (USB) port), or the like, or various
combinations thereof.
[0045] In various embodiments, communication links within and/or
between networks may include, but are not limited to, twisted wire
pair, optical fibers, open air lasers, coaxial cable, plain old
telephone service (POTS), wave guides, acoustics, full or
fractional dedicated digital lines (such as T1, T2, T3, or T4),
E-carriers, Integrated Services Digital Networks (ISDNs), Digital
Subscriber Lines (DSLs), wireless links (including satellite
links), or other links and/or carrier mechanisms known to those
skilled in the art. Moreover, communication links may further
employ various ones of a variety of digital signaling technologies,
including without limit, for example, DS-0, DS-1, DS-2, DS-3, DS-4,
OC-3, OC-12, OC-48, or the like. In some embodiments, a router (or
other intermediate network device) may act as a link between
various networks--including those based on different architectures
and/or protocols--to enable information to be transferred from one
network to another. In other embodiments, remote computers and/or
other related electronic devices could be connected to a network
via a modem and temporary telephone link. In essence, network 102
may include various communication technologies by which information
may travel between computing devices.
[0046] Network 102 may, in some embodiments, include various
wireless networks, which may be configured to couple various
portable network devices, remote computers, wired networks, other
wireless networks, or the like. Wireless networks may include
various ones of a variety of sub-networks that may further overlay
stand-alone ad-hoc networks, or the like, to provide an
infrastructure-oriented connection for at least client computer
(e.g., laptop computer 112 or smart phone or tablet computer 114)
(or other mobile devices). Such sub-networks may include mesh
networks, Wireless LAN (WLAN) networks, cellular networks, or the
like. In one or more of the various embodiments, the system may
include more than one wireless network.
[0047] Network 102 may employ a plurality of wired and/or wireless
communication protocols and/or technologies. Examples of various
generations (e.g., third (3G), fourth (4G), or fifth (5G)) of
communication protocols and/or technologies that may be employed by
the network may include, but are not limited to, Global System for
Mobile communication (GSM), General Packet Radio Services (GPRS),
Enhanced Data GSM Environment (EDGE), Code Division Multiple Access
(CDMA), Wideband Code Division Multiple Access (W-CDMA), Code
Division Multiple Access 2000 (CDMA2000), High Speed Downlink
Packet Access (HSDPA), Long Term Evolution (LTE), Universal Mobile
Telecommunications System (UMTS), Evolution-Data Optimized (Ev-DO),
Worldwide Interoperability for Microwave Access (WiMax), time
division multiple access (TDMA), Orthogonal frequency-division
multiplexing (OFDM), ultra-wide band (UWB), Wireless Application
Protocol (WAP), user datagram protocol (UDP), transmission control
protocol/Internet protocol (TCP/IP), various portions of the Open
Systems Interconnection (OSI) model protocols, session initiated
protocol/real-time transport protocol (SIP/RTP), short message
service (SMS), multimedia messaging service (MMS), or various ones
of a variety of other communication protocols and/or technologies.
In essence, the network may include communication technologies by
which information may travel between light source 104, photon
receiver 106, and tracking computer device 110, as well as other
computing devices not illustrated.
[0048] In various embodiments, at least a portion of network 102
may be arranged as an autonomous system of nodes, links, paths,
terminals, gateways, routers, switches, firewalls, load balancers,
forwarders, repeaters, optical-electrical converters, or the like,
which may be connected by various communication links. These
autonomous systems may be configured to self-organize based on
current operating conditions and/or rule-based policies, such that
the network topology of the network may be modified.
Illustrative Mobile Computer
[0049] FIG. 2 shows one embodiment of an exemplary mobile computer
200 that may include many more or less components than those
exemplary components shown. Mobile computer 200 may represent, for
example, one or more embodiment of laptop computer 112,
smartphone/tablet 114, and/or computer 110 of system 100 of FIG. 1.
Thus, mobile computer 200 may include a mobile device (e.g., a
smart phone or tablet), a stationary/desktop computer, or the
like.
[0050] Client computer 200 may include processor 202 in
communication with memory 204 via bus 206. Client computer 200 may
also include power supply 208, network interface 210,
processor-readable stationary storage device 212,
processor-readable removable storage device 214, input/output
interface 216, camera(s) 218, video interface 220, touch interface
222, hardware security module (HSM) 224, projector 226, display
228, keypad 230, illuminator 232, audio interface 234, global
positioning systems (GPS) transceiver 236, open air gesture
interface 238, temperature interface 240, haptic interface 242, and
pointing device interface 244. Client computer 200 may optionally
communicate with a base station (not shown), or directly with
another computer. And in one embodiment, although not shown, a
gyroscope may be employed within client computer 200 for measuring
and/or maintaining an orientation of client computer 200.
[0051] Power supply 208 may provide power to client computer 200. A
rechargeable or non-rechargeable battery may be used to provide
power. The power may also be provided by an external power source,
such as an AC adapter or a powered docking cradle that supplements
and/or recharges the battery.
[0052] Network interface 210 includes circuitry for coupling client
computer 200 to one or more networks, and is constructed for use
with one or more communication protocols and technologies
including, but not limited to, protocols and technologies that
implement various portions of the OSI model for mobile
communication (GSM), CDMA, time division multiple access (TDMA),
UDP, TCP/IP, SMS, MMS, GPRS, WAP, UWB, WiMax, SIP/RTP, GPRS, EDGE,
WCDMA, LTE, UMTS, OFDM, CDMA2000, EV-DO, HSDPA, or various ones of
a variety of other wireless communication protocols. Network
interface 210 is sometimes known as a transceiver, transceiving
device, or network interface card (MC).
[0053] Audio interface 234 may be arranged to produce and receive
audio signals such as the sound of a human voice. For example,
audio interface 234 may be coupled to a speaker and microphone (not
shown) to enable telecommunication with others and/or generate an
audio acknowledgement for some action. A microphone in audio
interface 234 can also be used for input to or control of client
computer 200, e.g., using voice recognition, detecting touch based
on sound, and the like.
[0054] Display 228 may be a liquid crystal display (LCD), gas
plasma, electronic ink, light emitting diode (LED), Organic LED
(OLED) or various other types of light reflective or light
transmissive displays that can be used with a computer. Display 228
may also include the touch interface 222 arranged to receive input
from an object such as a stylus or a digit from a human hand, and
may use resistive, capacitive, surface acoustic wave (SAW),
infrared, radar, or other technologies to sense touch and/or
gestures.
[0055] Projector 226 may be a remote handheld projector or an
integrated projector that is capable of projecting an image on a
remote wall or various other reflective objects such as a remote
screen.
