Range finder device and camera

• US 6,704,099 B2
• Filed: 04/22/2003
• Issued: 03/09/2004
• Est. Priority Date: 05/25/1998
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Samsung Electronics Co. Ltd.
• Original Assignee: Matsushita Electric Industrial Company Limited (Panasonic Holdings Corporation)
• Inventors: Azuma, Takeo, Uomori, Kenya, Morimura, Atsushi
• Primary Examiner(s): ANDREA, BRIAN K
• Application Number:
  US10/420,256
• Publication Number:
  US 20030193657A1
• Time in Patent Office: 322 Days
• Field of Search: 356/4.01, 356/603, 356/604, 345/173, 702/150, 702/151, 702/152, 702/155, 702/156, 702/157, 702/158, 702/159, 382/106
• US Class Current: 356/4.01
• CPC Class Codes: G01B 11/25 by projecting a pattern, e.g. one or more lines, moiré fringes on the object G01B11/255 takes precedence ; image analysis for depth or shape recovery G06T7/50
• CPC Class Codes: G01C 3/08 Use of electric radiation detectors
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 17/46 Indirect determination of position data
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 17/48 Active triangulation systems, i.e. using the transmission and reflection of electromagnetic waves other than radio waves
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 7/32 using active means, e.g. light emitter including both an active and a passive focus detecting device G02B7/285; using ultrasound G02B7/40
• CPC Class Codes: G06T 7/521 from laser ranging, e.g. using interferometry; from the projection of structured light
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 5/272 Means for inserting a foreground image in a background image, i.e. inlay, outlay

Abstract

A range finder device, for measuring, when a plurality of projected lights having radiation patterns whose light intensity differs three-dimensional space-wise are irradiated onto an object from a light source on a time-sharing basis to image-pick up reflected light of the projected light from the object with a camera, a distance using the light intensity of an image picked up, characterized in that, with respect to each of a plurality of surfaces including the center of the light source and the center of a lens, there is obtained, in advance, relation between an angle of each projected light from the light source and light intensity ratio in each surface, characterized in that, at the time of actual distance measurement, light intensity of each pixel of the camera is measured, and on the basis of the light intensity thus measured, and relation between the angle and the light intensity ratio on a predetermined surface corresponding to a coordinate position of the pixel measured, there is obtained the angle corresponding to the light intensity of the predetermined pixel thus measured, and characterized in that, on the basis of these light intensity measured, the angles obtained and further two-dimensional coordinate position information on the predetermined pixel on the image, a distance to the object is calculated.

Claims

1. A camera for shape measuring or object extracting, having light-emitting means for irradiating an object with projected light having a specified radiation pattern, for image-picking up reflected light of said light-emitting means from said object to obtain a depth image using light intensity of the image picked up, characterized by comprising:

a plane display with a touch panel; and

when a plurality of points in an object are denoted by the user'"'"'s touch operation while said picked-up image is being displayed on the touch panel, a distance calculation part for calculating an actual length between these points thus denoted from said depth image data.

2. A camera according to claim 1, characterized in that said distance calculation part calculates, from length information on each portion of said object obtained from said plurality of points denoted by the user, an area or a volume of the object.

4. The camera according to any one of claims 1 to 3, characterized in that the user inputs a coordinate using a pen type pointing device instead of operating said plane display with a touch panel with the finger.

5. The camera according to any one of claims 1 to 3, characterized in that instead of operating said plane display with touch panel with the finger, a cursor for representing its position on an image is displayed on a normal plane display, and the user inputs a desired coordinate by operating a mouse or a push-button to thereby move the cursor position.

6. The camera according to any of claims 1 to 3, characterized in that a device for obtaining a depth image through the use of said image data picked up is capable of communicating with the main body including its image-pickup lens through communication means.

7. The camera according to any one of claims 1 to 3, characterized in that said light-emitting means can be separated from the main body including said image-pickup lens, and characterized in that said light-emitting means is removed for use during normal video taking while during depth image picking up, said light-emitting means is mounted for use.

8. The camera according to any one of claims 1 to 3, characterized in that said camera is capable of generating also a color image at the same time in addition to said depth image to output both said depth image and said color image.

3. A camera for shape measuring or object extracting, having light-emitting means for irradiating an object with projected light having a specified radiation pattern, for image-picking up reflected light of said light-emitting means from said object to obtain a depth image using light intensity of the image picked up, comprising:

a plane display with a touch panel; and

when a plurality of points in an object are denoted by the user'"'"'s touch operation on the touch panel while said picked up image is being displayed on the touch panel, a distance calculation part for calculating a diameter or a radius of a circle, or a length of a circular arc which passes said plurality of points denoted by the user from said depth image data.