Stereo image measuring device

• US 6,810,142 B2
• Filed: 06/25/2001
• Issued: 10/26/2004
• Est. Priority Date: 06/26/2000
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Kabushiki Kaisha Topcon
• Original Assignee: Kabushiki Kaisha Topcon
• Inventors: Kochi, Nobuo, Otani, Hitoshi
• Primary Examiner(s): AHMED, SAMIR ANWAR
• Application Number:
  US09/887,268
• Publication Number:
  US 20020012460A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,219 Days
• Field of Search: 382/154, 382/276, 382/153, 382/151, 382/293, 382/294, 382/295, 382/284, 382/285, 382/287, 345/419, 345/427, 348/42, 348/46, 348/47, 348/48, 348/51, 348/52, 356/2, 356/12, 356/14, 702/167
• US Class Current: 382/154
• CPC Class Codes: G01C 11/06 by comparison of two or more pictures of the same area
• CPC Class Codes: G06T 2207/10012 Stereo images
• CPC Class Codes: G06T 7/97 Determining parameters from multiple pictures depth or shape recovery from multiple images G06T7/55; stereo camera calibration G06T7/85
• 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 2013/0081 Depth or disparity estimation from stereoscopic image signals

Abstract

A stereo image measuring device capable of facilitating determination as to the correctness of the result of stereo image corresponding point measurement is disclosed. The stereo image measuring device comprises: a first display unit including a normal monitor; a second display unit including a stereo-monitor enabling stereoscopic viewing; a mark formation unit for displaying a mouse cursor; an instruction unit for instructing X, Y and Z directions; a corresponding area search unit for searching a corresponding area with respect to a reference area; a corresponding area position verification unit for verifying the coincidence of the searched area with the position of the reference area; a corresponding area deciding unit for deciding the searched corresponding area as a corresponding area; a storage unit for storing the verification result of the corresponding area position verification unit, the reference area, the corresponding area, and the decided corresponding area decided by the corresponding area deciding unit; a decided corresponding area correction unit for correcting the decided corresponding area; an image storage unit for storing a digitized stereo image; and a display memory for displaying an image. The instruction unit includes a planar direction instruction unit for instructing the planar (X, Y) direction of the reference area by a mouse, and a Z direction instruction unit for instructing a depth (Z) direction during three-dimensional measurement.

Claims

1. A stereo image measuring device comprising:

a display unit for displaying a pair of stereo images;

an instruction unit for instructing a reference area in one of the displayed pair of stereo images by an operation executed by an operator;

a corresponding area search unit for obtaining an area corresponding to the reference area instructed in one of the stereo images, in the other of the pair of stereo images;

a mark formation unit for forming a mark indicating the reference area instructed by said instruction unit and a mark indicating a corresponding point searched by said corresponding area search unit on the pair of stereo images respectively;

a corresponding area deciding unit for deciding a searched corresponding area searched by said corresponding area search unit as a corresponding area;

a storage unit for storing the decided corresponding area decided by said corresponding area deciding unit;

a decided corresponding area correction unit for correcting the decided corresponding area; and

a corresponding area position verification unit for determining whether the corresponding area searched by said corresponding area search unit corresponds to the reference area instructed by said instruction unit.

2. The stereo image measuring device according to claim 1,

wherein said mark formation unit forms the mark indicating the reference area instructed by said instruction unit and the mark indicating the corresponding point decided by said corresponding area search unit on the pair of stereo images respectively to be identifiable by a determination result of said corresponding area position verification unit.

3. The stereo image measuring device according to claim 2, further comprising:

a storage unit for storing a result of verification made by said corresponding area position verification unit, the reference area, the corresponding area, and the decided corresponding area decided by said corresponding area deciding unit.

4. The stereo image measuring device according to claim 1,

wherein said mark formation unit displays a mark on said display unit for displaying the stereo images in parallel.

5. The stereo image measuring device according to claim 4,

wherein said mark formation unit further displays a mark on a second display unit adapted to enable the stereo images to be seen stereoscopically.

