3-D or stereo imaging analysis

Three-dimensional (3-D) topographic data defining a remote surface in terms of the 3-D positions of M.times.N sample points on that surface may be obtained by (1) illuminating the scene with an array of M.times.N (simultaneous) laser beams, (2) sequencing the array of laser beams through a series of...     

A computer-controlled reproduction device is described for recreating a 3-dimensional image representative of a subject image in a permanent medium such as a sheet of transparent plastic. Digital signals representative of the subject image are stored in the memory of the computer and used by the computer...     

A photogrammetric stereoplotter using a stereoscopic binocular unit (1) to provide an image of spatially separated masters (4,5) and including a cursor (6) providing X Y coordinates and measuring marks providing Z coordinates in which the X Y Z coordinates are fed through a stereogrammetric unit (7)...     

Two-dimensional images of a three-dimensional body photographed by two video cameras are parallactically compensated prior performing the detection of the corresponding point necessary to recognize the body. Namely, the parallax between both cameras for the object distance measured by a range finder...     

A spatial imaging system includes a variable focus lens for scanning a visual field. The depth of field of the lens system is narrow relative to the range of the field to be scanned so that visual in-focus image planes of the entire field can be obtained as the focal plane is scanned in range. Detection...     

A range-finding system comprising the hardwired video processing of two side-by-side TV stereo images of a scene to provide automatic, rapid, quantitative ranging to noncooperative objects. A single TV camera with appropriate optics to provide stereo inputs or, in a preferred embodiment, two TV cameras,...     

A voxel of a scene is central to a neighborhood of twelve voxels disposed at corners of a tetradecahedron. A signal representation of a processed image of the central voxel is provided in response to a comparison of a signal representation of the central voxel and the neighborhood to a signal representation...     

A system for recognizing a three-dimensional object includes a plurality of image pickup apparatus, e.g. TV cameras, by which images of the object are picked up from at least three directions. Feature points are extracted from each of at least three images obtained. Two sets of feature points on epipolarly...     

An improved-focus 2-D image is derived from an assemblage of M separately focused 2-D images of the same 3-D scene by (1) employing the Burt Pyramid image analyzing technique to separately analyze each of the M separately focused images into N similar sets of pixel samples, (2) selecting, on a pixel-by-pixel...     

The present invention consists in a three-dimensional vision system comprising a three-dimensional vision sensor which projects slit-like light on an object to-be-handled and which reads out a resulting slit image, an image input portion which controls the slit-like light to be lit up and put out and...     

An information extraction device including a coordinate transformation unit for transforming the coordinate values of points on a plane in question to the coordinate values of the points on a spherical surface corresponding to the points on the plane, and a mapping unit for mapping the points on the...     

Points on a pair of images obtained by imaging an object are finely corresponded in order to precisely measure the three-dimensional position of the object. For this purpose, attractive forces corresponding to features of the images are calculated, and the degree of correspondence between the points...     

Disclosed is a teaching apparatus for a robot comprising a graphic display capable of displaying characters, symbols, and figures, a pointing device capable of indicating any point on the display screen, a storage for storing character, symbol, and graphic information, and an arithmetic and logic unit...     

A method of processing images taken by an endoscope having insertion section, bending section and operation section including a step of entering a first image of an object taken by the endoscope having the bending section situated in a first position, a step of entering a second image taken by the endoscope...     

A three dimensional binocular correlator is disclosed in which additive/differential discrimination can be provided by combining and comparing two optical inputs of different aspect angular views of a target of interest onto one matched filter. This technical approach records more information on a dual...     

A three-dimensional image of the surface (12) on an object (14) is obtained in real time by a system (10) which includes first and second reflective surfaces (32,38). The first reflective surface successively reflects a separate one of the first and second lines of light (26,28) onto the surface of the...     

XYZ coordinates of an object are measured by projecting pulse slit light onto the object, imaging the slit line formed on the surface of the object by a TV camera, and processing the video signal from the camera according to the scanning signals from the camera. The position of the slit line on the camera...     

An image transforming apparatus for transforming an input video signal representing a two dimensional image into a transformed video signal representing a three-dimensional surface and for depicting illumination of the image is provided. The image transforming apparatus includes a device for defining...     

Digitized stereo image pairs are analyzed by first aggregating the images to produce several levels of lower resolution images, bandpass filtering each of the images by applying a Laplacian filter to edge enhance the features, matching the features of low resolution images while generating a disparity...     

