Photogrammetric methods and devices related thereto

• US 9,460,517 B2
• Filed: 08/13/2015
• Issued: 10/04/2016
• Est. Priority Date: 10/22/2014
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Pointivo, Inc.
• Original Assignee: Pointivo, Inc.
• Inventors: Fathi, Habib, Ciprari, Daniel L.
• Primary Examiner(s): Koziol, Stephen R
• Assistant Examiner(s): Gilliard, Delomia L
• Application Number:
  US14/826,104
• Publication Number:
  US 20160253814A1
• Time in Patent Office: 418 Days
• Field of Search: None
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: G06T 2207/10012 Stereo images
• CPC Class Codes: G06T 7/571 from focus
• CPC Class Codes: G06T 7/579 from motion
• CPC Class Codes: G06T 7/60 Analysis of geometric attributes

Abstract

The inventions herein relate generally to improvements in photogrammetry and devices suitable for obtaining such improvements. Some embodiments use only a single passive image-capture device to obtain overlapping 2D images, where such images at least partially overlap with regard to at least one object of interest in a scene. Such images can be processed using methods incorporating structure from motion algorithms. Accurate 3D digital representations of the at least one object of interest can be obtained. Substantially accurate measurements and other useful information regarding the at least one object of interest are obtainable from the methodology herein.

Claims

1. A method for generating a 3D digital representation of an object of interest, the method comprising:

a) receiving, into a computer, a plurality of 2D digital images of a scene, wherein;

i) the scene includes at least one object of interest, wherein the at least one object of interest has a plurality of dimensions;

ii) at least a portion of the plurality of the 2D digital images of the scene are overlapping with regard to the at least one object of interest; and

iii) the plurality of 2D digital images are generated from a single passive image-capture device;

b) processing, by the computer, at least a portion of the plurality of overlapping 2D digital images that includes the at least one object of interest using a 3D reconstruction process that incorporates a structure from motion algorithm, thereby generating a 3D digital representation of the at least one object of interest;

c) obtaining, using the computer, measurements of at least one of the plurality of dimensions of the at least one object of interest from the 3D digital representation;

d) selecting at least one dimension of the plurality of dimensions of the at least one object of interest, wherein each of the selected at least one dimension, independently, comprises an actual measurement value;

e) extracting measurement data from the selected at least one dimension; and

f) processing the extracted measurement data to provide an extracted measurement value for each of the selected at least one dimension.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the single passive image-capture device is a video camera.

3. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

using the 3D digital representation for generating at least one of a 3D model, a 3D point cloud, a 3D line cloud, and a 3D edge cloud, wherein each, independently, comprises at least one of the plurality of dimensions of the at least one object of interest.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein the obtaining of the measurements is performed without a separate scaling operation.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein the selecting of the at least one dimension of the plurality of dimensions is performed automatically by a computer.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein the selecting of the at least one dimension of the plurality of dimensions includes eliciting and receiving into the computer, information that specifies the at least one dimension of the plurality of dimensions from a user.

7. The method of claim 1, wherein a pixel accuracy of each extracted measurement value, independently, is represented in pixel units according to formula:

((distance of object of interest from image-capture device)*(image capture device sensor size))/((image-capture device resolution*image-capture device focal length)).

8. The method of claim 7, wherein the pixel accuracy of each extracted measurement value is about one pixel.

9. The method of claim 1, wherein each value of the extracted measurement data of each selected dimension is, independently, within 5% of each corresponding actual measurement value.

10. The method of claim 1, further comprising generating boundary information for the at least one object of interest.

16. The method of claim 1, wherein the single passive image-capture device is not a stereo image-capture device.

11. A computerized method of obtaining at least one measurement of an object of interest comprising:

a) receiving a plurality of 2D images of a scene from a single passive image-capture device, wherein the plurality of 2D images includes image data of at least one object of interest present in the scene, and at least a portion of the plurality of 2D images of the scene are at least partially overlapping with regard to the at least one object of interest, thereby providing a plurality of overlapping 2D images that includes the at least one object of interest;

b) generating, by the computer, a 3D representation of the at least one object of interest, wherein the 3D digital representation is obtained from at least a portion of the 2D digital images incorporating the at least one object using a process incorporating a structure from motion algorithm;

c) selecting, by either or both the computer or the user, one or more dimensions of interest in the at least one object of interest, wherein each selected dimension, independently, comprises an actual measurement value;

d) extracting data, by the computer, from the 3D digital representation, wherein the extracted data comprises measurement data comprising information corresponding to each selected dimension; and

e) processing, by the computer, the extracted measurement data to provide an extracted measurement value for each selected dimension.

12. The method of claim 11, wherein an accuracy of each extracted measurement value, independently, is represented in pixels according to formula:

((distance of object of interest from image-capture device)*(image-capture device sensor size))/((image-capture device resolution*image-capture device focal length)).

13. The method of claim 12, wherein a pixel accuracy of each extracted measurement value is about one pixel.

14. The method of claim 11, wherein the plurality of 2D images are video images.

15. The method of claim 11, further comprising generating boundary information for the at least one object of interest.

17. The method of claim 11, wherein the single passive image-capture device is not a stereo image-capture device.