Patent ID: 7747067
Filing Date: 2010-06-29
Classification: G01B,G01S,G06T

Abstract:
1. A method of creating a three-dimensional model of a scene using a video camera and a light projection apparatus, the method including the steps of: projecting a plurality of light beams onto a surface of a calibration target using the light projection apparatus to produce an arrangement of dots on the surface of the calibration target; capturing a plurality of calibration images using the video camera of the arrangement of dots on the surface of the calibration target; determining an epipolar segment for each dot of the arrangement of dots projected by the light projection apparatus; orienting the light projection apparatus relative to the video camera such that each of the epipolar segments is disjoint from the other epipolar segments; continuously projecting the plurality of light beams onto an indoor scene under ambient lighting conditions using the light projection apparatus to produce an arrangement of projected dots on the indoor scene, each of the projected dots of the arrangement of projected dots being projected onto its corresponding epipolar segment; scanning the indoor scene with the video camera and the light projection apparatus while the light projection apparatus is continuously projecting the plurality of light beams onto the indoor scene and producing the arrangement of projected dots on the indoor scene; maintaining the same position and orientation of the light projection apparatus relative to the video camera while scanning the indoor scene using a rigid attachment mechanism coupling the light projection apparatus and the video camera; capturing scene image information with the video camera during scanning of the indoor scene, the scene image information including a plurality of frames, each frame including scene color information and an arrangement of image dots corresponding to the arrangement of projected dots on the indoor scene; transferring the scene information from the video camera to a computer; sampling the depth of the indoor scene by finding selected image dots of the arrangement of image dots in the plurality of frames of the scene information, each of the selected image dots being found along its corresponding epipolar segment; and for each selected image dot: processing the scene information in the computer to create a three-dimensional model of the indoor scene; obtaining the scene color information at the location of the selected dot; registering overlapping frames of the scene information using the scene depth information and the scene color information; creating model depth images; and creating a model of the indoor scene by merging the model depth images.