[0056] Video interface 220 may be arranged to capture video images,
such as a still photo, a video segment, an infrared video, or the
like. For example, video interface 220 may be coupled to a digital
video camera, a web-camera, or the like. Video interface 220 may
comprise a lens, an image sensor, and other electronics. Image
sensors may include a complementary metal-oxide-semiconductor
(CMOS) integrated circuit, charge-coupled device (CCD), or various
other integrated circuits for sensing light.
[0057] Keypad 230 may comprise various input devices arranged to
receive input from a user. For example, keypad 230 may include a
push button numeric dial, or a keyboard. Keypad 230 may also
include command buttons that are associated with selecting and
sending images.
[0058] Illuminator 232 may provide a status indication and/or
provide light. Illuminator 232 may remain active for specific
periods of time or in response to event messages. For example, if
illuminator 232 is active, it may backlight the buttons on keypad
230 and stay on while the client computer is powered. Also,
illuminator 232 may backlight these buttons in various patterns if
particular actions are performed, such as dialing another client
computer. Illuminator 232 may also cause light sources positioned
within a transparent or translucent case of the client computer to
illuminate in response to actions.
[0059] Further, client computer 200 may also comprise HSM 224 for
providing additional tamper resistant safeguards for generating,
storing and/or using security/cryptographic information such as,
keys, digital certificates, passwords, passphrases, two-factor
authentication information, or the like. In some embodiments,
hardware security module may be employed to support one or more
standard public key infrastructures (PKI), and may be employed to
generate, manage, and/or store keys pairs, or the like. In some
embodiments, HSM 224 may be a stand-alone computer, in other cases,
HSM 224 may be arranged as a hardware card that may be added to a
client computer.
[0060] Client computer 200 may also comprise input/output interface
216 for communicating with external peripheral devices or other
computers such as other client computers and network computers. The
peripheral devices may include an audio headset, virtual reality
headsets, display screen glasses, remote speaker system, remote
speaker and microphone system, and the like. Input/output interface
216 can utilize one or more technologies, such as Universal Serial
Bus (USB), Infrared, Wi-Fi.TM., WiMax, Bluetooth.TM., and the
like.
[0061] Input/output interface 216 may also include one or more
sensors for determining geolocation information (e.g., GPS),
monitoring electrical power conditions (e.g., voltage sensors,
current sensors, frequency sensors, and so on), monitoring weather
(e.g., thermostats, barometers, anemometers, humidity detectors,
precipitation scales, or the like), or the like. Sensors may be one
or more hardware sensors that collect and/or measure data that is
external to client computer 200.
[0062] Haptic interface 242 may be arranged to provide tactile
feedback to a user of the client computer. For example, the haptic
interface 242 may be employed to vibrate client computer 200 in a
particular way if another user of a computer is calling.
Temperature interface 240 may be used to provide a temperature
measurement input and/or a temperature changing output to a user of
client computer 200. Open air gesture interface 238 may sense
physical gestures of a user of client computer 200, for example, by
using single or stereo video cameras, radar, a gyroscopic sensor
inside a computer held or worn by the user, or the like. Camera 218
may be used to track physical eye movements of a user of client
computer 200.
[0063] GPS transceiver 236 can determine the physical coordinates
of client computer 200 on the surface of the Earth, which typically
outputs a location as latitude and longitude values. GPS
transceiver 236 can also employ other geo-positioning mechanisms,
including, but not limited to, triangulation, assisted GPS (AGPS),
Enhanced Observed Time Difference (E-OTD), Cell Identifier (CI),
Service Area Identifier (SAI), Enhanced Timing Advance (ETA), Base
Station Subsystem (BSS), or the like, to further determine the
physical location of client computer 200 on the surface of the
Earth. It is understood that under different conditions, GPS
transceiver 236 can determine a physical location for client
computer 200. In one or more embodiments, however, client computer
200 may, through other components, provide other information that
may be employed to determine a physical location of the client
computer, including for example, a Media Access Control (MAC)
address, IP address, and the like.
[0064] Human interface components can be peripheral devices that
are physically separate from client computer 200, allowing for
remote input and/or output to client computer 200. For example,
information routed as described here through human interface
components such as display 228 or keypad 230 can instead be routed
through network interface 210 to appropriate human interface
components located remotely. Examples of human interface peripheral
components that may be remote include, but are not limited to,
audio devices, pointing devices, keypads, displays, cameras,
projectors, and the like. These peripheral components may
communicate over a Pico Network such as Bluetooth.TM., Zigbee.TM.
and the like. One non-limiting example of a client computer with
such peripheral human interface components is a wearable computer,
which might include a remote pico projector along with one or more
cameras that remotely communicate with a separately located client
computer to sense a user's gestures toward portions of an image
projected by the pico projector onto a reflected surface such as a
wall or the user's hand.
[0065] Memory 204 may include RAM, ROM, and/or other types of
memory. Memory 204 illustrates an example of computer-readable
storage media (devices) for storage of information such as
computer-readable instructions, data structures, program modules or
other data. Memory 204 may store BIOS 246 for controlling low-level
operation of client computer 200. The memory may also store
operating system 248 for controlling the operation of client
computer 200. It will be appreciated that this component may
include a general-purpose operating system such as a version of
UNIX, or LINUX.TM., or a specialized client computer communication
operating system such as Windows Phone.TM., or the Symbian.RTM.
operating system. The operating system may include, or interface
with a Java virtual machine module that enables control of hardware
components and/or operating system operations via Java application
programs.
[0066] Memory 204 may further include one or more data storage 250,
which can be utilized by client computer 200 to store, among other
things, applications 252 and/or other data. For example, data
storage 250 may also be employed to store information that
describes various capabilities of client computer 200. In one or
more of the various embodiments, data storage 250 may store
position information 251. The information 251 may then be provided
to another device or computer based on various ones of a variety of
methods, including being sent as part of a header during a
communication, sent upon request, or the like. Data storage 250 may
also be employed to store social networking information including
address books, buddy lists, aliases, user profile information, or
the like. Data storage 250 may further include program code, data,
algorithms, and the like, for use by a processor, such as processor
202 to execute and perform actions. In one embodiment, at least
some of data storage 250 might also be stored on another component
of client computer 200, including, but not limited to,
non-transitory processor-readable stationary storage device 212,
processor-readable removable storage device 214, or even external
to the client computer.
[0067] Applications 252 may include computer executable
instructions which, if executed by client computer 200, transmit,
receive, and/or otherwise process instructions and data.
