System and method for 3D imaging using structured light illumination

Summary

This is part of a family of patents extending the contactless 3D handprint scanner. The parent (8,224,064) showed how structured-light patterns and multi-camera capture can replace the inked roll. This continuation refines specific pieces of the system that make it practical for routine field use.

The added claims cover the physical hand port itself — positioning pegs that guide thumb and finger placement, and a calibrated backdrop pattern that lets the scanner re-tune itself on every capture rather than relying on a one-time factory calibration. Color-filtered mirrors let a single shot wrap around to the thumb and side surfaces without asking the subject to reposition.

On the algorithm side, this patent claims a dual-frequency phase-measuring approach — a low-frequency pattern that locks in the overall hand shape, paired with a high-frequency pattern that resolves ridge-level detail — and a “springs” mesh-relaxation algorithm that unwraps the 3D hand surface into the flat, rolled-fingerprint format expected by legacy databases. Together these turn the underlying science into a deployable booth that produces standards-compliant prints in seconds.