Patent ID: 7227526

Claim:
A stereo vision system for interfacing with an application program running on a computer, the stereo vision system comprising: first and second video cameras arranged in an adjacent configuration and operable to produce at least first and second stereo video images; and a processor operable to receive the first and second stereo video images and detect objects appearing in an intersecting field of view of the cameras, the processor executing a process to: define an object detection region in three-dimensional coordinates relative to a position of the first and second video cameras; divide the first and second stereo video images into features; pair features of the first stereo video image with features of the second stereo video image; generate a depth description map, the depth description map describing the position and disparity of paired features relative to the first and second stereo video images; generate a scene description based upon the depth description map, the scene description defining a three-dimensional position for each feature; cluster adjacent features; crop clustered feature based upon predefined thresholds; analyze the three-dimensional position of each clustered feature within the object detection region to determine position information of a control object; and map the position information of the control object to a position indicator associated with an application program as the control object moves within the object detection region.