Data processing methods

Abstract

The present invention relates to a data processing method, the method comprising: a scan data acquisition step, acquiring scan data representing an object; a reliability determination step, determining the reliability of at least one evaluation region, the evaluation region including at least one unit region for evaluating the scan data; and an indication step, indicating the evaluation region with a predetermined symbol according to the reliability of the evaluation region.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] This invention relates to a data processing method, and more specifically, to a data processing method for acquiring three-dimensional scan data representing an object and determining the reliability of the scan data to improve the integrity of the scan data. Background Technology

[0002] 3D scanning technology is being used in various industries, including measurement, inspection, reverse engineering, content creation, CAD / CAM for dental treatment, and medical equipment. Its applicability is expanding due to advancements in computing technology that have improved scanning performance. In particular, in the field of dental treatment, 3D scanning is performed for patient treatment, thus requiring high precision in the 3D models acquired through scanning.

[0003] In the process of generating a 3D model through 3D scanning, the 3D scanner converts the image data (two-dimensional or three-dimensional) acquired by imaging the measured object into a 3D model, thereby obtaining the overall 3D model data. Furthermore, the more detailed the imaging of the object, the more images the 3D scanner acquires, thus improving the reliability of the final 3D model data generated in real time.

[0004] This document describes a series of exemplary procedures used in orthodontic treatment for patients, emphasizing the necessity of obtaining highly reliable data. To perform orthodontic treatment, personnel acquire scan data representing the patient's oral cavity. This involves scanning the patient's upper jaw, lower jaw, and occlusion to obtain aligned three-dimensional scan data. The acquired scan data is sent to the laboratory for the fabrication of orthodontic treatment products. However, if the laboratory cannot accurately fabricate the orthodontic treatment product due to gaps in the scan data (e.g., between teeth), personnel need to perform additional scans of the patient's oral cavity, requiring a second appointment and causing inconvenience. Furthermore, arbitrarily filling in gaps in the scan data in the laboratory can distort the data, potentially leading to the fabrication of inaccurate orthodontic treatment products.

[0005] Therefore, research and development are currently underway to allow users to confirm the scan results after a 3D scan, guiding additional scans of areas with low reliability, thereby improving the accuracy and reliability of the final data of the measured object and enhancing the convenience for users.

[0006] Previously, the accuracy and / or reliability of the final data for a measured object depended on the judgment of the user. However, the user's judgment criteria were unclear and relied solely on intuition, thus making it difficult to trust the accuracy of the final data.

[0007] To address this issue, recent methods have employed assigning predetermined colors or applicable patterns to 3D models to visually represent reliability. For example, a user interface (UI) could be used where low-reliability areas are displayed in red, medium-reliability areas in yellow, and high-reliability areas in green, depending on the reliability of the data constituting the 3D model.

[0008] However, as mentioned above, the method of using colors or patterns to visually represent reliability in a 3D model can be inefficient when a portion of the 3D model needs to be supplemented. For example, a portion between any first tooth and any second tooth could be represented in red without careful scanning. However, the rest of the model has high reliability and is therefore represented entirely in green. In this case, the user may find it difficult to visually identify the location and / or orientation of the low-reliability areas shown in red.

[0009] Therefore, methods are being researched to more easily identify areas that need to be added to the 3D model to improve the scan data.

[0010] (Existing technical literature)

[0011] (Patent Documents)

[0012] (Patent Document 1) Korean Patent No. 10-2022432 (Published on 2019.09.18) Summary of the Invention

[0013] Technical issues

[0014] This invention provides a data processing method that marks low-reliability portions of scanned data with predetermined symbols to enable users to easily identify such portions, allowing users to quickly add corresponding portions of the scanned object to supplement the scanned data.

[0015] The technical issues of this invention are not limited to those mentioned above. Those skilled in the art to which this invention pertains can clearly understand other technical issues not mentioned from the following description.

[0016] Technical solution

[0017] To achieve the objectives described above, the data processing method of the present invention includes: a scan data acquisition step, acquiring scan data representing an object; a reliability determination step, determining the reliability of at least one evaluation region, the evaluation region including at least one unit region for evaluating the scan data; and an indication step, indicating the evaluation region with a predetermined symbol according to the reliability of the evaluation region.

[0018] In addition, the data processing method of the present invention includes the steps described above, and may also include other additional steps, thereby enabling users to easily verify the integrity of the scan data, and allowing users to additionally scan portions of objects corresponding to low-reliability evaluation areas, thereby improving the reliability of the scan data.

[0019] Technical effect

[0020] The data processing method of the present invention has the advantage of making it easy for users to obtain scan data with sufficient reliability.

[0021] Furthermore, by using the data processing method of the present invention, reliability is determined according to the evaluation area, which has the advantage that users can easily identify the parts where low reliability is concentrated, and additional scans can quickly supplement the parts of the scan data that need to be supplemented.

[0022] Furthermore, by differentiating the shape of the markings indicating the evaluation area according to the degree of low reliability, the evaluation area with lower reliability can be emphasized, and the user can fully scan the parts that require a large amount of supplementary scan data, thus having the advantage of improving the reliability of the scan data 300.

[0023] Furthermore, the marks covered by the scanned data become overlay marks, which has the advantage of being able to easily identify the location of evaluation areas that need to be supplemented behind the scanned data without hindering the confirmation of the shape of the scanned data.

[0024] Furthermore, by deleting the markings indicating the assessment area whose reliability has been improved in real time from the supplementary scan data obtained in the supplementary scan step, it has the advantage of making it easy for users to confirm the supplementary status of the scan data. Attached Figure Description

[0025] Figure 1 This is a flowchart of a data processing apparatus that performs the data processing method of the present invention.

