Real-time three-dimensional imaging technique
First Claim
1. A method for rapidly obtaining a three-dimensional image of a surface on an object comprising the steps of:
- (a) reflecting a first line of light, via at least a first rotatable mirrored surface, onto a surface of an object which is to be imaged, so that the line of light strikes a firsts trip of area thereon;
(b) reflecting the image of a second strip of area on the surface to be imaged, at least contiguous to the first strip of area, via at least a second rotatable reflected surface, into a linescan camera which serves to capture the image of the second strip and establish the intensity thereof;
(c) rotating the first and second reflective surfaces in unison to span the first line of light across the surface of the object so that the first line of light is successively directed at each of a plurality of first strips while the field of view of the linescan camera is spanned across the surface so that the camera successively images each of a plurality of second strips;
(d) extinguishing the first line of light, repositioning the first mirrored surface, and reflecting a second line of light, via at least the first reflective surface, onto the surface to be imaged to strike the first strip of area;
(e) rotating the first and second reflective surfaces in unison to span the second line of light across the surface of the object so that the second line of light is successively directed at each of a plurality of first strips while the field of view of the linescan camera is spanned across the surface to successively image each of the plurality of second strips; and
(f) determining the height of the features in each successive second strip in accordance with a predetermined relationship between the intensity of the image of each such successive second strip when the first line of light is spanned across the surface and the intensity of such second strip when the surface is spanned by the second line of light.
1 Assignment
0 Petitions
Accused Products
Abstract
A three-dimensional image of the surface (12) on an object (14) is obtained in real time by a system (10) which includes first and second reflective surfaces (32,38). The first reflective surface successively reflects a separate one of the first and second lines of light (26,28) onto the surface of the object so that each line of light strikes a first strip of area (34) at an acute angle. The second reflective surface reflects the field of view of a linescan camera (40) onto the object'"'"'s surface so that the camera captures the image of a second strip of area (41) contiguous with the first strip. The first and second reflective surfaces are rapidly rotated in unison by one or more actuators (50,52) such that the object'"'"'s surface is spanned by the camera each time the surface is spanned by a successive one of the first and second lines of light. A three-dimensional image of each successive second strip imaged by the camera is obtained from a predetermined relationship between the intensity sensed by the camera for that strip when the corresponding first strip is successively illuminated by the first and second lines of light.
56 Citations
7 Claims
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1. A method for rapidly obtaining a three-dimensional image of a surface on an object comprising the steps of:
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(a) reflecting a first line of light, via at least a first rotatable mirrored surface, onto a surface of an object which is to be imaged, so that the line of light strikes a firsts trip of area thereon; (b) reflecting the image of a second strip of area on the surface to be imaged, at least contiguous to the first strip of area, via at least a second rotatable reflected surface, into a linescan camera which serves to capture the image of the second strip and establish the intensity thereof; (c) rotating the first and second reflective surfaces in unison to span the first line of light across the surface of the object so that the first line of light is successively directed at each of a plurality of first strips while the field of view of the linescan camera is spanned across the surface so that the camera successively images each of a plurality of second strips; (d) extinguishing the first line of light, repositioning the first mirrored surface, and reflecting a second line of light, via at least the first reflective surface, onto the surface to be imaged to strike the first strip of area; (e) rotating the first and second reflective surfaces in unison to span the second line of light across the surface of the object so that the second line of light is successively directed at each of a plurality of first strips while the field of view of the linescan camera is spanned across the surface to successively image each of the plurality of second strips; and (f) determining the height of the features in each successive second strip in accordance with a predetermined relationship between the intensity of the image of each such successive second strip when the first line of light is spanned across the surface and the intensity of such second strip when the surface is spanned by the second line of light. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5)
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6. A system for rapidly obtaining a three-dimensional image of a surface on an object comprising:
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a first rotatable reflector having a reflective surface thereon; a second rotatable reflector having a reflective surface thereon; first means for producing a first line of light which is directed into the reflective surface on the first reflector for reflection onto the surface of the object to strike a first strip of area thereon; second means for producing a second line of light during intervals when the first line of light is extinguished, the second line of light being directed into the reflective surface on the first reflector for reflection thereby onto the surface of the object to strike the first strip of area thereon; a linescan camera having a long but narrow field of view for capturing an image appearing in its field of view, the field of view of the linescan camera being reflected by the reflective surface of the second reflector onto the surface of the object so that the camera captures the image of a second strip of area contiguous to the first strip of area; first actuator means for rapidly rotating the first reflector so that a separate one of the first and second lines of light may be successively spanned across the surface of the object; second actuator means for rapidly rotating the second reflector in unison with the first reflector so that the field of view of the linescan camera may be spanned across the surface of the object in unison with a separate one of the first and second lines of light; and a vision processor for processing the image captured by the linescan camera as its field of view is spanned across the surface of the object, simultaneously with a separate one of the first and second lines of light, to establish a three-dimensional image of the surface in accordance with a prescribed relation of the intensity of image captured by the camera when the surface is spanned by the first line of light and the intensity when the surface of the object is spanned by the second line of light.
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7. A system for rapidly obtaining a three-dimensional image of a surface on an object comprising:
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a first mirror having first and second opposed reflecting surfaces; a second reflector having a reflective surface thereon; a third reflector having a reflective surface thereon; first means for producing a first line of light which is directed into the first reflective surface on the first reflector for reflection thereby into the reflective surface on the second reflector for reflection thereby onto the surface of the object to strike the first strip of area thereon; second means for producing a second line of light during intervals when the first line of light is extinguished, the second line of light being directed into the first reflective surface on the first reflector, for reflection thereby into the reflective surface on the second reflector, for reflection thereby onto the surface of the object to strike the first strip of area thereon; a linescan camera having a long but narrow field of view for capturing an image appearing in its field of view, the field of view of the linescan camera being reflected by the second reflective surface of the first reflector, into the reflective surface on the third reflector, for reflection thereby onto the surface of the object, so that the camera captures the image of a second strip of area contiguous to the first strip of area; actuator means for rapidly rotating the first reflector when a separate one of the first and second lines of light is directed at the first reflective surface of the first reflector, each line of light spanned across the surface of the object simultaneously with the field of view of the linescan camera; and a vision processor for processing the image captured by the linescan camera as its field of view is spanned across the surface of the object, simultaneously with a separate one of the first and second lines of light, to establish a three-dimensional image of the surface in accordance with a prescribed relation of the intensity of the image captured by the camera when the surface is spanned by the first line of light, and the intensity when the surface of the object is spanned by the second line of light.
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Specification