METHOD AND APPARATUS FOR CAPTURING AN IMAGE

• US 20130209057A1
• Filed: 02/09/2012
• Published: 08/15/2013
• Est. Priority Date: 02/09/2012
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: Motorola Solutions, Inc.
• Original Assignee: Motorola Solutions, Inc.
• Inventors: OFIR, GABI, HASON, BARUH, WORTZMAN, YONI
• Application Number:
  US13/369,421
• Publication Number:
  US 20130209057A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 386/228
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 23/74 by influencing the scene brightness using illuminating means
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 5/765 Interface circuits between an apparatus for recording and another apparatus
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 9/73 Colour balance circuits, e.g. white balance circuits or colour temperature control camera processing pipelines for colour balance H04N23/88

Abstract

A method and apparatus are provided for capturing an image so that color degradations can be minimized. During operation, a video-recording system will fetch and record the scene without the illumination of the light bars. More particularly, as a video recorder/transmitter is set to record, logic circuitry triggers the light bars to turn off for a short period of time (e.g., a few seconds), and then turned back on. During that time period, the field-of-vision (unencumbered by the stroboscopic illumination and color) is sampled by the camera as a reference. Color correction/compensation is performed using the unencumbered field-of-vision as a reference.

Claims

1. A method for capturing an image so that color degradations can be minimized, the method comprising the steps of:

receiving a video-record trigger;

inactivating an external light source on a vehicle based on the received video-record trigger; and

recording video without the external light source, wherein the video recorded without the external light source will be utilized minimize color degradations.

2. The method of claim 1 wherein the external light source on the vehicle comprises a light bar on top of a police car.

3. The method of claim 2 wherein the external light source on the vehicle also comprises vehicle headlights.

4. The method of claim 1 wherein the external light source on the vehicle comprises car headlights.

5. The method of claim 1 further comprising the steps of:

activating the external light source on the vehicle after recording video without the external light source; and

recording video with the external light source.

6. The method of claim 5 further comprising the step of:

color-correcting the recorded video with the external light source based on the recorded video without the external light source.

7. A method for capturing an image so that color degradations can be minimized, the method comprising the steps of:

receiving a video-record trigger;

determining that an external light source on a vehicle is active;

inactivating the external light source on a vehicle when it is active based on the received video-record trigger; and

recording video without the external light source, wherein the video recorded without the external light source will be utilized minimize color degradations.

8. The method of claim 7 wherein the external light source on the vehicle comprises a light bar on top of a police car.

9. The method of claim 8 wherein the external light source on the vehicle also comprises vehicle headlights.

10. The method of claim 7 wherein the external light source on the vehicle comprises car headlights.

11. The method of claim 7 further comprising the steps of:

activating the external light source on the vehicle after recording video without the external light source; and

recording video with the external light source.

12. The method of claim 11 further comprising the step of:

color-correcting the recorded video with the external light source based on the recorded video without the external light source.

13. An automobile comprising:

a plurality of cameras;

a light bar; and

a computer that receives a video-record trigger and inactivates the light bar for a predetermined period of time based on the received-video-record trigger.

14. The automobile of claim 13 further comprising:

headlights; and

wherein the computer that receives a video-record trigger and additionally inactivates the headlights for a predetermined period of time based on the received-video-record trigger.

15. The automobile of claim 13 the computer activates the light bar after recording video without the light bar activated and proceeds to record video with the light bar activated.

16. The automobile of claim 15 wherein the computer color-corrects the recorded video with the light bar activated, wherein the color correction is based on the recorded video without the light bar activated.