[0026] Figure 2 This is a schematic flowchart of the data processing method of the present invention.

[0027] Figure 3 This is used to illustrate the process of generating an evaluation region in three-dimensional space in one embodiment of the data processing method of the present invention.

[0028] Figure 4 This is used to illustrate the process of pre-dividing and generating an evaluation region in three-dimensional space in another embodiment of the data processing method of the present invention.

[0029] Figure 5 This describes the process of acquiring three-dimensional points of scanned data within an evaluation area in another embodiment of the data processing method of the present invention.

[0030] Figure 6 This is used to illustrate the process of acquiring scanned data on a user interface screen in the data processing method of the present invention.

[0031] Figure 7 This describes the object used to describe the steps involved in performing reliability determination.

[0032] Figure 8 This describes the process of measuring the range of scanning angles of three-dimensional points in any unit region within the evaluation area.

[0033] Figure 9 This is used to describe the state of the scanned data, indicated by predetermined symbols, during the execution of reliability determination steps.

[0034] Figure 10 This is an exemplary flowchart illustrating the steps in the data processing method of the present invention.

[0035] Figure 11 This describes the process of determining whether a mark is covered or not in the data processing method of the present invention.

[0036] Figure 12 This is used to describe the state of the markers when representing scanned data in any first direction.

[0037] Figure 13 This is used to illustrate the process by which a portion of the symbols become overlay symbols when scanning data through any second direction.

[0038] Figure 14 This is used to describe a state where some symbols are covered by the scanned data and are not displayed when the data is scanned in any second direction.

[0039] Figure 15 This is used to illustrate the supplementary scanning step in the data processing method of the present invention.

[0040] Figure 16 This describes the marker update step, which involves deleting a portion of the markers during the supplementary scanning step, in the data processing method of the present invention.

[0041] Explanation of reference numerals in the attached figures

[0042] 1: Data processing device 10: Scanning unit

[0043] 20: Control unit; 30: Display unit

[0044] 100: Three-dimensional space 200: Three-dimensional point

[0045] 300: Scan data 400: Marks

[0046] 500: Overwrite mark; 600: Additional scan path

[0047] 900: User Interface Screen Detailed Implementation

[0048] Hereinafter, some embodiments of the present invention will be described in detail with reference to the exemplary accompanying drawings. When assigning reference numerals to components in the various drawings, care should be taken to ensure that the same components are represented using the same reference numerals as much as possible, even if they are shown in different reference numerals. Furthermore, when describing embodiments of the present invention, if it is determined that a detailed description of a known structure or function would hinder the understanding of the embodiments of the present invention, such detailed description will be omitted.

[0049] When describing the components of embodiments of the present invention, terms such as first, second, A, B, (a), (b), etc., may be used. These terms are merely used to distinguish one component from others and should not limit the nature or order of the components. Furthermore, unless otherwise defined, all terms used herein, including technical or scientific terms, have the same meaning as commonly understood by one of ordinary skill in the art to which this invention pertains. Terms such as those defined in commonly used dictionaries should be interpreted as having the same meaning as in relevant technical articles and should not be interpreted in an ideal or overly formal sense unless expressly defined herein.

[0050] Figure 1 This is a flowchart of a data processing apparatus 1 that performs the data processing method of the present invention.

[0051] Reference Figure 1 This describes a data processing apparatus 1 that performs the data processing method of the present invention. The data processing apparatus 1 includes a scanning unit 10, a control unit 20, and a display unit 30. The scanning unit 10 scans an object to acquire scan data representing the object. The scanning unit 10 scans the object to acquire image data representing the object (the image data may include at least one of two-dimensional image data and three-dimensional image data). To acquire a three-dimensional model of the object, the scanning unit 10 may be a three-dimensional scanner capable of scanning the object in three dimensions. As an example, the scanning unit 10 may be a handheld scanner that can scan the object at various scanning distances and angles. As another example, the scanning unit 10 may be a desktop scanner that scans the object by rotating or tilting the camera while the object is placed on a tray.

[0052] On the other hand, the object scanned by the scanning unit 10 may include at least one of the shape information and color information of the oral cavity. For example, the object may be the actual interior of a patient's oral cavity. For another example, the object may be an oral cavity model made of plaster material that mimics the patient's oral cavity. For yet another example, the object may be an impression model, i.e., a mold of the oral cavity model.

[0053] The data acquired by the scanning unit 10 can be sent to the control unit 20, which can communicate with the scanning unit 10. The control unit 20 may be a device equipped with a microprocessor capable of transmitting, receiving, and calculating data. For example, the control unit 20 may be at least one of various known computing devices, including desktop PCs, tablet PCs, and servers.

[0054] The control unit 20 may include a database unit 21. The database unit 21 may store data received from the scanning unit 10. Furthermore, the database unit 21 may store at least one logic required for the operation of other components of the control unit 20. For example, the database unit 21 may store alignment logic for aligning multiple image data acquired by the scanning unit 10 to each other. For another example, the database unit 21 may store 3D modeling logic for modeling the aligned data into scanned data of a 3D model. For yet another example, the database unit 21 may store reliability evaluation logic and a threshold value for evaluating reliability, the reliability evaluation logic analyzing the reliability of the scanned data by evaluation area to generate a marker indicating evaluation areas with low reliability.

