DETERMINING DIMENSIONS ASSOCIATED WITH AN OBJECT

• US 20130101158A1
• Filed: 10/21/2011
• Published: 04/25/2013
• Est. Priority Date: 10/21/2011
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: Honeywell International Inc.
• Original Assignee: Honeywell International Inc.
• Inventors: McCloskey, Scott, Lloyd, Ryan A.
• Application Number:
  US13/278,559
• Publication Number:
  US 20130101158A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 382/103
• CPC Class Codes: G06T 2207/10028 Range image; Depth image; 3D point clouds
• CPC Class Codes: G06T 7/62 of area, perimeter, diameter or volume

Abstract

Devices, methods, and systems for determining dimensions associated with an object are described herein. One system includes a range camera configured to produce a range image of an area in which the object is located, and a computing device configured to determine the dimensions of the object based, at least in part, on the range image.

Claims

1. A system for determining dimensions of an object, comprising:

a range camera configured to produce a range image of an area in which the object is located; and

a computing device configured to determine the dimensions of the object based, at least in part, on the range image.

2. The system of claim 1, wherein the computing device is configured to:

identify a number of planar regions in the range image; and

determine the dimensions of one or more objects based, at least in part, on one or more of the planar regions.

3. The system of claim 2, wherein the number of planar regions in the range image include two or three mutually orthogonal planar regions.

4. The system of claim 1, wherein the range camera is configured to produce measurements in real-world units.

5. The system of claim 1, wherein the range camera is configured to produce measurements in relation to an index of real-world units.

6. The system of claim 1, wherein the range camera is separate from the computing device.

7. The system of claim 1, wherein the range camera and the computing device are part of a same device.

8. The system of claim 1, wherein the range camera is configured to produce the range image of the area in which the object is located while a distance between the range camera and the object is 0.75 to 5.0 meters.

9. A method for determining dimensions associated with an object, comprising:

capturing a range image of a scene that includes the object; and

determining the dimensions associated with the object based, at least in part, on the range image.

10. The method of claim 9, wherein the object is a rectangular shaped box.

11. The method of claim 9, wherein the object is cylindrically shaped.

12. The method of claim 9, wherein determining the dimensions associated with the object includes determining dimensions of a smallest volume rectangular box large enough to contain the object based, at least in part, on the range image.

13. The method of claim 12, wherein determining the dimensions of the smallest volume rectangular box large enough to contain the object includes:

determining and disregarding a portion of the range image containing information associated with a ground plane of the scene that includes the object;

determining a height of a plane that is parallel to the ground plane and above which the object does not extend;

projecting additional portions of the range image on the ground plane; and

determining a bounding rectangle of the projected portions of the range image on the ground plane.

14. A system for determining dimensions of an object, comprising:

a range camera configured to produce a range image of an area in which the object is located; and

a computing device configured to;

identify planar regions in the range image that correspond to the object; and

determine the dimensions of the object based, at least in part, on the planar regions.

15. The system of claim 14, wherein the computing device is configured to:

determine dimensions of the planar regions in the range image that correspond to the object; and

determine the dimensions of the object based, at least in part, on the dimensions of the planar regions.

16. The system of claim 15, wherein the computing device is configured to determine the dimensions of the planar regions in the range image that correspond to the object based, at least in part, on distances of the planar regions within the range image.

17. The system of claim 14, wherein the computing device is configured to identify the planar regions in the range image that correspond to the object by:

determining coordinates for each point in the range image;

building a number of planar regions near the points, wherein the planar regions include planes of best fit to the points; and

retaining the built planar regions that are within a particular size or a particular portion of the range image.

18. The system of claim 17, wherein the computing device is configured to identify the planar regions in the range image that correspond to the object by:

fitting a polygon to each of the planar regions that are within the particular size or the particular portion of the range image; and

retaining the planar regions whose fitted polygon has four vertices and is convex.

19. The system of claim 18, wherein the computing device is configured to determine the dimensions of the object by:

arranging the planar regions whose fitted polygon has four vertices and is convex into a shape corresponding to a shape of the object; and

determining a measure of centrality for dimensions of clustered edges of the arranged shape.

20. The system of claim 14, wherein the computing device is configured to:

disregard planar regions in the range image that correspond to a ground plane of the area in which the object is located; and

disregard edge regions in the range image that correspond to edges of the area in which the object is located.