US 2020/0051262 A1Published application

Methods, systems, and apparatuses for computing dimensions of an object using angular estimates

AssigneeHand Held Products, Inc.

InventorsScott McCloskey, Ryan Andrew Lloyd

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Abstract

Various embodiments described herein relate to techniques for computing dimensions of a non-cuboid shaped object using angular estimates associated with 3D points captured in an image of a scene including the object. In this regard, a dimensioning system may capture at least one image of the scene including the object and identify one or more planes on the object from the captured at least one image. Further, a surface plane from amongst the one or more identified planes that contains a maximum number of three-dimensional (3D) surface points on the object is determined. Upon determination of the surface plane, angular estimation is determined representing angular values between a normal to the surface plane and a normal to a reference plane. Accordingly, the angular estimation is further used along with an estimated height of the object for computing the dimensions of the object.

Claims20

Dependent claims

A method for computing dimensions of a non-cuboid shaped object, the method comprising:

capturing, by an image capturing unit of an object dimensioning system, at least one image of a scene associated with a field of view of the object dimensioning system, wherein the non-cuboid shaped object is in the scene;
determining, from the at least one image, a plurality of three-dimensional (3D) points representing 3D coordinates of various points in the scene;
identifying, from amongst the plurality of 3D points, a plurality of 3D surface points corresponding to at least one surface of the non-cuboid shaped object that is captured in the at least one image;
identifying one or more planes, wherein each of the one or more planes is defined by a set of neighboring 3D surface points comprising at least three 3D surface points neighboring to each other from amongst the plurality of 3D surface points;
determining a surface plane from amongst the one or more identified planes, wherein the surface plane is coincident with a top surface of the non-cuboid shaped object facing the field of view of the object dimensioning system and contains a maximum of the plurality of 3D surface points;
determining an angular estimation for the surface plane, the angular estimation corresponding to one interior angle of the non-cuboid shaped object, comprising:
determining a surface normal of the surface plane;
determining a reference surface normal of a reference surface;
and
calculating the angular estimation based on an angle between the surface normal and the reference surface normal;
and
computing the dimensions of the non-cuboid shaped object based on the angular estimation and an estimated height of the non-cuboid shaped object.

9 more elements

An object dimensioning system comprising:

an image capturing unit adapted to capture at least one image of a scene associated with a field of view of the object dimensioning system, wherein a non-cuboid shaped object is in the scene;
a processing unit coupled to the image capturing unit, wherein the processing unit is configured to:
determine, from the at least one image, a plurality of three-dimensional (3D) points representing 3D coordinates corresponding to multiple points in the scene;
identify, from amongst the plurality of 3D points, a plurality of 3D surface points corresponding to at least one surface of the non-cuboid shaped object that is captured in the at least one image;
identify one or more planes, wherein each of the one or more planes is defined by a set of neighboring 3D surface points comprising at least three 3D surface points neighboring to each other from amongst the plurality of 3D surface points;
determine a surface plane from amongst the one or more identified planes, wherein the surface plane is coincident with a top surface of the non-cuboid shaped object facing the field of view of the object dimensioning system and contains a maximum of the plurality of 3D surface points;
determine an angular estimation for the surface plane, the angular estimation corresponding to one interior angle of the non-cuboid shaped object, wherein to determine the angular estimation, the processing unit is further adapted to:
determine a surface normal of the surface plane;
determine a reference surface normal of a reference surface;
and
calculate the angular estimation based on an angle between the surface normal and the reference surface normal;
and
compute dimensions of the non-cuboid shaped object based on the angular estimation and an estimated height of the non-cuboid shaped object.

10 more elements

An apparatus for computing dimensions of a non-cuboid shaped object, the apparatus comprising at least one processor and at least one non-transitory memory including program code, the at least one non-transitory memory and the program code configured to, with the at least one processor, cause the apparatus to at least:

capture at least one image of a scene associated with a field of view, wherein the non-cuboid shaped object is in the scene;
determine, from the at least one image, a plurality of three-dimensional (3D) points representing 3D coordinates of various points in the scene;
identify, from amongst the plurality of 3D points, a plurality of 3D surface points corresponding to at least one surface of the non-cuboid shaped object that is captured in the at least one image;
identify one or more planes, wherein each of the one or more planes is defined by a set of neighboring 3D surface points comprising at least three 3D surface points neighboring to each other from amongst the plurality of 3D surface points;
determine a surface plane from amongst the one or more identified planes, wherein the surface plane is coincident with a top surface of the non-cuboid shaped object facing the field of view of the object dimensioning system and contains a maximum of the plurality of 3D surface points;
determine an angular estimation for the surface plane, the angular estimation corresponding to one interior angle of the non-cuboid shaped object, wherein the determination of the angular estimation comprises:
determining a surface normal of the surface plane,
determining a reference surface normal of a reference surface;
and
calculating the angular estimation based on an angle between the surface normal and the reference surface normal;
and
compute the dimensions of the non-cuboid shaped object based on the angular estimation and an estimated height of the non-cuboid shaped object.

9 more elements

Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.