Patent ID: 6856382

Claim:
A method for generating a range video sequence from a scannerless range imaging system of the type comprising an illuminator for illuminating a scene with modulated illumination; an image modulating component for receiving and modulating the modulated illumination reflected from the scene; an image capture element for capturing frames output by the image modulating component, said method comprising the steps of: defining a frame rate, wherein the frame rate is the number of frames of the range video sequence per unit of time; illuminating a scene with sinusoidally amplitude modulated illumination; receiving and sinusoidally amplitude modulating the sinusoidally amplitude modulated illumination reflected from the scene; acquiring, for each of the frames, three or more successive images of the scene to define an image bundle; during said acquiring, shifting the phase of said illuminating relative to said modulating, wherein, in each said image bundle, respective said images each have a different phase offset; and computing for each said image bundle a range image using the corresponding phase offset images, thereby forming a range video sequence at the defined frame rate.