Patent ID: 10132912

Abstract:
A method, apparatus and system for estimating reflectance parameters and a position of the light source(s) of specular reflections of a scene include RGB sequence analysis with measured geometry in order to estimate specular reflectance parameters of an observed 3D scene. Embodiments include pixel-based image registration from which profiles of 3D scene points image intensities over the sequence are estimated. A profile is attached to a 3D point and to the set of pixels that display its intensity in the registered sequence. Subsequently, distinction is made between variable profiles that reveal specular effects and constant profiles that show diffuse reflections only. Then, for each variable profile diffuse reflectance is estimated and subtracted from the intensity profile to deduce the specular profile and the specular parameters are estimated for each observed 3D point. Then, the location of at least one light source responsible for the specular effects is estimated. Optionally, the parameters can be iteratively refined to determine color information and specular reflectance parameters.