Constant magnification imaging method and system

• US 7,463,783 B1
• Filed: 12/11/2003
• Issued: 12/09/2008
• Est. Priority Date: 09/20/2002
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Lockheed Martin Corporation (Martin Marietta Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Lockheed Martin Corporation (Martin Marietta Corporation)
• Inventors: Rundle, Alfred T., Dugan, Peter J., Pratt, Steven J., Ouellette, Patrick, Riess, Michael J.
• Primary Examiner(s): Alavi; Amir
• Application Number:
  US10/733,705
• Time in Patent Office: 1,825 Days
• Field of Search: 382/112, 382/172, 382/173, 382/176, 382/177, 382/190, 382/194, 382/199, 382/224, 382/232, 382/237, 382/251, 382/254, 382/276, 382/299, 382/300, 382/305, 382/321, 358/3.03, 358/400, 358/445, 358/447, 348/62
• US Class Current: 382/251
• CPC Class Codes: G06T 3/40 Scaling of whole images or parts thereof, e.g. expanding or contracting
• CPC Class Codes: G06V 30/10 Character recognition
• CPC Class Codes: G06V 30/162 Quantising the image signal
• CPC Class Codes: G06V 30/166 Normalisation of pattern dimensions
• CPC Class Codes: G06V 30/424 Postal images, e.g. labels or addresses on parcels or postal envelopes

Abstract

A system and method for achieving constant magnification of a scanned three-dimensional item without the use of special optics or other specialized hardware. The system includes the dynamic computation of a camera parameter-dependent factor and applying that factor in real-time to the sampled signal resulting from the scan of the item.

Claims

1. A constant magnification imaging method comprising the steps of:

sampling reflected light amplitude of a signal source at a relatively high resolution while sampling surface area of the signal source at a relatively low characteristic spatial/temporal frequency (scan resolution) to produce input data; and

applying a pre-selected rescaling algorithm and a pre-selected amplitude quantizing algorithm to the input data in real-time to create target scan resolution, relatively low resolution amplitude output data of constant magnification.

2. The constant magnification imaging method as in claim 1 further comprising the steps of:

establishing the pre-selected resealing algorithm; and

establishing the pre-selected amplitude quantizing algorithm.

3. The constant magnification imaging method as in claim 2 wherein said step of establishing the resealing algorithm and the amplitude quantizing algorithm comprises the steps of:

determining a signature from the signal source;

performing an analysis of the signature;

selecting optimal algorithms for the signature based upon the analysis; and

utilizing the optimal algorithms for processing the input data.

4. The constant magnification imaging method as in claim 3 further comprising the step of:

linking the optimal algorithms with the signature.

5. The constant magnification imaging method as in claim 4 further comprising the step of:

storing the linked signature in a database.

6. The constant magnification imaging method as in claim 1 further comprising the step of:

configuring a device to execute the preselected rescaling algorithm and the preselected amplitude quantizing algorithm; and

enabling the device to perform said step of applying the preselected resealing algorithm and the preselected amplitude quantizing algorithm to the relatively low characteristic scan resolution, relatively high resolution amplitude input data.

7. The constant magnification imaging method as in claim 6 further comprising the step of configuring a programmable frame grabber to execute the preselected resealing algorithm and the preselected amplitude quantizing algorithm.

8. A constant magnification imaging method as in claim 1 further comprising the step of sampling by using at least one line scan camera.

9. A node in a computer network for carrying out the method according to claim 1.

10. A communications network comprising at least one node for carrying out the method according to claim 1.

11. A computer readable medium having instructions embodied therein for the practice of the method of claim 1.

12. A constant magnification imaging system comprising:

a data collection subsystem for sampling an amplitude of a signal source at a relatively high resolution and for sampling said signal source at a relatively low characteristic scan resolution, said data collection subsystem providing relatively low characteristic scan resolution, relatively high resolution amplitude input data; and

a data processing subsystem operably connected to said data collection subsystem, said data processing subsystem capable of real time conversion of said relatively low characteristic scan resolution, relatively high resolution amplitude input data to target scan resolution, relatively low resolution amplitude output data of constant magnification.

