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US 6,616,347 B1Granted
Camera with rotating optical displacement unit
OwnerRobert Doughertyinventor
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
Ranges of objects are determined using a camera equipped with a rotating optical axis displacement unit (ODU). The ODU receives light about an offset line of sight, and displaces it to a substantially parallel camera line of sight. The displaced light is focussed onto an image sensor. Images of a scene are captures as the ODU rotates. Range information is calculated from the apparent motion of objects in the captured images.
Claims15
A camera system comprising
- a) a camera having a camera line of sight, an image sensor and a means for capturing images formed on the image sensor;
- b) a focussing system for focussing light to form an image on the image sensor;
- c) an optical displacement unit (ODU) that receives light from an offset line of sight that is different from the camera line of sight and directs the light into the camera along or parallel to the camera line of sight, the ODU being rotatable about a rotation axis that is the same as or parallel to the camera line of sight but different than the offset line of sight, wherein all elements of the focussing system, except for optional elements for increasing field of view, are located between the ODU and the image sensor, and wherein the ODU is not attached to the camera.
A method for determining the range of an object, comprising
- a) bringing a scene containing the object within the field of view of a camera system including (1) a camera having a camera line of sight, an image sensor, a means for capturing images formed on the image sensor, (2) a focussing system for focussing light to form an image of the scene on the image sensor and (3) an optical displacement unit (ODU) that receives light from an offset line of sight that is different from the camera line of sight and directs the light into the camera along the camera line of sight, the ODU being rotatable about a rotation axis that is the same as or substantially parallel to the camera line of sight but different than the offset line of sight, so as to form an image of the scene on the image sensor;
- b) capturing said image of the scene to produce a first frame;
- c) rotating the optical displacement unit about the rotation axis to a different position while maintaining the orientation of the image sensor substantially constant with respect to said object, so as to effect an apparent motion of the image on the image sensor;
- d) capturing another image to produce a subsequent frame;
- e) determining the position of an image corresponding to at least one point on said object on the first frame and at least one subsequent frame;
- and
- f) calculating the range of the object from the positions of the image corresponding to said at least one point on said object on said first frame and at least one subsequent frame.
4 more elements
A camera system comprising
- a) a camera having a camera line of sight, an image sensor and a means for capturing images formed on the image sensor;
- b) a focussing system for focussing light to form an image on the image sensor;
- and
- c) an optical displacement unit (ODU) that (1) is physically detached from the camera and (2) receives light from an offset line of eight that is different from the camera line of sight and directs the light into the camera along or parallel to the camera line of sight, the ODU being rotatable about a rotation axis that is the same as or parallel to the camera line of sight but different than the offset line of sight.
1 more element
A method for determining the range of an object, comprising
- a) bringing a scene containing the object within the field of view of a camera system including (1) a camera having a camera line of sight, an image sensor, a means for capturing images formed on the image sensor, (2) a focussing system for focussing light to form an image of the scene on the image sensor and (3) an optical displacement unit (ODU) that receives light from an offset line of sight that is different from the camera line of sight and directs the light into the camera along the camera line of sight, so as to form an image of the scene on the image sensor;
- b) capturing said image of the scene to produce a first frame;
- c) rotating the optical displacement unit about a rotation axis that is the same as or parallel to the camera line of sight so as to effect an apparent motion of the object in a plane;
- d) capturing another image to produce a subsequent frame;
- e) determining the position of an image corresponding to at least one point on said object on the first frame and at least one subsequent frame;
- and
- f) calculating the range of the object from the positions of the image corresponding to said at least one point on said object on said first frame and at least one subsequent frame.
4 more elements
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.