Method and system for real-time motion artifact handling and noise removal for tof sensor images

Abstract

A method and system for real-time motion artifact handling and noise removal for time-of-flight (ToF) sensor images. The method includes: calculating values of a cross correlation function c(τ) at a plurality of temporally spaced positions or phases from sent (s(t)) and received (r(t)) signals, thereby deriving a plurality of respective cross correlation values [c(τ), c(τ), c(τ), c(τ)]; deriving, from the plurality of cross correlation values [c(τ), c(τ), c(τ), c(τ)], a depth map D having values representing, for each pixel, distance to a portion of an object upon which the sent signals (s(t)) are incident; deriving, from the plurality of cross correlation values [c(τ), c(τ), c(τ), c(τ)], a guidance image (I; I'); and generating an output image D′ based on the depth map D and the guidance image (I; I′), the output image D′ comprising an edge-preserving and smoothed version of depth map D, the edge-preserving being from guidance image (I; I′).