Patent ID: 8462155

Claim:
A method for merging a plurality of three-dimensional models, each generated from images of a camera having a different viewpoint, comprising: (a) determining a plurality of voxels in three-dimensional space; for respective voxels in the plurality of voxels: (b) determining a plurality of distance values, each distance value being a distance from the voxel to a corresponding three dimensional model from the plurality of three-dimensional models along a perspective of a camera model used to generate the three-dimensional model; when (i) a first distance value from the plurality of distance values indicates that the distance between the voxel and the three dimensional model corresponding to the first distance value is within a threshold and (ii) a second distance value from the plurality of distance values indicates that the voxel is outside the threshold and above the three dimensional model corresponding to the second distance value: (c) determining a first confidence score indicating a degree to which the perspective of the camera model of the three-dimensional model corresponding to the first distance value is oriented to face the voxel; (d) determining a second confidence score indicating a degree to which the perspective of the camera model of the three-dimensional model corresponding to the second distance value is oriented to face the voxel; and (e) determining whether to include a point corresponding to the voxel into a merged three-dimensional model based, at least in part, on the determined first and second confidence scores such that, when the second confidence score is greater than the first confidence score by a predetermined degree, the voxel is not included in the merged three dimensional model.