Stereoscopic measurement system and method

• US 8,249,332 B2
• Filed: 05/22/2008
• Issued: 08/21/2012
• Est. Priority Date: 05/22/2008
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Matrix Electronic Measuring Properties, LLC
• Original Assignee: Matrix Electronic Measuring Properties, LLC
• Inventors: Stevens, George B., Clendening, Grady A., Waters, Windflower, Weintraub, Steven, Redden, Warren, Redden, Carl, Srack, Robert W., Srack, Janet M.
• Primary Examiner(s): TUCKER, WESLEY J
• Application Number:
  US12/125,809
• Publication Number:
  US 20090290759A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,552 Days
• Field of Search: 382/154
• US Class Current: 382/154
• CPC Class Codes: G06T 2207/10012 Stereo images
• CPC Class Codes: G06T 2207/20101 Interactive definition of point of interest, landmark or seed
• CPC Class Codes: G06T 7/593 from stereo images
• CPC Class Codes: G06V 20/64 Three-dimensional objects

Abstract

A stereoscopic measurement system captures stereo images and determines measurement information for user-designated points within stereo images. The system comprises an image capture device for capturing stereo images of an object. A processing system communicates with the capture device to receive stereo images. The processing system displays the stereo images and allows a user to select one or more points within the stereo image. The processing system processes the designated points within the stereo images to determine measurement information for the designated points.

Claims

1. A system comprising modules executable with at least one processor for obtaining measurements of an object, the system comprising:

a memory storing a plurality of stereo images each comprising first and second images of the object;

a composite module to combine at least two stereo images into a composite stereo image, wherein the composite stereo image comprises a composite first image and a composite second image, the composite first image comprises a composite of the first images of each of the at least two stereo images, and the composite second image comprises a composite of the second images of each of the at least two stereo images;

a user interface (UI) module to;

generate a list of stereo images for display;

receive a first user input selecting the at least two stereo images from the list of stereo images;

generate the first image and the second image of each of the at least two stereo images for display;

receive a second user input designating composite points in the first and second images of each of the at least two stereo images;

generate the composite first and second images for display based on the designated composite points;

receive a third user input designating a first measurement point in the composite first image;

receive a fourth user input designating a second measurement point in the composite first image;

receive a fifth user input designating the first measurement point in the composite second image; and

receive sixth user input designating a second measurement point in the composite second image;

a stereo point module to define a first stereo point that corresponds to the first measurement point designated in the composite first and second images and to define a second stereo point that corresponds to the second measurement point designated in the composite first and second images; and

a cross measures module to calculate the distance between the first stereo point and the second stereo point.

2. The system of claim 1 wherein each of the plurality of stereo images are received from an image capture device comprising a first camera and a second camera, and wherein the memory is configured to store download history data for each of the first and second images, the download history data comprising metadata and intrinsic calibration data for the first and second cameras and a time and date that the first and second images included in each stereo image were received from the image capture device.

3. The system of claim 2 wherein the system further comprises:

an image-processing module to process each of the plurality of stereo images to determine if a particular first image and a particular second image included in a particular stereo image are images of a calibration pattern; and

a stereo calibration module to determine stereo calibration data for the image capture device when the particular first and second images of the particular stereo image are of the calibration pattern, the stereo calibration data comprising location information for the first camera relative to the second camera in a coordinate system of the image capture device, and wherein the stereo calibration module is configured to store the stereo calibration data in the memory.

4. The system of claim 3 wherein the image-processing module is further configured to associate the stereo calibration data with another particular stereo image in the plurality of stereo images based on the download history data for that other particular stereo image when the first and second images of that other particular stereo image are not of the calibration pattern.

5. The system of claim 1 wherein the system further comprises a reporting module to create a customized report comprising the calculated distance between the first stereo point and the second stereo point.

6. The system of claim 5 further comprising a measurement database to store reference stereo point data corresponding to at least one reference stereo point on each of the plurality of objects, wherein the reporting module is further configured to create the customized report comprising calculated distances selected from a group consisting of a first distance between the first stereo and the second stereo point, a second distance between the first stereo point and the reference stereo point, and a third distance between the second stereo point and the reference stereo point.

7. The system of claim 1 wherein the composite points comprise at least three same reference points in each of the first and second images of the at least two stereo images, and wherein the composite module is configured to:

overlay each of the first images included in the at least two stereo images such that the same three reference points match to create the composite first image; and

overlay each of the second images included in the at least two stereo images such that the same three reference points match to create the composite second image.