[0055] Additionally, the control unit 20 may include an evaluation region generation unit 22. The evaluation region generation unit 22 can generate at least one evaluation region in three-dimensional space. For example, after acquiring scan data, the evaluation region generation unit 22 can generate at least one evaluation region, such that the evaluation region corresponds to the size of the scan data. In this case, the evaluation region may include at least one unit area. For another example, the evaluation region generation unit 22 may pre-delineate a predetermined volume in three-dimensional space before acquiring the scan data. The evaluation region generated by the evaluation region generation unit 22 can be used to evaluate the reliability of at least a portion of the scan data, and predetermined symbols can be generated to inform the user of low reliability in at least a portion of the evaluation region. The process of generating symbols and indicating the reliability of the evaluation region will be described later.

[0056] Additionally, the control unit 20 may include an alignment unit 23. The alignment unit 23 can align image data acquired by the scanning unit 10. The alignment unit 23 may use known alignment methods to align the image data. For example, the alignment unit 23 may use the Iterative Closest Point (ICP) method to align the image data, but the alignment method of the alignment unit 23 is not limited to the disclosed examples.

[0057] Additionally, the control unit 20 may include a 3D modeling unit 24. The 3D modeling unit 24 can model aligned image data into scanned data with a three-dimensional shape. The scanned data can be displayed three-dimensionally on the user interface screen. Depending on requirements, the scanned data generated by the 3D modeling unit 24 can be moved and rotated in parallel within three-dimensional space.

[0058] Additionally, the control unit 20 may include a 3D model analysis unit 25. The 3D model analysis unit 25 can analyze the reliability of an evaluation area that includes at least a portion of the scan data. The 3D model analysis unit 25 can determine the reliability of the evaluation area, which can be determined by the proportion of unit areas within the evaluation area that meet predetermined conditions. For example, if the number of 3D points in a unit area is greater than or equal to the number of critical points, it can be determined that the predetermined conditions are met. As another example, if the scanning angle range of the 3D points in a unit area is greater than or equal to the critical scanning angle range, it can be determined that the predetermined conditions are met.

[0059] Additionally, the control unit 20 may include a mark management unit 26. Based on the reliability of the evaluation area determined by the 3D model analysis unit 25, the mark management unit 26 generates marks to indicate evaluation areas with low reliability, thereby controlling the indication of the evaluation areas. The shape of the marks generated by the mark management unit 26 may vary depending on the reliability of the indicated evaluation area. Furthermore, the mark management unit 26 may determine if a mark is covered by scanned data. If it is determined that a mark is covered by scanned data, the mark management unit 26 may change the mark to an overlaid mark. Conversely, if it is determined that an overlaid mark is not covered by scanned data, the mark management unit 26 may change the overlaid mark to a normal mark.

[0060] The display unit 30 may display at least a portion of the control process of the control unit 20. For example, the display unit 30 may display at least one of the following processes: a real-time image of the object acquired by the scanning unit 10; an alignment process of image data acquired by the scanning unit 10; a process of generating scan data for a three-dimensional model; a process of determining the reliability of scan data according to an evaluation area and indicating specific parts with marks; and a process of changing ordinary marks into covered marks based on whether the marks are covered by the scan data. However, the display unit 30 may not display only those examples. Known visual display devices may be used as the display unit 30. For example, the display unit 30 may be at least one of a display, a tablet computer screen, or a projection screen.

[0061] The data processing method of the present invention can be executed by the data processing device 1 as described above. The data processing process of the data processing method can be realized through the actions of each component of the data processing device 1 and the interaction between the components.

[0062] The data processing method of the present invention will be described in detail below.

[0063] Figure 2 This is a schematic flowchart of the data processing method of the present invention.

[0064] Reference Figure 2The data processing method of the present invention may include: a scan data acquisition step S110, a reliability determination step S120, an indication step S130, and a supplementary scan step S140.

[0065] The following details each step of the data processing method of the present invention.

[0066] The data processing method of the present invention may include a scan data acquisition step S110. The scanning unit scans an object and acquires image data that forms the basis of the scan data. The scanning unit acquires multiple image data sets and sends them to a control unit that can communicate with the scanning unit. The scanning unit may be wired or wirelessly connected to the control unit. The control unit performs three-dimensional modeling on the image data sent by the scanning unit to generate and acquire scan data representing the object. Alternatively, the scan data may include at least one three-dimensional point. For example, the scan data may be generated from a set of three-dimensional points. In the reliability determination step S120, described later, the reliability of the evaluation area may be determined based on the three-dimensional points constituting the scan data. The process for determining the reliability of the evaluation area in the reliability determination step S120 will be described later.

[0067] The following describes an exemplary process for generating an evaluation region used to determine which parts of the scan data need to be supplemented.

[0068] Figure 3 This is used to illustrate the process of generating an evaluation region in three-dimensional space in one embodiment of the data processing method of the present invention.

[0069] Reference Figure 3 The scan data acquisition step S110 is performed to acquire scan data. Then, an evaluation region 120 is generated in the three-dimensional space 100, so that the evaluation region 120 corresponds to the scan data. That is, the evaluation region generation step of generating at least one evaluation region 120 can be performed after the scan data acquisition step S110.

[0070] like Figure 3 As shown, multiple three-dimensional points 200 constituting the scan data can be arranged on a three-dimensional space 100. In the control unit, the evaluation region generation unit can generate an evaluation region 120 based on the arrangement shape of the three-dimensional points 200 corresponding to the scan data. For example, the evaluation region 120 may include: a first evaluation region 121, a second evaluation region 122, a third evaluation region 123, a fourth evaluation region 124, a fifth evaluation region 125, and a sixth evaluation region 126. However, the number of evaluation regions 120 described above is only one example; an appropriate number of evaluation regions 120 can be used to quickly and accurately determine the portions of the scan data that need to be supplemented.

