Three dimensional scanning beam and imaging system

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-9835717-B2
Application number	US-201314395303-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Apr 17, 2013
Priority date	Apr 17, 2012
Publication date	Dec 5, 2017
Grant date	Dec 5, 2017

Abstract

A three dimensional scanning beam and imaging system ( 800 ) enable economical and efficient three dimensional scans of an environment. The system ( 800 ) includes a ranging apparatus ( 805 ), and a reactive linkage mechanism ( 810 ) having a first end ( 815 ) and a second end ( 820 ). The first end ( 815 ) is connected to the ranging apparatus ( 805 ) and the second end ( 820 ) is connected to an object ( 825 ) that moves the system ( 800 ) through an environment. Additionally, an imaging apparatus ( 840 ) is operatively coupled to either the first end ( 815 ) or the second end ( 820 ) of the reactive linkage mechanism ( 810 ). In use acceleration of the object ( 825 ) with respect to the environment is converted by the reactive linkage mechanism ( 810 ) to motion of the ranging apparatus ( 805 ) with respect to the object ( 825 ), which increases the field of view of the ranging apparatus ( 805 ) with respect to the environment.

First claim

The invention claimed is:

1. A three dimensional scanning beam system, comprising:
a ranging apparatus;
a reactive linkage mechanism having a first end and a second end, wherein the first end is connected to the ranging apparatus and the second end is connected to an object that moves the system through an environment; and
an imaging apparatus operatively coupled to the first end of the reactive linkage mechanism such that a field of view of the imaging apparatus overlaps with a field of view of the ranging apparatus in order to assign image values measured at a similar time to some or all of the range points in a 3D cloud obtained by the ranging apparatus;
whereby in use acceleration of the object with respect to the environment is converted by the reactive linkage mechanism to motion of the ranging apparatus with respect to the object, which increases the field of view of the ranging apparatus with respect to the environment.

2. The system of claim 1 , further comprising an orientation sensor attached to the ranging apparatus.

3. The system of claim 2 , wherein the orientation sensor comprises an inertial measurement unit (IMU).

4. The system of claim 1 , further comprising a computer system operatively coupled to the ranging apparatus, wherein the computer comprises a computer readable medium that stores program code components defining a registration algorithm, and wherein the registration algorithm processes data from the ranging apparatus to define a 3D point cloud of the environment.

5. The system of claim 4 , wherein the 3D point cloud is defined in real time.

6. The system of claim 1 , wherein the ranging apparatus comprises a laser.

7. The system of claim 6 , wherein the laser comprises a two dimensional scanning beam laser.

8. The system of claim 1 , wherein the ranging apparatus transmits and receives at least one of the following types of signals: light signals, acoustic signals, ultrasonic signals, radio frequency signals, gamma radiation signals, microwave signals.

9. The system of claim 1 , wherein the reactive linkage mechanism comprises a spring.

10. The system of claim 1 , wherein a connection between the first end of the reactive linkage mechanism and the ranging apparatus is a fluidic coupling.

11. The system of claim 1 , wherein the imaging apparatus comprises a visible-light camera, an infrared camera, an ultraviolet (UV) light camera, or a hyper-spectral data imaging device.

12. The system of claim 1 , wherein the imaging apparatus is mounted on the ranging apparatus.

13. The system according to claim 1 , wherein the image values are corrected for motion blur.

14. The system according to claim 13 , wherein the correction for motion blur may be performed by a motion correction algorithm, controlling the camera exposure settings, or a combination of both.

15. The system according to claim 1 , wherein the imaging apparatus is rigidly mounted in relation to the ranging apparatus.

16. The system according to claim 15 , wherein geometry between the imaging apparatus and the ranging apparatus is determined by static calibration.

Assignees

• Commw Scient Ind Res Org

Inventors

• Bosse Michael Carsten
• Zlot Robert Michael

Classifications

• G01S17/86 Primary

  Combinations of lidar systems with systems other than lidar, radar or sonar, e.g. with direction finders · CPC title

• G01S7/4813

  Housing arrangements · CPC title

• G01S17/42

  Simultaneous measurement of distance and other co-ordinates (indirect measurement G01S17/46) · CPC title

• G01S17/89

  for mapping or imaging · CPC title

• G01S7/4808

  Evaluating distance, position or velocity data · CPC title