Handheld multi-sensor system for sizing irregular objects

Abstract

A handheld scanner system for obtaining sizing of an irregularly shaped object. The system includes a housing and an inertial measurement unit configured to record orientation and displacement history of the housing. An optical module includes at least one 3D optical sensor configured to generate a 3D point cloud of information about the object. A radar module includes at least one radar sensor configured to sense spacing between the housing and the object. A processor receives data from the inertial measurement unit, the optical module and the radar module and creates a map representing the object based on the received data.

What is claimed is: 
     
         1 . A handheld scanner system for obtaining sizing of an irregularly shaped object, the system comprising:
 a housing,   an optical module including at least one 3D optical sensor configured to generate a 3D point cloud of information about the object;   a radar module including at least one radar sensor configured to sense spacing between the housing and the object; and   a processor which receives data from the optical module and the radar module and creates a map representing the object based on the received data.   
     
     
         2 . The handheld scanner system according to  claim 1  wherein the optical system provides dimensional information of a visual surface of the object and the optical dimensional information is utilized to provide a reference point for the radar processing system to fine tune the dimensional information of a surface of the object below the visual surface. 
     
     
         3 . The handheld scanner system according to  claim 2  wherein the object is an individual wearing a garment and the garment defines the visual surface and the individual's body defines the surface of the object below the visual surface. 
     
     
         4 . The handheld scanner system according to  claim 1  wherein the 3D point cloud is used to aid in resolving the radar data into a surface. 
     
     
         5 . The handheld scanner system according to  claim 1  wherein the 3D point cloud is used along with statistical fitting for a variety of body types and refinement is obtained by incorporation of the radar ranging data. 
     
     
         6 . The handheld scanner system according to  claim 1  wherein the processor uses the 3D point cloud as a starting point to limit the solution sets of a radar trilateration algorithm to determine the dimensional information of an area of interest. 
     
     
         7 . The handheld scanner system according to  claim 1  wherein the processor utilizes a side scan radar algorithm to determine range information to the target. 
     
     
         8 . The handheld scanner system according to  claim 1  wherein the radar module operates in any band from 1 GHz to 1 THz. 
     
     
         9 . The handheld scanner system according to  claim 1  wherein each radar sensor includes an antenna combination of a transmitting element and a receiving element. 
     
     
         10 . The handheld scanner system according to  claim 9  wherein the processor is configured to dwell on one or more antenna combinations based on threshold criteria and the associated correspondence between optical and radar data. 
     
     
         11 . The handheld scanner system according to  claim 9  wherein the system includes at least two radar sensors with associated transmitting elements  52  and receiving elements  54  having a relative spacing of 1:1:2. 
     
     
         12 . The handheld scanner system according to  claim 1  wherein the processor is configured to compute and maintain state vector estimates using available sensor data from an inertial measurement unit. 
     
     
         13 . The handheld scanner system according to  claim 12  wherein the state vector estimates are validated against estimates from an optical processing routine. 
     
     
         14 . The handheld scanner system according to  claim 1  wherein the system is configured to communicate with a host processor. 
     
     
         15 . The handheld scanner system according to  claim 14  wherein the processor outputs the created map to the host processor. 
     
     
         16 . The handheld scanner system according to  claim 1  wherein the housing defines a handle. 
     
     
         17 . The handheld scanner system according to  claim 1  wherein the system is configured to provide feedback to an operator. 
     
     
         18 . The handheld scanner system according to  claim 17  wherein the feedback is haptic, auditory, visual or a combination thereof.