8. A system comprising modules executable with at least one processor for obtaining measurements of an object, the system comprising:

a memory storing a plurality of stereo images each comprising first and second images of the object;

a composite module to combine at least two stereo images of the plurality of stereo images into a composite stereo image, the composite stereo image comprises a composite first image and a composite second image, the composite first image comprises a composite of the first images of each of the at least two stereo images, and the composite second image comprises a composite of the second images of each of the at least two stereo images;

a user interface (UI) module to;

generate a list of stereo images for display;

receive a first user input selecting the at least two stereo images from the list of stereo images;

generate the first image and the second image of each of the at least two stereo images for display;

receive a second user input designating composite points in the first and second images of each of the at least two stereo images;

generate the composite first and second images for display based on the designated composite points;

receive a third user input designating a first measurement point in the composite first image;

receive a fourth user input designating a second measurement point in the composite first image;

a point selection module to identify a range of points in the composite second image based on the first measurement point designated in the composite first image, to generate a selection assist line in the composite second image based on the range of points, to identify another range of points in the composite second image based on the second measurement point designated in the composite first image, to generate another selection assist line in the second image based on the other range of points, to determine first pixel values adjacent to the first measurement point designated in the composite first image, to compare the determined first pixel values with other pixel values along the selection assist line to dynamically identify a corresponding first measurement point in the composite second image with adjacent other pixel values that match the determined first pixel values, to determine second pixel values adjacent to the second measurement point designated in the composite first image, and to compare the determined second pixel values with second other pixel values along the other selection assist line to dynamically identify a corresponding second measurement point in the second image with adjacent other pixel values that match the determined second pixel values;

a stereo point module to define a first stereo point that corresponds to the first measurement point designated in the composite first image and identified in the composite second image and to define a second stereo point that corresponds to the second measurement point designated in the composite first image and identified in the composite second image; and

a cross measures module to calculate the distance between the first stereo point and the second stereo point.

9. The system of claim 8 wherein each of the plurality of stereo images are received from an image capture device comprising a first camera and a second camera, and wherein the memory is configured to store download history data for each of the first and second images, the download history data comprising metadata and intrinsic calibration data for the first and second cameras and a time and date that the first and second images included in each stereo image were received from the image capture device.

10. The system of claim 9 wherein the system further comprises:

an image-processing module to process each of the plurality of stereo images to determine if a particular first image and a particular second image included in a particular stereo image are images of a calibration pattern; and

a stereo calibration module to determine stereo calibration data for the image capture device when the particular first and second images are of the calibration pattern, the stereo calibration data comprising location information for the first camera relative to the second camera in a coordinate system of the image capture device, and wherein the stereo calibration module is configured to store the stereo calibration data in the memory.

11. The system of claim 10 wherein the image-processing module is further configured to associate the stereo calibration data with another particular stereo image based on the download history data for that other particular stereo image when the first and second images in the other particular stereo image are not of the calibration pattern.

12. The system of claim 8 wherein the system further comprises a reporting module to create a customized report comprising the calculated distance between the first stereo point and the second stereo point.

13. The system of claim 12 further comprising further comprising a measurement database to store reference stereo point data corresponding to at least one reference stereo point on each of the plurality of objects, wherein the reporting module is further configured to the create customized report comprising calculated distances selected from a group consisting of a first distance between the first stereo and the second stereo point, a second distance between the first stereo point and the reference stereo point, and a third distance between the second stereo point and the reference stereo point.

14. The system of claim 8 wherein the composite points comprises at least three same reference points in each of the first and second images of the at least two stereo images, and wherein the composite module is configured to:

overlay each of the first images included in the at least two stereo images such that the same three reference points match to create the composite first image; and

overlay each of the second images included in the at least two stereo images such that the same three reference points match to create the composite second image.

15. A method for obtaining measurements from a stereo image of an object using at least one processor, the stereo image comprising first and second images of the object, the method comprising:

storing a plurality of stereo images each comprising first and second images of the object in a memory;

generating a list of the plurality of stereo images for display;

receiving a first user input selecting at least two stereo images from the list;

displaying the first image and the second image of each of the at least two stereo images;

receiving a second user input designating composite points in the first and second images of each of the at least two stereo images;

combining the at least two stereo images into a composite stereo image based on the composite points, the composite stereo image comprising a composite first image and a composite second image;

displaying the composite first image and the composite second image;

receiving a third user input designating a first measurement point in the composite first image;

receiving a fourth user input designating a second measurement point in the composite first image;

receiving a fifth user input designating the first measurement point in the composite second image;

receiving a sixth user input designating the second measurement point in the composite second image;

defining a first stereo point that corresponds to the first measurement point designated in the composite first and second images and defining a second stereo point that corresponds to the second measurement point designated in the composite first and second images; and

calculating the distance between the first stereo point and the second stereo point.

