Dynamic adjustment of imaging parameters

• US 10,242,262 B2
• Filed: 07/17/2017
• Issued: 03/26/2019
• Est. Priority Date: 08/14/2013
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Infineon Technologies AG
• Original Assignee: Infineon Technologies AG
• Inventors: Dielacher, Markus, Prainsack, Josef, Flatscher, Martin, Mark, Michael, Lobnik, Robert
• Primary Examiner(s): Natnael, Paulos M
• Assistant Examiner(s): Haiem, Sean N.
• Application Number:
  US15/651,437
• Publication Number:
  US 20170316267A1
• Time in Patent Office: 617 Days
• Field of Search: 348 46, 356 503, 382106, 2502081
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 17/894 3D imaging with simultaneous measurement of time-of-flight at a 2D array of receiver pixels, e.g. time-of-flight cameras or flash lidar
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 17/931 of land vehicles
• CPC Class Codes: G06V 20/58 Recognition of moving objects or obstacles, e.g. vehicles or pedestrians; Recognition of traffic objects, e.g. traffic signs, traffic lights or roads
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 13/254 in combination with electromagnetic radiation sources for illuminating objects
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 7/18 Closed-circuit television [CCTV] systems, i.e. systems in which the video signal is not broadcast

Abstract

Representative implementations of devices and techniques provide adjustable parameters for imaging devices and systems. Dynamic adjustments to one or more parameters of an imaging component may be performed based on changes to the relative velocity of the imaging component or to the proximity of an object to the imaging component.

Claims

1. An apparatus, comprising:

a detection component to;

detect a relative velocity of an adjustable imaging sensor with respect to an environment of the adjustable imaging sensor, or detect a proximity of an object to the adjustable imaging sensor; and

the adjustable imaging sensor to;

determine whether the relative velocity satisfies at least one of a first relative velocity threshold or a second relative velocity threshold, or whether the proximity of the object satisfies at least one of a first proximity threshold or a second proximity threshold;

identify a current imaging application,

the current imaging application being one of;

a short-range imaging application,

a mid-range imaging application, or

a long-range imaging application; and

adjust a parameter of the adjustable imaging sensor based on the current imaging application and based on;

whether the relative velocity satisfies at least one of the first relative velocity threshold or the second relative velocity threshold, or

whether the proximity satisfies at least one of the first proximity threshold or the second proximity threshold,

the parameter that is adjusted including at least one of;

 

a modulation frequency of one or more pixels or of an illumination source,

 

a binning of pixels that combine quantities of adjacent pixels into groups for processing as single composite pixels, or

 

an illumination time of the illumination source, and

the parameter being adjusted to;

 

optimize the long-range imaging application based on the relative velocity satisfying the first relative velocity threshold or the proximity satisfying the first proximity threshold,

 

optimize the mid-range imaging application based on the relative velocity satisfying the second relative velocity threshold and not satisfying the first relative velocity threshold or the proximity satisfying the second proximity threshold and not satisfying the first proximity threshold, or

 

optimize the short-range imaging application based on the relative velocity not satisfying the second relative velocity threshold or the proximity not satisfying the second proximity threshold.

2. The apparatus of claim 1, where the adjustable image sensor is further to:

access information indicating at least one of the first relative velocity threshold, the second relative velocity threshold, the first proximity threshold, or the second proximity threshold that is stored in a memory.

3. The apparatus of claim 1, further comprising the illumination source to illuminate an image area.

4. The apparatus of claim 1, where the parameter that is adjusted is the illumination time of the illumination source that is configured to be increased when the proximity satisfies the first proximity threshold, and is configured to be decreased when the proximity does not satisfy the second proximity threshold.

5. The apparatus of claim 1, where the adjustable imaging sensor is configured to be readjusted based on a change to whether the relative velocity satisfies at least one of the first relative velocity threshold or the second relative velocity threshold, or a change to whether the proximity satisfies at least one of the first proximity threshold or the second proximity threshold.

6. The apparatus of claim 1, where parameter that is adjusted is the modulation frequency of one or more pixels that is configured to be increased when the proximity does not satisfy the second proximity threshold, and is configured to be decreased when the proximity satisfies the first proximity threshold.

7. The apparatus of claim 1, where the parameter that is adjusted is the modulation frequency of the illumination source that is configured to be increased when the proximity does not satisfy the second proximity threshold, and is configured to be decreased when the proximity satisfies the first proximity threshold.

8. The apparatus of claim 1, where the parameter that is adjusted is the binning of pixels that is configured to reduce the quantities of adjacent pixels combined into groups when the proximity does not satisfy the second proximity threshold, and is configured to increase the quantities of adjacent pixels combined into groups when the proximity satisfies the first proximity threshold.

