Patent ID: 6147760
Filing Date: 2000-11-14
Classification: G01B,G01S,G06T

Abstract:
An apparatus for determining a distance to each point in a scene so as to generate a three-dimensional profile of said scene, the apparatus comprising:(a) a color camera for detecting and recording said scene, said camera discriminating a wavelength of light received from said scene for points of said scene;(b) a light projector for generating light to illuminate said scene for said camera, wherein a wavelength of said light from said light projector varies spatially across said scene such that only light of a particular wavelength is emitted by said light projector at a predetermined angle with respect to a line between said camera and said light projector;wherein said apparatus determines a distance to said points of said scene based on distance between said light projector and said camera, the wavelength of received light associated with that point by said camera and an angle corresponding to emission of that wavelength by said light projector.