METHOD AND APPARATUS FOR GENERATING A 3-D IMAGE

• US 20170070726A1
• Filed: 09/06/2016
• Published: 03/09/2017
• Est. Priority Date: 09/03/2015
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Inuitive Ltd.
• Original Assignee: Inuitive Ltd.
• Inventors: ENSENBERG, Chagai, GOLDENTOUCH, Lev
• Granted Patent: US 10,616,561 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: G06T 7/521 from laser ranging, e.g. using interferometry; from the projection of structured light
• CPC Class Codes: G06T 7/593 from stereo images
• CPC Class Codes: H01S 5/042 Electrical excitation ; Circuits therefor monolithically integrated laser drive components H01S5/0261
• CPC Class Codes: H01S 5/423 having a vertical cavity
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 13/25 using two or more image sensors with different characteristics other than in their location or field of view, e.g. having different resolutions or colour pickup characteristics; using image signals from one sensor to control the characteristics of another sensor
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 13/254 in combination with electromagnetic radiation sources for illuminating objects
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 13/257 Colour aspects

Abstract

A method and apparatus are provided for generating a three dimensional image. The method comprises: illuminating a target; capturing an image that comprises an object present at the illuminated target; converting the captured image into data and processing it to determine depth of the object; and generating a three dimensional image of the object whose depth has been determined. Preferably, the illumination intensity applied while illuminating the target, is determined based on the current intensity of ambient light at the target.

Claims

1. A method for generating a three dimensional image, comprising the steps of:

(i) illuminating a target;

(ii) capturing an image that comprises one or more objects present at the illuminated target;

(iii) converting the captured image into data;

(iv) processing the data received from the conversion of the captured image;

(v) determining depth of at least one of the one or more objects present at the illuminated target; and

(vi) generating a three dimensional image of the at least one of the one or more objects whose depth has been determined.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the step of illuminating a target comprises projecting light at a pre-defined pattern onto the target.

3. The method of claim 2, wherein the projected light is emitted from a VSCEL array and its pattern is formed by at least one diffractive optical element.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein the illumination intensity applied while illuminating the target, is determined based on current intensity of ambient light at the target.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein the image of the one or more objects comprised in the illuminated target is captured by at least one depth capturing sensor and at least one RGB sensor, and wherein the step of processing comprises processing data retrieved from the at least two sensors.

6. The method of claim 1, further comprising a step of capturing at least one other image of the one or more objects associated with the preceding three dimensional image, and determining whether a change had occurred to said one or more objects within a period of time extending between the time at which the first image was captured and the time at which the at least one other image was captured.

7. The method of claim 1, further comprising a step of retrieving audio information emanating at the target vicinity.

8. The method of claim 7, further comprising repeating steps (ii) to (iv) and determining a movement of at least one of the one or more objects whose depth has been determined, by combining information derived from at least two captured images and said audio information.

9. An apparatus configured to provide a three dimensional image of at least one object, the apparatus comprising:

a projector configured to illuminate a target where the at least one object is present;

at least one image capturing sensor, configured to capture an image that comprises the at least one object, by retrieving light reflected from the at least one object; and

at least one processor configured to process data retrieved from the image captured by the at least one image capturing sensor and to generate a three dimensional image that comprises the at least one object.

10. The apparatus of claim 9, wherein said projector comprises a VCSEL array.

11. The apparatus of claim 9, wherein said apparatus further comprises a diffractive optical element for providing a pre-defined pattern of light emitted from the projector.

12. The apparatus of claim 9, wherein the pre-defined pattern is a pattern that enables carrying out a three dimensional imaging of the at least one object.

13. The apparatus of claim 9, wherein the projector illumination intensity for illuminating the target is determined based on current intensity of ambient light at the target.

14. The apparatus of claim 9, wherein the apparatus comprises at least one depth capturing sensor and at least one RGB sensor, and wherein the processor is configured to process data retrieved from the at least two sensors for generating the three dimensional image.

15. The apparatus of claim 9, further comprising a microphone configured to capture audio information emanating at the target vicinity.