3-dimensional hybrid camera and production system
First Claim
Patent Images
1. A hybrid three dimensional camera system comprising:
- a pulsed infrared laser transmitter providing an output laser pulse upon command from a system controller;
an optical sampler adapted to sample the output of the laser transmitter and provide the optical sample via optical transmission path to a laser power detector, said laser power detector having a laser power detector electrical signal indicating the time of transmission of the laser pulse;
a two dimensional visible light camera, having a field of view, the two dimensional visible light camera incorporating an array of visible light optical detectors positioned at the focal plane of a motorized zoom lens and a two dimensional image output, said zoom lens adapted to optimize overlap of the two dimensional visible light camera field of view and the output laser pulse;
a pixilated infrared optical receiver incorporating an array of infrared optical detectors positioned at the focal plane of a lens system and each optical detector of said array producing an electrical output pulse at a terminal of said optical detector in response to a reflected laser pulse, and each optical detector having said terminal electrically connected to an input of a unit cell electrical circuit of a readout integrated circuit;
said readout integrated circuit having an array of unit cell electrical circuits, and each unit cell electrical circuit having an input adapted to receive an electrical output pulse from an optical detector of said array of infrared optical detectors, and each unit cell electrical circuit having a timing circuit initiated by said laser power detector electrical signal, and said timing circuit terminating upon receipt of an electrical output pulse from an optical detector of said array of infrared optical detectors; and
said readout integrated circuit having an output providing range and intensity data for each optical detector of said array of infrared optical detectors receiving an incident reflected light portion of said output laser pulse;
an image processor which merges the output of said two dimensional visible light camera with the range and intensity data output of said infrared optical receiver to produce a three dimensional visible picture output;
a system controller which initiates the pulsing of said pulsed laser transmitter and which controls the operation of said two dimensional visible light camera zoom lens, as well as the timing of the output of said infrared optical receiver and the timing of said image processor three dimensional visible picture output.
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Abstract
A hybrid three dimensional imaging camera comprises a 2-D video camera utilizing a focal plane array visible light detector and a 3-D flash laser radar utilizing an infrared focal plane array detector. The device is capable of capturing a complete 3-D scene from a single point of view. A production system combining multiple hybrid 3-D cameras around a subject provides 3-D solid models of an object or scene in the common field of view.
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Citations
20 Claims
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1. A hybrid three dimensional camera system comprising:
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a pulsed infrared laser transmitter providing an output laser pulse upon command from a system controller; an optical sampler adapted to sample the output of the laser transmitter and provide the optical sample via optical transmission path to a laser power detector, said laser power detector having a laser power detector electrical signal indicating the time of transmission of the laser pulse; a two dimensional visible light camera, having a field of view, the two dimensional visible light camera incorporating an array of visible light optical detectors positioned at the focal plane of a motorized zoom lens and a two dimensional image output, said zoom lens adapted to optimize overlap of the two dimensional visible light camera field of view and the output laser pulse; a pixilated infrared optical receiver incorporating an array of infrared optical detectors positioned at the focal plane of a lens system and each optical detector of said array producing an electrical output pulse at a terminal of said optical detector in response to a reflected laser pulse, and each optical detector having said terminal electrically connected to an input of a unit cell electrical circuit of a readout integrated circuit; said readout integrated circuit having an array of unit cell electrical circuits, and each unit cell electrical circuit having an input adapted to receive an electrical output pulse from an optical detector of said array of infrared optical detectors, and each unit cell electrical circuit having a timing circuit initiated by said laser power detector electrical signal, and said timing circuit terminating upon receipt of an electrical output pulse from an optical detector of said array of infrared optical detectors; and said readout integrated circuit having an output providing range and intensity data for each optical detector of said array of infrared optical detectors receiving an incident reflected light portion of said output laser pulse; an image processor which merges the output of said two dimensional visible light camera with the range and intensity data output of said infrared optical receiver to produce a three dimensional visible picture output; a system controller which initiates the pulsing of said pulsed laser transmitter and which controls the operation of said two dimensional visible light camera zoom lens, as well as the timing of the output of said infrared optical receiver and the timing of said image processor three dimensional visible picture output. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16)
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17. A 3D imagery production system comprising:
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a plurality of hybrid 3D cameras, each hybrid 3D camera of said plurality of hybrid 3D cameras having a field of view, and adapted to develop a 3D visual image by combining the output of a 2D visible light focal plane array detector with a 3D camera; a zoom lens adapted to optimize overlap of the 2D visible light focal plan array detector and the field of view of a 3D camera; each 3D camera including a scene illuminating pulsed infrared laser transmitter; and each laser transmitter having an optical sampler adapted to sample the output of the laser transmitter and provide the optical sample via optical transmission path to a laser pulse detector; said laser pulse detector having a laser pulse detector output indicating the time of transmission of a laser pulse; and each 3D camera further including a plurality of optical detector electrical outputs from a pixellated infrared focal plane array detector, and each of said optical detector electrical outputs adapted to detect a reflected laser pulse; and each of said optical detector electrical outputs connected to an amplification and range determining circuit of a companion unit cell electrical circuit of a mating readout integrated circuit; wherein the range determining circuit within each unit cell electrical circuit comprises a timer which is initiated by said laser pulse detector output, and said timer terminated upon arrival of a reflected laser pulse, the range measuring circuit thus adapted to measure the range to a point in a scene of interest; wherein each hybrid 3D camera further includes a viewing axis directed towards a common object or scene of interest, each said viewing axis separated by a solid angle from the viewing axis of any other hybrid 3D camera of said 3D imagery production system; wherein each hybrid 3D camera further includes a communications link to a central processor, the central processor adapted to merge the outputs of said hybrid 3D cameras into a 3D solid model of an object within the common field of view of the hybrid 3D cameras.
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18. A hybrid three dimensional camera system comprising:
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a pulsed infrared laser transmitter providing an output laser pulse upon command from a system controller; an optical sampler adapted to sample the output of the laser transmitter and provide the optical sample via optical transmission path to a laser power detector; said laser power detector having a laser power detector electrical signal indicating the time of transmission of the laser pulse; a two dimensional visible light camera incorporating an array of visible light optical detectors positioned at the focal plane of a visible light transmissive lens and with a two dimensional image output; a pixilated infrared optical receiver incorporating an array of infrared optical detectors positioned at the focal plane of an infrared light transmissive lens, and each optical detector of said array producing an electrical output pulse at a terminal of said optical detector in response to a reflected laser pulse, and each optical detector having said terminal electrically connected to an input of a unit cell electrical circuit of a readout integrated circuit; said readout integrated circuit having an array of unit cell electrical circuits, and each unit cell electrical circuit having an input adapted to receive an electrical output pulse from an optical detector of said array of infrared optical detectors, and each unit cell electrical circuit having a timing circuit initiated by said laser power detector electrical signal, and said timing circuit terminated upon receipt of an electrical output pulse from an optical detector of said array of infrared optical detectors; and
said readout integrated circuit providing, through an output, range and intensity data for any pixel element of said array of infrared optical detectors receiving an incident reflected light portion of said output laser pulse;an image processor which merges the output of said two dimensional visible light camera with the range and intensity data output of said infrared optical receiver to produce a three dimensional visible picture electrical output; a system controller which initiates the pulsing of said pulsed laser transmitter and which controls the operation of said two dimensional visible light camera and the infrared optical receiver, and further controls the timing of the output of said infrared optical receiver and the timing of said image processor three dimensional visible picture electrical output. - View Dependent Claims (19, 20)
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Specification