| PRIMESENSE LTD. Patent applications |
| Patent application number | Title | Published |
| 20120078614 | Virtual keyboard for a non-tactile three dimensional user interface - A method, including presenting, by a computer system executing a non-tactile three dimensional user interface, a virtual keyboard on a display, the virtual keyboard including multiple virtual keys, and capturing a sequence of depth maps over time of a body part of a human subject. On the display, a cursor is presented at positions indicated by the body part in the captured sequence of depth maps, and one of the multiple virtual keys is selected in response to an interruption of a motion of the presented cursor in proximity to the one of the multiple virtual keys. | 03-29-2012 |
| 20120070070 | LEARNING-BASED POSE ESTIMATION FROM DEPTH MAPS - A method for processing data includes receiving a depth map of a scene containing a humanoid form. Respective descriptors are extracted from the depth map based on the depth values in a plurality of patches distributed in respective positions over the humanoid form. The extracted descriptors are matched to previously-stored descriptors in a database. A pose of the humanoid form is estimated based on stored information associated with the matched descriptors. | 03-22-2012 |
| 20120042150 | MULTIPROCESSOR SYSTEM-ON-A-CHIP FOR MACHINE VISION ALGORITHMS - A multiprocessor system includes a main memory and multiple processing cores that are configured to execute software that uses data stored in the main memory. In some embodiments, the multiprocessor system includes a data streaming unit, which is connected between the processing cores and the main memory and is configured to pre-fetch the data from the main memory for use by the multiple processing cores. In some embodiments, the multiprocessor system includes a scratch-pad processing unit, which is connected to the processing cores and is configured to execute, on behalf of the multiple processing cores, a selected part of the software that causes two or more of the processing cores to access concurrently a given item of data. | 02-16-2012 |
| 20120038986 | PATTERN PROJECTOR - A pattern projector, comprising a light source, configured to emit a beam of light. A transparent substrate, which has a pair of mutually-opposed planar surfaces is configured to receive and propagate the beam within the substrate by total internal reflection between the planar surfaces. The transparent substrate comprises a diffractive structure that is formed on one of the planar surfaces and is configured to direct at least a part of the beam to propagate out of the substrate in a direction that is angled away from the surface and to create a pattern comprising multiple interleaved light and dark areas. | 02-16-2012 |
| 20110310010 | GESTURE BASED USER INTERFACE - A gesture based user interface includes a movement monitor configured to monitor a user's hand and to provide a signal based on movements of the hand. A processor is configured to provide at least one interface state in which a cursor is confined to movement within a single dimension region responsive to the signal from the movement monitor, and to actuate different commands responsive to the signal from the movement monitor and the location of the cursor in the single dimension region. | 12-22-2011 |
| 20110293137 | ANALYSIS OF THREE-DIMENSIONAL SCENES - A method for processing data includes receiving a depth map of a scene containing a humanoid form. The depth map is processed so as to identify three-dimensional (3D) connected components in the scene, each connected component including a set of the pixels that are mutually adjacent and have mutually-adjacent depth values. Separate, first and second connected components are identified as both belonging to the humanoid form, and a representation of the humanoid form is generated including both of the first and second connected components. | 12-01-2011 |
| 20110292036 | DEPTH SENSOR WITH APPLICATION INTERFACE - A method for processing data includes receiving a depth map of a scene containing a body of a humanoid subject. The depth map includes a matrix of pixels, each pixel corresponding to a respective location in the scene and having a respective pixel depth value indicative of a distance from a reference plane to the respective location. The depth map is processed in a digital processor to extract a skeleton of at least a part of the body, the skeleton including multiple joints having respective coordinates. An application program interface (API) indicates at least the coordinates of the joints. | 12-01-2011 |
| 20110254765 | Remote text input using handwriting - A method for user input includes capturing a sequence of positions of at least a part of a body, including a hand, of a user of a computerized system, independently of any object held by or attached to the hand, while the hand delineates textual characters by moving freely in a 3D space. The positions are processed to extract a trajectory of motion of the hand. Features of the trajectory are analyzed in order to identify the characters delineated by the hand. | 10-20-2011 |
| 20110211754 | Tracking body parts by combined color image and depth processing - A method for image processing includes receiving a depth image of a scene containing a human subject and receiving a color image of the scene containing the human subject. A part of a body of the subject is identified in at least one of the images. A quality of both the depth image and the color image is evaluated, and responsively to the quality, one of the images is selected to be dominant in processing of the part of the body in the images. The identified part is localized in the dominant one of the images, while using supporting data from the other one of the images. | 09-01-2011 |
| 20110211044 | Non-Uniform Spatial Resource Allocation for Depth Mapping - A method for depth mapping includes providing depth mapping resources including an illumination module, which is configured to project patterned optical radiation into a volume of interest containing the object, and an image capture module, which is configured to capture an image of the pattern reflected from the object. A depth map of the object is generated using the resources while applying at least one of the resources non-uniformly over the volume of interest. | 09-01-2011 |
| 20110205421 | WIDEBAND AMBIENT LIGHT REJECTION - Optical apparatus includes an image sensor and objective optics, which are configured to collect and focus optical radiation over a range of wavelengths along a common optical axis toward a plane of the image sensor. A dispersive element is positioned to spread the optical radiation collected by the objective optics so that different wavelengths in the range are focused along different, respective optical axes toward the plane. | 08-25-2011 |