[0071] On the other hand, the volume of the evaluation area 120 can be increased or decreased as needed. When the volume of the evaluation area 120 is set relatively large, the points indicated by the markings (described later) may differ from the portions of the scan data that need to be supplemented. When the volume of the evaluation area 120 is set relatively small, an excessive number of markings may be generated, which could confuse the user. Therefore, the evaluation area 120 should be set at an appropriate volume.

[0072] The following describes another exemplary process for generating the evaluation region used to determine the portion of scan data that needs to be supplemented.

[0073] Figure 4 This is used to illustrate the process of pre-dividing and generating an evaluation region 120 in a three-dimensional space 100 in another embodiment of the data processing method of the present invention; Figure 5 This is used to illustrate the process of acquiring three-dimensional points 200 of scan data within an evaluation region 120 in another embodiment of the data processing method of the present invention.

[0074] Reference Figure 4 and Figure 5 The evaluation region 120 can also be pre-defined and generated in three-dimensional space 100 before acquiring the scan data. That is, the evaluation region generation step can also be performed before the scan data acquisition step S110.

[0075] like Figure 4 As shown, the evaluation region generation unit of the control unit can generate multiple evaluation regions 120 by demarcating the three-dimensional space 100 before acquiring the scan data. For example, the evaluation region generation unit can pre-demarcate the three-dimensional space 100 and generate a first evaluation region 121, a second evaluation region 122, a third evaluation region 123, a fourth evaluation region 124, a fifth evaluation region 125, a sixth evaluation region 126, a seventh evaluation region 127, an eighth evaluation region 128, and a ninth evaluation region 129. For example, the total space occupied by the evaluation regions 120 can correspond to the size of the scan data, or it can be larger than the size of the scan data.

[0076] On the other hand, since the scan data is acquired for the design of orthodontic treatment products applicable to the patient's teeth or for the treatment of the patient's teeth, the evaluation area 120 may also be formed to the size of a portion of the gingival region that can cover the tooth area or is adjacent to the tooth area in the scan data.

[0077] At least one evaluation region 120 may include at least one unit region. The unit region may be the smallest unit region constituting a three-dimensional space. For example, the unit region may be in the format of voxel data with a predetermined volume. The unit region may include curvature information and / or color information of a portion corresponding to the scan data. Additionally, the unit region may have at least one three-dimensional point, each of which may have scan angle information for acquiring the three-dimensional point.

[0078] The following describes the reliability determination step S120.

[0079] Figure 6 This is used to illustrate the process of acquiring scan data 300 on the user interface screen 900 in the data processing method of the present invention; Figure 7 This describes the object used to explain the execution of the reliability determination step S120. Additionally, Figure 8 This describes the process of measuring the scanning angle range θ of a three-dimensional point 200 in any unit region 110 within the evaluation region 120.

[0080] Reference Figure 2 , Figures 6 to 8 The data processing method of the present invention may include a reliability determination step S120. In the reliability determination step S120, the three-dimensional model analysis unit of the control unit may determine the reliability of at least one evaluation region 120 used to evaluate the scan data 300. On the other hand, the reliability of the evaluation region 120 used to evaluate the scan data can be determined by the proportion of unit regions 110 that meet predetermined conditions within the evaluation region 120. At this time, in order to determine the reliability of the evaluation region 120, multiple unit regions may be included in the evaluation region.

[0081] First, refer to Figure 6 The scanning unit can acquire scan data 300 by scanning the object. The acquired scan data 300 can be displayed in real time in the working area 910 of the user interface screen 900. On the other hand, a two-dimensional image of the object being scanned by the scanning unit can be displayed in real time in the real-time image display area 920 on one side of the user interface screen 900. A scanning frame 930 is displayed in a polygonal shape on the working area 910, and the scanning frame 930 can represent the position of the scan data 300 corresponding to the position of the object currently being scanned by the scanning unit.

[0082] The scan data 300 may include a tooth region 310 representing the object's teeth and a gingival region 320 including the object's gingiva. The scan data 300 should represent the precise shape of the object's teeth in the tooth region 310. That is, the tooth region 310 of the scan data 300 should have high reliability. Therefore, the reliability determination step S120 may be performed using at least a portion of the tooth region 310 as the object.

[0083] Furthermore, in designing orthodontic treatment products for treating patients, curvature information of the gingival region adjacent to a portion of the teeth may be required. Therefore, depending on the needs, the object of the reliability determination step S120 may also include the tooth region 310 and the adjacent gingival region 321, wherein the adjacent gingival region 321 is at least a portion of the gingival region 320 adjacent to the tooth region 310 within a predetermined distance d. By determining the portion of scan data 300 that needs to be supplemented, including the adjacent gingival region 321, highly complete scan data 300 can be obtained, thus enabling the user to provide the patient with an accurate orthodontic treatment product.

[0084] On the other hand, before the scan data acquisition step S110, the user can select the target tooth and its type. For example, if tooth number 2 is selected as the target tooth and it is a crown type, the evaluation area 120 includes the tooth regions corresponding to teeth 1 and 3 (adjacent to tooth number 2) and teeth 30 and 31 (opposite to tooth number 2), or teeth 31 and 32. The reliability determination step S120 can be performed only on this evaluation area 120. As another example, if tooth number 2 is selected as the target tooth and it is an inlay type, the evaluation area 120 includes the tooth region corresponding to tooth number 2. The reliability determination step S120 can be performed only on this evaluation area 120.

