IP Library Granted Patent US 11,836,940
Granted Patent B2
US 11,836,940 · App. 16/901,868 · Granted Dec 5, 2023

Three-dimensional sensor acuity recovery assistance

Inventors: Patrick B. Tilley (Coram, NY); Ronald Zancola (Phoenix, AZ); Aleksandar Rajak (Ottawa, CA); Kevin Kar Yin Chan (Woodbridge, CA); Peter Randall Daly (Poughkeepsie, NY); Sanjeewa Thimirachandra (Kotugoda, LK); Raghavendra Tenkasi Shankar (Holbrook, NY); Alexander Miller (Ottawa, CA); Scott R. Murchison (Kanata, CA); Eliran Noach (Plainview, NY)
Assignee: Zebra Technologies Corporation
G06T7/593G06T7/90H04N13/239
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Quick Facts
Patent No.
US 11,836,940
App. No.
16/901,868
Granted
Dec 5, 2023
Kind
B2
Abstract

A computing device includes: a three-dimensional (3D) sensor configured to capture point cloud data from a field of view (FOV); an auxiliary sensor configured to capture reference depth measurements corresponding to a surface within the FOV; a controller connected with the 3D sensor and the auxiliary sensor, the controller configured to: detect a reference depth capture condition; when the reference depth capture condition satisfies a quality criterion, control the auxiliary sensor to capture a reference depth corresponding to the surface within the FOV; and initiate, based on the captured reference depth, generation of corrective data for use at the 3D sensor to capture the point cloud data.

Claims (45)

1. A computing device, comprising:

a three-dimensional (3D) sensor configured to capture point cloud data from a field of view (FOV);

an auxiliary sensor configured to capture reference depth measurements corresponding to a surface within the FOV;

a motion sensor;

a controller connected with the 3D sensor and the auxiliary sensor, the controller configured to:

detect a reference depth capture condition;

when the reference depth capture condition satisfies a quality criterion, wherein the quality criterion includes a target orientation:

(a) control the auxiliary sensor to capture a reference depth corresponding to the surface within the FOV, and

(b) initiate, based on the captured reference depth, generation of corrective data for use at the 3D sensor to capture the point cloud data;

wherein:

the controller, in order to detect the reference depth capture condition, obtains a device orientation from the motion sensor.

2. The computing device of claim 1 , wherein the 3D sensor includes a stereo camera; and wherein the auxiliary sensor includes a range finder.

3. The computing device of claim 1 , wherein the auxiliary sensor has a field of view overlapping with the FOV of the 3D sensor.

4. The computing device of claim 1 , wherein the target orientation places an FOV of the auxiliary sensor substantially orthogonal to the surface.

5. The computing device of claim 1 , wherein the reference depth capture condition includes an initial depth measurement; and wherein the quality criterion includes upper and lower depth thresholds.

6. The computing device of claim 1 , wherein the controller is further configured to:

detect a characteristic of the surface; and

apply an adjustment to the reference depth prior to initiation of the corrective data generation, based on the detected surface characteristic.

7. The computing device of claim 6 , wherein the surface characteristic includes at least one of color and reflectance.

8. The computing device of claim 1 , wherein the controller is further configured, prior to detection of the reference depth capture condition, to:

monitor a device condition; and

determine that the device condition indicates an excursion.

9. The computing device of claim 8 , wherein the device condition includes at least one of an indication of device motion, power status, and temperature.

10. The computing device of claim 1 , wherein the controller is further configured, responsive to initiating generation of the corrective data, to monitor a device condition and interrupt the generation of corrective data if the device condition indicates an excursion.

11. A method, comprising:

detecting a reference depth capture condition, detecting the reference capture condition includes obtaining a device orientation from a motion sensor of a computing device;

when the reference depth capture condition satisfies a quality criterion, wherein the quality criterion includes a target orientation:

(a) controlling an auxiliary sensor of the computing device to capture a reference depth corresponding to a surface within an FOV of a three-dimensional (3D) sensor of the computing device, and

(b) initiating, based on the captured reference depth, generation of corrective data for use at the 3D sensor to capture point cloud data; and

when the reference depth capture condition does not satisfy the quality criterion, detecting a new reference depth capture condition.

12. The method of claim 11 , wherein the 3D sensor includes a stereo camera; and wherein the auxiliary sensor includes a range finder.

13. The method of claim 11 , wherein the auxiliary sensor has a field of view overlapping with the FOV of the 3D sensor.

14. The method of claim 11 , wherein the target orientation places an FOV of the auxiliary sensor substantially orthogonal to the surface.

15. The method of claim 11 , wherein the reference depth capture condition includes an initial depth measurement; and wherein the quality criterion includes upper and lower depth thresholds.

16. The method of claim 11 , further comprising:

detecting, before initiating generation of corrective data for use at the 3D sensor to capture point cloud data, a characteristic of the surface; and

applying an adjustment to the reference depth prior to initiation of the corrective data generation, based on the detected surface characteristic.

17. The method of claim 16 , wherein the surface characteristic includes at least one of color and reflectance.

18. The method of claim 11 , further comprising, prior to detection of the reference depth capture condition:

monitoring a device condition; and

determining that the device condition indicates an excursion.

19. The method of claim 18 , wherein the device condition includes at least one of an indication of device motion, power status, and temperature.

20. The method of claim 11 , further comprising, responsive to initiating generation of the corrective data: monitoring a device condition and interrupting the generation of corrective data if the device condition indicates an excursion.

21. The method of claim 11 , further comprising:

controlling, after detecting a reference depth capture condition, an output device to present operator feedback associated with the detected reference depth capture condition.

Assignments (4)
SECURITY INTEREST Recorded Apr 12, 2021
From: ZEBRA TECHNOLOGIES CORPORATION
To: JPMORGAN CHASE BANK, N.A.
Reel/Frame 056471/0868 →
RELEASE OF SECURITY INTEREST - 364 - DAY Recorded Mar 5, 2021
From: JPMORGAN CHASE BANK, N.A.
To: ZEBRA TECHNOLOGIES CORPORATION; LASER BAND, LLC; TEMPTIME CORPORATION
Reel/Frame 056036/0590 →
SECURITY INTEREST Recorded Sep 1, 2020
From: ZEBRA TECHNOLOGIES CORPORATION; LASER BAND, LLC; TEMPTIME CORPORATION
To: JPMORGAN CHASE BANK, N.A.
Reel/Frame 053841/0212 →
ASSIGNMENT OF ASSIGNOR'S INTEREST Recorded Aug 25, 2020
From: TILLEY, PATRICK B.; ZANCOLA, RONALD; RAJAK, ALEKSANDAR; CHAN, KEVIN KAR YIN; DALY, PETER RANDALL; THIMIRACHANDRA, SANJEEWA; TENKASI SHANKAR, RAGHAVENDRA; MILLER, ALEXANDER; MURCHISON, SCOTT R.; NOACH, ELIRAN
To: ZEBRA TECHNOLOGIES CORPORATION
Reel/Frame 053588/0459 →