A frame image signal which is output cyclically is converted to a digital signal and input to a first multiplier in a digital filter. The first multiplier multiplies a digital image signal Y.sub.i of each frame by (1-a), and supplies the product (1-a).multidot.Y.sub.i to a first input terminal of an...     

An apparatus for recognizing contours of a preceding vehicle from road images input by the use of vehicle-mounted cameras is described. The cameras view an object in front of the vehicle having the apparatus thereon and measure a distance to the recognized preceding vehicle. The apparatus includes image...     

A method for producing and anaglyph includes the steps of: producing a first image color record having at least two color numbers per pixel and representing the distribution of at least first and second image colors in one of the images of a stereo pair of images; producing a second image color record...     

A measurement device or system (11) for determining features of a three-dimensional object (20) from two-dimensional images includes a projector (27) for projecting a pattern (73) upon the object (20), at least one imager (17, 19) for obtaining multiple sets of image data of the illuminated object (20)...     

A handwriting input method and apparatus is disclosed which generates a single line segment from a group of input line segments which are input by a user. The input line segments may be overlapping or disconnected short line segments, thereby allowing the user to enter lines in a free stroke format,...     

There is provided a device and a method for the formation of a high-resolution image of a 3-dimensional object. The surface of the object is scanned stepwise by a linear detector matrix, so that the entire height of the object is covered. The arrangement is such that each horizontal "slice" is in focus,...     

A method for the optical three dimensional measurement of a tooth without calibration bodies. An optical projection system projects a pattern onto a tooth, and an optical imaging system images the pattern projected thereon, from a first position in space and subsequently from a second position in space,...     

A method and an apparatus are disclosed that extract digital elevation data from a pair of stereo images with two corresponding sets of airborne control data associated with each image of the stereo image pair. Point and edge features are identified from the stereo image pair, projected from respective...     

A system for assessing damage to a simulated human skin includes a mask formed of an opaque material simulating human skin and having an outer surface in a shape simulating a human body part, such as a face, and a form formed of a rigid transparent material and having an outer surface in a shape of the...     

A system for generating images of a scene as the scene would be observed from an arbitrary location. A plurality of discrete images, typically video images, taken at different viewpoints, as, for example, by a plurality of cameras pointing outwardly on a curving locus are converted to an offset epipolar...     

The object shape expression apparatus includes a surface data producing unit which produces three dimensional coordinate data of the object surface by impinging a slit light on the object. A surface orientation calculation means calculates tilted angle of normal lines extended from said object surface...     

A warning system estimates the possibility of the off-course travel of a vehicle while traveling through a curve before the vehicle enters the curve and gives the driver a warning properly. The warning system comprises an image recognizing means for obtaining three-dimensional image data on the road...     

An interactive scanning device or system having one or more single or multi-dimensional scanners, an input device, an image processor, and a communication interface, for scanning an object or surface and interactively displaying and manipulating a threedimensional image of the object or surface from...     

A high speed method and apparatus for accepting and rejecting an object by identifying specific surface features of interest of an object includes providing at least one non-contact sensor capable of measuring a characteristic of a surface and a transporter system for creating relative motion between...     

A method of processing image information is disclosed, for detecting the movement of an object with a simplifed system structure, and high speed treatment. The method is comprised of the steps of entry of a stereoscopic image of an object, extraction of edges of the object, and dividing it into segments...     

An image processing method and apparatus using the method, allows a target object to be displayed in a 3-D manner. A number of types of shape data with different resolutions for displaying the object are provided and the resolution of shape data used the 3-D image display is decided in accordance with...     

An apparatus for, and method of, improving the resolution of a conventional imaging system by effectively increasing the bandwidth of an imaging system's transfer function. An object is first illuminated with periodic illumination. The phase of the periodic illumination is varied while the periodic illumination...     

An apparatus is presented for extracting configurational features of an object formed by a number of surfaces with a two-dimensional laser pattern. Changes in the shape can be tracked, and speedy three-dimensional measurements are made possible in a small memory area without requiring parameter adjustment....     

An object recognizer includes a computer system, a spatial division sensing device including a first sensor, a second sensor, and a first polarizer. An object feature generator is attached to an object and includes a plurality of object feature correspondents, and a plurality of second polarizers. By...     

An apparatus and process for automatic error recognition for testing for tears in a magnetic-powder process during in-process control of image processing, whereby image recording units together with a downstream image processing unit evaluate areas with different optical characteristics from selected...     

