Method and apparatus for three-dimensional color scanning

A three dimensional digital scanner comprising:

• a) a multiple image detector responsive to a broad spectrum of light, said image detector being operative to develop a plurality of images of a three dimensional object to be scanned, said plurality of images being taken from a plurality of relative angles with respect to said object, said plurality of images depicting a plurality of surface portions of said object to be scanned;
• b) a digital processor including a computational unit said digital processor being coupled to said image detector;
• c) said digital processor being operative to measure and record for each of said plurality of images, position information including the relative angular position of the detector with respect to the object;
• d) said digital processor being operative to use said position information to develop with said computational unit 3-D coordinate positions and related image information of said plurality of surface portions of said object;
• e) whereby a three dimensional image of said object scanned can be developed by said digital processor that includes both shape and surface image.

A three dimensional digital scanner comprising:

• a) a multiple image detector responsive to a broad spectrum of light, said multiple image detector being operative to develop a plurality of images of a three dimensional object to be scanned, said plurality of images being taken from a plurality of relative angles with respect to said object, said plurality of images depicting a plurality of surface portions of said object to be scanned;
• and
• b) a digital processor including a computational unit, said digital processor being coupled to said detector means, said digital processor being responsive to said plurality of images arid operative to develop with said computational unit 3-D coordinate positions and related image information of said plurality of surface portions of said object;
• c) said digital processor being operative with said computational unit to derive from the surface geometry and the orientation of a local surface in multiple views at multiple angles with respect to the surface, surface attributes other than color in said plurality of images;
• d) whereby a digital representation of said three-dimensional object can be developed that includes shape and surface image information including color and surface attributes other than color.