Image capturing device with reflex reduction

• US 20040047491A1
• Filed: 10/27/2003
• Published: 03/11/2004
• Est. Priority Date: 12/21/2000
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: Smart Eye AB
• Original Assignee: Smart Eye AB
• Inventors: Rydbeck, Bo
• Application Number:
  US10/451,255
• Publication Number:
  US 20040047491A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 382/103
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 3/113 for determining or recording eye movement
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 3/14 Arrangements specially adapted for eye photography apparatus or arrangements for taking photographs per se G03B

Abstract

The present invention relates to an image capturing device for reflex reduction, comprising at least one wave emitter (2) for emitting electromagnetic waves towards the object and at least one image capturing device (1), directed towards the object. The wave emitter (2) is arranged to emit said waves towards the object alternately from at least two points, said points being separated such a distance (B) that disturbing reflexes, resulting from waves emitted from different points and appearing in an image captured with said image capturing device, are seperable. Further, the device comprises processing means (7), adapted to receive at least two images, acquired with illumination from different angles, and to generate a reflex reduced image.

Claims

1. A device for acquiring a reflex reduced image of an object, comprising

at least one wave emitter (2) for emitting electromagnetic waves towards the object alternatingly from at least two points,

at least one image capturing device (1), directed towards the object and arranged to capture a first image when waves are emited from a first point, and a second image when waves are emitted from a second point,

characterized in that

said points are separated such a distance (B) that disturbing reflexes, resulting from waves emitted from the wave emitter and appearing in said first and second images, are seperable.

2. Device according to claim 1, further comprising first processing means (7), adapted to receive said first and second images and to generate a reflex reduced image, each pixel of which contains image information deduced from either said first or said second image.

3. Device according to claim 2, wherein said first processing means (7) is adapted to perform a pixel-by-pixel comparison of said first and second images, and, for each pixel, to select the image information having the least intensity to be used for generating the reflex reduced image.

4. Device according to claim 1-3, wherein said distance (B) is 2-6 times greater than the cross measure of the aperture(s) of said wave emitter.

5. Device according to any of the preceding claims, wherein said wave emitter (2) comprises at least two wave sources (3) located in different points of said at least two points, and a control unit (6) arranged to activate said wave sources (3) alternately.

6. Device according to any of the preceding claims, wherein said wave emitter comprises one wave source (3) and wave guiding means (15) to alternately direct waves from said wave source along different paths (14a, 14b).

7. Device according to any of the preceding claims, wherein said wave emitter (2) comprises one wave source (3) arranged to be movable between said at least two points (17a, 17b).

8. Device according to any of the preceding claims, wherein said wave emitter (2) is synchronized with said image capturing device (1).

9. Device according to any of the preceding claims, wherein said wave emitter (2) is arranged to alternate with a frequency of 10-70 Hz.

10. Device according to any of the preceding claims, wherein said wave emitter (2) is arranged to emit IR-waves.

11. Device according to any of the preceding claims, wherein said wave emitter (2) include at least one LED (10).

12. Device according to any of the preceding claims, said object being a human face (5).

13. Device according to claim 12 intended for eye detection of a person, further comprising second processing means (8), adapted for processing images from said image capturing device and determining required characteristics from said images.

14. Device according to claim 13 intended for determining the direction of gaze of the person.