Patent ID: 7263217

Claim:
A three-dimensional monitoring apparatus, comprising: an irradiating means for irradiating predetermined pattern light to a three-dimensional space to be monitored; an imaging means for imaging a projection pattern projected by irradiating the pattern light on a surface of an incoming object existing in the space to be monitored and on a surface of a predetermined body composing of a background of the space to be monitored to capture image data; a position measuring means for acquiring position information on the incoming object into the three-dimensional space to be monitored based on the comparison between the image data captured via the imaging means when there is the incoming object in the space to be monitored and reference image data corresponding to the image data captured via the imaging means when there is no incoming object in the space to be monitored; a decision-output means for outputting a device control signal based on the position information calculated by the position measuring means; and a self-diagnosis means for confirming appropriately whether the projection pattern based on the pattern light irradiated via the irradiating means is matched with a predictive projection pattern and for ensuring normal operations of each configuration means when the matching is confirmed, and when the matching is not confirmed, (1) providing “OK” as a diagnosis result if a difference between the projection pattern and the predictive projection pattern is within an allowable range, and (2) providing “NG” as a diagnosis result if the difference between the projection pattern and the predictive projection pattern is not within the allowable range.