Applications 252 may include, for example, scanning mirror client
engine 253, position determination client engine 254, other client
engines 256, web browser 258, or the like. Client computers may be
arranged to exchange communications, such as, queries, searches,
messages, notification messages, event messages, alerts,
performance metrics, log data, API calls, or the like, combination
thereof, with application servers, network file system
applications, and/or storage management applications.
[0068] The web browser engine 226 may be configured to receive and
to send web pages, web-based messages, graphics, text, multimedia,
and the like. The client computer's browser engine 226 may employ
virtually various programming languages, including a wireless
application protocol messages (WAP), and the like. In one or more
embodiments, the browser engine 258 is enabled to employ Handheld
Device Markup Language (HDML), Wireless Markup Language (WML),
WMLScript, JavaScript, Standard Generalized Markup Language (SGML),
HyperText Markup Language (HTML), eXtensible Markup Language (XML),
HTML5, and the like.
[0069] Other examples of application programs include calendars,
search programs, email client applications, IM applications, SMS
applications, Voice Over Internet Protocol (VOIP) applications,
contact managers, task managers, transcoders, database programs,
word processing programs, security applications, spreadsheet
programs, games, search programs, and so forth.
[0070] Additionally, in one or more embodiments (not shown in the
figures), client computer 200 may include an embedded logic
hardware device instead of a CPU, such as, an Application Specific
Integrated Circuit (ASIC), Field Programmable Gate Array (FPGA),
Programmable Array Logic (PAL), or the like, or combination
thereof. The embedded logic hardware device may directly execute
its embedded logic to perform actions. Also, in one or more
embodiments (not shown in the figures), client computer 200 may
include a hardware microcontroller instead of a CPU. In one or more
embodiments, the microcontroller may directly execute its own
embedded logic to perform actions and access its own internal
memory and its own external Input and Output Interfaces (e.g.,
hardware pins and/or wireless transceivers) to perform actions,
such as System On a Chip (SOC), or the like.
Illustrative Network Computer
[0071] FIG. 3 shows one embodiment of an exemplary network computer
300 that may be included in an exemplary system implementing one or
more of the various embodiments. Network computer 300 may include
many more or less components than those shown in FIG. 3. However,
the components shown are sufficient to disclose an illustrative
embodiment for practicing these innovations. Network computer 300
may include a desktop computer, a laptop computer, a server
computer, a client computer, and the like. Network computer 300 may
represent, for example, one embodiment of one or more of laptop
computer 112, smartphone/tablet 114, and/or computer 110 of system
100 of FIG. 1.
[0072] As shown in FIG. 3, network computer 300 includes a
processor 302 that may be in communication with a memory 304 via a
bus 306. In some embodiments, processor 302 may be comprised of one
or more hardware processors, or one or more processor cores. In
some cases, one or more of the one or more processors may be
specialized processors designed to perform one or more specialized
actions, such as, those described herein. Network computer 300 also
includes a power supply 308, network interface 310,
processor-readable stationary storage device 312,
processor-readable removable storage device 314, input/output
interface 316, GPS transceiver 318, display 320, keyboard 322,
audio interface 324, pointing device interface 326, and HSM 328.
Power supply 308 provides power to network computer 300.
[0073] Network interface 310 includes circuitry for coupling
network computer 300 to one or more networks, and is constructed
for use with one or more communication protocols and technologies
including, but not limited to, protocols and technologies that
implement various portions of the Open Systems Interconnection
model (OSI model), global system for mobile communication (GSM),
code division multiple access (CDMA), time division multiple access
(TDMA), user datagram protocol (UDP), transmission control
protocol/Internet protocol (TCP/IP), Short Message Service (SMS),
Multimedia Messaging Service (MMS), general packet radio service
(GPRS), WAP, ultra wide band (UWB), IEEE 802.16 Worldwide
Interoperability for Microwave Access (WiMax), Session Initiation
Protocol/Real-time Transport Protocol (SIP/RTP), or various ones of
a variety of other wired and wireless communication protocols.
Network interface 310 is sometimes known as a transceiver,
transceiving device, or network interface card (NIC). Network
computer 300 may optionally communicate with a base station (not
shown), or directly with another computer.
[0074] Audio interface 324 is arranged to produce and receive audio
signals such as the sound of a human voice. For example, audio
interface 324 may be coupled to a speaker and microphone (not
shown) to enable telecommunication with others and/or generate an
audio acknowledgement for some action. A microphone in audio
interface 324 can also be used for input to or control of network
computer 300, for example, using voice recognition.
[0075] Display 320 may be a liquid crystal display (LCD), gas
plasma, electronic ink, light emitting diode (LED), Organic LED
(OLED) or various other types of light reflective or light
transmissive display that can be used with a computer. Display 320
may be a handheld projector or pico projector capable of projecting
an image on a wall or other object.
[0076] Network computer 300 may also comprise input/output
interface 316 for communicating with external devices or computers
not shown in FIG. 3. Input/output interface 316 can utilize one or
more wired or wireless communication technologies, such as USB.TM.,
Firewire.TM., Wi-Fi.TM. WiMax, Thunderbolt.TM., Infrared,
Bluetooth.TM., Zigbee.TM., serial port, parallel port, and the
like.
[0077] Also, input/output interface 316 may also include one or
more sensors for determining geolocation information (e.g., GPS),
monitoring electrical power conditions (e.g., voltage sensors,
current sensors, frequency sensors, and so on), monitoring weather
(e.g., thermostats, barometers, anemometers, humidity detectors,
precipitation scales, or the like), or the like. Sensors may be one
or more hardware sensors that collect and/or measure data that is
external to network computer 300. Human interface components can be
physically separate from network computer 300, allowing for remote
input and/or output to network computer 300. For example,
information routed as described here through human interface
components such as display 320 or keyboard 322 can instead be
routed through the network interface 310 to appropriate human
interface components located elsewhere on the network. Human
interface components include various components that allow the
computer to take input from, or send output to, a human user of a
computer. Accordingly, pointing devices such as mice, styluses,
track balls, or the like, may communicate through pointing device
interface 326 to receive user input.
[0078] GPS transceiver 318 can determine the physical coordinates
of network computer 300 on the surface of the Earth, which
typically outputs a location as latitude and longitude values. GPS
transceiver 318 can also employ other geo-positioning mechanisms,
including, but not limited to, triangulation, assisted GPS (AGPS),
Enhanced Observed Time Difference (E-OTD), Cell Identifier (CI),
Service Area Identifier (SAI), Enhanced Timing Advance (ETA), Base
Station Subsystem (BSS), or the like, to further determine the
physical location of network computer 300 on the surface of the
Earth. It is understood that under different conditions, GPS
transceiver 318 can determine a physical location for network
computer 300. In one or more embodiments, however, network computer
300 may, through other components, provide other information that
may be employed to determine a physical location of the client
computer, including for example, a Media Access Control (MAC)
address, IP address, and the like.
