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 structured-light scanning system with thermal compensation includes a structured-light projector that generates a predetermined projected pattern of light, which is then projected onto and reflected from an object, thereby resulting in a reflected pattern of light; an image sensor that captures the reflected pattern of light; and a digital processing unit that generates a depth map according to the reflected pattern of light and a compensated projected pattern associated with a current temperature.

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 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 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 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 method for performing auto-exposure (AE) control in a depth sensing system includes: performing a rough pattern detection on a first reference frame to obtain a rough pattern detection result regarding a known pattern that is projected by the depth sensing system and calculating a pattern brightness mean; performing a depth decoding process with respect to a second reference frame that is derived based on the pattern brightness mean, thereby to obtain a depth decoding result; performing a mapping process according to the depth decoding result to obtain a mapping result; performing a fine pattern detection on the second reference frame according to the mapping result and the rough pattern detection result to obtain a fine pattern detection result; calculating a frame brightness mean according to the fine pattern detection result; and performing an AE control process over the depth sensing system according to the frame brightness mean.

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 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-sensing device and its method are provided. The depth-sensing device includes a projection device, an image capture device, and an image processing device. The projection device projects a first projection pattern to a field at a first time and projects a second projection pattern to the same field at a second time. The density of the first projection pattern is lower than the density of the second projection pattern. The image capture device captures the first projection pattern projected to the field at the first time to obtain a first image and captures the second projection pattern projected to the field at the second time to obtain a second image. The image processing device processes the first and second images to obtain two depth maps and at least merges the depth maps to generate a final depth map of the field.

Abstract: An auto-exposure (AE) control system, includes a camera configured to capture an input image, a region of interest (ROI) determination circuit configured to determine a ROI of the input image, a depth decoder and an AE controller. The depth decoder is configured to generate a depth map of the input image and determine a decode rate value according to the depth map of the input image and the ROI of the input image. The AE controller includes an exposure adjustment circuit which is configured to receive a decode rate value and the detection result and sequentially adjust a plurality of the exposure parameters according to the variation of the decode rate value. A step size for adjusting the plurality of the exposure parameters is determined according to the variation of the decode rate value and the detection result.

Abstract: A depth-sensing device and its method are provided. The depth-sensing device includes a projection device, an image capture device, and an image processing device. The projection device projects a first projection pattern to a field at a first time and projects a second projection pattern to the same field at a second time. The density of the first projection pattern is lower than the density of the second projection pattern. The image capture device captures the first projection pattern projected to the field at the first time to obtain a first image and captures the second projection pattern projected to the field at the second time to obtain a second image. The image processing device processes the first and second images to obtain two depth maps and at least merges the depth maps to generate a final depth map of the field.

Abstract: An image enhancement system and method include a high-pass filter (HPF) configured to pass high-frequency spatial components of an input image to generate a high-pass image; an adder configured to add the high-pass image to the input image, thereby resulting in an enhanced image; and an over-enhancement detection unit configured to detect tendency of the input image towards overshoot or undershoot. An output of the over-enhancement detection unit is used to prevent overshoot or undershoot in the enhanced image.

Abstract: The invention discloses a digital demodulating apparatus for timing error detection, including a numerically controlled oscillator, an equalizer unit, a decoder and a timing error detector. The numerically controlled oscillator generates a first sequence signal according to an input sequence signal and a timing error sequence signal. The equalizer unit equalizes the first sequence signal to generate an equalized sequence signal. The decoder decodes the equalized sequence signal to generate to generate an output sequence signal. The timing error detector generates the timing error sequence signal according to the first sequence signal and one of the equalized sequence signal and the output sequence signal.

Abstract: The invention discloses a digital demodulating apparatus for timing error detection, including a numerically controlled oscillator, an equalizer unit, a decoder and a timing error detector. The numerically controlled oscillator generates a first sequence signal according to an input sequence signal and a timing error sequence signal. The equalizer unit equalizes the first sequence signal to generate an equalized sequence signal. The decoder decodes the equalized sequence signal to generate to generate an output sequence signal. The timing error detector generates the timing error sequence signal according to the first sequence signal and one of the equalized sequence signal and the output sequence signal.

Abstract: A method of modulation mode detection for a communication system including at least a channel transmitting signals utilizing a target modulation mode is provided. The method includes: (a) selecting a default modulation mode for the channel; (b) estimating a timing frequency offset (TFO) of the channel of the communication system for obtaining at least a TFO value and storing the TFO value; (c) comparing the TFO value with a first predetermined value to generate a comparison result; and (d) determining whether the default modulation mode is substantially identical to the target modulation mode according to the comparison result.