Patent · US Expired

Optical transform generating apparatus

US5390024A · kind A · utility

16Cited by
3References
9Claims
0Family size

Inventor

Key dates

Filing dateDec 21, 1993
Grant dateFeb 14, 1995
Priority date
Expiry dateDec 21, 2013

Classification

  • Technology area (CPC G)Physics
  • CPC primaryG01C3/08
  • WIPO fieldMeasurement
  • WIPO sectorInstruments

Abstract

The formation of Epipolar (or orthogonal) images from linear sections of a two-dimensional scene image in order to build up a depth map of the scene image using Hough transform techniques presently requires a spaced array of image sensors or scanning movement of a single sensor and then electronic processing of the image signals. Herein, optical radiation from a linear section of a scene image passed to deflector means, for example an elongate helical reflector, which deflects the radiation in dependence upon displacement along the section so as to form an array of side by side images of the linear scene image section as soon from different points therealong. Instead of single helical reflector, the deflector means could comprise a series of mirrors set at different angles or an array of Dove prisms which each act to rotate the linear image it receives.

Source: USPTO / EPO open patent data. Objective bibliographic and citation counts.