The patent badge is an abbreviated version of the USPTO patent document. The patent badge does contain a link to the full patent document.
The patent badge is an abbreviated version of the USPTO patent document. The patent badge covers the following: Patent number, Date patent was issued, Date patent was filed, Title of the patent, Applicant, Inventor, Assignee, Attorney firm, Primary examiner, Assistant examiner, CPCs, and Abstract. The patent badge does contain a link to the full patent document (in Adobe Acrobat format, aka pdf). To download or print any patent click here.
Patent No.:
Date of Patent:
Apr. 17, 2012
Filed:
Aug. 18, 2009
Tatsumi Watanabe, Osaka, JP;
Yasuhiro Kuwahara, Osaka, JP;
Takeshi Ito, Osaka, JP;
Bumpei Toji, Gifu, JP;
Daisuke Sato, Osaka, JP;
Shinya Kiuchi, Osaka, JP;
Yoshiaki Owaki, Osaka, JP;
Tatsumi Watanabe, Osaka, JP;
Yasuhiro Kuwahara, Osaka, JP;
Takeshi Ito, Osaka, JP;
Bumpei Toji, Gifu, JP;
Daisuke Sato, Osaka, JP;
Shinya Kiuchi, Osaka, JP;
Yoshiaki Owaki, Osaka, JP;
Panasonic Corporation, Osaka, JP;
Abstract
Attempts to achieve a higher resolution and a higher frame rate of a distance image when a distance to an object within a target space is estimated using the TOF method would cause CCD saturation due to shot noise or environment light, and lower distance precision. A distance estimation apparatus illuminates an object with illumination light for distance estimation emitted from a light source that can emit light (electromagnetic wave) having a predetermined illumination frequency, receives reflected light of the illumination light, obtains information about the distance from the apparatus to the object, generates distance image data based on the distance information, extracts edge information of a color image formed using a visible light component obtained in synchronization with the reflected light, and corrects distance information of a target part of the distance image using distance information of a neighboring part of the target part based on the edge information.