Patent ID: 6823076
Filing Date: 2004-11-23
Classification: G06T

Abstract:
In a method for embedding data into the output of a scannerless range imaging system of the type that includes an illumination system for controllably illuminating a scene with modulated illumination and an image capture device positioned in an optical path of the reflected illumination from the scene for capturing (a) a plurality of phase images of the reflected modulated illumination, wherein each phase image incorporates a phase delay term corresponding to the distance of objects in the scene from the range imaging system, together with a phase offset term unique for each image, and (b) at least one intensity image of reflected unmodulated illumination, said system generating an image bundle of associated images including the phase images and the intensity image, the improvement wherein data is embedded into the image bundle in a manner that allows exact recovery of one or more of the associated images, said improvement comprising the steps of.a) forming a digital message from the data; b) converting the digital message to embedded data; and c) altering the phase images by adding the embedded data to each phase image in the image bundle, pixel by pixel, while leaving the phase term in each of the phase images unchanged, thereby allowing exact reconstruction of range information from the altered phase images without having to extract the embedded data.