Structured Light System Using Blurring Element for High Speed Resolution
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Solution Overview
Problem
Structured light systems using binary projection patterns face limitations in spatial resolution and throughput, as they often struggle to maintain high resolution while operating at high speeds due to the reduced projection rate when switching to grayscale patterns.
Innovation Solution
Incorporating a blurring element that filters binary projection patterns to create sinusoidal patterns with a uniform modulation transfer function, allowing for high-speed operation and improved spatial resolution by enabling the use of rolling-shutter imaging sensors and phase-based Gray coding.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Productivity
If binary projection patterns are used, then throughput and speed are improved, but spatial resolution deteriorates
Solution Approach 1:
The patent introduces a blurring element as an intermediary component in the optical path between the projector and the target object. This blurring element transforms the binary projection pattern into a sinusoidal pattern, enabling the system to achieve both high throughput (by maintaining binary pattern projection speed) and high spatial resolution (by creating smooth intensity transitions that provide more intensity levels for precise spatial measurement).
Solution Approach 2:
The patent changes the intensity distribution parameter of the projection pattern by applying a blurring function. The binary pattern with abrupt intensity transitions is transformed into a sinusoidal pattern with smooth intensity variations. This parameter change allows the system to maintain the high projection rate of binary patterns while achieving the spatial resolution benefits of multi-level intensity patterns.
2Measurement precision
If grayscale projection patterns are used to improve spatial resolution, then measurement precision is improved, but throughput deteriorates
Solution Approach 1:
The blurring element serves as an optical intermediary that performs the grayscale transformation function in the optical domain rather than requiring sequential projection of multiple binary patterns. This allows the system to project a single sinusoidal pattern at full binary projection speed, achieving both high spatial resolution and high throughput simultaneously.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent replaces the mechanical/sequential approach of projecting multiple binary patterns with temporal or spatial multiplexing with an optical approach using a blurring element to transform a single binary pattern into a sinusoidal pattern. This substitution eliminates the throughput penalty associated with sequential grayscale pattern projection.
3Device complexity
If binary patterns with sharp edges are used, then device complexity is reduced, but measurement precision deteriorates
Solution Approach 1:
The blurring element acts as an optical intermediary that adds complexity to the optical path but simplifies the overall system by allowing the use of simple binary patterns from the projector. The blurring element performs the function of creating smooth intensity transitions that would otherwise require complex grayscale pattern generation, thereby improving measurement precision without significantly increasing device complexity.
Applied Scientific Principles
This section explains which scientific principles are used to turn an abstract innovation direction into a practical engineering solution.
Function Achieved in This Case
The solution enhances the structured light system's ability to resolve spatial changes in 3D profiles, operates at high speeds, and provides higher signal-to-noise ratios by maintaining high throughput and spatial resolution, while being less sensitive to interreflective surfaces.
Implementation Method 1
an optical element in a light path between the projector and a plane of interest, wherein the optical element is configured to blur the projection pattern to provide a blurred projection pattern onto the plane of interest
Data Source
AI summary
The present disclosure provides a high resolution structured light system that is also capable of maintaining high throughput. The high resolution structured light system includes one or more image capture devices, such as a camera and/or an image sensor, a projector, and a blurring element. The projector is configured to project a binary pattern so that the projector can operate at high throughput. The binary projection pattern is subsequently filtered by the blurring element to remove high frequency components of the binary projection pattern. This filtering smoothes out sharp edges of the binary projection pattern, thereby creating a blurred projection pattern that changes gradually from the low value to the high value. This gradual change can be used by the structured light system to resolve spatial changes in the 3D profile that could not otherwise be resolved using a binary pattern.