Meta patents depth camera that scans areas in slices
Meta has been granted a patent for a depth camera system that measures distance by lighting up specific areas and reading the reflected light. Instead of using all its sensors at once, the camera activates only the specific group of sensors needed to view a particular part of the scene, combining these partial views to build a complete 3D map.
In the filing’s own words
A depth camera assembly (DCA) is described. The DCA includes a projector, a sensor, and a controller. The projector is configured to dynamically illuminate one or more regions of a local area. The sensor is configured to detect light from the illuminated one or more regions using one or more subsets of a plurality of light sensors. The controller is configured to instruct the projector to illuminate a first region of the local area, and determine a first subset of the one or more subsets. The controller is configured to instruct the sensor to use the first subset to detect light, and the first subset captures light from a first portion of the first region of the local area. The controller is configured to determine depth information for the first region based in part on the detected light from the first portion of the first region.
What exactly they claim (claim 1)
1. A method comprising: illuminating a first region of a local area; selecting a first subset of a plurality of light sensors, the first subset of the plurality of light sensors configured to detect light from the first region of the local area and light sensors not in the first subset are inactive; detecting light from a first portion of the first region of the local area using the first subset of the plurality of light sensors; determining depth information for the first region based in part on the detected light from the first portion of the first region; selecting a second subset of the plurality of light sensors, the second subset of the plurality of light sensors configured to detect light from the first region and light sensors not in the second subset are inactive; and detecting light from a second portion of the first region of the local area using the second subset of the plurality of light sensors, wherein determining the depth information for the first region based in part on the detected light from the first portion of the first region is also based in part on the detected light from the second portion of the first region.
Facts
- Company
- Meta (Meta Platforms Technologies, LLC)
- Official title
- Dynamic resolution time of flight depth sensing
- Patent number
- US12761361B1
- Application number
- 18149896
- Filed
- Jan 4, 2023
- Granted
- Oct 13, 2026
- Inventors
- 4
- Claims
- 15
Classified under
G01S 17/894 Physics & computingG01B 11/22 Physics & computingG01S 7/4865 Physics & computingH04N 23/56 Electricity & electronicsH04N 23/74 Electricity & electronicsH04N 23/958 Electricity & electronicsMore from Meta in AR, VR & displays
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Summaries are simplified from the filing’s own abstract and first claim. A patent filing is not a product announcement.
Patent data and drawings: U.S. Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO). Nebula is not affiliated with or endorsed by the USPTO.