Photogrammetric methods and devices related thereto
AssigneePointivo, Inc.
InventorsHabib Fathi, Daniel L. Ciprari
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Abstract
The inventions herein relate generally to improvements in photogrammetry and devices suitable for obtaining such improvements. Some embodiments use only a single passive image-capture device to obtain overlapping 2D images, where such images at least partially overlap with regard to at least one object of interest in a scene. Such images can be processed using methods incorporating structure from motion algorithms. Accurate 3D digital representations of the at least one object of interest can be obtained. Substantially accurate measurements and other useful information regarding the at least one object of interest are obtainable from the methodology herein.
Claims20
1) A method for generating a 3D digital representation of an object of interest, the method comprising:
- a) receiving, into a computer, a plurality of 2D digital images of a scene, wherein:
- i) the scene includes a first object of interest, wherein the object of interest has a plurality of dimensions;
- ii) at least a portion of the plurality of the 2D digital images of the scene are overlapping with regard to the first object of interest;
- and
- iii) the plurality of 2D digital images are generated from a single passive image-capture device;
- b) processing, by the computer, at least a portion of the plurality of overlapping 2D digital images that includes the first object of interest using a 3D reconstruction process that incorporates a structure from motion algorithm, thereby generating a 3D digital representation of the first object of interest;
- and
- c) generating, using the computer, measurements of a first plurality of the plurality of dimensions of the first object of interest from the 3D digital representation.
12) A computerized method of obtaining at least one measurement of an object of interest comprising:
- a) receiving a plurality of 2D images of a scene from a single passive image-capture device, wherein the plurality of 2D images includes image data of a first object of interest present in the scene, and at least a portion of the plurality of 2D images of the scene are at least partially overlapping with regard to the first object of interest, thereby providing a plurality of overlapping 2D images that includes the first object of interest;
- b) generating, by the computer, a 3D representation of the first object of interest, wherein the 3D digital representation is obtained from at least a portion of the 2D digital images incorporating the first object using a process incorporating a structure from motion algorithm;
- c) eliciting and receiving, from either or both the computer or the user, selection-identification information that identifies a plurality of dimensions of interest in the first object of interest, wherein each dimension, independently, comprises an actual measurement value;
- d) extracting data, by the computer, from the 3D digital representation, wherein the extracted data comprises measurement data comprising information corresponding to each identified dimension;
- and
- e) processing, by the computer, the extracted measurement data to provide an extracted measurement value for each selected dimension.
17) A method of boundary detection, comprising:
- a) receiving a plurality of 2D digital images of a scene, wherein:
- i) the scene includes a first object of interest having a plurality of boundaries,
- ii) at least a portion of the plurality of 2D digital images is overlapping with regard to the first object of interest, and
- iii) the plurality of 2D digital images are generated from single passive image-capture device;
- and
- b) processing at least a portion of the plurality of overlapping 2D digital images that include the first object of interest using a method that incorporates a structure from motion algorithm, thereby providing detected boundary information for at least a portion of the first object of interest, wherein the detected boundary information can be represented as at least one of:
- i) a 3D digital representation,
- ii) a 3D model,
- iii) a 3D point cloud,
- iv) a 3D line cloud, and
- v) a 3D edge cloud.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.