Apparatus and method for acquisition of 3D images

Claim 1

Apparatus for acquiring digital data corresponding to a three-dimensional visual object comprising a frame opening for defining a field of view located in proximity to said three-dimensional image but in no fixed positional relationship thereto, means for scanning the object with a visual scanning plane which forms a line intersection with said object and with the plane of said frame opening, a reference surface positioned in the proximity of said object within said field of view for manifesting a point within said scanning plane, digital storage means, a video camera for producing signals comprising a scanning frame corresponding to the locus of the intersection of said scanning plane with the surface of said object and with said reference surface, means for storing said signals in said digital storage for a plurality of scanning frames for different angles of incidence of said scanning plane with the plane of said frame, and means for deriving the z dimension of each point of said line intersection for each scanning frame, whereby said digital storage means stores the x, y, z dimensions of each point on the surface of said object which is scanned.

Claim 10

A method of acquiring positional data corresponding to a scanned three-dimensional object, comprising the steps of placing the object within a field of view defined by a reference frame opening with no particular positional relation relative to said reference frame opening, placing a reference line in said field of view in a fixed position relative to said frame opening, illuminating said subject simultaneously with a planar scanning beam making a line intersection with the surface contour of said object and a point of intersection with a reference line parallel to said frame opening, using a video camera to produce electrical signals corresponding to the x, y position of the line of intersection of the scanning plane with said object and with said reference line, sweeping across said object with said scanning plane while making successive records of the x, y positions of said intersection line with said video camera, repeating the scanning with a beam forming a different angle of incidence with said frame opening, and using the points of intersection of said scan plane with said reference line to identify the z dimension of each point of said object which is scanned by said scanning beams, and digitally storing the x, y, z positions of each of said points.

Claim 11

A method of acquiring positional data corresponding to a scanned three-dimensional object, comprising the steps of placing the object within a field of view defined by a reference frame opening with no particular positional relation relative to said reference frame opening, placing a reference line in said field of view in a fixed position relative to said frame opening, illuminating said subject simultaneously with a planar scanning beam making a line intersection with the surface contour of said object and a point of intersection with a reference line parallel to said frame opening, using a video camera to produce electrical signals corresponding to the x, y position of the line of intersection of the scanning plane with said object and with said reference line, sweeping across said object with said scanning plane while making successive records of the x, y positions of said intersection line with said video camera, repeating the scanning with a beam forming a different angle of incidence with said frame opening, and using the points of intersection of said scan plane with said reference line to identify the z dimension of each point of said object which is scanned by said scanning beams, and digitally storing the x, y, z positions of each of said points.

Claim 18

A method of acquiring positional data corresponding to a scanned three-dimensional object, comprising the steps of placing the object within a field of view of a video camera with no particular positional relation relative to said camera, illuminating said subject simultaneously with a planar scanning beam making a line intersection with the surface contour of said object, storing data corresponding to the initial position of said scanning beam relative to said object, using said video camera to produce elecrical signals corresponding to the X,Y position of the line of intersection of the scanning plane with said object and with a reference line, sweeping across said object with said scanning plane while making successive records of the X,Y positions of said interseciton line with said video camera, repeating the scanning with a beam forming a different angle of incidence with said object, and using the points of intersection of said scan plane and said stored data to identify the Z dimension of each point of said object which is scanned by said scanning beams, and digitally storing the X,Y,Z positions of each of said points.

Claim 19

A method of acquiring positional data corresponding to a scanned three-dimensional object, comprising the steps of placing the object within a field of view of a video camera with no particular positional relation relative to said camera, illuminating said subject simultaneously with a planar scanning beam making a line intersection with the surface contour of said object, storing data corresponding to the initial position of said scanning beam relative to said object, using said video camera to produce elecrical signals corresponding to the X,Y position of the line of intersection of the scanning plane with said object and with a reference line, sweeping across said object with said scanning plane while making successive records of the X,Y positions of said interseciton line with said video camera, repeating the scanning with a beam forming a different angle of incidence with said object, and using the points of intersection of said scan plane and said stored data to identify the Z dimension of each point of said object which is scanned by said scanning beams, and digitally storing the X,Y,Z positions of each of said points.