6. The stereo image measuring device according to claim 1,

wherein said corresponding area search unit obtains the corresponding point by correlation processing, and

said corresponding area position verification unit obtains a corresponding reference area by a system similar to/different from that of said corresponding area search unit, and verifies coincidence of a position of the obtained corresponding reference area with a position of the reference area.

7. The stereo image measuring device according to claim 1,

wherein said corresponding area search unit obtains the corresponding point by correlation processing, and

said corresponding area position verification unit verifies coincidence of a position of the corresponding point with a position of a point of the reference area.

8. The stereo image measuring device according to claim 1,

wherein the reference area instructed by said instruction unit is set according to one of a verification result by said corresponding area position verification unit, the reference area and the corresponding area, stored in said storage unit.

14. The stereo image measuring device according to claim 1,

wherein the search mode is formed for causing said corresponding area search unit to obtain the corresponding area according to instruction of the reference area of said instruction unit, and when a correction operation is executed by said decided corresponding area correction unit in an automatic search mode, the automatic search mode is interrupted, and said corresponding area deciding unit decides a corresponding area according to instruction of said decided corresponding area correction unit.

9. A stereo image measuring device comprising:

a display unit for displaying a pair of stereo images;

an instruction unit for instructing a reference area in one of the displayed pair of stereo images by an operation executed by an operator;

a corresponding area search unit for obtaining an area corresponding to the reference area instructed in one of the stereo images, in the other of the pair of stereo images;

a mark formation unit for forming a mark indicating the reference area instructed by said instruction unit and a mark indicating a corresponding point searched by said corresponding area search unit on the pair of stereo images respectively;

a corresponding area deciding unit for deciding a searched corresponding area searched by said corresponding area search unit as a corresponding area;

a storage unit for storing the decided corresponding area decided by said corresponding area deciding unit;

a decided corresponding area correction unit for correcting the decided corresponding area; and

a corresponding area position verification unit for determining whether the corresponding area searched by said corresponding area search unit corresponds to the reference area instructed by said instruction unit,

wherein said display unit displays a result of determination verified by said corresponding area position verification unit to be identifiable, and

according to a position instructed by said instruction unit, a search mode is interrupted to change to a correction mode.

10. The stereo image measuring device according to claim 9,

wherein when the position instructed by said instruction unit is set near an area determined to have at least a corresponding failure by said corresponding area position verification unit, the search mode is interrupted to change to the correction mode.

11. The stereo image measuring device according to claim 9,

wherein when the position instructed by said instruction unit is set near an area determined to have at least a corresponding failure by said corresponding area position verification unit, and said decided corresponding area correction unit is operated, the search mode is interrupted to change to the correction mode.

12. The stereo image measuring device according to claim 9,

wherein the search mode is formed for causing said corresponding area search unit to obtain the corresponding area according to instruction of the reference area of said instruction unit, and when the corresponding area positioned by instruction of said instruction unit is set near the reference area having been decided by said corresponding area deciding unit in an automatic search mode, if said decided corresponding area correction unit is operated, the automatic search mode is interrupted to change to a manual plotting mode for causing said corresponding area deciding unit to decide a corresponding area according to instruction of said decided corresponding area correction unit.

13. The stereo image measuring device according to claim 9,

wherein the search mode is formed for causing said corresponding area search unit to obtain the corresponding area according to instruction of the reference area of said instruction unit, and when the corresponding area positioned by instruction of said instruction unit is set near the reference area having been decided by said corresponding area deciding unit in an automatic search mode, if said decided corresponding area correction unit is operated, the automatic search mode is interrupted to change to the correction mode for causing said corresponding area deciding unit to decide a corresponding area according to instruction of said decided corresponding area correction unit.

15. The stereo image measuring device according to claim 9,

wherein the search mode is formed for causing said corresponding area search unit to obtain the corresponding area according to instruction of the reference area of said instruction unit, and when a correction operation is executed by said decided corresponding area correction unit in an automatic search mode, the automatic search mode is interrupted, and said corresponding area deciding unit decides a corresponding area according to instruction of said decided corresponding area correction unit.