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Three-dimensional-information reconstructing apparatus, method and program

  • US 7,720,277 B2
  • Filed: 08/08/2005
  • Issued: 05/18/2010
  • Est. Priority Date: 08/09/2004
  • Status: Active Grant
First Claim
Patent Images

1. A three-dimensional-information reconstructing apparatus comprising:

  • a camera that captures an object in a three-dimensional space to acquire a first image of the object and a second image of the object;

    a search range computing unit configured to compute, based on a geometrical relationship between the object and a reference plane in the three-dimensional space, a parallax search range in a (x-y-d) three-dimensional space formed of three variables, the three variables being an x value and a y value providing a first point (x, y) on the first image and a selected parallax candidate d, the parallax search range being on an epipolar line and a space on and above the reference plane and corresponding to a real space in which the object exists;

    a similarity estimator which estimates, for each of parallax candidates in the parallax search range, a degree-of-similarity C (x, y, d) between the first point (x, y) and a second point (x′

    , y′

    ) on the second image, the second point (x′

    , y′

    ) corresponding to the first point (x, y), the degree-of-similarity C (x, y, d) being based on a sum of products of brightness levels of corresponding pixel pairs between a first window on the first image and a second window on the second image, the first window including the first point (x, y), the second window including the second point (x′

    , y′

    ) and having a size identical to a size of the first window;

    a parallax computing unit configured to compute a parallax D between the first point (x, y) on the first image and the second point (x′

    , y′

    ) on the second image, based on the degree-of-similarity C (x, y, d); and

    a window adjusting unit configured to adjust at least one of the size and a configuration of the first window and the second window, used for computing the degree-of-similarity C (x, y, d), in units of first points (x, y) on the first image, based on the computed parallax D, and wherein the similarity estimator re-computes the degree-of-similarity C (x, y, d) using the adjusted windows,wherein the similarity estimator includes a storage unit configured to store the sum, the stored sum being used for computing a degree-of-similarity C (x, y, d) between a new first point on the first image and a new second point on the second image corresponding to the new first point.

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