A cardiac segmentation system acquires a series of images acquires as slices through a volume, and as images at different time periods throughout a cardiac cycle. It displays an image to an operator which interactively selects a region of interest (ROI) of the image to be segmented, such as the left...     

In an image special effect apparatus for forming a special effect image in which a plurality of images mutually intersect each other, the aforementioned plurality of intersecting images are allowed to be synthesized by incorporating depth information including images having residual images so that a...     

The invention relates to a picture synthesizing apparatus for cutting out the background from a picture depending on the move of the viewing point, and presents a picture synthesizing apparatus capable of synthesizing a picture by hidden surface processing, processing of reflection motion by contact,...     

In forming a panoramic picture image by compositing picture images dividedly imaged, the invention corrects deviations of images of an object at overlap regions caused by a difference in fields of view of imaging means or movement of an object to be imaged in which a picture image forming apparatus includes...     

In a three-dimensional shape extraction apparatus, a distance distribution extraction unit (54) obtains the distance distribution of an object on the basis of a plurality of images which are sensed by a camera at different image sensing positions, so that the images of the object partially overlap each...     

An automatic inspection method and apparatus using structured light and machine vision cameras to inspect an object in conjunction with the geometric model of the object is disclosed. Camera images of the object are analyzed by computer to produce the location of points on the object's surfaces in three...     

A method of virtualizing reality, i.e., a method of creating virtual reality from images of a real event, is comprised of the steps of capturing a plurality of images of each time instant of a real event using a plurality of cameras positioned at a plurality of angles. Each image is stored as intensity...     

An ultrasound image processing system, having an ultrasound image capture device such as a B-mode ultrasound probe capable of making 2D scans over a predetermined range, and a drive for moving an ultrasound transducer in a direction different from the direction of 2D scans by the transducer to capture...     

An image data generating method for generating image data corresponding to a planar holographic stereogram is provided. First, an object or imaging device is rotated, while the distance between the object and the imaging device is kept substantially constant, for shooting plural images of different viewing...     

An apparatus for image measurement comprises a data setting portion for taking up one of a pair of stereoscopic images as a reference image and the other as a searched image and establishing a reference data block in the reference image and a searched data block in the searched image, a correspondence...     

In a photogrammetric analytical measurement system, a survey map is produced on the basis of two respective photographed pictures obtained at two different photographing positions. Each of the pictures includes an object image to be recorded on the survey map, and a standard measurement scale image for...     

A three-dimensional video signal is generated by an objective lens, a stereo lens optical system, such as a stereo doublet lens for example, one or more image-to-signal converters, and a multiplexer. A three-dimensional monitor or two head mounted monitors may be used to render (e.g., display) the three...     

An anatomical visualization system is provided which includes a first database comprising a plurality of 2-D slice images generated by scanning a structure. The 2D slice images are stored in a first data format. A second database comprising a 3-D computer model of the scanned structure is also provided....     

An intention identification method, i.e., a method of tracking movement of an object for the purpose of determining intention in order to operate a computer, includes the steps of processing a pattern of an object captured by a video camera and converting the pattern into a plurality of pixels, analyzing...     

The apparent depth (416) of an apparent point (404) in a set of stereoscopic images (300) is altered by moving a region (502) in at least one image (300) which corresponds to the apparent point (404). The location of the regions (502) within each image (300) representing the apparent point (404), together...     

A high performance method for the compression of floating point format surface normals and the inverse method for the decompression of those compressed surface normals. Each of the three vector components of the surface normal is compressed by subtracting a constant from the floating point format value,...     

A main image pickup section for picking up a main image and two or more subsidiary image pickup sections for picking up subsidiary images are used to shoot a subject. A 3-D object on which a predetermined pattern is drawn is also shot by the same image pickup sections, and parameters representing relative...     

A set of stereoscopic images (300) is compressed. For apparent points (404) in the set of stereoscopic images (300), a region (502) is identified in each image (300) which represents at least the apparent point (404). The locations of these regions (502) within the images (300), together with the geometry...     

A powerful, scaleable, and reconfigurable image processing system and method of processing data therein is described. This general purpose, reconfigurable engine with toroidal topology, distributed memory, and wide bandwidth I/O are capable of solving real applications at real-time speeds. The reconfigurable...     

A technique for capturing the surface of three-dimensional ("3D") objects using structured lighting. The movement of shadow across the 3D objects is optically recorded. Variation in brightness on the surface provides a cue for triangulation. By analyzing the variation in brightness of a particular point...     

