Patent Document ID: 9836645
Application ID: 14661123
Patent Status: 1

Claim One:
1. A method for depth mapping, comprising: receiving in a digital processor an image of a pattern of spots that has been projected onto a scene, which includes a hand having fingers, wherein the fingers have a transverse dimension that is less than twice an average distance between the spots in the pattern that is projected onto the scene; processing the image in order to segment and find a three-dimensional (3D) location of the hand, wherein processing the image comprises computing 3D coordinates of points on the hand and fingers based on transverse shifts of the spots in the image; based on the spots appearing on the hand in the 3D location, computing a first depth value that is characteristic of the hand and a second depth value that is characteristic of a background of the scene behind the hand; sorting the spots in a vicinity of the hand in the image between the first and second depth values in order to extract separate, respective contours of each of the fingers; and processing the respective contours in order to identify a posture of the hand and fingers.