16. The method of claim 15 wherein each of the plurality of stereo images are received from an image capture device comprising a first and second camera, and wherein the method further comprises:

storing download history data for each of the first and second images in a memory, the download history data comprising metadata and intrinsic calibration data for the first and second cameras and a time and date that the first and second images included in each stereo image were received from the image capture device.

17. The method of claim 16 further comprising:

processing each of the plurality stereo images to determine if the first and second images included in a particular stereo image are images of a calibration pattern;

determining stereo calibration data for the image capture device when the first and second images of the particular stereo image are of the calibration pattern, the stereo calibration data comprising location information for the first camera relative to the second camera in a coordinate system of the image capture device; and

storing the stereo calibration data in the memory.

18. The method of claim 17 further comprising associating the stereo calibration data to another particular stereo image based on the download history data for that other particular stereo image when the first and second images in the other particular stereo image are not of the calibration pattern.

19. The method of claim 15 further comprising generating a customized report comprising the calculated distance between the first stereo point and the second stereo point.

20. The method of claim 19 further comprising storing reference stereo point data corresponding to at least one reference stereo point on each of a plurality of objects in a measurement database, and wherein the customized report comprises calculated distances selected from a group consisting of a first distance between the first stereo and the second stereo point, a second distance between the first stereo point and the reference stereo point, and a third distance between the second stereo point and the reference stereo point.

21. The method of claim 15 wherein composite points comprise at least three same reference points in each of the first and second images of the at least two stereo images, and wherein the method further comprises:

overlaying each of the first images included in the at least two stereo images such that the same three reference points match to create the composite first image; and

overlaying each of the second images included in the at least two stereo images such that the same three reference points match to create the composite second image.

22. A method for obtaining measurements from a stereo image of an object using at least one processor, the stereo image comprising first and second images of the object, the method comprising:

storing a plurality of stereo images each comprising first and second images of the object in a memory;

generating a list of the plurality of stereo images for display;

receiving a first user input selecting at least two stereo images from the list;

displaying the first image and the second image of each of the at least two stereo images;

receiving a second user input designating composite points in the first and second images of each of the at least two stereo images;

combining the at least two stereo images into a composite stereo image based on the composite points, the composite stereo image comprising a composite first image and a composite second image;

displaying the composite first and second images;

receiving a third user input designating a first measurement point in the composite first image;

receiving a fourth user input designating a second measurement point in the composite first image;

identifying a range of points in the composite second image based on the first measurement point and identifying another range of points in the composite second image based on the second measurement point;

generating a selection assist line in the composite second image based on the range of points and generating another selection assist line in the composite second image based on the other range of points;

determining first pixel values adjacent to the first measurement point designated in the composite first image and determining second pixel values adjacent to the second measurement point designated in the composite first image;

comparing the determined first pixel values with other pixel values along the selection assist line to dynamically identify a corresponding first measurement point in the composite second image with adjacent other pixel values that match the determined first pixel values and comparing the determined second pixel values with second other pixel values along the other selection assist line to dynamically identify a corresponding second measurement point in the second image with adjacent other pixel values that match the determined second pixel values;

defining a first stereo point that corresponds to the first measurement point designated in the composite first image and identified in the composite second image and defining a second stereo point that corresponds to the second measurement point designated in the composite first image and identified in the composite second image; and

calculating the distance between the first stereo point and the second stereo point.

23. The method of claim 22 further comprising generating a customized report comprising the calculated distance between the first stereo point and the second stereo point.

24. The method of claim 23 further comprising storing reference stereo point data corresponding to at least one reference stereo point on each of a plurality of objects in a measurement database, and wherein the customized report comprises calculated distances selected from a group consisting of a first distance between the first stereo and the second stereo point, a second distance between the first stereo point and the reference stereo point, and a third distance between the second stereo point and the reference stereo point.

25. The method of claim 22 wherein the composite points comprise at least three same reference points in each of the first and second images of the at least two stereo images, and wherein the method further comprises:

overlaying each of the first images included in the at least two stereo images such that the same three reference points match to create the composite first image; and

overlaying each of the second images included in the at least two stereo images such that the same three reference points match to create the composite second image.