Three-dimensional measuring apparatus

• US 4,935,810 A
• Filed: 07/07/1989
• Issued: 06/19/1990
• Est. Priority Date: 10/26/1988
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Olympus Optical Corporation Limited (Olympus Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Olympus Optical Corporation Limited (Olympus Corporation)
• Inventors: Sonobe, Kazuo, Nonami, Tetsuo
• Primary Examiner(s): Britton, Howard W.
• Application Number:
  US07/376,460
• Time in Patent Office: 347 Days
• Field of Search: 358/98, 358/88, 358/107, 128/6
• US Class Current: 348/45
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 1/00193 adapted for stereoscopic vision
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 1/00194 adapted for three-dimensional imaging
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/1076 for measuring dimensions inside body cavities, e.g. using catheters A61B3/1005 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: G01B 11/02 for measuring length, width or thickness G01B11/08 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/04812 Interaction techniques based on cursor appearance or behaviour, e.g. being affected by the presence of displayed objects
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/04842 Selection of displayed objects or displayed text elements G06F3/0482 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: G06T 2207/10012 Stereo images
• CPC Class Codes: G06T 7/593 from stereo images
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 13/10 Processing, recording or transmission of stereoscopic or multi-view image signals
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 13/156 Mixing image signals
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 13/167 Synchronising or controlling image signals
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 13/189 Recording image signals; Reproducing recorded image signals
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 13/194 Transmission of image signals
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 13/239 using two 2D image sensors having a relative position equal to or related to the interocular distance H04N13/243 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 13/275 from 3D object models, e.g. computer-generated stereoscopic image signals
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 13/286 having separate monoscopic and stereoscopic modes
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 13/344 with head-mounted left-right displays
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 2013/0081 Depth or disparity estimation from stereoscopic image signals

Abstract

This three-dimensional measuring apparatus comprises an imaging apparatus imaging a plurality of images having parallaxes, a displaying apparatus displaying on a plurality of pictures the plurality of images obtained by the imaging apparatus, a first object point designating apparatus designating a first object point corresponding to the measuring object point in the space on the first image of the plurality of images displayed by the displaying apparatus, a second object point designating apparatus designating a second object point corresponding to the measuring object point in the space on the second image of the plurality of images displayed by the displaying apparatus, an object point designating auxiliary apparatus making an auxiliary process relating to the second object point designation by the second object point designating apparatus after the first object point designation by the first object point designating apparatus and an operating apparatus making a measuring operation relating to the three-dimensional position of the measuring object point specified by the first object point designated by the first object point designating apparatus and the second object point designated by the second object point designating apparatus.

Claims

1. A three-dimensional measuring apparatus comprising:

an imaging means for imaging a plurality of images having parallaxes;

a displaying means for displaying said plurality of images obtained by said imaging means on a plurality of pictures;

a first object point designating means for designating the first object point corresponding to a measuring object point in the space on the first image among said plurality of images displayed by said displaying means;

a second object point designating means for designating the second object point corresponding to said measuring object point in the space on the second image among said plurality of images displayed by said displaying means;

an object point designating auxiliary means for making an auxiliary process relating to the second object point designation by said second object point designating means after the first object point designation by said first object point designating means; and

an operating means for making a measuring operation relating to the three-dimensional position of said measuring object point specified by said first object point designated by said first object point designating means and said second object point designated by said second object point designating means.

2. A three-dimensional measuring apparatus according to claim 1 wherein said operating means operates the three-dimensional coordinate of said measuring object point.

3. A three-dimensional measuring apparatus according to claim 1 wherein said operating means operates the distance between said measuring object point and said imaging means.

4. A three-dimensional measuring apparatus according to claim 1 wherein said first object point designating means and said second object point designating means can repectively designate a plurality of object points and said operating means operates the distance between two of a plurality of measuring object points specified by a set of a plurality of object points.

5. A three-dimensional measuring apparatus according to claim 1 wherein a memorizing means for memorizing the image obtained by said imaging means is further provided, said displaying means displays as a still image the image memorized by said memorizing means and said first object point designating means and said second object point designating means respectively designate object points on said still image displayed by said displaying means.

6. A three-dimensional measuring apparatus according to claim 1 wherein said displaying means has one monitor and a switching means for making said monitor selectively display any of said plurality of images.

7. A three-dimensional measuring apparatus according to claim 1 wherein said object point designating auxiliary means has an operating means for operating the position condition of the possibility of said second object point to exist on said second image from the position on said first image of the first object point designated by said first object point designating means;

and an inhibiting means for making impossible the designation of said second object point by said second object point designating means outside the range of meeting the position condition operated by said operating means.

