Patent Document ID: 8982191
Application ID: 12532644
Patent Status: 1

Claim One:
1. A method of obtaining three-dimensional information for one or more target objects is provided comprising: (a) selecting one or more target objects; (b) illuminating the one or more target objects using a first illuminating device at a distance X 1 from the one or more target objects, and capturing an image I 1 of the one or more target objects using at least one camera device; (c) illuminating the one or more target objects using a second illuminating device at a distance X 2 from the one or more target objects, and capturing an image I 2 of the one or more target objects using the at least one camera device; and (d) calculating the set of distances X′1 between the first and second illuminating devices, and the one or more target objects, based on the decay of intensities of the first and second illuminating devices over distances X 1 and X 2 , using the ratio of the image intensities between the images I 1 and I 2 , (e) illuminating the one or more target objects using a third illuminating device at a distance X 3 from the one or more target objects and capturing an image I 3 of the one or more target objects; (f) illuminating the one or more target objects using a fourth illuminating device at a distance X 4 from the one or more target objects and capturing an image I 4 of the one or more target objects; (g) calculating the set of distances X′2 between the third and fourth illuminating devices and the one or more target objects based on the decay of intensities of illuminating devices over distances X 3 and X 4 using the ratio of the image intensities between the images I 3 and I 4 ; (h) merging the set of distances developed by the set of distances X′1 between the first and second illuminating devices with the set of distances developed by the second set of distances X′2, thereby minimizing the effect of illuminating device shadowing; and wherein the decay of the illumination intensity over distance X is 1/x n , where n can be any positive or negative real number including a non-integer.