LENS CLEANING WARNING SYSTEM AND METHOD
First Claim
Patent Images
1. A lens cleaning warning system for a camera which receives light representing a scene, the system comprising:
- a pixel array which provides image data from the light received by the camera;
a lens unit which focuses the received light onto the pixel array; and
an image processing unit which analyzes the image data to determine whether the image data indicates defects attributable to the lens being contaminated and, if so, provides an indication that the lens is contaminated.
2 Assignments
0 Petitions
Accused Products
Abstract
Lens cleaning warning systems and methods. A system includes an image processing unit configured to analyze image data to determine whether the image data indicates lens flare and, if so, provide an indication to the user that the lens is contaminated.
69 Citations
45 Claims
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1. A lens cleaning warning system for a camera which receives light representing a scene, the system comprising:
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a pixel array which provides image data from the light received by the camera; a lens unit which focuses the received light onto the pixel array; and an image processing unit which analyzes the image data to determine whether the image data indicates defects attributable to the lens being contaminated and, if so, provides an indication that the lens is contaminated. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14)
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15. A method of warning that a lens of a camera is contaminated comprising:
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receiving light into the camera; generating image data from the received light; analyzing the image data for luminance values within a first predetermined range; and if luminance values within the first predetermined range are not found, providing an indication that the lens is contaminated. - View Dependent Claims (16, 17, 18, 19, 20, 21, 22, 23, 24)
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25. A method of warning that a lens of a camera is contaminated comprising:
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receiving an image signal representing an image; processing the image signal to identify whether the image includes an edge; and if no edge is identified, providing an indication that the lens is contaminated. - View Dependent Claims (26, 27, 28, 29, 30, 31)
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32. A method of warning that a lens of a camera is contaminated comprising:
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focusing a scene within view of a lens unit onto a pixel array; capturing the scene as an image using the pixel array; analyzing the image to detect whether the image contains defects attributable to the lens being contaminated; repeating the focusing, capturing and analyzing steps for at least one other image; and providing an indication that the lens is contaminated if defects attributable to the lens being contaminated are detected with respect to at least one of the captured images. - View Dependent Claims (33, 34, 35, 36, 37, 38)
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39. A method of warning that a lens of a camera is contaminated comprising:
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receiving first image data representing a first image; analyzing the first image data to detect whether at least one characteristic of lens flare caused by a contaminated lens is present in the first image data; determining a first probability that the detected at least one characteristic is representative of an image quality that does not represent lens flare caused by a contaminated lens; comparing the first probability with a reference probability; and if the first probability is less than the reference probability, providing an indication that the lens is contaminated. - View Dependent Claims (40, 41, 42, 43)
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44. A method of warning that a lens of a camera is contaminated comprising:
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analyzing image data for spatial frequencies within a predetermined spatial frequency band; and if no spatial frequencies are found within the predetermined spatial frequency band, indicating that the lens is contaminated. - View Dependent Claims (45)
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Specification