8. A three-dimensional measuring apparatus according to claim 7 wherein:

said first object point designating means has a first cursor displaying means for displaying the first cursor for designating said first object point on the first picture on which said first image is displayed;

said second object point designating means has a second cursor displaying means for displaying the second cursor for designating the second object point on the second picture on which said second image is displayed; and

said inhibiting means has a means for making said second cursor movable only within the range meeting said position condition.

9. A three-dimensional measuring apparatus according to claim 1 wherein:

said operating means has an object point position operating means for operating the three-dimensional position of said measuring object point specified by said first object point and said second object point; and

said three-dimensional measuring apparatus further comprises an index displaying means for displaying an index of a size corresponding to the position of said measuring object point operated by said object point position operating means near at least one of said first object point and said second object point.

10. A three-dimensional measuring apparatus according to claim 9 wherein said index is a two-dimensional index.

11. A three-dimensional measuring apparatus according to claim 9 wherein said index is a circle.

12. A three-dimensional measuring apparatus according to claim 9 wherein, in the case of operating the three-dimensional position of said measuring object point, said object point position operating means corrects the distortion aberration of the optical system forming the image in said imaging means and, in the case of displaying said index, said index displaying means corrects the distortion aberration of the optical system forming the image in said imaging means.

13. A three-dimensional measuring apparatus according to claim 1 wherein:

said first object point designating means has a first cursor displaying means for displaying a first cursor for designating said first object point on the first picture on which said first image is displayed; and

said second object point designating means has a second cursor displaying means for displaying a second cursor for designating said second object point on the second picture on which said second image is displayed.

14. A three-dimensional measuring apparatus according to claim 13 wherein:

said first object point designating means and said second object point designating means have a common cursor operating means for moving said first cursor and said second cursor on the respective pictures and designating the respective object points by using said respective cursors; and

said object point designating auxiliary means has a switching means for operatively connecting said cursor operating means and said first cursor displaying means with each other before said first object point is designated, releasing said cursor operating means and said first cursor displalying means from the connection after said first object point is designated and operatively connecting said cursor operating means and said second cursor displaying means with each other.

15. A three-dimensional measuring apparatus according to claim 13 wherein said object point designating auxiliary means has a guide line displaying means for displaying a guide line meeting the position condition on said first picture of the point in the space corresponding to said second cursor on said first picture on the basis of the position information on said second picture of said second cursor.

16. A three-dimensional measuring apparatus according to claim 5 wherein said second cursor displaying means displays said second cursor on said second picture only when operatively connected to said cursor operating means by said switching means.

17. A three-dimensional measuring apparatus according to claim 1 whererin said object point designating auxiliary means has a guide means for operating the position condition of the possibility of said second object point to exist on said second image from the position on said first image of the first object point designated by said first object point designating means and displaying the range of the possibility of said second object point to exist on said second picture on the basis of said position condition.

18. A three-dimensional measuring apparatus according to claim 17 wherein said guide means has a guide line displaying means for displaying a guide line showing the range of the possibility of said second object point to exist on said second picture.

19. A three-dimensional measuring apparatus according to claim 18 wherein said object point designating auxiliary means further has a warning means for checking whether the second object point designated by said second object point designating means is located on said guide line or not and issuing a warning in case said second object point is not located on said guide line.

20. A three-dimensional measuring apparatus according to claim 18 wherein said guide line displaying means corrects the distortion aberratiion of the optical system forming an image in said imaging means in the case of operating the position condition of the possibility of said second object point to exist.

21. A three-dimensional measuring apparatus according to claim 18 wherein said guide line consists of one line meeting said position condition.

22. A three-dimensional measuring apparatus according to claim 18 wherein said guide line consists of two lines holding the range meeting said position condition.

23. A three-dimensional measuring apparatus according to claim 18 wherein said object point designating auxiliary means further has an inhibiting means for making impossible the designation of said second object point by said second object point designating means is made impossibe except on said guide line.

24. A three-dimensional measuring apparatus according to claim 23 wherein:

said first object point designating means has a first cursor displaying means for displaying a first cursor for said first object point designation on the first picture on which said first image is displayed;

said second object point designating means has a second cursor displaying means for displaying a second cursor for said second object point designation is displayed on the second picture on which said second image; and

said inhibiting means has a means for making said second cursor movable only on said guide line.