[0079] Memory 304 may include Random Access Memory (RAM), Read-Only
Memory (ROM), and/or other types of memory. Memory 304 illustrates
an example of computer-readable storage media (devices) for storage
of information such as computer-readable instructions, data
structures, program modules or other data. Memory 304 stores a
basic input/output system (BIOS) 330 for controlling low-level
operation of network computer 300. The memory also stores an
operating system 332 for controlling the operation of network
computer 300. It will be appreciated that this component may
include a general-purpose operating system such as a version of
UNIX, or LINUX.TM., or a specialized operating system such as
Microsoft Corporation's Windows.RTM. operating system, or the Apple
Corporation's IOS.RTM. operating system. The operating system may
include, or interface with a Java virtual machine module that
enables control of hardware components and/or operating system
operations via Java application programs. Likewise, other runtime
environments may be included.
[0080] Memory 304 may further include one or more data storage 334,
which can be utilized by network computer 300 to store, among other
things, applications 336 and/or other data. For example, data
storage 334 may also be employed to store information that
describes various capabilities of network computer 300. In one or
more of the various embodiments, data storage 334 may store
position information 335. The position information 335 may then be
provided to another device or computer based on various ones of a
variety of methods, including being sent as part of a header during
a communication, sent upon request, or the like. Data storage 334
may also be employed to store social networking information
including address books, buddy lists, aliases, user profile
information, or the like. Data storage 334 may further include
program code, data, algorithms, and the like, for use by one or
more processors, such as processor 302 to execute and perform
actions such as those actions described below. In one embodiment,
at least some of data storage 334 might also be stored on another
component of network computer 300, including, but not limited to,
non-transitory media inside non-transitory processor-readable
stationary storage device 312, processor-readable removable storage
device 314, or various other computer-readable storage devices
within network computer 300, or even external to network computer
300.
[0081] Applications 336 may include computer executable
instructions which, if executed by network computer 300, transmit,
receive, and/or otherwise process messages (e.g., SMS, Multimedia
Messaging Service (MMS), Instant Message (IM), email, and/or other
messages), audio, video, and enable telecommunication with another
user of another mobile computer. Other examples of application
programs include calendars, search programs, email client
applications, IM applications, SMS applications, Voice Over
Internet Protocol (VOIP) applications, contact managers, task
managers, transcoders, database programs, word processing programs,
security applications, spreadsheet programs, games, search
programs, and so forth. Applications 336 may include scanning
mirror engine 344 or position determination engine 346 that
performs actions further described below. In one or more of the
various embodiments, one or more of the applications may be
implemented as modules and/or components of another application.
Further, in one or more of the various embodiments, applications
may be implemented as operating system extensions, modules,
plugins, or the like.
[0082] Furthermore, in one or more of the various embodiments,
position determination engine 346 may be operative in a cloud-based
computing environment. In one or more of the various embodiments,
these applications, and others, may be executing within virtual
machines and/or virtual servers that may be managed in a
cloud-based based computing environment. In one or more of the
various embodiments, in this context the applications may flow from
one physical network computer within the cloud-based environment to
another depending on performance and scaling considerations
automatically managed by the cloud computing environment. Likewise,
in one or more of the various embodiments, virtual machines and/or
virtual servers dedicated to scanning mirror engine 344 or position
determination engine 346 may be provisioned and de-commissioned
automatically.
[0083] Also, in one or more of the various embodiments, scanning
mirror engine 344 or position determination engine 346 or the like
may be located in virtual servers running in a cloud-based
computing environment rather than being tied to one or more
specific physical network computers.
[0084] Further, network computer 300 may comprise HSM 328 for
providing additional tamper resistant safeguards for generating,
storing and/or using security/cryptographic information such as,
keys, digital certificates, passwords, passphrases, two-factor
authentication information, or the like. In some embodiments,
hardware security module may be employed to support one or more
standard public key infrastructures (PKI), and may be employed to
generate, manage, and/or store keys pairs, or the like. In some
embodiments, HSM 328 may be a stand-alone network computer, in
other cases, HSM 328 may be arranged as a hardware card that may be
installed in a network computer.
[0085] Additionally, in one or more embodiments (not shown in the
figures), the network computer may include one or more embedded
logic hardware devices instead of one or more CPUs, such as, an
Application Specific Integrated Circuits (ASICs), Field
Programmable Gate Arrays (FPGAs), Programmable Array Logics (PALs),
or the like, or combination thereof. The embedded logic hardware
devices may directly execute embedded logic to perform actions.
Also, in one or more embodiments (not shown in the figures), the
network computer may include one or more hardware microcontrollers
instead of a CPU. In one or more embodiments, the one or more
microcontrollers may directly execute their own embedded logic to
perform actions and access their own internal memory and their own
external Input and Output Interfaces (e.g., hardware pins and/or
wireless transceivers) to perform actions, such as System On a Chip
(SOC), or the like.
Illustrative Devices and Systems
[0086] Scanning mirrors have a multitude of uses including, but not
limited to, scanning laser vision, motion tracking LIDAR,
illumination, and imaging type display systems for AR and VR, such
as described in U.S. Pat. Nos. 8,282,222; 8,430,512; 8,573,783;
8,696,141; 8,711,370; 8,971,568; 9,377,553; 9,501,175; 9,581,883;
9,753,126; 9,810,913; 9,813,673; 9,946,076; U.S. Patent Application
Publication Nos. 2013/0300637 and 2016/0041266; U.S. Provisional
Patent Application Ser. Nos. 62/498,534; 62/606,879; 62/707,194;
and 62/709,715 and U.S. patent application Ser. No. 15/853,783.
each of which is herein incorporated by reference in the
entirety.
[0087] The devices and systems can employ high speed MEMS scanning
mirror systems. In many applications the speed and other specific
motion characteristics of the scan system facilitate precisely
rendering, detecting or tracking finely detailed contrast functions
(for example, strings of 3D pixels) and voxels (for example, 3D
positions) in the field of view.
[0088] Often resonant scan mirrors are used, as they deliver high
speeds coupled with reasonable scan angles and use relatively low
energy. The present disclosure describes innovations that apply to
such resonant systems and can significantly improve them.
