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US 2022/0067953 A1Published application
Reflection-based monoscopic depth perception
AssigneeInternational Business Machines Corporation
InventorThomas Guthrie Zimmerman
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
A single camera can be used to determine a height of an object. The camera captures an image of the object against a reflective surface backdrop. The distance from the camera and the reflective surface, combined with the distance between the object and the reflection of the object, can be used to determine the distance from the object and the reflective surface.
Claims18
An apparatus, comprising:
- an image capture device configured to capture images along a first axis;
- a reflective surface disposed a first distance along the first axis from the image capture device;
- and
- a first medium spanning a second distance along the first axis from the reflective surface.
1 more element
A method, comprising:
- receiving an image from an image capture device;
- identifying a first entity in the image;
- identifying a second entity in the image;
- determining that the second entity is a reflection of the first entity;
- determining, based on the image, an apparent distance between the first entity and the second entity;
- and
- determining, based on the apparent distance and a first distance between the image capture device and a reflective surface, a second distance of the first entity from the reflective surface.
4 more elements
A system, comprising:
- an image capture device oriented along a first axis;
- a reflective surface disposed a first distance along the first axis from the image capture device;
- a processor coupled to the image capture device, the processor configured to perform video analysis operations including:
- receiving an image from the image capture device;
- identifying a first entity in the image;
- identifying a second entity in the image;
- determining that the second entity is a reflection of the first entity;
- determining, based on the image, an apparent distance between the first entity and the second entity;
- and
- determining, based on the first distance and the apparent distance, a second distance of the first entity from the reflective surface.
7 more elements
A method of determining a position of an object, comprising:
- providing a reflective surface, the object moving within a medium near the reflective surface;
- recording, using a single image capture device, a real image of the object and a reflected image of the object (from the reflective surface);
- and
- analyzing the real image and the reflected image to determine the position of the object within the medium.
1 more element
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.