Method and apparatus for a color scannerless range imaging system
First Claim
1. A color scannerless range imaging system for capturing both color and range information of a scene, said system comprising;
- an illumination system for controllably illuminating the scene with modulated illumination of a predetermined modulation frequency, whereby some of the modulated illumination is reflected from objects in the scene;
an image capture section positioned in an optical path of the reflected illumination from the scene for capturing a plurality of images thereof, including (a) at least one range image corresponding to the reflected modulated illumination, whereby the modulation of the reflected modulated illumination incorporates a phase delay corresponding to the distance of objects in the scene from the range imaging system, and (b) at least one other image of reflected unmodulated illumination corresponding to color in the scene, said image capture section comprising;
a color filter array positioned in the optical path of the reflected illumination and comprised of a predetermined filter pattern including a first color filter that preferentially transmits the reflected modulated illumination and one or more other color filters that preferentially transmit the reflected unmodulated illumination;
an image intensifier receiving the reflected illumination and including a modulating stage for modulating the reflected modulated illumination from the scene with the predetermined modulation frequency, thereby generating the range information, wherein the image intensifier has a channel structure that generally corresponds to the predetermined pattern of the color filter array such that the intensifier provides the range image from channels corresponding to said first color filter and the other image corresponding to color in the scene from channels corresponding to said one or more other color filters; and
an image responsive element for capturing an output of the image intensifier, including the range image corresponding to the reflected modulated image light and the other image of reflected unmodulated image light corresponding to color in the scene.
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Abstract
A color scannerless range imaging system includes an illumination system for illuminating the scene with modulated illumination of a predetermined modulation frequency and an image capture section positioned in an optical path of the reflected illumination from the scene for capturing a plurality of images including (a) at least one range image corresponding to the reflected modulated illumination and including a phase delay corresponding to the distance of objects in the scene from the range imaging system, and (b) at least one other image of reflected unmodulated illumination corresponding to color in the scene. The image capture section includes a color filter array arranged with a first type of color filter that preferentially transmits the reflected modulated illumination and one or more other color filters that preferentially transmit the reflected unmodulated illumination, an image intensifier receiving the reflected illumination and including a modulating stage for modulating the reflected modulated illumination from the scene, thereby generating the range information, and an image responsive element for capturing an output of the image intensifier, including the range image and the other image of reflected unmodulated image light corresponding to color in the scene. The image intensifier is structured with channels that generally correspond to the color filter array such that the intensifier provides the range image from channels corresponding to the first color filter and the other image corresponding to color in the scene from channels corresponding to the other color filters.
60 Citations
29 Claims
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1. A color scannerless range imaging system for capturing both color and range information of a scene, said system comprising;
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an illumination system for controllably illuminating the scene with modulated illumination of a predetermined modulation frequency, whereby some of the modulated illumination is reflected from objects in the scene;
an image capture section positioned in an optical path of the reflected illumination from the scene for capturing a plurality of images thereof, including (a) at least one range image corresponding to the reflected modulated illumination, whereby the modulation of the reflected modulated illumination incorporates a phase delay corresponding to the distance of objects in the scene from the range imaging system, and (b) at least one other image of reflected unmodulated illumination corresponding to color in the scene, said image capture section comprising;
a color filter array positioned in the optical path of the reflected illumination and comprised of a predetermined filter pattern including a first color filter that preferentially transmits the reflected modulated illumination and one or more other color filters that preferentially transmit the reflected unmodulated illumination;
an image intensifier receiving the reflected illumination and including a modulating stage for modulating the reflected modulated illumination from the scene with the predetermined modulation frequency, thereby generating the range information, wherein the image intensifier has a channel structure that generally corresponds to the predetermined pattern of the color filter array such that the intensifier provides the range image from channels corresponding to said first color filter and the other image corresponding to color in the scene from channels corresponding to said one or more other color filters; and
an image responsive element for capturing an output of the image intensifier, including the range image corresponding to the reflected modulated image light and the other image of reflected unmodulated image light corresponding to color in the scene. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14)
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15. A color scannerless range imaging system for capturing both color and range information of a scene, said system comprising;
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an illumination system for controllably illuminating the scene with modulated illumination of a predetermined modulation frequency, whereby some of the modulated illumination is reflected from objects in the scene;
an image capture section positioned in an optical path of the reflected illumination from the scene for capturing a plurality of images thereof, including (a) at least one range image corresponding to the reflected modulated illumination, whereby the modulation of the reflected modulated illumination incorporates a phase delay corresponding to the distance of objects in the scene from the range imaging system, and (b) at least one other image of reflected unmodulated illumination corresponding to color in the scene, said image capture section comprising;
a color filter array positioned in the optical path of the reflected illumination and comprised of a predetermined filter pattern including a first color filter that preferentially transmits the reflected modulated illumination and one or more other color filters that preferentially transmit the reflected unmodulated illumination;
an image intensifier receiving the reflected illumination and including a modulating stage for modulating the reflected modulated illumination from the scene with the predetermined modulation frequency, thereby generating the range information, wherein the image intensifier has a channel structure that generally corresponds to the predetermined pattern of the color filter array such that the intensifier provides the range image from channels corresponding to said first color filter and the other image corresponding to color in the scene from channels corresponding to said one or more other color filters;
an image responsive element for capturing an output representing the output image plane of the image intensifier, including the range image corresponding to the reflected modulated image light and the other image of reflected unmodulated image light corresponding to color in the scene; and
a range processor for processing the captured output image to infer color information from the spatial coordinates of the individual points on the output image plane. - View Dependent Claims (16, 17, 18, 19, 20, 21, 22, 23, 24, 25, 26, 27, 28, 29)
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Specification