Illumination apparatus, imaging system, and illumination method

• US 10,091,404 B2
• Filed: 11/15/2016
• Issued: 10/02/2018
• Est. Priority Date: 06/12/2015
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Panasonic Intellectual Property Management Co., Ltd. (Panasonic Holdings Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Panasonic Intellectual Property Management Co., Ltd. (Panasonic Holdings Corporation)
• Inventors: Imagawa, Taro
• Primary Examiner(s): Ye, Lin
• Assistant Examiner(s): YODER III, CHRISS S
• Application Number:
  US15/351,765
• Publication Number:
  US 20170064171A1
• Time in Patent Office: 686 Days
• CPC Class Codes: G03B 15/05 Combinations of cameras with electronic flash apparatus; Electronic flash units
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 23/56 provided with illuminating means
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 23/71 Circuitry for evaluating the brightness variation
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 23/73 by influencing the exposure time
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 23/74 by influencing the scene brightness using illuminating means
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 23/81 for suppressing or minimising disturbance in the image signal generation
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 25/531 by controlling rolling shutters in CMOS SSIS

Abstract

The illumination apparatus according to the present disclosure emits illumination light to an object which is to be captured by an imaging apparatus that captures an imaging area for every predetermined capturing unit. The illumination apparatus includes a controller that acquires imaging information including a scanning timing from the imaging apparatus to calculate an imaging range of the imaging apparatus at each the scanning timing, determines an illumination range at each the scanning timing using a distance to the imaging apparatus from the object present within the imaging range and a positional relation between the imaging apparatus and the illumination apparatus, and controls emission of the illumination light to the determined illumination range in synchronization with the scanning timing.

Claims

1. An illumination apparatus that emits illumination light to an object, which is to be captured by an imaging apparatus that captures an imaging area for every predetermined capturing unit, the illumination apparatus comprising:

a controller configured to;

acquire imaging information including a scanning timing and to acquire distance information indicating a distance to the imaging apparatus from the object, from the imaging apparatus to calculate an imaging range of the imaging apparatus at each scanning timing;

determine an illumination range at each scanning timing using the distance information and a positional relation between the imaging apparatus and the illumination apparatus; and

control emission of the illumination light to the determined illumination range in synchronization with the scanning timing.

2. The illumination apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the controller is further configured to switch the illumination range to a range including the imaging area using a predetermined condition.

3. The illumination apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the controller is further configured to switch the illumination range to a range including the imaging area, when a scattering intensity of scattering light due to the illumination light is smaller than a predetermined value.

4. The illumination apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the controller is further configured to switch the illumination range to a range including the imaging area, when a positional deviation between the determined illumination range and the illumination light actually emitted exceeds a predetermined degree.

5. The illumination apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the controller is further configured to switch the illumination range to a range including the imaging area, when a value of the distance is outside a predetermined range.

6. The illumination apparatus according to claim 1, wherein

the imaging information includes an exposure time, and

the controller is further configured to determine the illumination range according to a length of the exposure time.

7. The illumination apparatus according to claim 1, further comprising a distance measurement unit configured to calculate the distance information.

8. An imaging system comprising:

an imaging apparatus configured to capture an imaging area for every predetermined capturing unit; and

at least one illumination apparatus configured to emit illumination light to an object to be captured by the imaging apparatus,

wherein the at least one illumination apparatus includes a controller configured to;

acquire imaging information including a scanning timing and to acquire distance information indicating a distance to the imaging apparatus from the object, from the imaging apparatus to calculate an imaging range of the imaging apparatus at each scanning timing;

determine an illumination range at each scanning timing using the distance information and a positional relation between the imaging apparatus and the illumination apparatus; and

control emission of the illumination light to the determined illumination range in synchronization with the scanning timing.

9. The imaging system according to claim 8,

wherein, when a plurality of the illumination apparatuses is provided, the controller is further configured to select an illumination apparatus to be used out of the plurality of the illumination apparatuses using the distance information and a positional relation between the imaging apparatus and the plurality of the illumination apparatuses.

10. An illumination method for emitting illumination light from an illumination apparatus to an object, which is to be captured by an imaging apparatus that captures an imaging area for every predetermined capturing unit, the illumination method comprising:

acquiring imaging information including a scanning timing and acquiring distance information indicating a distance to the imaging apparatus from the object, from the imaging apparatus to calculate an imaging range of the imaging apparatus at each scanning timing;

determining an illumination range at each scanning timing using the distance information and a positional relation between the imaging apparatus and the illumination apparatus; and

emitting the illumination light to the determined illumination range in synchronization with the scanning timing.