Method and apparatus for capturing 3D surface and color thereon in real time
OwnerDerek Edward Deckerinventor
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
A method and apparatus for acquiring surface topography. The surface being acquired is illuminated by illumination sources with patterns of light from one optical perspective and the light reflected off the surface is captured by image sensors from one optical perspective that is different than the perspective of the illumination. The images obtained are of the surface with one or more patterns superimposed upon the surface. The surface topography is computed with a processor based upon the patterned image data, the known separation between the illumination sources and the imaging sensors, and knowledge about how the patterns of light are projected from the illumination sources.
Claims18
An optical system for acquiring topography of a surface of an object comprising:
- one or more illumination sources emitting patterns of light onto the surface of the object, each of the illumination sources being configured with the same optical perspective;
- one or more image sensors which image the surface of the object from one optical perspective which is different from the optical perspective of the illumination sources;
- and
- a processor coupled to the illumination sources and the imaging sensors;
- wherein the illumination sources and the imaging sensors are separated along a known direction by a known distance so as to have different perspective views of the surface;
- wherein the imaging sensors captures light from the emitted patterns reflected from the surface of the object and converts the captured light into patterned image data;
- wherein the emitted patterns of light are coded in such a way such that the processor can identify the path the light traveled from the illumination sources to the surface of the object;
- and
- wherein the processor receives the patterned image data from the imaging sensors and computes the surface topography based upon the patterned image data, the known separation between the illumination sources and the imaging sensors, and knowledge about how the patterns of light are projected from the illumination sources.
An optical method for acquiring topography of a surface of an object comprising the steps of:
- illuminating the surface of the object with patterns of light from illumination sources which projects light from one optical perspective;
- capturing patterned light from the illumination sources reflected from the surface of the object with image sensors that have one optical perspective which is different from the optical perspective of the illumination sources;
- converting the captured light patterns into patterned image data;
- and
- computing the surface topography based upon the patterned image data, the known separation between the illumination sources and the imaging sensors, and knowledge about how the patterns of light are projected from the illumination sources.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.