Enhancing stereo depth measurements with projected texture

US7970177B2 · kind B2 · utility

Assignee

• Tyzx, Inc. · US

Inventors

• Pierre St. Hilaire · Belmont, US
• Gaile Gordon · Palo Alto, US
• John Iselin Woodfill · San Francisco, US
• Ronald John Buck · Fremont, US
• Steve John Clohset · San Francisco, US

Key dates

• Filing date: Mar 22, 2007
• Grant date: Jun 28, 2011
• Expiry date: Jan 25, 2030

Classification

• Technology area (CPC G): Physics
• CPC primary: G06T7/593
• WIPO field: Measurement
• WIPO sector: Instruments

Abstract

A system for distance calculation is disclosed. The system includes an illuminator unit, one or more camera units, and a distance processor. The illuminator unit illuminates a scene in a target area using a textured pattern creator and wherein the textured pattern creator includes a diffractive optical element. The one or more camera units captures two or more images of the target area from two or more physical locations. A textured pattern illumination is visible in each of the two or more images of the target area. The images are used to calculate distances to one or more points in the scene in the target area.