Abstract: A three-axis voice coil motor including a base, a spherical bearing, a magnetic component, an X-coil group, a Y-coil group, and at least one Z-coil group is provided. The base has a supporting pole. The spherical bearing is rotatably sleeved around the supporting pole. The magnetic component is securely sleeved around the spherical bearing and the magnetic component rotates along with the spherical bearing. The X-coil group is disposed around the magnetic component along an X-axial direction passing through the spherical bearing, and the X-coil group has first gaps. The Y-coil group is disposed around the magnetic component along a Y-axial direction passing through the spherical bearing, and the Y-coil group has second gaps. The Z-coil group is disposed around the magnetic component along a Z-axial direction passing through the spherical bearing.

Abstract: A system for handling a thermal compensation comprises: an image capturing device comprising a capturing circuit, for capturing a first image, and a first sensing circuit, for detecting a first temperature; a projecting device comprising a second sensing circuit, for detecting a second temperature; a storage device, for storing a plurality of first parameters associated with the image capturing device, a plurality of second parameters associated with the projecting device and a reference image associated with the projecting device; and a processing device comprising a processing circuit, for compensating the first image according to the first temperature and the plurality of first parameters, to generate a first compensated image, compensating the reference image according to the second temperature and the plurality of second parameters, to generate a second compensated image, and generating a second image according to the first compensated image and the second compensated image.

Abstract: A liquid crystal element includes a substrate, a diffractive optical element layer, and a liquid crystal material. The diffractive optical element layer has an uneven surface. The liquid crystal material is between the substrate and the uneven surface of the diffractive optical element layer. The liquid crystal material is disposed contiguously with the uneven surface of the diffractive optical element layer.

Abstract: A high-dynamic-range (HDR) detecting system includes a camera module comprising an image sensor; and a vision module that receives data generated by the camera module and accordingly transmits feedback to the camera module. The camera module comprises a multiple-exposure unit that provides different exposure settings, according to which a plurality of images are captured by the image sensor. The vision module comprises an object detection device that detects objects in the plurality of images, thereby resulting in object detection results as metadata.

Abstract: A hybrid depth estimation system includes a switchable projector that controllably projects either dot light or surface light onto an object; a sensor that receives reflected dot light or reflected surface light from the object to capture a first image or a second image respectively; a dot time-of-flight (ToF) depth generator that generates a dot depth map and an associated dot confidence map according to the first image; a surface ToF depth generator that generates a surface depth map according to the second image; and a denoise processor that processes the surface depth map according to a plurality of points on the dot depth map with high confidence, thereby generating a denoised depth map.

Abstract: A structured light projector including a light source, an irradiation range controlling device, and a diffractive optical element is provided. The irradiation range controlling device is disposed on a transmission path of a light beam from the light source. The diffractive optical element is disposed on a transmission path of the light beam from the irradiation range controlling device. The irradiation range controlling device is adapted to control an irradiation range of the light beam transmitted to the diffractive optical element so as to change a size of a region of the diffractive optical element illuminated by the light beam from the irradiation range controlling device. A three-dimensional image sensing module using the same is also provided.

Abstract: A hybrid depth estimation system includes a switchable projector that controllably projects either dot light or surface light onto an object; a sensor that receives reflected dot light or reflected surface light from the object to capture a first image or a second image respectively; a dot time-of-flight (ToF) depth generator that generates a dot depth map and an associated dot confidence map according to the first image; a surface ToF depth generator that generates a surface depth map according to the second image; and a denoise processor that processes the surface depth map according to a plurality of points on the dot depth map with high confidence, thereby generating a denoised depth map.

Abstract: An illuminator including a light source and an optical device is provided. The light source is configured to emit light. The optical device is configured to provide uniform illumination with at least one indicating mark after receiving light. The optical device includes a diffusing part and a directing part. The diffusing part is configured to provide uniform illumination. The directing part is configured to provide at least one indicating mark.

Abstract: A depth sensing apparatus and an operation method thereof are provided. The depth sensing apparatus includes a projector, multiple cameras, and an image processing circuit. The projector includes a diffraction optical element (DoE) and a light source module. Rays of the light source module selectively pass through at least one of multiple projection style regions of the DoE so as to generate a projection pattern, and the projection pattern is projected to a field. The cameras respectively shoot the projection pattern projected to the field to obtain multiple images. The image processing circuit processes the images to obtain multiple depth maps. The image processing circuit at least merges the depth maps to generate a final depth map of the field.

Abstract: A depth decoding system and a method for rectifying a ground-truth image are introduced. The depth decoder system includes a projector, a camera, a processor and a decoder. The projector is configured to project a structural light pattern to a first reference plane and a second reference plane. The camera is configured to capture a first ground-truth image from the first reference plane and capture a second ground-truth image from the second reference plane. The processor is configured to perform a rectification operation to the first ground-truth image and the second ground-truth image to generate a rectified ground-truth image. The decoder is configured to generate a depth result according to the rectified ground-truth image.

