Patent ID: 7545279

Claim:
A condition analysis apparatus comprising: a three-dimensional sensor for measuring, at a plurality of sampling points, sampling-point-moves in a height direction of an object existing in a target area; and area definition means for defining an area where a plurality of the sampling-point-moves are in generally a same phase, wherein the area definition means searches a specific area for sampling points representing the sampling-point-moves in the same specific type of phase, forms a group of the sampling points representing the sampling-point-moves in generally the same phase based on search results of the searching, and defines the formed group of sampling points as an area where the sampling-point-moves in generally the same phase are occurring; said three-dimensional sensor comprising: a projection device for projecting a light pattern on the target area; an image capturing apparatus for capturing an image of the target area while the light pattern is projected thereon, said image capturing apparatus being installed distanced from said projection device; and measurement means for measuring shifts of the pattern on the captured images, wherein sampling-point-moves in the height direction of the object are measured at the plurality of points based on the shifts of the pattern measured.