[0085] In the reliability determination step S120, the reliability of the evaluation area 120 can be determined by the proportion of unit areas 110 in the multiple unit areas 110 within the evaluation area 120 that meet predetermined conditions. For example, if the evaluation area 120 includes 10 unit areas 110, and 8 of these unit areas meet the predetermined conditions, the reliability of the evaluation area 120 can be determined to be 80%, that is, the proportion of unit areas meeting the predetermined conditions out of the total number of unit areas. If the reliability of the evaluation area 120 is above a pre-set critical reliability, the evaluation area 120 can be determined as a high-reliability evaluation area. Conversely, if the reliability of the evaluation area 120 is below the pre-set critical reliability, the evaluation area 120 can be determined as a low-reliability evaluation area. Scan data 300 with low-reliability evaluation areas 120 may not accurately represent the object, posing a risk of providing incorrect treatment to the patient. To prevent this risk, it is necessary to guide the user to easily visually identify the low-reliability evaluation areas 120.

[0086] On the other hand, the predetermined conditions that the unit region 110 should meet may include a condition regarding the number of three-dimensional points. For example, the unit region 110 may have voxel data format, and the reliability of region 120 can be determined by comparing the number of three-dimensional points 200 present in the voxel data with the number of critical points. For example, with the acquisition of scan data 300, there may be at least one three-dimensional point within the unit region 110. The more three-dimensional points the unit region 110 has, the higher the reliability of the portion of scan data 300 corresponding to that unit region 110. For example, if the unit region 110 has five or more three-dimensional points, it can be determined that the unit region 110 meets the conditions and has sufficient reliability. Conversely, if the number of three-dimensional points in the unit region 110 is less than the number of critical points, it can be determined that the unit region 110 does not meet the conditions.

[0087] As another example, the predetermined conditions that unit region 110 should meet may include the scanning angle range conditions of three-dimensional points. For example, unit region 110 may have voxel data format, and the reliability of region 120 can be determined by comparing the scanning angle range of the three-dimensional points 200 in the voxel data with the critical scanning angle range. Figure 8 As shown, the scanning unit 10 can scan the same part of an object at different scanning angles. The scanning unit 10a at a first position acquires a first three-dimensional point 201 within a unit area 110, and the scanning unit 10b at a second position acquires a second three-dimensional point 202 within the unit area 110. The first three-dimensional point 201 and the second three-dimensional point 202 can each have a scanning angle obtained by light reflected from the surface of the object and incident through the opening 11. For example, the scanning angle can represent the direction of the normal vector of each three-dimensional point 200. The scanning angle range θ can be obtained by the difference between the scanning angle of the first three-dimensional point 201 and the scanning angle of the second three-dimensional point 202. More specifically, the scanning angle range θ can represent the angle formed by the normal vector of the first three-dimensional point 201 and the normal vector of the second three-dimensional point 202. That is, the scanning angle range θ can be obtained by the inner product of the normal vector of the first three-dimensional point 201 and the normal vector of the second three-dimensional point 202.

[0088] On the other hand, even for the same part of the scanned object, the reliability of the scan data 300 acquired by scanning the object within a relatively large angular range is higher than the reliability of the scan data 300 acquired by scanning the object within a relatively small angular range. Therefore, if the scanning angle range θ between the three-dimensional points 200 in the unit region 110 is above the critical scanning angle range (e.g., 30°), it can be determined that the unit region 110 meets the aforementioned condition and has sufficient reliability. Conversely, if the scanning angle range θ of the three-dimensional points 200 in the unit region 110 is below the critical scanning angle range, it can be determined that the unit region 110 does not meet the aforementioned condition.

[0089] When a unit region 110 includes three or more three-dimensional points 200, the scanning angle range θ can be determined by the maximum angle range formed by two of the three-dimensional points 200. Accordingly, the reliability of the portion of scanning data 300 corresponding to a unit region 110 with a large scanning angle range θ can be improved.

[0090] Hereinafter, the instruction step S130 of the data processing method of the present invention will be described.

[0091] Figure 9 This describes the state of the reliability determination step S120 when the scan data 300 is indicated by a predetermined symbol 400.

[0092] Reference Figure 2 and Figure 9 The data processing method of the present invention may include an instruction step S130. In the instruction step S130, the mark management unit of the control unit may determine, generate and manage the shape of the mark, so as to indicate the evaluation area 120 with a predetermined mark according to the reliability of the evaluation area 120.

[0093] like Figure 9 As shown, scan data 300 can be displayed on the user interface screen 900, and the scan data 300 can be marked with an arrow-shaped mark 400 according to the reliability of the evaluation area 120 determined by the evaluation area 120.

[0094] For example, the portion of scan data 300 that needs supplementation can be represented by a predetermined pattern. For example, based on the reliability of the evaluation region 120 determined in the aforementioned reliability determination step S120, the portion of scan data 300 that needs supplementation can be represented by a first pattern p1, a second pattern p2, a third pattern p3, a fourth pattern p4, a fifth pattern p5, a sixth pattern p6, a seventh pattern p7, an eighth pattern p8, a ninth pattern p9, a tenth pattern p10, an eleventh pattern p11, and a twelfth pattern p12. For another example, the portion of scan data 300 that needs supplementation may not display the aforementioned patterns p1, p2, p3, p4, p5, p6, p7, p8, p9, p10, p11, and p12; instead, only an arrow-shaped symbol 400 may be used to indicate the portion of scan data 300 that needs supplementation.

