Stereoscopic measurement system and method

• US 8,326,022 B2
• Filed: 05/22/2008
• Issued: 12/04/2012
• 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:
  US12/125,801
• Publication Number:
  US 20090290787A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,657 Days
• Field of Search: 382/154
• US Class Current: 382/154
• CPC Class Codes: G06T 2200/24 involving graphical user interfaces [GUIs]
• 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

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 to store a plurality of stereo images each comprising first and second images of a particular object;

a user interface (UI) module to generate a list of the plurality of stereo images for display, to generate corresponding first and second images of a particular stereo image selected from the list for display, and to receive;

a first user input designating a first measurement point in the corresponding first image; and

a second user input designating a second measurement point in the corresponding first image;

a point selection module to;

identify a range of points in the corresponding second image based on the first measurement point designated in the corresponding first image, to generate a selection assist line in the corresponding second image based on the range of points, to identify another range of points in the corresponding second image based on the second measurement point designated in the corresponding first image, and to generate another selection assist line in the corresponding second image based on the other range of points; and

determine first pixel values adjacent to the first measurement point designated in the 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 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 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 corresponding first and second images and to define a second stereo point that corresponds to the second measurement point designated in the corresponding first and second images; and

a cross measure module to calculate a 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 is received from an image capture device comprising a first camera and a second camera, and wherein the memory is further configured to store download history data for each of the first and second images in the plurality of stereo 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 of each of the plurality of stereo images were received from the image capture device.

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

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

a stereo calibration module to determine stereo calibration data for the image capture device when the other particular stereo image comprises first and second images 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 the particular stereo image based on the download history data for the particular stereo image when the particular stereo image comprises first and second images that 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 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.

7. The system of claim 1 wherein the UI module receives a fifth user input designating a first set of points in a first stereo image pair and a sixth user input designating a second set of points in a second stereo image pair, wherein the first stereo image pair comprises the first and second images of a portion of the particular object, and wherein the second stereo image pair comprises other first and second images of an opposite portion of the particular object, the system further comprising a symmetry module configured to:

define a central reference plane between the first set of points in the first stereo image pair and the second set of points in the second stereo image; and

calculate symmetry deviations between the first set of points and the second set of points as a function of the defined central reference plane, and wherein the user interface component is configured to generate the symmetry deviations for display.

8. A system comprising modules executable with at least one processor for obtaining measurements from a stereo image of an object, the stereo image comprising first and second images of the object, the system comprising:

a user interface (UI) module to generate the first image and the second image for display and to receive a first user input designating a first measurement point in the first image and a second user input designating a second measurement point in the first image;

a point selection module to define a projection vector in the second image based on the first measurement point, to generate a selection assist line in the second image based on the projection vector, to identify another projection vector in the second image based on the second measurement point, to generate another selection assist line in the second image based on the other projection vector, to determine first pixel values adjacent to the first measurement point, 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 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 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 first image and identified in the second image and to define a second stereo point that corresponds to the second measurement point designated in the first and identified in the second image; and

a cross measure module to calculate a distance between the first stereo point and the second stereo point, wherein the user interface is further configured to display the distance between the first stereo point and the second stereo point.

9. The system of claim 8 wherein the first and second images are received from an image capture device comprising a first camera and a second camera, and wherein the system further comprises a memory to store download history data for 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 the stereo image were received from the image capture device.

10. The system of claim 9 wherein the projection vector is defined as a function of the first measurement point designated in the first image and the intrinsic calibration data, and wherein the other projection vector is defined as a function of the second measurement point designated in the first image and the intrinsic calibration data.

11. The system of claim 8 wherein the user interface module is further configured to generate the distance between the first stereo point and the second stereo point for display.

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 a measurement database to store reference stereo point data corresponding to at least one reference stereo point on each of a 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 UI module receives another user input designating a first set of points in a first stereo image and a second another user input designating a second set of points in a second stereo image, wherein the first stereo image comprises the first image and the second image of a portion of the object, and wherein the second stereo image comprises another first image and another second image of an opposite portion of the object, the system further comprising a symmetry module configured to:

define a central reference plane between the first set of points and the second set of points; and

calculate symmetry deviations between each of the first set of points and each of the second set of points as a function of the defined central reference plane.

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:

displaying the first image and the second image;

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

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

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

determining first pixel values adjacent to the first measurement point designated in the first image and 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 second image with adjacent other pixel values that matches the determined first pixel values;

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

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

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

16. The method of claim 15 further comprising:

receiving the stereo image from an image capture device comprising a first camera and second camera, and

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

17. The method of claim 16 wherein the wherein the range of points are defined as a function of the first measurement point designated in the first image and the intrinsic calibration data, and wherein the other range of points are defined as a function of the second measurement point designated in the first image and the intrinsic calibration data.

18. The method of claim 15 wherein further comprising displaying the distance between the first stereo point and the second stereo point.

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 further comprising:

receiving another user input designating a first set of points in a first stereo image pair and a receiving a second another user input designating a second set of points in a second stereo image pair, wherein the first stereo image pair comprises the first image and the second image of a portion of the object, and wherein the second stereo image pair comprises another first image and another second image of an opposite portion of the object;

defining a central reference plane between a first set of points in the first stereo image pair and the second set of points in the second stereo image pair; and

calculating symmetry deviations between each of the first set of points and each of the second set of points as a function of the defined central reference plane.

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:

displaying the first image and the second image;

receiving a user input designating a first measurement point and another user input designating a second measurement point in the first image;

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

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

determining first pixel values adjacent to the first measurement point designated in the first image and determining second pixel values adjacent to the second measurement point designated in the 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 second image with adjacent other pixel values that match the determined first pixel values;

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

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

a memory to store a stereo image of an object, the stereo image comprising first and second images of the object;

a user interface (UI) module to generate the first and second images of the object for display and to receive;

a first user input designating a first set of points in a first stereo image pair and a second user input designating a second set of points in a second stereo image pair, wherein the first stereo image pair comprises the first and second images of a portion of the object, and wherein the second stereo image pair comprises other first and second images of an opposite portion of the object; and

a symmetry module configured to define a central reference plane between the first set of points in the first stereo image pair and the second set of points in the second stereo image pair and to calculate symmetry deviations between the first set of points and the second set of points as a function of the defined central reference plane, and wherein the user interface component is configured to generate the symmetry deviations for display.

26. A method for obtaining measurements of an object using at least one processor, the method comprising:

storing a stereo image in a memory, the stereo image comprising first and second images of the object;

displaying first and second images of the object;

receiving a first user input designating a first set of points in a first stereo image pair and receiving a second user input designating a second set of points in a second stereo image pair, wherein the first stereo image pair comprises the first and second images of a portion of the object, and wherein the second stereo image pair comprises other first and second images of an opposite portion of the object;

defining a central reference plane between the first set of points in the first stereo image pair and the second set of points in the second stereo image pair;

calculating symmetry deviations between the first set of points and the second set of points as a function of the defined central reference plane; and

displaying the symmetry deviations.