Patent ID: 11863882
Assignee: ALCON INC.
Field: Audio-visual technology (Electrical engineering)
Classification: CPC A  H | IPC A  H

Claim 0:
1. A stereoscopic imaging platform for imaging a target site, the stereoscopic imaging platform comprising:
a stereoscopic camera configured to record left and right images of the target site for producing at least one stereoscopic image of the target site;
a robotic arm operatively connected to the stereoscopic camera, the robotic arm being adapted to selectively move the stereoscopic camera relative to the target site;
wherein the stereoscopic camera includes a lens assembly having at least one lens and defining a working distance, the lens assembly having at least one focus motor adapted to move the at least one lens to selectively vary the working distance;
a controller in communication with the stereoscopic camera and having a processor and tangible, non-transitory memory on which instructions are recorded;
wherein the controller is adapted to selectively execute one or more automatic focusing modes for the stereoscopic camera, the one or more automatic focusing modes including a target locking mode, the target locking mode being adapted to maintain a focus of the at least one stereoscopic image while the robotic arm is moving the stereoscopic camera;
wherein the controller is configured to determine if the robotic arm is moving;
if the robotic arm is moving, the controller is configured to restrict motion of the stereoscopic camera to a surface of a virtual sphere based on a current position of the at least one focus motor;
if movement of the robotic arm is no longer detected, the controller is configured to track multiple sharpness parameters, including a sharpness signal, a maximum sharpness signal and a derivative of maximum sharpness, and transmit motor commands corresponding to a highest value of the maximum sharpness signal; and
wherein the sharpness signal is defined as a contrast between respective edges of an object in the at least one stereoscopic image, the maximum sharpness signal being defined as a largest sharpness value observed during a scan period.