[0095] Additionally, the instruction step S130 may display a plurality of marks 400 used to indicate the pattern. For example, the instruction step S130 may display a first mark 401, a second mark 402, a third mark 403, a fourth mark 404, a fifth mark 405, a sixth mark 406, a seventh mark 407, an eighth mark 408, a ninth mark 409, a tenth mark 410, an eleventh mark 411, and a twelfth mark 412 corresponding to the first pattern p1 to the twelfth pattern p12.

[0096] The shape of the mark 400 may include a three-dimensional arrow pointing to the center of the evaluation area 120. That is, by using the arrow-shaped mark 400 pointing to the center of the low reliability evaluation area 120, the user can easily identify the portion of the scan data 300 that needs to be supplemented. Compared to the conventional method of using predetermined colors to indicate reliability levels on the surface of the scan data 300, this invention can accurately indicate the location of the low reliability evaluation area 120 through the mark 400, providing the advantage of allowing the user to easily identify the portion of the scan data 300 that needs to be supplemented for rapid supplementation.

[0097] On the other hand, the shape of the mark 400 can be other than an arrow shape. For example, the mark 400 can be marked with a predetermined color (e.g., red) representing the entire evaluation area 120. For another example, the mark 400 can also be marked with an emphasis line that highlights the border of the evaluation area 120.

[0098] Furthermore, the direction of the mark 400 can be parallel to the direction of the average normal vector of the three-dimensional point 200 in the evaluation area 120. Thus, by setting the direction of the mark 400 parallel to the direction of the average normal vector of the three-dimensional point 200, and by aligning the mark 400 towards the center of the evaluation area 120 (i.e., by ensuring that the extension of the mark 400 passes through the center of the evaluation area 120), the mark 400 can indicate the precise location and direction where supplementary scan data 300 needs to be obtained. Therefore, the user can confirm the mark 400 to easily supplement the scan data 300.

[0099] On the other hand, the mark 400 indicates the low reliability assessment area 120, thus enabling the user to accurately supplement only the portion of the scan data 300 that needs to be supplemented, thereby having the advantage of quickly improving the overall reliability of the scan data 300.

[0100] As another example, the mark 400 may have different shapes depending on the reliability of the evaluation region 120. That is, based on the reliability of the low-reliability evaluation region 120, the supplementary necessity of a particular low-reliability evaluation region 120 may be emphasized. For example, if the reliability of any first low-reliability evaluation region 120 is 20% and the reliability of any second low-reliability evaluation region 120 is 40%, the thickness of the mark 400 indicating the first low-reliability evaluation region 120 may be thicker than the thickness of the mark 400 indicating the second low-reliability evaluation region 120. As another example, the arrow length of the mark 400 indicating the first low-reliability evaluation region 120 may be set to be longer than the arrow length of the mark 400 indicating the second low-reliability evaluation region 120. As yet another example, the color of the mark 400 indicating the first low-reliability evaluation region 120 may be set to red, and the color of the mark 400 indicating the second low-reliability evaluation region 120 may be set to green. Thus, based on the assessment area 120 being determined to have low reliability, the shape of the mark 400 indicating the assessment area 120 is set differently, which makes it easier for the user to identify the assessment area 120 that needs to be supplemented, fully supplementing the part of the scan data 300 that needs a lot of supplementation, thereby improving the reliability of the scan data 300.

[0101] On the other hand, the mark 400 used to indicate the evaluation area 120 via the indication step S130 can be generated in real time as the scan data 300 is acquired. However, if the mark 400 is generated in real time as the scan data 300 is acquired, too many marks 400 may be randomly set before the supplementary scanning step is performed, which may increase the confusion for the user. Therefore, it is preferable that the mark 400 be generated and marked after the scan data acquisition step S110 is completed to indicate the evaluation area 120. That is, if the scan data acquisition step S110 is completed, the reliability determination step S120 is performed based on the acquired scan data 300, and the low reliability evaluation area 120 is determined by the reliability determination step S120. In order to indicate the low reliability evaluation area 120, the mark 400 can be generated and marked in the indication step S130. The scan data acquisition step S110 can be completed by the user pressing a specific button on the scanning unit 10 (e.g., a handheld 3D scanner). More specifically, the data acquisition step S110 can be completed by the user pressing the scan start / end button.

[0102] As described above, after the scan data acquisition step S110 is completed, the mark 400 is generated and marked, thereby preventing the problem of randomly setting the mark 400 during the initial scan process and preventing confusion for the user. In addition, it has the following advantages: it can prevent unnecessary waste of resources in calculating the position, length, direction, etc. of the mark 400 in order to generate and mark the mark 400, and can accurately indicate only the part of the scan data 300 that needs to be supplemented.

[0103] The following describes the process of changing the ordinary mark 400 into the overlay mark 500 in the instruction step S130.

[0104] Figure 10 This is an exemplary flowchart indicating step S130 in the data processing method of the present invention. Figure 11 This is used to illustrate the process of determining whether the mark 400 is covered or not in the data processing method of the present invention; Figure 12 Used to illustrate the state of mark 400 when scanning data 300 is represented by any first direction; Figure 13 This is used to illustrate the process by which a portion of the mark 400 becomes an overlay mark 500 when the scan data 300 is represented by any second direction. Figure 14 This is used to describe the state in which a portion of the marks 400 are covered by the scan data 300 and not displayed when the scan data 300 is represented by any second direction.

