Method and apparatus for obtaining 3D image

1. An apparatus for obtaining a 3D image, the apparatus comprising:

a light transmitter configured to transmit infrared ray (IR) structured light to a recognized object;

an RGB-IR sensor configured to receive infrared rays and visible light reflected from the recognized object;

a processor configured to obtain 3D image information including depth information and a visible light image of the recognized object by using each of the infrared rays and the visible light, which are received by the RGB-IR sensor; and

a lighting controller configured to:

control a lighting cycle of the IR structured light to remove interference between a visible light measurement time period T 1 and an infrared measurement time period T 2 by separating the visible light measurement time period T 1 and the infrared measurement time period T 2 from each other, and

repeat the visible light measurement time period T 1 and the infrared measurement time period T 2 at a same period by considering a brightness of ambient light when the brightness of the ambient light is more than a predetermined conventional reference value Th 2 ,

wherein the processor is further configured to obtain infrared differential images by subtracting infrared images obtained for the visible light measurement time period T 1 from infrared images obtained for the infrared measurement time period T 2 .

2. The apparatus according to claim 1 , wherein the processor measures a depth of the recognized object by using the obtained infrared differential images.

3. The apparatus according to claim 1 , wherein the lighting controller controls the lighting cycle of the IR structured light to allow the visible light measurement time period T 1 to be longer than the infrared measurement time period T 2 if the brightness of the ambient light is less than the predetermined conventional reference value Th 2 .

4. The apparatus according to claim 1 , wherein the lighting controller controls the lighting cycle of the IR structured light to allow the infrared measurement time period T 2 only without the visible light measurement time period T 1 if the brightness of the ambient light is less than a predetermined minimum reference value Th 1 .

5. The apparatus according to claim 1 , wherein the RGB-IR sensor has an arrangement of R, G, B and IR pixels with the IR pixels not arranged at equivalent intervals.

6. The apparatus according to claim 1 , further comprising:

an image recovery processor configured to recover the 3D image of the recognized object by using the 3D image information obtained by the processor; and

a display configured to display the recovered 3D image on a screen.

7. A method for obtaining a 3D image, the method comprising:

emitting infrared ray (IR) structured light to a recognized object and receiving infrared rays and visible light reflected from the recognized object;

obtaining, via a processor, 3D image information including depth information and a visible light image of the recognized object by using each of the infrared rays and the visible light, which are received;

controlling a lighting cycle of the IR structured light to repeat a visible light measurement time period T 1 and an infrared measurement time period T 2 at a same period if a brightness of the ambient light is more than a predetermined conventional reference value Th 2 ; and

obtaining, via the processor, infrared differential images by subtracting infrared images obtained for the visible light measurement time period T 1 from infrared images obtained for the infrared measurement time period T 2 ,

wherein the lighting cycle of the IR structured light is controlled to remove interference between the visible light measurement time period T 1 and the infrared measurement time period T 2 by separating the visible light measurement time period T 1 and the infrared measurement time period T 2 from each other when the IR structured light is emitted to the recognized object.

8. The method according to claim 7 , wherein the lighting cycle of the IR structured light is controlled to allow the infrared measurement time period T 2 only without the visible light measurement time period T 1 if the brightness of the ambient light is less than a predetermined minimum reference value Th 1 .

9. The method according to claim 7 , wherein the lighting cycle of the IR structured light is controlled to allow the visible light measurement time period T 1 to be longer than the infrared measurement time period T 2 if the brightness of the ambient light is between a minimum reference value Th 1 the predetermined conventional reference value Th 2 .

10. The method according to claim 7 , wherein a depth of the recognized object is measured by using the obtained infrared differential images.

11. A method for obtaining a 3D image by emitting infrared ray (IR) structured light to a recognized object and obtaining 3D image information of the recognized object by using infrared rays and visible light reflected from the recognized object, the method comprising:

measuring ambient light;

comparing the measured ambient light with a predetermined reference value;

controlling a lighting cycle of the IR structured light to remove interference between a visible light measurement time period T 1 and an infrared measurement time period T 2 by separating the visible light measurement time period T 1 and the infrared measurement time period T 2 from each other;

controlling the lighting cycle of the IR structured light to repeat the visible light measurement time period T 1 and the infrared measurement time period T 2 at a same period if a brightness of the ambient light is more than a predetermined conventional reference value Th 2 ; and

obtaining infrared differential images by subtracting infrared images obtained for the visible light measurement time period T 1 from infrared images obtained for the infrared measurement time period T 2 and measuring a depth of the recognized object by using an obtained infrared differential images.

12. The method according to claim 11 , wherein the lighting cycle of the IR structured light is controlled to allow the infrared measurement time period T 2 only without the visible light measurement time period T 1 if the brightness of the ambient light is less than a minimum reference value Th 1 .

13. The method according to claim 11 , wherein the lighting cycle of the IR structured light is controlled to allow the visible light measurement time period T 1 to be longer than the infrared measurement time period T 2 if the brightness of the ambient light is between the minimum reference value Th 1 and the predetermined conventional reference value Th 2 .