9. A system, comprising:

a sensor configured to capture an image of an area based on receiving a reflection of light radiation; and

a controller configured to;

detect a relative velocity of the sensor with respect to an environment of the sensor, or detect a proximity of an object to the sensor;

determine whether the relative velocity satisfies at least one of a first relative velocity threshold or a second relative velocity threshold, or whether the proximity of the object satisfies at least one of a first proximity threshold or a second proximity threshold;

identify a current imaging application,

the current imaging application being one of;

a short-range imaging application,

a mid-range imaging application, or

a long-range imaging application;

adjust a parameter of the sensor based on the current imaging application and based on;

whether the relative velocity satisfies at least one of the first relative velocity threshold or the second relative velocity threshold, or

whether the proximity satisfies at least one of the first proximity threshold or the second proximity threshold,

the parameter that is adjusted including at least one of;

a modulation frequency of one or more pixels or of an illumination source,

a binning of pixels that combine quantities of adjacent pixels into groups for processing as single composite pixels, or

an illumination time of the illumination source, and

the parameter being adjusted to;

optimize the long-range imaging application based on the relative velocity satisfying the first relative velocity threshold or the proximity satisfying the first proximity threshold,

optimize the mid-range imaging application based on the relative velocity satisfying the second relative velocity threshold and not satisfying the first relative velocity threshold or the proximity satisfying the second proximity threshold and not satisfying the first proximity threshold, or

optimize the short-range imaging application based on the relative velocity not satisfying the second relative velocity threshold or the proximity not satisfying the second proximity threshold; and

capture the image using the sensor with the adjusted parameter.

10. The system of claim 9, where the controller is further configured to:

access information indicating at least one of the first relative velocity threshold, the second relative velocity threshold, the first proximity threshold, or the second proximity threshold that is stored in a memory.

11. The system of claim 9, where the parameter that is adjusted is the illumination time of the illumination source that is configured to be increased when the proximity satisfies the first proximity threshold, and is configured to be decreased when the proximity does not satisfy the second proximity threshold.

12. The system of claim 9, where the sensor is configured to be readjusted based on a change to whether the relative velocity satisfies at least one of the first relative velocity threshold or the second relative velocity threshold, or a change to whether the proximity satisfies at least one of the first proximity threshold or the second proximity threshold.

13. The system of claim 9, where parameter that is adjusted is the modulation frequency of one or more pixels that is configured to be increased when the proximity does not satisfy the second proximity threshold, and is configured to be decreased when the proximity satisfies the first proximity threshold.

14. The system of claim 9, where the parameter that is adjusted is the modulation frequency of the illumination source that is configured to be increased when the proximity does not satisfy the second proximity threshold, and is configured to be decreased when the proximity satisfies the first proximity threshold.

15. The system of claim 9, where the parameter that is adjusted is the binning of pixels that is configured to reduce the quantities of adjacent pixels combined into groups when the proximity does not satisfy the second proximity threshold, and is configured to increase the quantities of adjacent pixels combined into groups when the proximity satisfies the first proximity threshold.

16. A method, comprising:

detecting, by an imaging device, a relative velocity of an adjustable imaging sensor with respect to an environment of the adjustable imaging sensor, or detecting a proximity of an object to the adjustable imaging sensor;

determining, by the imaging device, whether the relative velocity satisfies at least one of a first relative velocity threshold or a second relative velocity threshold, or whether the proximity of the object satisfies at least one of a first proximity threshold or a second proximity threshold;

identifying, by the imaging device, a current imaging application,

the current imaging application being one of;

a short-range imaging application,

a mid-range imaging application, or

a long-range imaging application;

adjusting, by the imaging device, a parameter of the adjustable imaging sensor based on the current imaging application and based on;

whether the relative velocity satisfies at least one of the first relative velocity threshold or the second relative velocity threshold, or

whether the proximity satisfies at least one of the first proximity threshold or the second proximity threshold,

the parameter that is adjusted including at least one of;

a modulation frequency of one or more pixels or of an illumination source,

a binning of pixels that combine quantities of adjacent pixels into groups for processing as single composite pixels, or

an illumination time of the illumination source, and

the parameter being adjusted to;

optimize the long-range imaging application based on the relative velocity satisfying the first relative velocity threshold or the proximity satisfying the first proximity threshold,

optimize the mid-range imaging application based on the relative velocity satisfying the second relative velocity threshold and not satisfying the first relative velocity threshold or the proximity satisfying the second proximity threshold and not satisfying the first proximity threshold, or

optimize the short-range imaging application based on the relative velocity not satisfying the second relative velocity threshold or the proximity not satisfying the second proximity threshold; and

capturing, by the imaging device, an image using the adjustable imaging sensor with the adjusted parameter.

17. The method of claim 16, further comprising:

accessing information indicating at least one of the first relative velocity threshold, the second relative velocity threshold, the first proximity threshold, or the second proximity threshold that is stored in a memory.

18. The method of claim 16, where the parameter that is adjusted is the illumination time of the illumination source that is configured to be increased when the proximity satisfies the first proximity threshold, and is configured to be decreased when the proximity does not satisfy the second proximity threshold.

19. The method of claim 16, where the adjustable imaging sensor is configured to be readjusted based on a change to whether the relative velocity satisfies at least one of the first relative velocity threshold or the second relative velocity threshold, or a change to whether the proximity satisfies at least one of the first proximity threshold or the second proximity threshold.

20. The method of claim 16, further comprising:

illuminating, via the illumination source, an image area.