Abstract: A method for performing auto-exposure (AE) control in a depth sensing system includes: capturing a first reference image and a second reference image of a scene based on different illumination conditions; calculating a plurality of first block means with respect to first blocks of the first reference frame and calculating a plurality of second block means with respect to second blocks of the second reference frame; calculating a plurality of block mean differences according to the first block means and the second block means; determining a plurality of first region of interest (ROI) blocks from the first blocks and a plurality of a second ROI blocks from the second blocks; and performing an AE control over the depth sensing system according to blocks means of the first ROI blocks and blocks means of the second ROI blocks.

Abstract: A method for performing auto-exposure (AE) control in a depth sensing system includes: capturing a first reference image and a second reference image of a scene based on different illumination conditions; calculating a plurality of first block means with respect to first blocks of the first reference frame and calculating a plurality of second block means with respect to second blocks of the second reference frame; calculating a plurality of block mean differences according to the first block means and the second block means; determining a plurality of first region of interest (ROI) blocks from the first blocks and a plurality of a second ROI blocks from the second blocks; and performing an AE control over the depth sensing system according to blocks means of the first ROI blocks and blocks means of the second ROI blocks.

Abstract: A liquid crystal element includes a substrate, a diffractive optical element layer, and a liquid crystal material. The diffractive optical element layer has an uneven surface. The liquid crystal material is between the substrate and the uneven surface of the diffractive optical element layer. The liquid crystal material is disposed contiguously with the uneven surface of the diffractive optical element layer.

Abstract: A depth decoding system and a method for rectifying a ground-truth image are introduced. The depth decoder system includes a projector, a camera, a processor and a decoder. The projector is configured to project a structural light pattern to a first reference plane and a second reference plane. The camera is configured to capture a first ground-truth image from the first reference plane and capture a second ground-truth image from the second reference plane. The processor is configured to perform a rectification operation to the first ground-truth image and the second ground-truth image to generate a rectified ground-truth image. The decoder is configured to generate a depth result according to the rectified ground-truth image.

Abstract: A light projection calibration device includes a light emission element and an optical element. The light emission element is used to emit light and includes a plurality of light emission points. The plurality of light emission points are used to emit the light and orderly arranged to form a predetermined pattern. The optical element is disposed according to position of the light emission element and used to diffract the light to generate diffracted light. The diffracted light is projected to a far field plane to generate a plurality of fan-out points on the far field plane. The fan-out points are analyzed to obtain a light intensity waveform used to determine whether the light emission element and the optical element are aligned to an acceptable level.

Abstract: An illuminator including a light source and an optical device is provided. The light source is configured to emit light. The optical device is configured to provide uniform illumination with at least one indicating mark after receiving light. The optical device includes a diffusing part and a directing part. The diffusing part is configured to provide uniform illumination. The directing part is configured to provide at least one indicating mark.

Abstract: An optical projection system includes an image sensor, a light emitting circuit and a processor. The image sensor is configured to capture an image of a target object. The processor is electrically coupled to the image sensor and the light emitting circuit. The processor is configured to determine a size of the target object, and control the light emitting circuit to emit an optical pattern and to fan out the optical pattern according to the size of the target object, in order to cover the target object.

Abstract: A depth sensing apparatus and an operation method thereof are provided. The depth sensing apparatus includes a projector, multiple cameras, and an image processing circuit. The projector includes a diffraction optical element (DoE) and a light source module. Rays of the light source module selectively pass through at least one of multiple projection style regions of the DoE so as to generate a projection pattern, and the projection pattern is projected to a field. The cameras respectively shoot the projection pattern projected to the field to obtain multiple images. The image processing circuit processes the images to obtain multiple depth maps. The image processing circuit at least merges the depth maps to generate a final depth map of the field.

Abstract: A structured light projector including a light source, an irradiation range controlling device, and a diffractive optical element is provided. The irradiation range controlling device is disposed on a transmission path of a light beam from the light source. The diffractive optical element is disposed on a transmission path of the light beam from the irradiation range controlling device. The irradiation range controlling device is adapted to control an irradiation range of the light beam transmitted to the diffractive optical element so as to change a size of a region of the diffractive optical element illuminated by the light beam from the irradiation range controlling device. A three-dimensional image sensing module using the same is also provided.

Abstract: An optical projection system includes an image sensor, a light emitting circuit and a processor. The image sensor is configured to capture an image of a target object. The processor is electrically coupled to the image sensor and the light emitting circuit. The processor is configured to determine a size of the target object, and control the light emitting circuit to emit an optical pattern and to fan out the optical pattern according to the size of the target object, in order to cover the target object.