Innovations described in the present disclosure can also apply to
non-resonant MEMS scanning mirrors or other non-MEMS type scanning
systems (e.g. so-called Galvo or Polygonal scanning systems and the
like), or even non-mechanical systems, or "solid state" scanning
systems such Optical Phased arrays or accousto-optical and
electro-optical scanning systems).
[0089] FIG. 4A is a block diagram of components of a scanning
mirror arrangement including the mirror 405 and the drive mechanism
or actuator 407 that drives the rotation of the mirror about an
axis, as illustrated in FIG. 4B where the mirror 405 is illustrated
as rotated at two extreme positions 405a, 405b. In FIG. 4A, the
mirror 405 is rotated to a midway position between the two extreme
positions and defines a center axis 409 perpendicular to the
surface of the mirror. In at least some embodiments, the mirror 405
is configured to rotate up to .+-.60, .+-.50, .+-.40, .+-.30,
.+-.20, .+-.10 degrees relative to the midway position illustrated
in FIG. 4A, although larger or smaller rotations can also be used.
Although the mirror 405 in the embodiment illustrated in FIG. 4B
rotates by equal, but opposite, amounts to reach the two extreme
positions 405a, 405b, in other embodiments, the two extreme
positions may involve unequal rotation (e.g., a different amount of
rotation in degrees) in the two opposing direction. Other examples
of scanning mirror arrangements are presented in FIGS. 9A and 9B
and discussed below.
[0090] As an example of a conventional scanning mirror, a 25 kHz
resonant mirror with a diameter of around 1 mm can draw two lines
in each 40 microsecond scan period, delivering 50,000 scan lines
per second. If drawing an image at 100 frames per second, it would
at most be able to scan 500 lines across each frame.
[0091] For high resolution imaging systems, there are several
mirror design parameters that can be challenging to manage or
optimize. First, a high line resonance frequency keeps the resonant
mirror small and with a relative low resonant mass. The scanning
system further utilizes a stiff spring in the hinges, which acts as
a dampener on the mirrors' deflection angle, typically resulting in
a small scan angle and a small angular scan range.
[0092] Second, a wide scan field (for a wide field of view (FoV))
is often desirable, but due to the inherent dynamics of a
conventional resonant MEMS mirror design, this typically results in
slower scan speeds (by, for example, increasing the mass or
reducing the stiffness of the spring type hinges holding the
mirror).
[0093] Third, a mirror surface with high quality optical
characteristics is desirable for achieving good beam quality and
for achieving a relative high resolution laser point with a small,
sharp laser beam "tip" (i.e., the smallest resolved voxel spot
illumination). In some systems to achieve a good depth of field, a
very flat, stiff and relatively large mirror surface is needed to
be able to maintain a relatively high degree of collimation of the
laser beam. At higher resonance frequencies the stresses on the
mirror are significantly greater, and mirror stiffness becomes
particularly important. Stiffness requires more structural strength
in the mirror body structure, and typically makes the mirror
heavier. For example, a 2 mm, 2.times. larger mirror results in
significantly better collimation and far field spot size as
compared to a faster 1 mm mirror. Such a larger mirror may have
eight times larger mass, which might reduce the resonance frequency
by more than half (e.g., the square root of 8). Some modern high
speed MEMS mirror designs use honeycomb structures to achieve a
maximum stiffness at minimal mass for a given mirror size. For
good, long range beam quality useful for automotive LIDAR systems
the desired stiffness and size of the mirror surface typically
results in larger surfaces with robust backing structures which
limit the resonant frequency to below 5 kHz.
[0094] Fourth, uniform illumination scan coverage is desirable in
many such systems, either to achieve acceptable image brightness
and uniformity across a broad field of view or to guarantee that
sufficient illumination is applied to every point in the field of
view of a machine vision system. Lack of illumination brightness
and uniformity of illumination across a wide scan range would
reduce the range and FoV width respectively of such scanned
interrogation beam systems.
[0095] These four design parameters are often in starkly opposite
directions, and in many conventional designs significant trade-offs
are made between the design parameters which may limit system
performance parameters such a resolution, range, and voxel
acquisition rate.
[0096] In at least some embodiments, a device or system includes
slowing down and increasing dwell time where it counts. One
features of resonant mirrors is that their rotational speed is
fundamentally sinusoidal, as illustrated in FIG. 4C. A resonant
system is an energy conserving system: at mid-point of the scan
mirror rotation the system is at peak velocity and at peak kinetic
energy, while at the extremes of mirror motion a resonant mirror
slows down to a full stop, all of the kinetic energy being
transformed into mechanical energy instantiated as the spring force
in the hinges of the mirror. The extreme positions are often not
utilized at all. For many image rendering applications, the field
of projection is "cropped" so that the most extreme positions are
not actually used in the scan illumination pattern.
[0097] As an example, the optical scan width of a mirror whose axis
is rotating mechanically +/-10 degrees (a mechanical scan range of
20 degrees) will swing a beam at twice that range up to +/-20
degrees (a total of 40 degrees). The actual use of this range might
be only 30 degrees, to avoid the slow-moving extremes. If this
mirror is used in an application where the beam must deliver a
certain amount of illumination (for example, a certain intensity of
laser beam energy per solid angle in the FoV) then the non-uniform
motion of resonant mirrors limits the intensity in the center of
projection, as the dwell time per unit area or per degree of FoV is
the lowest where the rotation is the fastest. In the above example,
illustrated in FIGS. 4C and 4D, the mirror swings the beam across
40 degrees during a period of 20 microseconds, but it spends only a
third of its time, only 6.7 microseconds, in the middle 20 degrees
of the field of view and another 6.7 microseconds on each 10
degrees left and right of that.
[0098] FIG. 4C illustrates the sinusoidal motion of the angle
deflection. FIG. 4D illustrates a phase rotation diagram, a unit
circle where the vertical axis shows the angular optical
displacement of the scanning beam reflected by a resonant mirror.
Optical displacement is twice the magnitude in degrees of the
motion of the mirror itself. In FIG. 4D, the resonant oscillations
of the mirror oscillate the beam between extremes of -20 degrees
and +20 degrees, a total resonant swing back and forth of 40
degrees optical bean displacement. For the mirror to affect the
full 40 degrees swing from -20 degrees to +20 degrees would take
half the full 360 degrees (i.e., 180 degrees of phase of the full
phase cycle of the resonant mirror) or in the case of 25 kHz mirror
20 microseconds. But with only the middle phase progression of 60
degrees of phase, in one third of the time (6.7 microseconds) the
mirror rotates the beam by 20 degrees. The total oscillation period
is 40 microseconds (i.e., the period a 25 kHz mirror) and a full
cycle is 360 phase degrees.
