Systems and methods for generating focused threedimensional (3D) point clouds

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-12282097-B2
Application number	US-202318498087-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Oct 31, 2023
Priority date	May 18, 2021
Publication date	Apr 22, 2025
Grant date	Apr 22, 2025

Abstract

A system and method for generating a focused three-dimensional (3D) point cloud is disclosed. A respective 3D point cloud is generated based on returns of a respective sequence of energy pulses that is emitted towards one or more regions-of-interest (ROIs) within a field-of-view (FOV) during a respective scan of the FOV, the returns including one or more secondary returns from one or more points within the FOV. During an additional scan of the FOV, subsequent to the respective scan, an additional sequence of energy pulses is emitted to generate a focused 3D point cloud that includes additional information regarding one or more selected points of the points associated with the secondary returns relative to the respective 3D point cloud.

First claim

The invention claimed is:

1. A system for generating a focused three-dimensional (3D) point cloud, the system comprising:
an active 3D scanner, comprising:
at least one detector;
a scanning mechanism configured to scan a field-of-view (FOV) of the at least one detector; and
at least one energy emitting source configured to emit energy pulses, in synchronization with the scanning mechanism; and

a processing circuitry configured to:
during a respective scan of the FOV, control the at least one energy emitting source to emit a respective sequence of respective energy pulses towards one or more regions-of-interest (ROIs) within the FOV, in synchronization with the scanning mechanism;
obtain respective readings, from the at least one detector, based on respective returns of the respective energy pulses, giving rise to a respective 3D point cloud, the respective returns including one or more secondary returns, the secondary returns being second or subsequent returns of the respective energy pulses from one or more points within the FOV;
control the at least one energy emitting source to emit an additional sequence of additional energy pulses, being different than the respective sequence of respective energy pulses, during an additional scan of the FOV, subsequent to the respective scan, the additional sequence being emitted to generate a focused 3D point cloud that includes additional information regarding one or more selected points of the points from which the secondary returns were returned relative to the respective 3D point cloud, the additional information being provided to increase an information value that is obtained from the selected points; and
obtain additional readings, from the at least one detector, based on additional returns of the additional energy pulses, giving rise to the focused 3D point cloud.

2. The system of claim 1 , wherein, for one or more given points of the selected points, the additional energy pulses that are emitted towards the given points strike the given points at a first angle of incidence that is different than a second angle of incidence at which the respective energy pulses that are emitted towards the given points strike the given points, wherein the given points are mapped in the focused 3D point cloud to reflect the secondary returns of the respective energy pulses that are emitted towards the given points and the additional returns of the additional energy pulses that are emitted towards the given points.

3. The system of claim 1 , wherein, for one or more given points of the selected points, the additional energy pulses that are emitted towards the given points are greater in number than the respective energy pulses that are emitted towards the given points.

4. The system of claim 1 , wherein the processing circuitry is further configured to:
analyze the respective readings to determine one or more parameters that are associated with the secondary returns, and
select the selected points based on one or more of the parameters.

5. The system of claim 1 , wherein the at least one energy emitting source is a Light Detection and Ranging (LiDAR), and wherein the energy pulses are laser pulses.

6. The system of claim 1 , wherein the at least one energy emitting source is a radar, and wherein the energy pulses are radio pulses.

7. The system of claim 6 , wherein the radar is a frequency-modulated continuous-wave (FMCW) radar.

8. A method for generating a focused three-dimensional (3D) point cloud, the method comprising:
during a respective scan of a field-of-view (FOV) of at least one detector of an active 3D scanner by a scanning mechanism of the active 3D scanner, controlling at least one energy emitting source of the active 3D scanner to emit a respective sequence of respective energy pulses towards one or more regions-of-interest (ROIs) within the FOV, in synchronization with the scanning mechanism;
obtaining respective readings, from the at least one detector, based on respective returns of the respective energy pulses, giving rise to a respective 3D point cloud, the respective returns including one or more secondary returns, the secondary returns being second or subsequent returns of the respective energy pulses from one or more points within the FOV;
controlling the at least one energy emitting source to emit an additional sequence of additional energy pulses, being different than the respective sequence of respective energy pulses, during an additional scan of the FOV, subsequent to the respective scan, the additional sequence being emitted to generate a focused 3D point cloud that includes additional information regarding one or more selected points of the points relative to the respective 3D point cloud, the additional information being provided to increase an information value that is obtained from the selected points; and
obtaining additional readings, from the at least one detector, based on additional returns of the additional energy pulses, giving rise to the focused 3D point cloud.

9. The method of claim 8 , wherein, for one or more given points of the selected points, the additional energy pulses that are emitted towards the given points strike the given points at a first angle of incidence that is different than a second angle of incidence at which the respective energy pulses that are emitted towards the given points strike the given points, wherein the given points are mapped in the focused 3D point cloud to reflect the secondary returns of the respective energy pulses that are emitted towards the given points and the additional returns of the additional energy pulses that are emitted towards the given points.

10. The method of claim 8 , wherein, for one or more given points of the selected points, the additional energy pulses that are emitted towards the given points are greater in number than the respective energy pulses that are emitted towards the given points.

11. The method of claim 8 , further comprising:
analyzing the respective readings to determine one or more parameters that are associated with the secondary returns; and
selecting the selected points based on one or more of the parameters.

12. The method of claim 8 , wherein the at least one energy emitting source is a Light Detection and Ranging (LiDAR), and wherein the energy pulses are laser pulses.

13. The method of claim 8 , wherein the at least one energy emitting source is a radar, and wherein the energy pulses are radio pulses.

14. The method of claim 13 , wherein the radar is a frequency-modulated continuous-wave (FMCW) radar.

15. A non-transitory computer readable storage medium having computer readable program code embodied therewith, the computer readable program code, executable by processing circuitry of a computer to perform a method for generating a focused three-dimensional (3D) point cloud, the method comprising:
during a respective scan of a field-of-view (FOV) of at least one detector of an active 3D scanner by a scanning mechanism of the active 3D scanner, controlling at least one energy emitting source of the active 3D scanner to emit a respective sequence of respective energy pulses towards one or more regions-of-interest (ROIs) within the FOV, in synchronization with the scanning mechanism;
obtaining respective readings, from the at least one detector, based on respective returns of the respective energy pulses, giving rise to a respective 3D point cloud, the respective returns including one or more secondary returns, the secondary returns being second or subsequent returns of the respective energy pulses from one or more points within the FOV;
controlling the at least

Assignees

• Elbit Systems Ltd

Inventors

• Ophir Yoav
• Hakim Dan
• David Assaf
• Demri Tamir

Classifications

• G06T2210/56

  Particle system, point based geometry or rendering · CPC title

• G06T19/00

  Manipulating three-dimensional [3D] models or images for computer graphics · CPC title

• G01S17/66

  Tracking systems using electromagnetic waves other than radio waves · CPC title

• G01S13/32

  using transmission of continuous waves, whether amplitude-, frequency-, or phase-modulated, or unmodulated · CPC title

• G01S13/10

  using transmission of interrupted, pulse modulated waves (determination of distance by phase measurement G01S13/32) · CPC title