Dual-projector three-dimensional scanner

• US 9,857,167 B2
• Filed: 06/23/2015
• Issued: 01/02/2018
• Est. Priority Date: 06/23/2015
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Hand Held Products Incorporated (Honeywell International Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Hand Held Products Incorporated (Honeywell International Inc.)
• Inventors: Jovanovski, Brian L., Li, Jingquan
• Primary Examiner(s): Safaipour, Houshang
• Application Number:
  US14/747,490
• Publication Number:
  US 20160377417A1
• Time in Patent Office: 924 Days
• Field of Search: 358 11, 358 115, 358 13, 358 19
• CPC Class Codes: G01B 11/2513 with several lines being projected in more than one direction, e.g. grids, patterns
• CPC Class Codes: G01B 11/2518 Projection by scanning of the object
• CPC Class Codes: G01B 11/2536 using several gratings with variable grating pitch, projected on the object with the same angle of incidence
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 26/10 Scanning systems
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 13/254 in combination with electromagnetic radiation sources for illuminating objects
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 23/00 Cameras or camera modules comprising electronic image sensors; Control thereof
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 23/56 provided with illuminating means

Abstract

A current problem with 3D scanners using structured light patterns is choosing a single light pattern to accommodate all possible object/range conditions. Objects far from the 3D scanner often require different patterns than objects that located close to the 3D scanner. In addition, large objects often require different patterns than small objects. To automatically sense and adapt to a wide variety of size/range conditions, the present invention embraces a 3D scanner for dimensioning that has two projectors for projecting two different light patterns. Based on the scanning requirements for a particular object, one of the two projected patterns may be used to obtain information regarding the shape of an object. In one possible embodiment, this shape information is used to obtain the object'"'"'s dimensions.

Claims

1. A dual-projector three-dimensional (3D) scanner, comprising:

a structured-light projection subsystem, comprising a first projector configured for projecting a first light pattern onto an object, and a second projector configured for projecting a second light pattern onto the object;

a camera for capturing pattern images of the first light pattern reflected from the object or the second light pattern reflected from the object; and

a computing-and-control subsystem communicatively coupled to the structured-light projection subsystem and the camera, the computing-and-control subsystem configured to;

(i) obtain the object'"'"'s scanning requirements,

(ii) activate, depending on the object'"'"'s scanning requirements, either the first projector or the second projector,

(iii) capture, using the camera, a pattern image, and

(iv) process the pattern image to produce a range image.

2. The dual-projector three-dimensional (3D) scanner according to claim 1, wherein the computing-and-control subsystem is further configured to analyze the range image to obtain the object'"'"'s dimensions.

3. The dual-projector three-dimensional (3D) scanner according to claim 1, wherein the first light pattern'"'"'s pattern-feature density is lower than the second light pattern'"'"'s pattern-feature density.

4. The dual-projector three-dimensional (3D) scanner according to claim 1, wherein the first light pattern'"'"'s optical intensity is lower than the second light pattern'"'"'s optical intensity.

5. The dual-projector three-dimensional (3D) scanner according to claim 1, wherein the first projector'"'"'s field of view is smaller than the second projector'"'"'s field of view.

6. The dual-projector three-dimensional (3D) scanner according to claim 1, wherein the object'"'"'s scanning requirements include the object'"'"'s size.

7. The dual-projector three-dimensional (3D) scanner according to claim 6, wherein the first projector is activated when the object'"'"'s size is less than about 1 cubic centimeter and the second projector is activated when the object'"'"'s size is greater than about 1 cubic meter.

8. The dual-projector three-dimensional (3D) scanner according to claim 1, wherein the object'"'"'s scanning requirements include the object'"'"'s range.

9. The dual-projector three-dimensional (3D) scanner according to claim 8, wherein the first projector is activated when the object is within a range of about 0.5 meter to about 2 meters and the second projector is activated when the object is within a range of about 2 meters to about 4 meters.

10. A method for dimensioning an object using a dual-projector three-dimensional (3D) scanner, the method comprising:

activating one of the 3D scanner'"'"'s two projectors to project a light pattern onto the object,

capturing, using the camera, a preliminary pattern image,

analyzing at least a portion of the preliminary pattern image,

based on the analysis, selecting one of the 3D scanner'"'"'s two projectors, and

dimensioning the object using the selected projector;

wherein the step of dimensioning comprises;

activating the selected projector;

capturing, using the camera, a pattern image;

generating, using the pattern image, a range image; and

deriving, using the range image, the object'"'"'s dimensions.

11. The method for dimensioning an object using a dual-projector three-dimensional (3D) scanner according to claim 10, wherein the step of analyzing comprises determining the object'"'"'s range.

12. The method for dimensioning an object using a dual-projector three-dimensional (3D) scanner according to claim 10, wherein the step of analyzing comprises determining the object'"'"'s size.

13. A method for dimensioning an object using a dual-projector three-dimensional (3D) scanner, the method comprising:

activating a first projector to project a first light pattern onto the object,

capturing, using a camera, a first pattern image of the first light pattern reflected from the object,

activating a second projector to project a second light pattern onto the object,

capturing, using a camera, a second pattern image of the second light pattern reflected from the object,

evaluating the first pattern image and the second pattern image,

selecting, based on the evaluation, either the first pattern image or the second pattern image, and

dimensioning the object using the selected pattern image;

wherein the step of dimensioning comprises;

generating, using the selected pattern image, a range image; and

deriving, using the range image, the object'"'"'s dimensions.

14. The method for dimensioning an object using a dual-projector three-dimensional (3D) scanner according to claim 13, wherein the step of evaluating comprises detecting that at least a portion of the first pattern image or the second pattern image is saturated.

15. The method for dimensioning an object using a dual-projector three-dimensional (3D) scanner according to claim 13, wherein the step of evaluating comprises detecting that the intensity of pattern features in either the first pattern image or the second pattern image is too low for dimensioning.

16. The method for dimensioning an object using a dual-projector three-dimensional (3D) scanner according to claim 13, wherein the step of evaluating comprises detecting that the density of pattern features in either the first pattern image or the second pattern image is either too high or too low for dimensioning at or above a particular accuracy.

17. The method for dimensioning an object using a dual-projector three-dimensional (3D) scanner according to claim 13, wherein the first light pattern'"'"'s pattern-feature density is lower than the second light pattern'"'"'s pattern-feature density.

18. The method for dimensioning an object using a dual-projector three-dimensional (3D) scanner according to claim 13, wherein the first light pattern'"'"'s optical intensity is lower than the second light pattern'"'"'s optical intensity.