[0099] An implication is that, when using a resonant type scan
mirror, to achieve uniform brightness across the FoV the laser beam
may need to be illuminated full brightness at the center,
delivering enough energy per microsecond at the peak scan speed
there, but outside the center the laser would be dimmed
considerably for areas towards the edges of the FoV. So, a laser
with greater peak brightness is useful to assure a sufficient range
in the center of projection.
[0100] Since the peak brightness of the beam might be set by
limitations of the laser or by safety regulations, some part of the
system potential output is wasted because for example, the
brightness is reduced markedly in the projection center. In the
case of, for example, automotive illumination systems this might be
just the opposite of what is desired: namely, higher brightness in
the center.
[0101] To achieve a longer dwell time at the center it is possible
to use the mirrors' slow extremes to illuminate the center. One
solution is to use two beams that reflect on the same mirror but
arranged so that the beams are crossed on the mirror, as
illustrated, for example, in FIG. 5 (where only the outcoming beams
are illustrated). Alternatively, one beam or one laser source may
be split into two halves by optical means (for example, using a
beamsplitter) and each half redirected along two separate incoming
paths towards the scan mirror.
[0102] In FIG. 5, two laser beams 550, 552 reflect off the same
scan mirror surface 554 with a 20 degree spread between them, as
illustrated in (a). Rotating the mirror half of the angle (i.e.,
mechanically back and forth 5 degrees) the two beams both will
rotate 10 degrees back and forth, as illustrated in (b) and (c).
Beam 552 will swing from 20 degrees to the center while beam 550
swings from the center to -20 degrees. Since the two extreme mirror
positions have the longest dwell time, in each case the maximum
"exposure" is covered by one of the beams. In addition, the beams
550, 552 each cover half of the FoV.
[0103] With two beams arranged this way, the mirror angular motion
can be reduced by half and consequently it would be possible to
increase the scan frequency significantly or increase the mirror
size, the beam quality, or the FOV significantly. If the scan
coverage is increased, the detection latency can be lowered and
blind spots removed faster.
[0104] Three or more beams, from light sources 404, may also be
used cross over on a mirror 405, as illustrated in FIGS. 7A and 7B,
to further increase the scan coverage and to increase light power,
but to distribute it in a way that complies fully with safety
regulations. Each of the beams may be limited to, for example, 100
mW intensity, but three such beams can be arranged to not ever
point in the same directions, yet each might at some part of the
scan rotation dwell in the center providing maximum illumination
coverage in that area. This may work well as a modification for a
fast biaxial Lissajous scan using two resonant mirrors in a relay
such as those described in U.S. Pat. Nos. 8,711,370; 9,377,533;
9,753,126; and 9,946,076, all of which are incorporated herein by
reference in their entireties. Also, as illustrated in FIGS. 7A and
7B, the light sources 404 do not need to be in the same plane.
[0105] In the case of a trifocal architecture, such as described in
U.S. Provisional Patent Applications Ser. Nos. 62/498,534 and
62/606,879 and U.S. patent application Ser. No. 15/853,783, all of
which are incorporated herein by reference in their entireties, it
might be desirable to have four simultaneous points, using four
light sources 404 or light beams as illustrated in FIG. 7B, in the
FoV. This arrangement of four light sources may be particularly
useful with the three receiver (e.g., camera) arrangement of FIG. 8
with three cameras 106a, 160b, 106c where the four light beams from
the four light sources 404 (FIG. 7B) reflect from the mirror 405
(FIG. 7B) and simultaneously illuminates four points P.sub.1,
P.sub.2, P.sub.3 and P.sub.4. The four points on the 3D surface
reflect a portion of the beam towards three cameras positioned with
camera projection centers O.sub.1, O.sub.2 & O.sub.3. From each
point P there is one chief ray to each of these camera centers.
There are twelve such chief rays. These chief rays project onto the
cameras in twelve pixel locations: P.sub.1', P.sub.2', P.sub.3',
P.sub.4', P.sub.1'', P.sub.2'', P.sub.3'', P.sub.4'', P.sub.1''',
P.sub.2''', P.sub.3''' & P.sub.4'''. These twelve discrete
positions captured by three cameras are sufficient to derive the
full positions of the camera centers and the four 3D points
P.sub.1, P.sub.2, P.sub.3 and P.sub.4. As an example, these twelve
sensor coordinates pairs are sufficient to derive a full trifocal
tensor's 27 elements (a 3.times.3.times.3 matrix.) This is
modification of the arrangement presented in U.S. patent
application Ser. No. 15/853,783, which is incorporated herein by
reference in its entirety. In at least some embodiments, each of
the receivers 106a, 160b, 106c (e.g., cameras) can be instantly
calibrated in six degrees of freedom (this would enable very
flexible camera mounts and eliminate or reduce body rigidity
requirements).
[0106] In at least some embodiments, by arranging some of the beams
at greater degrees, eccentric, wide and narrow scans could be
selected electronically and instantly without any mechanical or
optical adjustments. In FIG. 6, the beams 660, 662 are 20 degrees
offset each from the central projection axis 664. As can be seen: a
+/-10 degree mirror movement creates a full +/-40 degree
coverage.
[0107] By arranging a plurality of beams with deliberately offset
angles and have them cross over onto the same fast scanning mirror,
the total scan width and dwell time can be increased and the
angular instantaneous scan velocity can be decreased in certain
parts of the scan field. Some parts of the multiple beams scan
ranges can be further overlapped to increase the scan frequency and
coverage in one or more foveated area(s).
[0108] In at least some embodiments, each of the multiple (for
example, two, three, four, or more) light beams can cover at least
10, 20, 25, 30, or 40 degrees or more as the mirror rotates between
positions. In at least some embodiments, the multiple light beams
are arranged to cover different portions of the FoV without
overlapping or with overlapping. For arrangements with more than
two light beams, the light beams can be spaced apart uniformly or
non-uniformly.
[0109] In at least some embodiments, each of the light beams is
spaced from each of the other light beams by at least 5, 10, 15, 20
or more degrees relative to the mirror. In at least some
embodiments, at least two of the light beams, when the mirror is in
the midway position, as illustrated in FIG. 4A, are on opposite
sides of the center axis 409.
[0110] FIG. 10 is a flowchart of one method of scanning a field of
view. In step 1002, the mirror is simultaneously illuminated with
at least two light beams (for example, two, three, four, or more
light beams) as described above. In step 1004, the mirror is
rotated (for example, rotated between two extreme positions) to
scan the field of view. The field of view can be, for example, 10,
20, 30, 40, 50, 60, 80, 100, 120 degrees or more.