| 20110188054 | INTEGRATED PHOTONICS MODULE FOR OPTICAL PROJECTION - Optical apparatus includes a semiconductor substrate and an edge-emitting radiation source, mounted on a surface of the substrate so as to emit optical radiation along an axis that is parallel to the surface. A reflector is fixed to the substrate in a location on the axis and is configured to reflect the optical radiation in a direction that is angled away from the surface. One or more optical elements are mounted on the substrate so as to receive and transmit the optical radiation reflected by the reflector. | 08-04-2011 |
| 20110187878 | Synchronization of projected illumination with rolling shutter of image sensor - Imaging apparatus includes an illumination assembly, including a plurality of radiation sources and projection optics, which are configured to project radiation from the radiation sources onto different, respective regions of a scene. An imaging assembly includes an image sensor and objective optics configured to form an optical image of the scene on the image sensor, which includes an array of sensor elements arranged in multiple groups, which are triggered by a rolling shutter to capture the radiation from the scene in successive, respective exposure periods from different, respective areas of the scene so as to form an electronic image of the scene. A controller is coupled to actuate the radiation sources sequentially in a pulsed mode so that the illumination assembly illuminates the different, respective areas of the scene in synchronization with the rolling shutter. | 08-04-2011 |
| 20110158508 | DEPTH-VARYING LIGHT FIELDS FOR THREE DIMENSIONAL SENSING - A method for mapping includes projecting onto an object a pattern of multiple spots having respective positions and shapes, such that the positions of the spots in the pattern are uncorrelated, while the shapes share a common characteristic. An image of the spots on the object is captured and processed so as to derive a three-dimensional (3D) map of the object. | 06-30-2011 |
| 20110134114 | DEPTH-BASED GAIN CONTROL - A method for depth mapping includes capturing an electronic image of a scene using an imaging device. The electronic image is processed to generate depth data with respect to the scene. The gain of the imaging device is set responsively to the depth data. | 06-09-2011 |
| 20110114857 | OPTICAL PROJECTOR WITH BEAM MONITOR - Optical apparatus includes a device package, with a radiation source contained in the package and configured to emit a beam of coherent radiation. A diffractive optical element (DOE) is mounted in the package so as to receive and diffract the radiation from the radiation source into a predefined pattern comprising multiple diffraction orders. An optical detector is positioned in the package so as to receive and sense an intensity of a selected diffraction order of the DOE. | 05-19-2011 |
| 20110075259 | OPTICAL DESIGNS FOR ZERO ORDER REDUCTION - Apparatus for projecting a pattern includes a first diffractive optical element (DOE) configured to diffract an input beam so as to generate a first diffraction pattern on a first region of a surface, the first diffraction pattern including a zero order beam. A second DOE is configured to diffract the zero order beam so as to generate a second diffraction pattern on a second region of the surface such that the first and the second regions together at least partially cover the surface. | 03-31-2011 |
| 20110069389 | OPTICAL DESIGNS FOR ZERO ORDER REDUCTION - Apparatus for projecting a pattern includes a first diffractive optical element (DOE) configured to diffract an input beam so as to generate a first diffraction pattern on a first region of a surface, the first diffraction pattern including a zero order beam. A second DOE is configured to diffract the zero order beam so as to generate a second diffraction pattern on a second region of the surface such that the first and the second regions together at least partially cover the surface. | 03-24-2011 |
| 20110052006 | EXTRACTION OF SKELETONS FROM 3D MAPS - A method for processing data includes receiving a temporal sequence of depth maps of a scene containing a humanoid form having a head. The depth maps include a matrix of pixels having respective pixel depth values. A digital processor processes at least one of the depth maps so as to find a location of the head and estimates dimensions of the humanoid form based on the location. The processor tracks movements of the humanoid form over the sequence using the estimated dimensions. | 03-03-2011 |
| 20110025827 | Depth Mapping Based on Pattern Matching and Stereoscopic Information - A method for depth mapping includes projecting a pattern of optical radiation onto an object. A first image of the pattern on the object is captured using a first image sensor, and this image is processed to generate pattern-based depth data with respect to the object. A second image of the object is captured using a second image sensor, and the second image is processed together with another image to generate stereoscopic depth data with respect to the object. The pattern-based depth data is combined with the stereoscopic depth data to create a depth map of the object. | 02-03-2011 |
| 20100284082 | OPTICAL PATTERN PROJECTION - Optical apparatus includes first and second diffractive optical elements (DOEs) arranged in series to diffract an input beam of radiation. The first DOE is configured to apply to the input beam a pattern with a specified divergence angle, while the second DOE is configured to split the input beam into a matrix of output beams with a specified fan-out angle. The divergence and fan-out angles are chosen so as to project the radiation onto a region in space in multiple adjacent instances of the pattern. | 11-11-2010 |
| 20100265316 | THREE-DIMENSIONAL MAPPING AND IMAGING - Imaging apparatus includes an illumination subassembly, which is configured to project onto an object a pattern of monochromatic optical radiation in a given wavelength band. An imaging subassembly includes an image sensor, which is configured both to capture a first, monochromatic image of the pattern on the object by receiving the monochromatic optical radiation reflected from the object and to capture a second, color image of the object by receiving polychromatic optical radiation, and to output first and second image signals responsively to the first and second images, respectively. A processor is configured to process the first and second signals so as to generate and output a depth map of the object in registration with the color image. | 10-21-2010 |
| 20100235786 | ENHANCED 3D INTERFACING FOR REMOTE DEVICES - Operating a computerized system includes presenting user interface elements on a display screen. A first gesture made in a three-dimensional space by a part of a body of a user is detected. In response to the first gesture, an area of the display screen selected by the user is identified, and a magnification level of one or more of the user elements appearing in the selected area on the display screen is increased. After increasing the magnification level, a second gesture made by the part of the body of the user is detected so as to select one of the user interface elements that appear in the selected area. | 09-16-2010 |