According to one aspect of the invention there is provided a panoramic imaging arrangement comprising a transparent component and a reflective material. The transparent component has a first surface about a vertical axis of revolution, a second surface about the axis of revolution, and an opening formed...     

In an image processing system having a primary image pickup device and a plurality of reference image pickup devices, a feature region consisting of a plurality of feature segments each defined by a pair of feature points is extracted from a primary image. Subsequently, a correspondence point candidate...     

A three-dimensional measurement device employs a slit ray projection technique to optically determine a three-dimensional image. The device offers a choice in operating modes between high-speed measurement, high-resolution measurement and large dynamic range in the depth direction, to accommodate various...     

A three-dimensional digitizing system and method preferably to be useable for the manufacture of a precisely configured clinical support device such as an orthotic brace and/or a prosthetic limb. The digitizing system includes at least one probe which is to be passed over a portion of a three-dimensional...     

The method provides object recognition procedure and a neural network by using the discrete-cosine transform (DCT) (4) and histogram adaptive quantization (5). The method employs the DCT transform with the added advantage of having a computationally-efficient and data-independent matrix as an alternative...     

When the user inputs at least four points that designates the path on the surface of a three-dimensional shape represented by three-dimensional shape data, groups of three points in which two points are commonly included in two groups are formed from the input points. Each group of three points defines...     

An image processing apparatus for extracting a floor region and an obstacle region from an image formed by pixels taken by a camera, includes an image dividing unit to divide the image into a plurality of regions; an arithmetic unit to calculate the absolute value of the difference between the density...     

An apparatus for merging real and virtual images in which points in three dimensions of an actual scene are obtained and selected in a random fashion and in a number sufficient to track the movement of the three dimensional scene relative to an observer wearing the apparatus. Updating of selected points...     

A photogrammetric measurement system produces a survey map based on a set of photographed pictures obtained at two different photographing positions. Each of the pictures includes at least one continuous line and at least three conspicuous points away from the continuous line, with at least one of the...     

A lens system (100) and image plane (104) are used to capture a number of sample images (400) of a three dimensional scene, each sample image (400) corresponding to a different object distance (106). The in-focus portions of each of the sample images (400) are then merged into a composite image (620)...     

In a telepresence system, a scene is captured by recording pixel data elements, each associated with a pixel ray vector having a direction and an intercept on an known locus in the frame of reference of the scene. Each pixel data element includes data representing the illumination along the pixel ray...     

An image data generating method for generating image data corresponding to a planar holographic stereogram is provided. First, an object of imaging device is rotated, while the distance between the object and the imaging device is kept substantially constant, for shooting plural images of different viewing...     

A three-dimensional shape measuring apparatus which has an improved arrayed confocal imaging system. A three-dimensional shape measuring apparatus using a confocal imaging system which has a new means for changing the distance in the Z direction between the object and the object-position-in-focus, instead...     

A three-dimensional (3-D) facial imaging system is disclosed for generating facial images, indexing those images by composite codes and for searching for similar two-dimensional (2-D) facial images. The 3-D images of human faces are generated from a data repository of 3-D facial feature surface shapes....     

In a telepresence system, a scene is captured by recording pixel data elements, each associated with a pixel ray vector having a direction and an intercept on an known locus in the frame of reference of the scene. Each pixel data element includes data representing the illumination along the pixel ray...     

A stereoscopic image detecting unit has a first non-volatile memory for storing inherent camera characteristic data therein and an image processing unit has a second non-volatile memory for storing inherent circuit characteristic data therein. When the stereoscopic image detecting unit is connected with...     

In an information extraction apparatus of the present invention, a distance image input section inputs a distance image including a plurality of objects to be respectively recognized. An area division section divides the distance image into a plurality of areas according to position information of a...     

In an image processing system, a three-dimensional computer model is created of a real-world static background scene. Video images of objects moving on the background are recorded and processed to identify the portions of the image corresponding to the moving objects and to calculate the corresponding...     

In order to produce a reproduction of an object such as a human face, a three-dimensional form of the object is measured with a three-dimensional measuring device, and the measured form is displayed. After a user approves the displayed form, a material is worked according to the measured form to work...     

A preferred shape measuring apparatus comprises a characteristic pattern extracting portion, in accordance with a pair of first images of a subject for measurement having characteristic patterns serving as references provided thereon in different angles and a pair of second images of the subject for...     

The images of an object taken at a plurality of viewpoint positions are input together with information indicating the plurality of viewpoint positions, and the viewpoint position of an observer is detected. One of the input images is selected on the basis of the detected viewpoint position of the observer,...     

