Detecting interference in depth images captured using overlapping depth cameras
First Claim
1. A facility comprising:
- a first time-of-flight camera having a first illuminator and a first sensor, wherein the first time-of-flight camera has a first field of view;
a second time-of-flight camera having a second illuminator and a second sensor, wherein the second time-of-flight camera has a second field of view; and
a server in communication with each of the first time-of-flight camera and the second time-of-flight camera,wherein the server is configured to execute a method comprising;
programming the first time-of-flight camera to capture depth images by illuminating at least a portion of the facility at a first frequency or during a first time slot;
illuminating, by the first time-of-flight camera, the portion of the facility at the first frequency or during the first time slot;
capturing a plurality of depth images by the first time-of-flight camera at the first frequency or during the first time slot;
calculating, for each of a subset of the plurality of depth images, a ratio of a number of depth image pixels having a zero value to a total number of depth image pixels;
generating a plot based at least in part on the ratios calculated for each of the subset of the plurality of depth images;
determining, based at least in part on the plot, that the first time-of-flight camera is experiencing depth interference; and
in response to determining that the first time-of-flight camera is experiencing depth interference,programming the second time-of-flight camera to capture depth images by illuminating at least the portion of the scene at a second frequency or during a second time slot,wherein the second frequency is not the first frequency, andwherein the second time slot is not the first time slot.
1 Assignment
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Accused Products
Abstract
Discrete frequencies and time slots of operation are assigned to each of a plurality of time-of-flight cameras. Where two time-of-flight cameras having overlapping fields of view, whether the time-of-flight cameras are operating at the same frequency or time slot is determined by calculating ratios of zero-value pixels to total numbers of pixels for each depth image captured by the time-of-flight cameras over a selected interval. If the time-of-flight cameras operate at the same frequency or time slot, a plot of the ratios of depth images captured using one time-of-flight camera is erratically sinusoidal. Another time-of-flight camera causing the interference may be identified among time-of-flight cameras operating at the frequency or time slot, based on areas of interest that overlap with the time-of-flight camera, or based on a time at which the time-of-flight cameras began capturing depth images, as compared to a time at which the interference is observed.
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Citations
20 Claims
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1. A facility comprising:
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a first time-of-flight camera having a first illuminator and a first sensor, wherein the first time-of-flight camera has a first field of view; a second time-of-flight camera having a second illuminator and a second sensor, wherein the second time-of-flight camera has a second field of view; and a server in communication with each of the first time-of-flight camera and the second time-of-flight camera, wherein the server is configured to execute a method comprising; programming the first time-of-flight camera to capture depth images by illuminating at least a portion of the facility at a first frequency or during a first time slot; illuminating, by the first time-of-flight camera, the portion of the facility at the first frequency or during the first time slot; capturing a plurality of depth images by the first time-of-flight camera at the first frequency or during the first time slot; calculating, for each of a subset of the plurality of depth images, a ratio of a number of depth image pixels having a zero value to a total number of depth image pixels; generating a plot based at least in part on the ratios calculated for each of the subset of the plurality of depth images; determining, based at least in part on the plot, that the first time-of-flight camera is experiencing depth interference; and in response to determining that the first time-of-flight camera is experiencing depth interference, programming the second time-of-flight camera to capture depth images by illuminating at least the portion of the scene at a second frequency or during a second time slot, wherein the second frequency is not the first frequency, and wherein the second time slot is not the first time slot. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5)
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6. A method comprising:
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configuring a first depth camera to capture depth images by illuminating a first field of view at a first frequency; capturing at least a first plurality of depth images by the first depth camera, wherein capturing the first plurality of depth images comprises illuminating the first field of view at the first frequency, and wherein each of the first plurality of depth images comprises a predetermined number of pixel values; determining, for each of the first plurality of depth images, a number of pixel values that are approximately equal to zero; calculating, for each of the first plurality of depth images, a ratio of the number of pixel values that are approximately equal to zero to the predetermined number of pixel values; determining that at least some of the ratios calculated for each of the first plurality of depth images are consistent with depth interference; and in response to determining that at least some of the ratios calculated for each of the first plurality of depth images are consistent with depth interference, storing an indication that the first depth camera is experiencing depth interference in at least one data store. - View Dependent Claims (7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15)
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16. A method comprising:
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programming each of a plurality of depth cameras to capture depth images by illuminating at least a portion of a facility at a selected frequency or within a selected time slot, wherein the facility has a plurality of areas of interest, and wherein each of the plurality of depth cameras was programmed at a selected time; capturing streams of depth images by each of the plurality of depth cameras, wherein each of the plurality of depth cameras has a field of view including at least one of the areas of interest; selecting a first plurality of depth images of a first stream captured by a first depth camera, wherein the first depth camera is configured to capture depth images by illuminating at least a first area of interest at a first frequency or within a first time slot, and wherein each of the first plurality of depth images is captured during a first interval of time; determining, for each of the first plurality of depth images, a number of pixels having a value of approximately zero; calculating, for each of the first plurality of depth images, a ratio of the number of pixels having the value of approximately zero and a total number of pixels; determining that at least one of the ratios calculated for each of the first plurality of depth images exceeds a predetermined threshold; in response to determining that the at least one of the ratios calculated for each of the first plurality of depth images exceeds the predetermined threshold, determining selected frequencies or selected time slots for each of the plurality of depth cameras; determining the at least one area of interest included within fields of view of each of the plurality of depth cameras; and determining times at which each of the plurality of depth cameras was configured to capture imaging data by illuminating the at least one area of interest of the scene; selecting a second depth camera based at least in part on at least one of the selected frequencies, the selected time slots, the at least one area of interest or the times; and programming the second depth camera to capture depth images by illuminating the at least one area of interest at a second frequency or a second time slot, wherein the second frequency is not the first frequency, and wherein the second time slot is not the first time slot. - View Dependent Claims (17, 18, 19, 20)
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Specification