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EP0600709A2 Expired / Lapsed EP ⏱️ 0.0 years remaining

Range-image processing apparatus and method

Assignee: Canon Inc
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Filing: 1993-11-30
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Granted: —
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Expires: 2013-11-30
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Abstract

Abstract A range image is input, a plurality of range images having different resolutions are generated from the input range image, normal vectors are calculated for each of the plurality of generated range images, an edge map is formed for each of the plurality of range images based on the calculated normal vectors, a single edge map is formed by synthesizing the plurality of formed edge maps, and polygon data for describing the surface shape of the object represented by the input range image are formed based on the synthesized edge map. It is thereby possible to form polygon data having high precision which represent characteristics of the surface shape of the object in an excellent manner with a small amount of data.

Inventors

  • 👤 Takeo C/O Canon Kabushiki Kaisha Kimura
  • 👤 Haruo C/O Canon Kabushiki Kaisha Shimizu
  • 👤 Osamu C/O Canon Kabushiki Kaisha Yoshizaki
  • 👤 Yoshifumi C/O Canon Kabushiki Kaisha Kitamura

Bibliographic Details

Application Number —
Jurisdiction EP
Data Source google_patents
Last Synchronized 2026-11-09 19:35
CPC Classifications
G; G06; G06T; G06T17/00; G06T17/20