The invention provides an apparatus for extracting a common structure from two three-dimensional structures each formed from a set of sequenced points. The apparatus is constructed so as to extract one of common portions with which the common portion length of the two point sets superposed with each...     

A method for evaluating the depth of a pixel in a scene, the scene enclosed in a view volume, the scene to be rendered from a camera position, the view volume having a near and a far plane, includes calculating a depth value for a pixel in the scene, the depth value being generated by a depth function...     

A method and system for estimating the roughness and the contamination of a surface. A preferred embodiment of the present invention makes use of a mathematical model which gives indications of the metal roughness, expressed as the ratio of metal volume to air volume, and the contamination thickness...     

A powerful, scaleable, and reconfigurable image processing system and method of processing data therein is described. This general purpose, reconfigurable engine with toroidal topology, distributed memory, and wide bandwidth I/O are capable of solving real applications at real-time speeds. The reconfigurable...     

A method of producing left and right eye images for a stereoscopic display from an original 2D image including the steps of: a) identifying at least one object within said original image, b) outlining said or each object, c) defining a depth characteristic for said or each object, d) respectively displacing...     

A method is described for producing smooth transitions between a source vista and a destination vista with unknown camera axes in panoramic image based virtual environments. The epipoles on the source vista and the destination vista are determined to align the vistas. Corresponding control lines are...     

A picture processing apparatus having a shape memory with shape data of an object previously stored therein, a processor to set a coordinate value of an object in a three-dimensional virtual space of the basis of the shape date stored in the shape memory, a transformation device to receive the coordinate...     

Image data is generated by a process of radiosity, wherein a plurality of elements are defined in three dimensional space. Selected elements are set as being non-occluding and light emission values for said elements are determined by calculating the effect of light reflections between the elements. An...     

An image conversion system for converting monoscopic images for viewing in three dimensions including: an input means adapted to receive the monoscopic images; a preliminary analysis means to determine if there is any continuity between a first image and a second image of the monoscopic image sequence;...     

A technique for capturing the surface of three-dimensional ("3D") objects using structured lighting. The movement of shadow across the 3D objects is optically recorded. Variation in brightness on the surface provides a cue for triangulation. By analyzing the variation in brightness of a particular point...     

In an apparatus and method for creating a three-dimensional model of an object, images of the object taken from different, unknown positions are processed to identify the points in the images which correspond to the same point on the actual object (that is "matching" points), the matching points are...     

There is disclosed a method for storing and/or transmitting 3D image information comprising the steps of: producing an image to be stored and/or transmitted comprising an array of strongly correlated neighbouring sub-images; casting the sub-images on to a pixel screen capturing the sub-images as electronic...     

The present invention provides a system for illuminating an object with a special kind of structured light pattern, recording the shape of the reflected points of light by means of a camera, and, by a triangulation technique that does not depend on the fixed direction of the light source relative to...     

A 2D/3D image conversion system includes target phase value calculating means for calculating a target phase value per parallax calculation region based on a dynamic range of a preset target phase value and depth information per given unit area generated by depth information generating means; real phase...     

A method for spatializing text content for enhanced visual browsing and analysis. The invention is applied to large text document corpora such as digital libraries, regulations and procedures, archived reports, and the like. The text content from these sources may be transformed to a spatial representation...     

The three-dimensional orientation of a given object is determined. The given object may comprise an object having surface characteristics which provide poor contrast in representative images of the given object. In a specific embodiment, the object may comprise a golf ball. A model representation is...     

A three-dimensional density distribution of a log is reduced to a two-dimensional structure that provides a convenient image or visualization of defects like knots or voids in a log, to facilitate grading and/or optimization of a sawing strategy for the log. The two-dimensional data structure is based...     

A detection system (10) utilising projected light (18, 20) viewed through an appropriately placed camera (22) detects variations in surface height (26). The system (10) is arranged to project light onto the surface (16) of interest. A camera with optical axis (24) oriented parallel to and offset from...     

A three-dimensional object identifying system is disclosed which identifies a three-dimensional shape object optically such as a part of a human body for preventing an information apparatus such as a personal computer from being used by any other illegitimate user than a legitimate user. The three-dimensional...     

Two pictures of a subject obtained by objective lenses and from different locations of viewpoint are respectively rotated by dove prisms, 90 degrees clockwise, and then merged into a single picture by total reflection mirrors. The picture after synthesis is reduced at a predetermined ratio by a condenser...