[0111] In pixel sequential imaging systems, such as those described
in the references cited above and embodiments of the systems
illustrated in FIGS. 1 and 8, it is often desirable that the
optical scan width is relatively large, and consequently the
deflection angle of the mirror system well be larger than is
optimal for other considerations and significant tradeoffs need to
be made. To configure a high-resonance frequency system with a
large scan angle can be particularly challenging. One reason is
that for scan force actuation mechanisms, such as electrostatic
comb drivers, the maximum achievable scan angle often is a limiting
factor. Comb-type actuators typically have a limited range (e.g.,
depth of blades) beyond which they cannot create an electrostatic
force. Simple plate electrostatic drives and or piezo actuators are
often preferred and much more robust as long as the actuation range
or "stroke" can be held as small as possible ("stroke" refers to
the distance--in opposing plate type--or rotational movement in a
torsion hinge type of that one part of the electromechanical
actuator that moves with respect to the other part).
[0112] Some systems that do accommodate a larger range of motion
are bulkier, or more difficult to assemble such as, for example,
those that employ inductive magnetic field forces, by including
permanent magnets in the assembly of the scanner or inductive loops
and connections in the mirror itself (adding bulk and mass,
consequently slowing down the mirror)
[0113] A pseudo-random scan system does not require precise control
of the beam position. Control of the beam is of less importance
than speed and scan range. In pseudo random systems such as those
described in the references cited above and embodiments of the
systems illustrated in FIGS. 1 and 8, the system's accuracy is not
relying on controlling the mirror's instantaneous position, but
rather on observing the beam directly in the FoV. For example, in a
trifocal 3D motion tracking system such as that illustrated in FIG.
8 or described in U.S. patent application Ser. No. 15/853,783, it
is only required that fine-tipped beams scan pseudo-randomly in as
many as possible scan arcs or scan lines across a region of
interest within a short time period. The low latency nanosecond
precise observational accuracy of 3 "twitchy pixel "sensors or SPAD
arrays more than make up for the mirror's wild and uncontrolled
motion.
[0114] FIG. 11 is a flowchart of one method of determining a
position of one or more objects. In step 1102, the mirror is
simultaneously illuminated with at least two light beams (for
example, two, three, four, or more light beams) as described above.
In step 1104, the mirror is rotated (for example, rotated between
two extreme positions) to scan the field of view. The light beams
reflected by the mirror will illuminate regions of one or more
objects in the field of view. The field of view can be, for
example, 10, 20, 30, 40, 50, 60, 80, 100, 120 degrees or more. In
step 1106, photons from the light beams, which are reflected by
regions of the one or more objects, are then received at receivers,
for example, cameras or arrays of photo-sensitive pixels or the
like. In step 1108, the received photons are used to determine the
position of the regions of the one or more objects. For example,
any of the methods and systems described in U.S. Pat. Nos.
8,282,222; 8,430,512; 8,573,783; 8,696,141; 8,711,370; 9,377,553;
9,753,126; 9,946,076; U.S. Patent Application Publication Nos.
2013/0300637 and 2016/0041266; U.S. Provisional Patent Applications
Ser. Nos. 62/498,534 and 62/606,879; and U.S. patent application
Ser. No. 15/853,783 can be modified as described herein to
facilitate determination of the position or other features of
objects in the field of view.
[0115] Turning to FIGS. 9A and 9B, a scan mirror has four
fundamental elements: the mirror 940, a drive mechanism (or
actuator) 942 that creates a driving force, a hinge 944 that allows
for rotational motion 950 of the mirror, and a mounting bracket 946
that holds the assembly in place. FIG. 9A illustrates one
conventional scan mirror assembly in a conceptual drawing (not to
scale). The bracket 946 holds the hinge 944 which provides the axis
of rotation along which the mirror 940 rotates. The drive mechanism
942 is attached to the mirror 940 and imparts rotational forces in
some fashion directly to the mirror. In a conventional scan mirror
940 the hinge 944 acts as a torsional spring that produces
rotational forces that drive the mirror back to its central
position. The hinge 944 is between the bracket 946 and the drive
mechanism 942.
[0116] FIG. 9B illustrates a new arrangement where the drive
mechanism 942 is mounted directly on the bracket 946 and rotates
the hinge 944. In this manner, the springy hinge 944 is inserted
between the drive mechanism 942 and the mirror 940. This produces a
much greater degree of rotational motion 950' for the mirror 940
than would be imparted by the rotational motion of the drive
mechanism 942. A small amplitude rotational twist of the drive
mechanism can impart more than sufficient energy in a well-designed
resonant system to create large angular mirror motions at
resonance. For example, the drive mechanism 942 (such as a piezo or
electrostatic MEMS force actuator) may only twist the hinge 944 by
+/-1 degree and yet the hinge may swing the mirror 940 swing by
+/-10 degrees, achieving an optical deflection of 40 degrees (the
optical deflection is twice the mechanical deflection).
[0117] In at least some embodiments, a scanning mirror arrangement
or system can have a maximum scan range of 60 to 120 degrees. In at
least some embodiments, a scanning mirror arrangement or system can
have substantial uniformity of illumination with multiple slow scan
foveation spots. In at least some embodiments, a scanning mirror
arrangement or system can have a simple, compact and robust
integral hinge and actuator design. In at least some embodiments, a
scanning mirror arrangement or system can have good high frequency
scan coverage (with overlaps for a high number of scan
lines/second. In at least some embodiments, a scanning mirror
arrangement or system can have good beam quality. At least some
scanning mirror arrangements or systems can have any combination of
these features or advantages.
[0118] FIGS. 12A to 14C illustrate arrangements to create a wide
scan range by arranging a plurality of light sources converging
from different directions onto a shared scanning mirror. In FIGS.
12A and 12B, in an arrangement similar to the one depicted in FIG.
