Single lens 3D camera

• US 20030197806A1
• Filed: 04/17/2002
• Published: 10/23/2003
• Est. Priority Date: 04/17/2002
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Mitsubishi Electric Research Laboratories, Inc. (Mitsubishi Electric Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Mitsubishi Electric Research Laboratories, Inc. (Mitsubishi Electric Corporation)
• Inventors: Frisken, Sarah F., Perry, Ronald N.
• Granted Patent: US 7,102,683 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 348/370
• CPC Class Codes: B33Y 50/00 Data acquisition or data processing for additive manufacturing
• CPC Class Codes: G06T 7/55 from multiple images
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 13/207 using a single 2D image sensor
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 13/254 in combination with electromagnetic radiation sources for illuminating objects

Abstract

A camera generates a textured range image. The camera includes a single lens, and a flash substantially co-located with the lens. The camera acquires a first image of a scene from a point of view with ambient light, and a second image of the scene from the point of view with direct light of the flash. The first image and the seconds image are then combined by a divider to generate the textured range image.

Claims

1. A camera for generating a textured range image, comprising:

a single lens;

a flash substantially co-located with the lens;

means for acquiring a first image of a scene from a point of view with ambient light;

means for acquiring a second image of the scene from the point of view with direct light of the flash; and

means for combining the first image with the second image to generate the textured range image.

2. The camera of claim 1 further comprising:

means for acquiring pairs of first and second images in a sequence to generate a 3D textured video.

3. The camera of claim 1 further comprising:

means for dividing a luminance of each pixel of the first image by a luminance of a corresponding pixel in the second lighted image to generate the textured range image.

4. A method for generating a textured range image, comprising:

acquiring a first image of a scene from a point of view with ambient light;

acquiring a second image of the scene from the point of view with direct light; and

combining the first image with the second image to generate a textured range image.