Light ray based calibration system and method

Number: 10609365
Published: 2020-03-31
Filed: 2016-04-05
Assignee: DISNEY ENTERPRISES, INC.
Inventors: Grundhöfer; Anselm, Beeler; Dominik Thabo
CPC: H04N17/002
Verdict: Low Hardware
Source: Google Patents · FreePatentsOnline

The keeper's note

Light-ray-based camera/projector calibration hardware technique.

Abstract

The present disclosure relates to a system and method for calibrating an optical device, such as a camera. In one example, the system includes a light-emitting device that generates light patterns and an ray generator that is positioned between the light-emitting device and the optical device. The ray generator separates the light emitted as part of the light patterns into a plurality of directional rays. The optical device then captures the directional rays and the captured data, along with data corresponding to the light pattern and the ray generator, are used to calibrate the optical device.

Background

TECHNICAL FIELD(1) The technology described herein relates generally to methods and systems for calibrating optical devices.BACKGROUND(2) Many applications, such as measurement systems, require that the lens properties of cameras are calibrated. Certain lens properties can affect the accuracy of images captured by a camera and can be difficult to detect. Accurate images captured by a camera can be used to calibrate other devices such as projectors, track objects, determine depth of objects, image stitching, three dimensional reconstruction, and so on. Given that the accuracy of the camera images are required in order to have accurate data entry into the other uses for the images, cameras are often required to be calibrated before use.(3) Conventional calibration methods are typically time intensive, cumbersome, and/or require specialized calibration hardware and software tools. One conventional calibration method requires a planar checkboard that is moved around by a user to different spatial locations around the camera. The user then captures images of the checkboard in the different locations and this information is used to determine the lens properties of the camera. While this technique can generate acceptable calibration results, it depends heavily on the experience of the user, is very time intensive, and requires a large amount of space in order to accurately calibrate the various lens properties of the camera.SUMMARY(4) One example of the present disclosure relates to

Claims

1. A system for calibrating an optical device comprising: a light emitting device that generates one or more structured light patterns; a light ray generator in optical communication with the light emitting device for generating directional light rays from the one or more structured light patterns, wherein the light ray generator is in optical communication with the optical device; and a computer in electronic communication with the optical device; wherein the ray generator separates light of the one or more structured light patterns emitted from the light emitting device to generate a plurality of directional light rays, the directional light rays representing points at different depths; and an image of the directional light rays corresponding to the one or more structured light patterns are captured by the optical device; and the computer determines one or more lens properties of the optical device for one or more calibration settings based on the image of the directional light rays representing points at different depths corresponding to the one or more structured light patterns captured by the optical device. 12. A method for calibrating an optical device comprising: generating by a light-generating device, a structured light calibration pattern; separating by a ray generator the structured light calibration pattern into a plurality of directional light rays, the directional light rays representing points at different depths; capturing one or more images by the optical device of the plurality of directional light rays representing points at different depths; and determining by a processing element one or more lens properties of the optical device for one or more calibration settings based on the directional light ray images captured by the optical device. 18. A calibration assembly for use in calibrating a camera, comprising: an emitting device that generates light wavelengths; and an optical mask in optical communication with the emitting device; wherein the emitting device generates light wavelengths corresponding to a plurality of structured light calibration patterns; the optical mask separates the light wavelengths of the plurality of structured light calibration patterns emitted from the emitting device into one or more directional light rays, wherein the directional light rays represent points at different depths and are captured by the camera to be calibrated; and a processing element in electronic communication with the camera and the emitting device, wherein the processing element determines one or more calibration settings for the camera based on the directional light rays captured by the camera and the plurality of structured light calibration patterns.