6 above, two laser beams converge from light sources 1204 onto a
single scan mirror 1205. The scan mirror 1205 redirects and
partially diffuses the laser beams into still fairly narrowly
focused scanning spot lights. The diffusion may be effected by, for
example, a diffusive structure deposited of the mirror itself or a
diffuser may be part of the illumination source collimation optics,
or the diffusion may be caused by the laser beams scattering onto a
phosphor-like fluorescent material or using any other suitable
diffusion technique. In FIG. 12A, the scan mirror 1204 is angled at
one of its extremes, tilting at, for example, +10 degrees to the
left, adding, in this example, an additional +20 degrees leftwards
deflection to one of beams, beam 1260 and, at the same moment,
directing the other beam 1262 straight ahead, towards the center of
the FoV. In FIG. 12B, the mirror 1205 is tilted in the opposite
extreme position of, for example, rightward -10 degrees, and the
beam 1262 which was previously directed straight ahead, is now
rotated -40 degrees to the extreme right. This illustrative example
shows that with just a +/-10 degrees motion a low-power simple
resonant mirror, can scan rapidly and achieve strong scene
illumination across a wide range of angles. This embodiment of a
system reaches a full width FoV angle of 80 degrees, four times the
mechanical range of mirror itself. Yet, this same system is equally
capable of illuminating the center of the FoV, with long exposures
(due to an oscillating mirror's natural long dwell times at the
mirror's rotational extreme positions) because of the particular
arrangement of the light sources 1204. In this exemplary
arrangement with converging dual beams, a slowly moving, diffuse
light beam moves slowly across the center of the field of view
twice during the same cycle: First, light beam 1262 in FIG. 12A and
then light beam 1260 in FIG. 12B.
[0119] FIGS. 13A to 13C illustrate a device, such as a small
delivery robot vehicle (for example, a scooter-like arrangement
employing a single scanning headlight). The system may choose (a)
to alternatively power its dual laser sources selectively, in
synchrony with the mirrors extreme positions, to focus the spot
light on the road ahead ("look-ahead") when moving at high speed,
and creating an ample range of illumination for its robot vision
system as illustrated in FIG. 13A, or alternatively, (b) when
approaching an intersection check for traffic ("V") coming from the
right as illustrated in FIG. 13B, and/or alternatively, (c) check
for oncoming traffic before making a left or right turn
("look-aside") as illustrated in FIG. 13C.
[0120] FIGS. 14A to 14C illustrate an embodiment of a vehicle with
dual head light assemblies. In the case of scanning head lights
these "look-aside" (FIG. 14A) or "look-ahead" (FIGS. 14B and 14C)
options may be automatically selected by, for example, an ADAS
(Advanced Driver-Assistance System) vision system. One advantage of
having the option to strongly illuminate side views is that it
enables very short exposure/illumination strobes, limiting or
minimizing motion blur in the side view cameras images and enabling
a greater accuracy in motion estimation, which is useful for
collision avoidance. Even when the vehicle is not slowing down or
stopped at an intersection, but moving at great speed, such
sideways directed short but powerful illumination strobes help
mitigate the motion blur that would otherwise occur in images
produced by sideways looking cameras as part of a collision
avoidance system due to the optical flow in such sideways looking
cameras (i.e., the motion blur caused by the vehicle's ego-motion).
For example, removing this ego motion blur from the edges of
objects illuminated by the short but powerful strobes may greatly
help to accurately detect, for example, the heading, velocity, and
acceleration of a pedestrian on path adjacent to the vehicle.
[0121] Similarly, the long natural dwell times for the beams in the
center forward position enable ample illumination of these center
of FoV positions, thus these head lights will reach farther ahead
with forward looking ADAS cameras, all while complying with eye
safety requirements. Moreover, when the forward directed beam is
narrow enough to illuminate just a "slice" (subfield) of the FoV at
the time, then columns or fields of pixels may be turned on and off
selectively (e.g. by a rolling shutter synchronized with the beam
"slice" scrolling location). In FIG. 14A, a self-driving vehicle is
checking for cross traffic prior to crossing an intersection. In
FIG. 14B, a vehicle's dual flashing head lights slightly converge
and illuminate its planned trajectory in its own lane immediately
ahead.
[0122] As illustrated in FIG. 14C, the vehicle can benefit in
creating a "cross fire "of illumination, which in the case of a
dense fog with carefully synchronized left and right alternating
flashes may mitigate the blinding of the forward left and right
side cameras due to backscatter from the illumination sources. This
back scatter may be particularly strong in the direction of the
beam itself as small water droplets in thick fog and rain tend to a
retro-reflect the beam's light. (Retro-reflection is also known as
"cat eye" reflection.) The left light is synchronized with the
right camera frame exposure and visa-versa. In FIG. 14C, the left
head light transmits (T) its strobe of light. Due to the
retro-reflective back reflection of fog water droplets, the left
camera may be blinded by the strong near field reflections in a
ground fog. However, some of the light transmitted by the left head
light (T) will reach the object in fog and the receiver camera (R)
on the right side will be able to see the object, because at that
moment the right side illuminator is off and thus it is not blinded
by backscattered light. By alternating the left light/right camera
and right light/left camera with enough light the object in the fog
can be detected. This is an example of synchronous cross-field
alternating cross-fire stereo fog lights.
[0123] It will be understood that each block of the flowchart
illustrations, and combinations of blocks in the flowchart
illustrations, (or actions explained above with regard to one or
more systems or combinations of systems) can be implemented by
computer program instructions. These program instructions may be
provided to a processor to produce a machine, such that the
instructions, which execute on the processor, create means for
implementing the actions specified in the flowchart block or
blocks. The computer program instructions may be executed by a
processor to cause a series of operational steps to be performed by
the processor to produce a computer-implemented process such that
the instructions, which execute on the processor to provide steps
for implementing the actions specified in the flowchart block or
blocks. The computer program instructions may also cause at least
some of the operational steps shown in the blocks of the flowcharts
to be performed in parallel. Moreover, some of the steps may also
be performed across more than one processor, such as might arise in
a multi-processor computer system. In addition, one or more blocks
or combinations of blocks in the flowchart illustration may also be
performed concurrently with other blocks or combinations of blocks,
or even in a different sequence than illustrated without departing
from the scope or spirit of the invention.
[0124] Additionally, in one or more steps or blocks, may be
implemented using embedded logic hardware, such as, an Application
Specific Integrated Circuit (ASIC), Field Programmable Gate Array
(FPGA), Programmable Array Logic (PAL), or the like, or combination
thereof, instead of a computer program. The embedded logic hardware
may directly execute embedded logic to perform actions some or all
of the actions in the one or more steps or blocks. Also, in one or
more embodiments (not shown in the figures), some or all of the
actions of one or more of the steps or blocks may be performed by a
hardware microcontroller instead of a CPU. In one or more
embodiment, the microcontroller may directly execute its own
embedded logic to perform actions and access its own internal
memory and its own external Input and Output Interfaces (e.g.,
hardware pins and/or wireless transceivers) to perform actions,
such as System On a Chip (SOC), or the like.
[0125] The above specification, examples, and data provide a
complete description of the manufacture and use of the composition
of the invention. Since many embodiments of the invention can be
made without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention,
the invention resides in the claims hereinafter appended.
* * * * *