US 7,609,367 B2 · Method and device for 3D imaging

Abstract

A method for 3D imaging of an actively illuminated target region includes emitting intensity-modulated light at a variable modulation frequency into the target region, the emitted light is scattered/reflected in the target region depending on the optical properties of the objects or beings present therein, a scattered and/or reflected fraction of the light is detected during an integration time interval by phase-sensitive integration in each pixel of an imaging sensor, the modulation phase between the emitted and the detected light is determined and spatially resolved, and distance information is calculated based on the spatially resolved modulation phase and an average frequency of the modulation frequency.

Claims10

Dependent claims

A method for 3D imaging of a target region using a 3D imaging sensor that includes an array of pixels, said method comprising:

emitting light into said target region;
said emitted light being intensity-modulated at a modulation frequency;
detecting by phase-sensitive integration in each pixel a scattered and/or reflected part of said light during an integration time interval;
then determining for each pixel a modulation phase between emitted light and detected light;
and
varying said modulation frequency over said integration time interval;
and
calculating distance information;
wherein
said distance information is calculated, for each pixel, based on said modulation phase and an average frequency of said modulation frequency over said integration time interval.

7 more elements

Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.

Method and device for 3D imaging

Life of this patent

Method and device for 3D imaging

Life of this patent

Abstract

Claims10