METHOD AND DEVICE FOR DISPLAYING AN INDICATION OF THE QUALITY OF THE THREE-DIMENSIONAL DATA FOR A SURFACE OF A VIEWED OBJECT

• US 20120256901A1
• Filed: 04/06/2011
• Published: 10/11/2012
• Est. Priority Date: 04/06/2011
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Baker Hughes Holdings LLC (Baker Hughes Company)
• Original Assignee: General Electric Company
• Inventors: Bendall, Clark Alexander
• Granted Patent: US 8,411,083 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 345/419
• CPC Class Codes: G01B 11/24 for measuring contours or curvatures
• CPC Class Codes: G06T 2207/10028 Range image; Depth image; 3D point clouds
• CPC Class Codes: G06T 2207/10068 Endoscopic image
• CPC Class Codes: G06T 2207/30108 Industrial image inspection
• CPC Class Codes: G06T 2207/30164 Workpiece; Machine component
• CPC Class Codes: G06T 2207/30168 Image quality inspection
• CPC Class Codes: G06T 7/0004 Industrial image inspection

Abstract

A method and device for displaying an indication of the quality of the three-dimensional data for a surface of a viewed object are disclosed, wherein overlays are displayed on pixels of an image corresponding to surface points, indicating the predicted accuracy or availability of the three-dimensional coordinates of those surface points.

Claims

1. A method for displaying an indication of the quality of the three-dimensional data for a surface of a viewed object comprising the steps of:

obtaining and displaying an image of the surface of the viewed object, wherein a plurality of pixels of the image correspond to a plurality of surface points on the viewed object;

determining the three-dimensional coordinates of the plurality of surface points;

determining an accuracy value for each of the plurality of pixels corresponding to the plurality of surface points, wherein the accuracy value is based on the predicted accuracy of the three-dimensional coordinates of the surface point corresponding to the pixel;

determining for each of the plurality of pixels having an accuracy value whether the accuracy value is outside of a range of acceptable accuracy values; and

displaying an overlay for each of the plurality of pixels whose accuracy value is outside of the range of acceptable accuracy values.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the step of determining an accuracy value for each of the plurality of pixels corresponding to the plurality of surface points comprises determining the difference between at least one of the three-dimensional coordinates from a first set of three-dimensional coordinates of the surface point corresponding to the pixel and at least one of the three-dimensional coordinates from a second set of three-dimensional coordinates of the surface point corresponding to the pixel.

3. The method of claim 2, wherein the step of determining for each of the plurality of pixels having an accuracy value whether the accuracy value is outside of a range of acceptable accuracy values comprises determining whether the difference is outside of the range of acceptable accuracy values.

4. The method of claim 3, wherein the range of acceptable accuracy values is less than a ten percent difference.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein the step of displaying an overlay for each of the plurality of pixels whose accuracy value is outside of the range of acceptable accuracy values occurs when a cursor is moved over a pixel whose accuracy value is outside of the range of acceptable accuracy values.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein the overlay for each of the plurality of pixels whose accuracy value is outside of the range of acceptable accuracy values is colored based on the accuracy value for that pixel.

7. The method of claim 1, wherein the overlay for all of the plurality of pixels whose accuracy value is outside of the range of acceptable accuracy values is the same color.

8. A method for displaying an indication of the quality of the three-dimensional data for a surface of a viewed object comprising the steps of:

obtaining and displaying an image of the surface of the viewed object, wherein a plurality of pixels of the image correspond to a plurality of surface points on the viewed object;

determining for each of the plurality of pixels corresponding to the plurality of surface points whether the three-dimensional coordinates for the surface point corresponding to the pixel are available; and

displaying a first overlay for each pixel where the three-dimensional coordinates for the surface point corresponding to the pixel are not available.

9. The method of claim 8, wherein the step of determining for each of the plurality of pixels corresponding to the plurality of surface points whether the three-dimensional coordinates for the surface point corresponding to the pixel are available comprises:

determining the brightness level for each of the plurality of pixels;

determining for each of the plurality of pixels whether the brightness level is outside of a range of acceptable brightness values; and

determining for each of the plurality of pixels whose brightness level is outside of the range of acceptable brightness values that the three-dimensional coordinates for the surface point corresponding to the pixel are not available.

