Time-of-flight depth imaging
First Claim
1. A method of determining depth, comprising:
- calculating a depth image based on a first light intensity image and a second light intensity image, the first and second light intensity images contain pixel values for the same scene;
smoothing the depth image;
modifying the first light intensity image based on the smoothed depth image and the second light intensity image;
calculating new values for the depth image based on the modified first light intensity image and the second light intensity image;
repeating the smoothing the depth image, the modifying the first light intensity image, and the calculating new values for the depth image until it is determined that processing the depth image is complete, wherein the calculating a depth image, the smoothing, the modifying, and the calculating new values are performed by a processor.
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Accused Products
Abstract
Techniques are provided for determining depth to objects. A depth image may be determined based on two light intensity images. This technique may compensate for differences in reflectivity of objects in the field of view. However, there may be some misalignment between pixels in the two light intensity images. An iterative process may be used to relax a requirement for an exact match between the light intensity images. The iterative process may involve modifying one of the light intensity images based on a smoothed version of a depth image that is generated from the two light intensity images. Then, new values may be determined for the depth image based on the modified image and the other light intensity image. Thus, pixel misalignment between the two light intensity images may be compensated.
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Citations
20 Claims
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1. A method of determining depth, comprising:
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calculating a depth image based on a first light intensity image and a second light intensity image, the first and second light intensity images contain pixel values for the same scene; smoothing the depth image; modifying the first light intensity image based on the smoothed depth image and the second light intensity image; calculating new values for the depth image based on the modified first light intensity image and the second light intensity image; repeating the smoothing the depth image, the modifying the first light intensity image, and the calculating new values for the depth image until it is determined that processing the depth image is complete, wherein the calculating a depth image, the smoothing, the modifying, and the calculating new values are performed by a processor. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9)
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10. An apparatus, comprising:
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a processor; and a computer readable storage medium coupled to the processor, the computer readable storage medium having instructions stored thereon which, when executed on the processor cause the processor to;
access a first light intensity image and a second light intensity image, the first and second light intensity images contain pixel values for the same scene;
determine boundary values for pixels in the first light intensity image based on one or more neighbor pixels in the first light intensity image;
calculate a depth image based on the first light intensity image and the second light intensity image;
smooth the depth image;
determine whether to modify the first light intensity image based on results of smoothing the depth image;
modify the first light intensity image based on the smoothed depth image and the second light intensity image if it is determined to modify the first light intensity image, the modifying includes keeping values for the pixels in the first light intensity image within the boundary values;
calculate new values for the depth image based on the modified first light intensity image and the second light intensity image if the first light intensity image was modified; and
continue to modify the first light intensity image and calculate new values for the depth image until it is determined not to modify the first light intensity image. - View Dependent Claims (11, 12, 13, 14, 15)
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16. A method of determining depth, comprising:
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accessing a first light intensity image and a second light intensity image, the first and second light intensity images contain pixel values of light intensity for the same field of view; determining boundary values for pixels in the first light intensity image based on a possible pixel misalignment between the first light intensity image and the second light intensity image; calculating a depth image based on the first light intensity image and the second light intensity image; smoothing the depth image; determining whether to modify the first light intensity image based on results of smoothing the depth image; modifying the first light intensity image based on the smoothed depth image and the second light intensity image, the modifying includes performing an inverse of the calculating the depth image, the modifying includes keeping pixel values in the first light intensity image within the boundary values; calculating new values for the depth image based on the modified first light intensity image and the second light intensity image; and repeating the smoothing, the modifying the first light intensity image, and the calculating new values for the depth image until it is determined not to modify the first light intensity image, wherein the determining boundary values, the calculating a depth image, the smoothing, the modifying, and the calculating new values are performed by a processor. - View Dependent Claims (17, 18, 19, 20)
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Specification