Three-dimensional measurement device and three-dimensional measurement method
AssigneeMinolta Co., Ltd.
InventorsKoichi Kamon, Toshio Norita, Hiroshi Uchino
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Abstract
The purpose of the present invention is to realize a compact three-dimensional measurement device of high resolution. In the present invention, a pulse light is projected on an object, the light reflected from the object is received by a solid state area sensor having a plurality of photoelectric conversion elements, the area sensor is controlled with a timing synchronized with the projection of the pulse light, and the distance to each photoelectric conversion element is measured based on the output of the solid state area sensor.
Claims16
A three-dimensional measurement method for measuring a distance to a plurality of positions on an object by projecting light and receiving light reflected from the object, said three-dimensional measurement method comprising the steps of:
- projecting a light on the object;
- receiving light reflected from the object by an area sensor comprising a plurality of photoelectric conversion elements;
- controlling the active/inactive timing of the area sensor such that an electric charge photoelectrically converted by the plurality of photoelectric conversion elements is accumulated with a timing synchronously with the light projection;
- and
- measuring the distance to each photoelectric conversion element based on the output of the area sensor,
- wherein changing said active/inactive states of the area sensor is performed a plurality of times in one accumulating period of the area sensor.
A three-dimensional measurement device for measuring the distance to a plurality of positions on an object by projecting light and receiving the light reflected from the object, said three-dimensional measurement device comprising:
- a projector for projecting pulse light on the object;
- an area sensor comprising a plurality of photoelectric conversion elements for receiving light reflected from the object;
- a controller for controlling ON/OFF states of the plurality of photoelectric conversion elements with a timing synchronized with the pulse light projection to obtain at least two frame images, the ON/OFF states are activated a plurality of times in one accumulating period of the area sensor;
- and
- a processor for eliminating the fluctuating component of the received light intensity due to distance or reflectivity of the object from the amount of exposure obtained based on the control of the ON/OFF states by use of the at least two frame images.
A three-dimensional measurement method for measuring a distance to a plurality of positions on an object by projecting light and receiving light reflected from the object, said three-dimensional measurement method comprising the steps of:
- projecting a light on the object with a projector;
- receiving light reflected from the object by an area sensor comprising a plurality of photoelectric conversion elements;
- controlling the projector to emit light a plurality of times periodically during one accumulating period of the area sensor and controlling periodic ON/OFF states of the plurality of photoelectric conversion elements a plurality of times during said one accumulating period with a timing synchronized with the periodical emitting of light from the projector;
- and
- measuring the distance to each photoelectric conversion element based on the output of the area sensor.
A three-dimensional measurement method for measuring a distance to a plurality of positions on an object by projecting light and receiving light reflected from the object, said three-dimensional measurement method comprising the steps of:
- projecting a light on the object with a projector;
- receiving light reflected from the object by an area sensor comprising a plurality of photoelectric conversion elements;
- controlling the projector to emit light and ON/OFF states of the plurality of photoelectric conversion elements synchronously with the emitting of the projector;
- and
- measuring the distance to each photoelectric conversion element based on the output of the area sensor, wherein
- said area sensor includes two gates in said each photoelectric conversion element for controlling an electric charge photoelectrically converted by said each photoelectric conversion element, the ON/OFF states of said two gates are activated alternately, and
- the ON/OFF states of said two gates are controlled a plurality of times during one accumulating period of the area sensor.
A three-dimensional measurement device for measuring the distance to a plurality of positions on an object by projecting light and receiving the light reflected from the object, said three-dimensional measurement device comprising:
- a projector for projecting light on the object;
- an area sensor comprising a plurality of photoelectric conversion elements for receiving light reflected from the object;
- a controller for controlling ON/OFF states of the plurality of photoelectric conversion elements with a timing synchronized with the light projection;
- and
- a processor for eliminating the fluctuating component of the received light intensity due to distance or reflectivity of the object from the amount of exposure obtained based on the controlling of the ON/OFF states of the plurality of photoelectric conversion elements, wherein
- said area sensor including two gates in each photoelectric conversion element for controlling an electric charge photoelectrically converted by said each photoelectric conversion element, the ON/OFF states of said two gates activate alternately, and
- the ON/OFF states of said two gates are controlled a plurality of times during one accumulating period of the area sensor.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.