25. A three-dimensional measuring apparatus comprising:

an imaging means for imaging a plurality of images having parallaxes;

a displaying means for displaying said plurality of images obtained by said imaging means on a plurality of pictures;

a first object point designating means for designating the first object point corresponding to a measuring object point in the space on the first image among said plurality of images displayed by said displaying means;

a second object point designating means for designating the second object point corresponding to said measuring object poinnt in the space on the second image among said plurality of images displayed by said displaying means;

an object point position operating means for operating the three-dimensional position of said measuring object point specified by said first object point designated by said first object point designating means and said second object point designated by said second object point designating means; and

an index displaying means for displaying an index of a size corresponding to the position of said measuring object point operated by said object point position operating means near at least one of said first object point and said second object point on the picture displayed by said displaying means.

26. A three-dimensional measuring endoscope apparatus comprising:

an endoscope body which comprises an elongate insertable part having a tip part and an image forming means provided in said tip part of said insertable part for forming a plurality of object images having parallaxes;

an imaging means for imaging the plurality of images having parallaxes and formed by said image forming means;

a displaying means for displaying on a plurality of pictures said plurality of images obtained by said imaging means;

a first object point designating means for designating the first object point corresponding to a measuring object point in the space on the first image among said plurality of images displayed by said displaying means;

a second object point designating means for designating the second object point corresponding to said measuring object point in the space on the second image among saide plurality of images displayed by said displaying means;

an object point designating auxiliary means for making an auxiliary process relating to the second object point designation by said second object point designating means after the first object point designation by said first object point designating means; and

an operating means for making a measuring operation relating to the three-dimensional position of said measuring object point specified by said first object point designated by said first object point designating means and said second object point designated by said second object point designating means.

27. A three-dimensional measuring endoscope apparatus according to claim 26 wherein said image forming means has a plurality of image forming optical systems arranged in a plurality of positions having parallaxes in said tip part of said insertable part.

28. A three-dimensional measuring endoscope apparatus according to claim 27 wherein said imaging means has a plurality of solid state imaging devices arranged in the respective image forming positions of said plurality of image forming optical systems within said tip part of said insertable part.

29. A three-dimensional measuring endoscope apparatus comprising:

an endoscope body which comprises an elongate insertable part having a tip part and an image forming means provided in said tip part of said insertable part for forming a plurality of object images having parallaxes;

an imaging means for imaging the first and second images having parallaxes and formed by said image forming means;

a displaying means for displaying said first and second images obtained by said imaging means;

a first object point designating means for designating the first object point corresponding to the measuring object point in the space on said first image displayed by said displaying means; and

an operating means for operating the position condition on said second image of said measuring object point designated by said first object point on the basis of the position information on said first image of said first object point.

30. A three-dimensional measuring endoscope apparatus according to claim 29 further comprising a guide line displaying means for displaying a guide line determined on the basis of the position condition operated by said operating means together with said second image.

31. A three-dimensional measuring endoscope apparatus according to claim 29 or 30 further comprising a second object point designating means for designating the second object point corresponding to said measuring object point in the space on said second image displayed by said displaying means and a judging means for judging whether the position information of said second object point designated by said second object point designating means meets said position condition obtained by said operating means or not.

32. A three-dimensional measuring endoscope apparatus according to claim 31 wherein said judging means has a means for issuing a warning when said position information does not meet said position condition.

33. A three-dimensional measuring endoscope apparatus according to claim 30 wherein said guide line consists of one line meeting said position condition.

34. A three-dimensional measuring endoscope apparatus according to claim 30 wherein said guide line consists of two lines holding the range meeting said position condition.

35. A three-dimensional measuring apparatus comprising:

an imaging means for imaging a plurality of images having parallaxes;

a displaying means for displaying said plurality of images obtained by said imaging means on a plurality of pictures;

a first object point designating means for designating the first object point corresponding to the measuring object point in the space on the first image among said plurality of images displayed by said displaying means;

a moving point displaying means for displaying any movable moving point on the second image among said plurality of images displayed by said displaying means; and

a guide line displaying means for displaying the guide line meeting the position condition on said first image of the point in the space corresponding to said moving point on said first image on the basis of the position information on said second image of said moving point displayed by said moving point displaying means.

36. A point designating method in an endoscope image displaying apparatus in which images from positions having parallaxes with each other for the inspecting part are displayed respectively on the first and second pictures and the parts corresponding to each other on the respective pictures are designated by a point designating means, comprising the respective steps of:

displaying the first poinnt moved by the operation of said point designated means only on said first picture;

designating said first point, in said first point displalying step, by making said first point the first immovable point in response to the designating operation of said point designating means and continuing to display this first immovable point;

displaying a second point moved by the operation of said designating means on said second picture in response to the designation of said first point by said first point designating step; and

designating said second point, in said second point displaying step, by making said second point the second immovable point in response to the designating operation of said point designating means and continuing to display this second immovable point.