Abstract An apparatus for measuring the elevation of a three-dimensional foreground subject which comprises the steps of determining the interrelationship of the first and second images of the three-dimensional foreground subject photographed at two different points to find minute mutually corresponding areas in two images; correcting the first photographed image according to the displacement of the corresponding areas from each other; again determining the interrelationship of the corrected first pseudo-image and the noncorrected second image; correcting the second image by said interrelationship to provide a corrected second pseudo-image; determining the interrelationship of said corrected second pseudo-image and the original second image; repeating the above-mentioned operation; when the determined displacements of the first and second images fall to below a certain value, calculating an algebraic sum of all the determined displacements of said first and second images; and finally measuring the elevation of a three-dimensional foreground subject from the calculated algebraic sum, a distance between the aforesaid two different points of photographing and the already measured height of said two points.
Inventors
👤 Masatsugu Kidode
👤 Haruo Asada
Bibliographic Details
Application Number—
JurisdictionUS
Data Sourcegoogle_patents
Last Synchronized2026-10-23 02:02
CPC Classifications
G; G01; G01C; G01C11/00; G01C11/04; G01C11/06
Claims Analysis
Total Claims: 5
Claim 1
Independent Claim
274 words
An apparatus for measuring the elevation of a three-dimensional foreground subject by first and second images photographed at two points of known height and having a distance therebetween, which comprises: photoelectric conversion means for generating electric signals representing said photographed first and second images each divided into a plurality of minute areas; a first memory coupled to said photoelectric conversion means for storing electric signals representing said first image supplied from said conversion means; a second memory coupled to said photoelectric conversion means for storing electric signals representing said second image supplied from said conversion means; a correlator coupled to said first and second memories for determining from output signals supplied from the first and second memories a minute area of said second image which has a shade most similar to that of a certain minute area of said first image; calculating means coupled to said correlator for calculating displacement of said determined minute area of the second image and said certain minute area of the first image; correcting means coupled to said calculating means for correcting a pattern of one image to the extent of said calculated displacement, said memory for said one image, correlator, calculating means and correcting means constituting a feed back circuit which is operated until the value of said displacement comes to have a prescribed level; adding means coupled to said calculating means for algebraicly summing all calculated displacements when operation of said feed back circuit is completed; and measuring means coupled to said adding means for measuring by said algebraic sum, said elevation of said three-dimensional foreground subject, said height of said two points and said distance therebetween.
Claim 2
Independent Claim
274 words
An apparatus for measuring the elevation of a three-dimensional foreground subject by first and second images photographed at two points of known height and having a distance therebetween, which comprises: photoelectric conversion means for generating electric signals representing said photographed first and second images each divided into a plurality of minute areas; a first memory coupled to said photoelectric conversion means for storing electric signals representing said first image supplied from said conversion means; a second memory coupled to said photoelectric conversion means for storing electric signals representing said second image supplied from said conversion means; a correlator coupled to said first and second memories for determining from output signals supplied from the first and second memories a minute area of said second image which has a shade most similar to that of a certain minute area of said first image; calculating means coupled to said correlator for calculating displacement of said determined minute area of the second image and said certain minute area of the first image; correcting means coupled to said calculating means for correcting a pattern of one image to the extent of said calculated displacement, said memory for said one image, correlator, calculating means and correcting means constituting a feed back circuit which is operated until the value of said displacement comes to have a prescribed level; adding means coupled to said calculating means for algebraicly summing all calculated displacements when operation of said feed back circuit is completed; and measuring means coupled to said adding means for measuring by said algebraic sum, said elevation of said three-dimensional foreground subject, said height of said two points and said distance therebetween.
Claim 3
Dependent Claim
30 words
An apparatus according to claim 1, wherein: said photoelectric conversion means comprises a photoelectric conversion device for producing signals corresponding to light and shade in said first and second images.
Claim 4
Dependent Claim
36 words
An apparatus according to claim 1, wherein: said first and second memories respectively comprise corresponding control circuits and are loaded with data on all minute areas of said first and second images by said control circuits.
Claim 5
Dependent Claim
60 words
An apparatus according to claim 3, wherein: said correlator comprises a correlation circuit for correlating all minute areas of said second image and said certain minute area of said first image and a maximum value-detecting circuit for finding one minute area of said second image having a maximum degree of correlation to said certain minute area of said first image.