Patent ID: 7092563

Claim:
A three-dimensional information acquisition apparatus which shoots, with a shooting unit, a shooting object on which a predetermined projection pattern, in which patterns of a plurality of color components overlap, is projected at a position a predetermined distance away from the shooting unit, and which analyses an image shot by said shooting unit, thereby obtaining three-dimensional information of said shooting object, said apparatus comprising: an image memory which receives from said shooting unit and stores therein: a first image obtained by shooting said shooting object illuminated with light from a light source, a second image obtained by shooting said shooting object without performing illumination with the light from said light source by one of turning off said light source and preventing transmission of the light from said light source, and a third image obtained by shooting said shooting object on which said projection pattern is projected by utilizing one of the light from said light source and light from any other light source having a same characteristic as a characteristic of said light source; a pattern memory which stores therein said projection pattern to be projected onto said shooting object in advance; a pattern structure estimation portion which corrects influence of a surface reflectivity of said shooting object and external light by utilizinq said first, second and third images stored in said image memory, and which estimates a structure of said shot pattern based on at least one of a color and a gradation of each portion of said pattern obtained by performing said correction; and a depth calculation portion which specifies a correspondence relationship between a result of said estimation obtained by said pattern structure estimation portion and said projection pattern stored in said pattern memory, and which calculates a depth value of said shooting object based on a result of specification of said correspondence relationship.