13. The constant magnification imaging system of claim 12 further comprising an algorithm selection subsystem, said algorithm selection subsystem operably connected to said data processing subsystem, said algorithm selection subsystem capable of establishing at least one algorithm in said data processing subsystem, said data processing subsystem capable of executing said at least one algorithm with respect to said relatively low characteristic scan resolution, relatively high resolution amplitude input data.

14. The constant magnification imaging system of claim 13 wherein said at least one algorithm is selected from the group consisting of rescaling algorithms and amplitude quantizing algorithms.

15. The constant magnification imaging system of claim 14 wherein said resealing at least one algorithm is capable of converting said relatively low characteristic scan resolution, relatively high resolution amplitude input data to target scan resolution, relatively high resolution amplitude constant magnification intermediate data.

16. The constant magnification imaging system of claim 15 wherein said amplitude quantizing algorithm is capable of converting said constant magnification intermediate data to target scan resolution, relatively low resolution amplitude output data.

17. The constant magnification imaging system of claim 12 wherein said data collection subsystem comprises a data collection device.

18. The constant magnification imaging system of claim 12 wherein said data processing subsystem executes a computer code, said computer code forming a data buffer having said relatively low characteristic scan resolution, relatively high resolution amplitude input data, said data buffer having a plurality of lines, said data buffer having an oldest line of data and a newest line of data, said computer code executing said at least one algorithm against said data buffer creating a single line of processed data, said single line of processed data capable of being transmitted to a computer memory, said oldest line of data being deleted after said single line is transmitted, receiving said newest line of relatively low characteristic scan resolution, relatively high resolution amplitude input data as they are sampled after said single line is transmitted.

19. The constant magnification imaging system of claim 12 wherein said data processing subsystem comprises a programmable frame grabber, said programmable frame grabber executing a computer code, said computer code forming a data buffer having said relatively low characteristic scan resolution, relatively high resolution amplitude input data, said data buffer having a plurality of lines, said data buffer having an oldest line of data and a newest line of data, said computer code capable of executing said at least one algorithm against said data buffer creating a single line of processed data, said single line being capable of transmitted to computer memory, said oldest line of data capable of being deleted after said single line is transmitted, receiving said newest line of relatively low characteristic scan resolution, relatively high resolution amplitude input data as they are sampled after said single line is transmitted.

20. The constant magnification imaging system of claim 12 wherein said data collection device comprises at least one line scan camera, said data processing subsystem comprises a programmable frame grabber, said programmable frame grabber executing a computer code, said computer code forming a data buffer having said relatively low characteristic scan resolution, relatively high resolution amplitude input data, said data buffer having a plurality of lines, said data buffer having an oldest line of data and a newest line of data, said computer code capable of executing said at least one algorithm against said data buffer creating a single line of processed data, said single line capable of being transmitted to computer memory, said oldest line of data capable of being deleted after said single line is transmitted, receiving said newest line of relatively low characteristic scan resolution, relatively high resolution amplitude input data as they are sampled after said single line is transmitted.

21. A constant magnification imaging method comprising the steps of:

sampling reflected light amplitude of a signal source at a pre-selected first resolution while sampling surface area of the signal source at a pre-selected characteristic scan resolution to produce input data; and

creating output data of constant magnification by applying a pre-selected resealing algorithm and a pre-selected amplitude quantizing algorithm to the input data in real-time, the output data having a target scan resolution,

wherein the reflected light amplitude of the output data has a pre-selected second resolution, the pre-selected second resolution being lower than the pre-selected first resolution.

22. The constant magnification imaging method as in claim 21 further comprising the steps of:

establishing the pre-selected resealing algorithm; and

establishing the pre-selected amplitude quantizing algorithm.