10. The method of claim 8, wherein the step of determining for each of the plurality of pixels corresponding to the plurality of surface points whether the three-dimensional coordinates for the surface point corresponding to the pixel are available comprises:

determining the detail level for each of the plurality of pixels;

determining for each of the plurality of pixels whether the detail level is outside of a range of detail level values; and

determining for each of the plurality of pixels whose detail level is outside of the range of acceptable detail level values that the three-dimensional coordinates for the surface point corresponding to the pixel are not available.

11. The method of claim 8, wherein the step of displaying a first overlay for each pixel where the three-dimensional coordinates for the surface point corresponding to the pixel are not available occurs when a cursor is moved over a pixel where the three-dimensional coordinates for the surface point corresponding to the pixel are not available.

12. The method of claim 8, wherein the first overlay for each pixel where the three-dimensional coordinates for the surface point corresponding to the pixel are not available is red.

13. The method of claim 8, further comprising the steps of:

determining the three-dimensional coordinates of the plurality of surface points whose three-dimensional coordinates are available;

determining an accuracy value for each of the plurality of pixels corresponding to the plurality of surface points whose three-dimensional coordinates are available, wherein the accuracy value is based on the predicted accuracy of the three-dimensional coordinates of the surface point corresponding to the pixel;

determining for each of the plurality of pixels having an accuracy value whether the accuracy value is outside of the range of acceptable accuracy values; and

displaying a second overlay for each of the plurality of pixels whose accuracy value is outside of the range of acceptable accuracy values.

14. The method of claim 13, wherein the step of determining an accuracy value for each of the plurality of pixels corresponding to the plurality of surface points whose three-dimensional coordinates are available comprises determining the difference between at least one of the three-dimensional coordinates from a first set of three-dimensional coordinates of the surface point corresponding to the pixel and at least one of the three-dimensional coordinates from a second set of three-dimensional coordinates of the surface point corresponding to the pixel.

15. The method of claim 14, wherein the step of determining for each of the plurality of pixels having an accuracy value whether the accuracy value is outside of a range of acceptable accuracy values comprises determining whether the difference is outside of the range of acceptable accuracy values.

16. The method of claim 15, wherein the range of acceptable accuracy values is less than a ten percent difference.

17. The method of claim 13, wherein the step of displaying a second overlay for each of the plurality of pixels whose accuracy value is outside of the range of acceptable accuracy values occurs when a cursor is moved over a pixel whose accuracy value is outside of the range of acceptable accuracy values.

18. The method of claim 13, wherein the second overlay for each of the plurality of pixels whose accuracy value is outside of the range of acceptable accuracy values is colored based on the accuracy value for that pixel.

19. The method of claim 13, wherein the step of displaying a first overlay for each pixel whose three-dimensional coordinates for the surface point corresponding to the pixel are not available and the step of displaying second overlay for each of the plurality of pixels whose accuracy value is outside of the range of acceptable accuracy values occurs when either a cursor is moved over a pixel where the three-dimensional coordinates for the surface point corresponding to the pixel are not available or a cursor is moved over a pixel whose accuracy value is outside of the range of acceptable accuracy values.

20. A device for displaying an indication of the quality of the three-dimensional data for a surface of a viewed object comprising:

an imager for obtaining an image of the surface of the viewed object;

wherein a plurality of pixels of the image correspond to a plurality of surface points on the viewed object;

a central processor unit for;

determining the three-dimensional coordinates of the plurality of surface points;

determining an accuracy value for each of the plurality of pixels corresponding to the plurality of surface points, wherein the accuracy value is based on the predicted accuracy of the three-dimensional coordinates of the surface point corresponding to the pixel; and

determining for each of the plurality of pixels having an accuracy value whether the accuracy value is outside of a range of acceptable accuracy values; and

a monitor for displaying an image of the surface of the viewed object and an overlay for each of the plurality of pixels whose accuracy value is outside of the range of acceptable accuracy values.