A smartphone may be freely moved in three dimensions as it captures a stream of images of an object. Multiple image frames may be captured in different orientations and distances from the object and combined into a composite image representing an three-dimensional image of the object. The image frames may be formed into the composite image based on representing features of each image frame as a set of points in a three dimensional depth map. Coordinates of the points in the depth map may be estimated with a level of certainty. The level of certainty may be used to determine which points are included in the composite image. The selected points may be smoothed and a mesh model may be formed by creating a convex hull of the selected points. The mesh model and associated texture information may be used to render a three-dimensional representation of the object on a two-dimensional display. Additional techniques include processing and formatting of the three-dimensional representation data to be printed by a three-dimensional printer so a three-dimensional model of the object may be formed.

A smartphone may be freely moved in three dimensions as it captures a stream of images of an object. Multiple image frames may be captured in different orientations and distances from the object and combined into a composite image representing an three-dimensional image of the object. The image frames may be formed into the composite image based on representing features of each image frame as a set of points in a three dimensional depth map. Coordinates of the points in the depth map may be estimated with a level of certainty. The level of certainty may be used to determine which points are included in the composite image. The selected points may be smoothed and a mesh model may be formed by creating a convex hull of the selected points. The mesh model and associated texture information may be used to render a three-dimensional representation of the object on a two-dimensional display. Additional techniques include processing and formatting of the three-dimensional representation data to be printed by a three-dimensional printer so a three-dimensional model of the object may be formed.

The present invention provides a method for measuring depth of field of an image, including: (a) picking up a first image at a first position; (b) driving the optical lens to move to a second position in a direction along a non-optical axis, and picking up a second image at the second position; and (c) obtaining depth-of-field data of either the first image or the second image by using a difference between the first image and the second image. In addition, the present invention also provides an image pickup device and an electronic device using the method.

Methods, an apparatus, and software media are provided for removing unwanted information such as moving or temporary foreground objects from a video sequence. The method performs, for each pixel, a statistical analysis to create a background data model whose color values can be used to detect and remove the unwanted information. This includes determining a prevalent color cluster from among k clusters of color values for the pixel in successive frames. The method uses k-means clustering. To replace the unwanted information, the method iterates frames to find frames in which a pixel's color value is not included in the prevalent color cluster. In those frames, it replaces the pixel's color value with a value from the prevalent color cluster.

Methods, an apparatus, and software media are provided for removing unwanted information such as moving or temporary foreground objects from a video sequence. The method performs, for each pixel, a statistical analysis to create a background data model whose color values can be used to detect and remove the unwanted information. This includes determining a prevalent color cluster from among k clusters of color values for the pixel in successive frames. The method uses k-means clustering. To replace the unwanted information, the method iterates frames to find frames in which a pixel's color value is not included in the prevalent color cluster. In those frames, it replaces the pixel's color value with a value from the prevalent color cluster.

A computing device can determine its position relative to a reference point. The device can render a portion of content too large to be suitably displayed in full on a display of the device. The device can render the content in full to appear (i.e., can virtually position the entire content) to be located in a stationary position relative to the reference point. The device can detect a change to its position, such as a movement of the device caused by a user of the device. Based on the detected change to the device's position, the device can modify which portion of the entire content to render. The rendered portion of the entire content can change corresponding to where and how the device moves.

A time of flight sensor includes control circuitry and a time of flight pixel array. The control circuitry is coupled to synchronously send a sync signal. The time of flight pixel array includes a plurality of time of flight pixel cells. Each one of the time of flight pixel cells includes a photosensor and a delay circuit. The photosensor is configured to generate an image signal in response to receiving photons from a light pulse reflected from an object. The delay circuit is coupled to generate a delayed sync signal in response to the sync signal. The delay circuit includes a delay transistor. The time of flight pixel array includes a transistor gradient where a transistor gate length of the delay transistor varies so that each of the time of flight pixel cells receive their respective delayed sync signal at a same time.

A microscope device includes an illumination optical system that illuminates a specimen with a light sheet, and a stereo image capturing device that captures images of the specimen in a plurality of different directions in which a resolution based on a triangulation method in a Z direction orthogonal to a direction of one or a plurality of light sheets formed on the specimen by the illumination optical system is less than a thickness in the Z direction of light sheet illumination that comprises the one or the plurality of light sheets.

An imaging platform and camera system with an oscillating platform having two dimensions or degrees of freedom of movement having three parallel axes about a single mounting position, an accelerometer, light meters, central processing unit, software techniques and sequence of imaging methodology to create a matrix of images by converting XYZ data into a 2-D matrix. A set of images, tagged with XYZ data at a range of degrees, are placed into the matrix. Adjacent, corresponding and opposite images for specific locations and object placement are captured. Patterns are created from sets of images previously photographed from exact XYZ coordinates that correspond to the 2-D matrix pattern, creating an illusion of 3-D oscillation of the objects, including dynamic texture, color and glimmer.

For obtaining two captured images suitable for a monocular stereoscopic method, without stopping the conveyance of a workpiece, a first pixel region is selected during the conveyance of the workpiece, and image capturing is performed. If it is determined that an image of a first mark member has been captured, a first pixel region is selected, and an image of the workpiece is captured.

Next, a second pixel region is selected, and image capturing is performed. If it is determined that an image of a second mark member has been captured, a second pixel region is selected, and an image of the workpiece is captured. Through the above imaging operation, two captured images to be used for three-dimensional measurement performed by the monocular stereoscopic method are acquired.