Patent ID: 7430312

Claim:
A computer-implemented method comprising: projecting an infra-red pattern onto a three-dimensional object; producing a first image of the three-dimensional object while the pattern is projected on the three-dimensional object, the first image (i) including the three-dimensional object and the pattern, (ii) being a two-dimensional digital image including pixels, and (iii) being produced by capturing at a first camera light filtered through an infra-red filter; producing a second image of the three-dimensional object while the pattern is projected on the three-dimensional object, the second image (i) including the three-dimensional object and the pattern, (ii) being a two-dimensional digital image including pixels, and (iii) being produced by capturing at a second camera light filtered through an infra-red filter, and the first and second cameras arranged as a first stereo pair having a known physical relationship; identifying, based on a deformation of the pattern, a depth discontinuity occurring at a junction of surfaces of the three-dimensional object having different depths; establishing a first-pair correspondence between a portion of the pixels of the first image and a portion of the pixels of the second image; controlling, based on the identified depth discontinuity, a disparity propagation of the portion of the pixels of the first image and the portion of the pixels of the second image established in the first-pair correspondence; producing a third image of the three-dimensional object while the pattern is projected on the three-dimensional object, the third image (i) including the three-dimensional object but not the pattern and (ii) being a two-dimensional digital image including pixels; and constructing, based on the disparity propagation of the portion of the pixels of the first image and the portion of the pixels of the second image established in the first-pair correspondence and the third image, a two-dimensional image that depicts a three-dimensional construction of the three-dimensional object.