[0105] Reference Figure 10 and Figure 11The instruction step S130 may include: a mark shape determination step S131, an overlay judgment step S132, and an overlay mark determination step S133. First, in the mark shape determination step S131, the mark management unit may determine the shape of the mark (e.g., at least one of the mark thickness, mark length, and mark color) based on the reliability of the evaluation area 120. The process for determining the mark shape has already been described above, therefore this detailed explanation is omitted.

[0106] Additionally, the mark management department can determine whether each mark is covered by the scanned data 300 in the coverage determination step S132. For example... Figure 11 As shown, the scan data 300 can be generated through the user's line of sight V and displayed on the display screen 31 of the display unit 30. At this time, the user can confirm the side surface of the display screen 31 of the scan data 300 existing in the three-dimensional space 100.

[0107] That is, when a virtual ray generated by the user's line of sight V, incident in the normal direction of the display unit 30 displaying the scanned data 300, passes through the surface of the scanned data n times, the second to the nth surfaces through which the virtual ray passes are determined to be covered by the scanned data 300 (at this time, n can be an integer greater than 2). For example, the virtual ray generated by the user's line of sight V can pass through the first surface 301, the second surface 302, the third surface 303, and the fourth surface 304 of the scanned data 300. At this time, the user can view the first surface 301 actually displayed on the display screen 31 side, while the second to fourth surfaces 302 are not displayed to the user.

[0108] If the markings 400 pointing to the second surface 302 to the fourth surface 304 are marked with the same shape as the markings 400 pointing to the first surface, the user may have difficulty accurately grasping the portion of the scan data 300 that needs to be supplemented. Therefore, in the overlay marking determination step S133, if the marking 400 is covered by the scan data 300, the marking management unit can change the marking 400 into an overlay marking 500.

[0109] like Figure 12 As shown, scan data 300 is represented by any first direction, and together with scan data 300, symbol 400 is represented. At this time, symbol 400 indicates only a portion of the first surface of scan data 300, therefore... Figure 12 All the symbols 400 shown can be ordinary symbols.

[0110] On the contrary, such as Figure 13As shown, the scan data 300 is represented by any second direction, and a portion of the symbols 400 indicate that the nth surface (n is an integer greater than or equal to 2) of the scan data 300 can be covered by the scan data 300. Thus, the symbol 400 covered by the scan data 300 can be transformed into a covering symbol 500.

[0111] For example, the transparency of the overlay mark 500 can be higher than that of the ordinary mark 400. By setting the transparency of the overlay mark 500 to be higher than that of the ordinary mark 400, it has the advantage that the user can easily confirm that the evaluation area 120 indicated by the overlay mark 500 is located on the nth surface of the scan data 300 (e.g., n is an integer greater than 2), and that the user can easily confirm the shape of the first surface of the scan data 300 through the overlay mark 500.

[0112] like Figure 14 As shown, the transparency of the overlay mark 500 can be 100%. When the transparency of the overlay mark 500 is 100%, the overlay mark 500 may not be displayed. Thus, when the overlay mark 500 is transparent, the mark 400 can only indicate the part that needs to be supplemented on the first surface of the scan data 300, which has the advantage of making it easy for the user to identify and supplement the surface of the scan data 300 that can be viewed on the display screen 31.

[0113] Furthermore, the overlay mark 500 is represented by a circular shape with a predetermined radius centered on the evaluation area 120, indicating the evaluation area. For example, unlike the ordinary mark 400, the overlay mark 500 can be simply represented as a dot shape instead of an arrow shape. Accordingly, the overlay mark 500, which is covered by the scanned data 300, can easily mark the location of the portion that needs to be supplemented on the nth surface of the scanned data 300 (n is an integer greater than 2) without distorting the first surface of the scanned data 300, thus improving the visibility of the scanned data 300 to the user.

[0114] The aforementioned mark 400 can be transformed into an overlay mark 500 by moving, rotating, and tilting the scan data 300. When the overlay mark 500 also indicates the first surface by moving, rotating, and tilting the scan data 300, it can be transformed into a regular mark 400.

[0115] On the other hand, such as Figure 13 and Figure 14As shown, the reliability of the scan data 300 surface can also be displayed together with the markings 400 and 500. For example, the portion of the scan data 300 in the evaluation area 120 that is a high-reliability evaluation area 120 can be represented by a first pattern 300a, and the portion of the scan data 300 in the evaluation area 120 that is a low-reliability evaluation area 120 can be represented by a second pattern 300b. The first pattern 300a can be green, and the second pattern 300b can be red, but are not limited to the examples listed. Thus, displaying the reliability of the scan data 300 surface together with the markings 400 and 500 has the advantage of making it easier for users to identify portions of the scan data 300 that need supplementation, and the rapid supplementation of the scan data 300 improves the reliability of the scan data 300.

[0116] The following is a supplementary explanation of the scan data 300 marked with a symbol 400 due to the low reliability assessment area 120.

[0117] Figure 15 The supplementary scanning step S140 is used to illustrate the data processing method of the present invention.

[0118] Reference Figure 2 and Figure 15 The data processing method of the present invention may further include a supplementary scanning step S140. In the supplementary scanning step S140, the user can use the scanning unit to acquire additional supplementary scanning data to supplement the scanning data 300 acquired in the scanning data acquisition step S110. At this time, the user can execute the supplementary scanning step S140 by pressing the start / end scanning button. When executing the supplementary scanning step S140, even if the supplementary scanning step S140 is started, the mark 400 and / or the overlay mark 500 generated by the indication step S130 will not be deleted, and the user can add scanning objects along the supplementary scanning path 600. In particular, in the supplementary scanning step S140, the user can use the scanning unit to acquire supplementary scanning data by considering the portion and direction indicated by the mark 400 or the overlay mark 500.