Claims Analysis

Total Claims: 27
Claim 1
Independent Claim 135 words
A range-image processing apparatus, comprising: input means for inputting a range image; generation means for generating a plurality of range images having different resolutions from the range image input by said input means; calculation means for calculating normal vectors for each of the plurality of range images generated by said generation means; edge-map formation means for forming an edge map for each of the plurality of range images based on the normal vectors calculated by said calculation means; synthesis means for synthesizing a single edge map by synthesizing the plurality of edge maps formed by said edge-map formation means; and polygon-data formation means for forming polygon data for describing the surface shape of the object represented by the range image input by said input means based on the edge map synthesized by said synthesis means.
Claim 2
Dependent Claim 26 words
An apparatus according to Claim 1, wherein said generation means makes the range image input by said input means a range image having the highest resolution.
Claim 3
Dependent Claim 32 words
An apparatus according to Claim 1, wherein, in a synthesis operation, said synthesis means protects edges possessed by a high-resolution range image from among the plurality of edge maps to be synthesized.
Claim 4
Dependent Claim 40 words
An apparatus according to Claim 3, further comprising correction means for correcting the contour of a low-resolution edge map from among the plurality of edge maps formed by said edge-map formation means before an synthesis operation by said synthesis means.
Claim 5
Dependent Claim 16 words
An apparatus according to Claim 4, wherein said correction means removes edges corresponding to the contour.
Claim 6
Dependent Claim 116 words
A range-image processing apparatus, comprising: input means for inputting a range image; calculation means for calculating normal vectors for the range image input by said input means; edge-map formation means for forming an edge map for the range image based on the normal vectors calculated by said calculation means; detection means for detecting non-closed edges by scanning the edge map formed by said edge-map formation means; shaping means for deleting or extending the non-closed edges detected by said detection means; and polygon-data formation means for forming polygon data for describing the surface shape of the object represented by the range image input by said input means based on the edge map shaped by said shaping means.
Claim 7
Dependent Claim 21 words
An apparatus according to Claim 6, wherein said shaping means deletes each edge comprising less than two segments of straight lines.
Claim 8
Dependent Claim 29 words
An apparatus according to Claim 6, wherein said shaping means extends each edge comprising at least two segments of straight lines until the edge is connected to another edge.
Claim 9
Dependent Claim 39 words
An apparatus according to Claim 8, wherein said shaping means deletes each edge comprising at least two segments of straight lines if the edge goes outside the map before it is connected to another edge when it is extended.
Claim 10
Dependent Claim 138 words
A range-image processing apparatus, comprising: input means for inputting a range image; calculation means for calculating normal vectors for the range image input by said input means; setting means for setting a scanning interval for scanning the range image input by said input means; edge detection means for scanning the range image input by said input means with the interval set by said setting means, and for detecting edges in the range image based on the input range image and the normal vectors calculated by said calculation means; edge generation means for generating new edges based on the input range image and the normal vectors calculated by said calculation means; and edge-map formation means for forming an edge map based on the edges detected by said edge detection means and the edges generated by said edge generation means.
Claim 11
Dependent Claim 17 words
An apparatus according to Claim 10, wherein said edge detection means detects jump edges and roof edges.
Claim 12
Dependent Claim 14 words
An apparatus according to Claim 10, wherein said edge generation means generates roof edges.
Claim 13
Dependent Claim 94 words
A range-image processing method, comprising the steps of: inputting a range image; generating a plurality of range images having different resolutions from the input range image, and calculating normal vectors for each of the plurality of generated range images; forming an edge map for each of the plurality of range images based on the calculated normal vectors; forming a single edge map by synthesizing the plurality of formed edge maps; and forming polygon data for describing the surface shape of the object represented by the input range image based on the synthesized edge map.
Claim 14
Dependent Claim 29 words
A method according to Claim 13, wherein when generating the plurality of range images, the input range image is made to be a range image having the highest resolution.
Claim 15
Dependent Claim 30 words
A method according to Claim 13, wherein, in said synthesizing step, edges possessed by a high-resolution range image from among the plurality of edge maps to be synthesized are protected.
Claim 16
Dependent Claim 31 words
A method according to Claim 15, further comprising the step of correcting the contour of a low-resolution edge map from among the plurality of formed edge maps before said synthesizing step.
Claim 17
Dependent Claim 16 words
A method according to Claim 16, wherein said correcting step removes edges corresponding to the contour.
Claim 18
Dependent Claim 79 words
A range-image processing method, comprising the steps of: inputting a range image; calculating normal vectors for the input range image; forming an edge map for the range image based on the calculated normal vectors; detecting non-closed edges by scanning the formed edge map; performing a shaping operation which deletes or extends the detected non-closed edges; and forming polygon data for describing the surface shape of the object represented by the input range image based on the shaped edge map.
Claim 19
Dependent Claim 21 words
A method according to Claim 18, wherein said shaping step deletes an edge comprising less than two segments of straight lines.
Claim 20
Dependent Claim 28 words
A method according to Claim 18, wherein said shaping step extends an edge comprising at least two segments of straight lines until it is connected to another edge.
Claim 21
Dependent Claim 39 words
An apparatus according to Claim 20, wherein said shaping step deletes an edge comprising at least two segments of straight lines if the edge goes outside the map before it is connected to another edge when it is extended.
Claim 22
Dependent Claim 85 words
A range-image processing method, comprising the steps of: inputting a range image; calculating normal vectors for the input range image; setting a scanning interval for scanning the input range image; scanning the input range image input with the set interval; detecting edges in the range image based on the input range image and the calculated normal vectors; generating new edges based on the input range image and the calculated normal vectors; and forming an edge map based on the detected edges and the generated edges.
Claim 23
Dependent Claim 17 words
A method according to Claim 22, wherein said edge detecting step detects jump edges and roof edges.
Claim 24
Dependent Claim 14 words
A method according to Claim 22, wherein said edge generating step generates roof edges.
Claim 25
Independent Claim 39 words
An apparatus for converting polygon mesh data of a first high resolution level into polygon mesh data of mixed resolution, by reference to surface normal variations across the mesh and/or correspondency between polygon edges between high and low-resolution meshes.
Claim 26
Dependent Claim 19 words
An apparatus according to claim 25 wherein said high-resolution mesh data is derived from a range-image of an object.
Claim 27
Dependent Claim 30 words
A signal or recording thereof wherein range-data for an object are encoded in the form of a mixed-resolution polygon mesh generated by a method or apparatus of any preceding claim.

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