Three-dimensional vision camera

• US 5,502,480 A
• Filed: 01/24/1995
• Issued: 03/26/1996
• Est. Priority Date: 01/24/1994
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: ROHM Co., Ltd.
• Original Assignee: ROHM Co., Ltd.
• Inventors: Kuga, Kaeko, Uemura, Takuzo
• Primary Examiner(s): RAO, ANAND SHASHIKANT
• Application Number:
  US08/377,589
• Time in Patent Office: 427 Days
• Field of Search: 348/46, 348/47, 348/48, 348/39, 348/38, 348/37, 348/36
• US Class Current: 348/46
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 13/20 Image signal generators
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 13/207 using a single 2D image sensor
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 13/254 in combination with electromagnetic radiation sources for illuminating objects
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 13/296 Synchronisation thereof; Control thereof
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 13/395 with depth sampling, i.e. the volume being constructed from a stack or sequence of 2D image planes
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 13/398 Synchronisation thereof; Control thereof
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 5/74 Projection arrangements for image reproduction, e.g. using eidophor

Abstract

A three-dimensional vision camera where there is no disagreement between the video signal and the distance signal is provided by using the taking optical system for the distance measurement. A reflecting mirror 8 for reflecting a distance measuring laser beam from a laser diode 6 is arranged behind a taking lens 4. The laser beam is irradiated to a photographic object through the taking lens 4. The laser beam reflected by the photographic object is received by a photodiode array 7 through the taking lens 4 and the reflecting mirror 8. While the taking lens 4 is moved along the optical axis to perform photographing, the laser scanning is performed by rotating the reflecting mirror 8 about two axes vertical to the optical axis of the taking lens 4 to measure the distance.

Claims

1. A three-dimensional vision camera comprising:

a taking lens movable along its optical axis;

taking lens driving means for moving the taking lens;

a photographic light receiving device including photoelectric conversion elements arranged in a matrix form, said photographic light receiving device receiving a light beam transmitted by the taking lens to be incident on the photographic light receiving device so that each photoelectric conversion element outputs a video signal;

a light emitting device which emits a light beam irradiated to a photographic object;

a distance measuring light receiving device including photoelectric conversion elements arranged in an array form, said distance measuring light receiving device receiving a light beam emitted by the light emitting device and reflected by the photographic object so that each photoelectric conversion element outputs an electric signal;

a first optical device rotatable about an axis vertical to the optical axis of the taking lens, said first optical device being arranged behind the taking lens on the optical axis of the taking lens and reflecting the light beam emitted by the light emitting device toward the taking lens;

optical device rotating means for rotating the first optical device;

a second optical device arranged between the light emitting device and the first optical device, said second optical device transmitting a light beam advancing from the light emitting device to the first optical device and reflecting a light beam advancing from the first optical device to the light emitting device toward the distance measuring light receiving device;

controlling means for controlling the taking lens driving means so that the taking lens is stopped at a plurality of predetermined positions, said controlling means controlling the optical device rotating means to rotate the first optical device every time the taking lens is stopped at the plurality of predetermined positions so that a direction in which the light beam is reflected by the first optical device is varied, said controlling means outputting a taking lens drive amount and an optical device rotation amount; and

three-dimensional vision signal outputting means supplied with the video signal outputted from the photographic light receiving device, the electric signal outputted from the distance measuring light receiving device and the taking lens drive amount and the optical device rotation amount outputted from the controlling means, said three-dimensional vision signal outputting means producing a distance signal representative of a distance to a photographed portion of the photographic object to which the light beam is irradiated by the light emitting device based on the taking lens drive amount and synthesizing the video signal and the distance signal into a three-dimensional vision signal when the electric signal is supplied from a predetermined photoelectric conversion element of the distance measuring light receiving device, said video signal being outputted from the photoelectric conversion element of the photographic light receiving device receiving the light beam from the photographed portion of the photographic object, said three-dimensional vision signal outputting means outputting the three-dimensional vision signal.

2. A three-dimensional vision camera according to claim 1, wherein said first optical device rotates about a first axis and a second axis which are vertical to the optical axis of the taking lens and vertical to each other, and wherein said controlling means rotates the first optical device about the first axis at a predetermined angle every time the taking lens is stopped at the plurality of positions and rotates the first optical device about the second axis every time the first optical device is rotated about the first axis.

3. A three-dimensional vision camera according to claim 1, wherein said first optical device includes a first prism rotatable about a first axis vertical to the optical axis of the taking lens and a second prism rotatable about a second axis vertical to the optical axis of the taking lens and the first axis, and wherein said controlling means rotates the first prism at a predetermined angle every time the taking lens is stopped at the plurality of predetermined positions and rotates the second prism every time the first prism is rotated.

4. A three-dimensional vision camera according to claim 1, wherein a half mirror is arranged between the taking lens and the first optical device, said half mirror transmitting the light beam emitted by the light emitting device and reflecting an image light beam, and wherein said photographic light receiving device receives a light beam reflected by the half mirror.