[0119] Figure 16 This describes the marker update step S150 in the data processing method of the present invention, which involves deleting a portion of the markers during the supplementary scanning step S140.

[0120] Reference Figure 2 and Figure 16The data processing method of the present invention may further include a marker update step S150. If additional supplementary scan data is obtained by personnel in the supplementary scan step S140, the reliability of the evaluation area 120 can be updated by the supplementary scan data obtained in the supplementary scan step S140. For example, the reliability of a low-reliability evaluation area 120 can be updated by increasing the number of three-dimensional points 200 included in the unit area 110 in the low-reliability evaluation area 120 or expanding the scanning angle range, thereby converting the evaluation area 120 into a high-reliability evaluation area 120. Accordingly, in the marker update step S150, the marker management unit can delete the marker 400 indicating that the evaluation area 120 has been converted into a high-reliability evaluation area 120 or cover the marker 500 in real time. Figure 16 As an example, the first mark 401, the second mark 402, the third mark 403, the fifth mark 405, and the eleventh mark 411 were deleted to improve reliability by acquiring supplementary scan data. By acquiring additional supplementary scan data and deleting mark 400 or overwriting mark 500 in real time, the process of visually confirming the supplementary scan data 300 is made easy for the user, and the reliability of the scan data 300 is improved quickly and effectively. As a result, the user can effectively supplement the scan data 300 to accurately design orthodontic treatment products for the patient, and provide the best possible treatment.

[0121] The above description is merely an illustrative representation of the technical concept of the present invention. Those skilled in the art to which this invention pertains may make various modifications and variations without departing from the essential characteristics of the present invention.

[0122] Therefore, the embodiments disclosed in this invention are for illustrating the technical concept of the invention and are not intended to limit it. The scope of the technical concept of the invention should not be limited by such embodiments. The scope of protection of this invention should be interpreted by the claims, and all technical concepts within the equivalent scope should be interpreted as included within the scope of the claims of this invention.

Claims

1. A data processing method, comprising: The scan data acquisition step involves acquiring scan data representing the object. The reliability determination step involves determining the reliability of at least one evaluation region, said evaluation region comprising at least one unit region for evaluating the scan data, wherein the reliability of the at least one evaluation region is the ratio of the number of unit regions satisfying preset conditions to the total number of unit regions; and The indication step involves indicating the evaluation area with a predetermined symbol based on the reliability of the evaluation area. In the indicating step, the mark is displayed to indicate the evaluation area, and the shape of the mark indicating the evaluation area includes a three-dimensional arrow pointing to the center of the evaluation area. The direction of the mark is parallel to the direction of the average normal vector of the three-dimensional point in the evaluation area, and the mark indicates the location and direction of the scan data that needs to be supplemented.

2. The data processing method according to claim 1, characterized in that, The evaluation area is defined and generated in three-dimensional space after the scan data is acquired, so as to correspond to the scan data.

3. The data processing method according to claim 1, characterized in that, The evaluation area is pre-defined and generated in three-dimensional space before the scan data is acquired.

4. The data processing method according to claim 1, characterized in that, The markings have different shapes depending on the reliability of the evaluation area.

5. The data processing method according to claim 4, characterized in that, Based on the assessment area, if it is determined to have low reliability, the length of the mark indicating the assessment area is extended.

6. The data processing method according to claim 1, characterized in that, The scan data includes a tooth region representing the teeth of the object and a gingival region representing the gums of the object; The reliability determination step is performed on at least a portion of the tooth region as the object.

7. The data processing method according to claim 6, characterized in that, The object performing the reliability determination step also includes at least a portion of the gingival region.

8. The data processing method according to claim 1, characterized in that, The unit region has a voxel data format; The reliability of the evaluation area is determined by comparing the number of three-dimensional points in the voxel data with the number of critical points.

9. The data processing method according to claim 1, characterized in that, The unit region has a voxel data format; The reliability of the evaluation area is determined by comparing the scanning angle range of the three-dimensional points in the voxel data with the critical scanning angle range.

10. The data processing method according to claim 1, characterized in that, The markings are applied after the acquisition of the scan data to indicate the evaluation area.

11. The data processing method according to claim 1, characterized in that, Also includes: A supplementary scanning step is performed to obtain additional supplementary scanning data to supplement the scanning data obtained in the scanning data acquisition step; The marker is removed in real time as the reliability of the evaluation area is updated by the supplementary scan data obtained in the supplementary scan step.

12. The data processing method according to claim 1, characterized in that, The instruction steps include: The mark shape determination step determines the shape of the mark to indicate the evaluation area; The overlay determination step determines whether the mark is covered by the scan data; and The overlay marker determination step involves changing the marker to an overlay marker if it is covered by the scan data.

13. The data processing method according to claim 12, characterized in that, The transparency of the overlay mark is higher than that of the mark.

14. The data processing method according to claim 12, characterized in that, The coverage symbol is represented by a circular shape with a predetermined radius centered on the evaluation area, to indicate the evaluation area.

15. The data processing method according to claim 12, characterized in that, The coverage determination step is as follows: When a virtual ray incident in the normal direction of the display section displaying the scanned data passes through the surface of the scanned data n times, it is determined that the mark is covered by the scanned data for the second to the nth surface through which the virtual ray passes, where n is an integer greater than or equal to 2.

Images