IR SIGNAL CAPTURE FOR IMAGES

• US 20140247364A1
• Filed: 11/04/2011
• Published: 09/04/2014
• Est. Priority Date: 11/04/2011
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Empire Technology Development LLC (Allied Inventors Management, LLC)
• Original Assignee: Empire Technology Development LLC (Allied Inventors Management, LLC)
• Inventors: Kim, Seungil
• Granted Patent: US 8,976,249 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 348/164
• CPC Class Codes: G06T 2207/10028 Range image; Depth image; 3D point clouds
• CPC Class Codes: G06T 2207/10048 Infrared image
• CPC Class Codes: G06T 2207/30196 Human being; Person
• CPC Class Codes: G06T 7/586 from multiple light sources, e.g. photometric stereo
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 13/254 in combination with electromagnetic radiation sources for illuminating objects
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 23/56 provided with illuminating means
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 5/33 Transforming infrared radiation cameras or camera modules for generating image signals from infrared radiation H04N23/20; circuitry of SSIS for transforming infrared radiation into image signals H04N25/20

Abstract

Technologies and implementations for capturing images from IR signals are generally disclosed.

Claims

1. An apparatus comprising:

a first infrared (IR) emitter, the first IR emitter configured to emit a first IR signal;

a second IR emitter, the second IR emitter configured to emit a second IR signal;

an image capture device, the image capture device configured to receive the first and second IR signals;

a processor communicatively coupled to the first IR emitter, the second IR emitter, and the image capture device; and

a signal bearing medium comprising machine-readable instructions stored thereon, which, if executed by the processor, operatively enable a computing device to facilitate emission of the first and second IR signals from the first and second IR emitters in an alternating pattern, respectively.

2. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the signal bearing medium comprises a signal bearing medium comprising machine-readable instructions stored thereon, which, if executed by the processor, operatively enable a computing device to determine if a shadow region is detected from the received first IR signal from the first IR emitter.

3. The apparatus of claim 2, wherein the signal bearing medium comprises a signal bearing medium comprising machine-readable instructions stored thereon, which, if executed by the processor, operatively enable a computing device to utilize an image corresponding to the received second IR signal from the second IR emitter if it is determined that a shadow region is detected from the received first signal from the first IR emitter.

4. The apparatus of claim 2, wherein the signal bearing medium comprises a signal bearing medium comprising machine-readable instructions stored thereon, which, if executed by the processor, operatively enable a computing device to utilize an image corresponding to the received first IR signal from the first IR emitter if it is determined that a shadow region is not detected from the received first IR signal from the first IR emitter.

5. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the first and second IR emitters comprise a first and second emitters having a predetermined distance between them.

6. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the first IR emitter and the second IR emitter comprise each of a first IR emitter and a second IR emitter disposed on a track configured to move the first and second IR emitters in at least one of a substantially vertical direction, a substantially horizontal direction, or both a substantially vertical and a substantially horizontal direction.

7. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the image capture device comprises a complimentary metal oxide semiconductor (CMOS) device.

8. The apparatus of claim 7, wherein the CMOS device comprises a monochrome CMOS sensor.

9. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the image capture device comprises a charge coupled device (CCD).

10. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the signal bearing medium comprises a signal bearing medium comprising machine-readable instructions stored thereon, which, if executed by the processor, operatively enable a computing device to determine depth of an image based at least in part on the received first and second IR signals.

11. An apparatus comprising:

an infrared (IR) emitter, the IR emitter configured to emit an IR signal and to move in at least one of a substantially horizontal direction, a substantially vertical direction, or a substantially horizontal and vertical direction;

an image capture device, the image capture device configured to receive IR signals from one or more positions of the IR emitter;

a processor communicatively coupled to the IR emitter and the image capture device; and

a signal bearing medium comprising machine-readable instructions stored thereon, which, if executed by the processor, operatively enable a computing device to move the IR emitter.

12. The apparatus of claim 11, wherein the signal bearing medium comprises a signal bearing medium comprising machine-readable instructions stored thereon, which, if executed by the processor, operatively enable a computing device to determine if a shadow region is detected from a received first IR signal from a first position of the IR emitter.

13. The apparatus of claim 12, wherein the signal bearing medium comprises a signal bearing medium comprising machine-readable instructions stored thereon, which, if executed by the processor, operatively enable a computing device to move the IR emitter to a second position and to utilize an image corresponding to a received second IR signal from the second position of the IR emitter if it is determined that a shadow region is detected from the received first IR signal from the first position of the IR emitter.

14. The apparatus of claim 12, wherein the signal bearing medium comprises a signal bearing medium comprising machine-readable instructions stored thereon, which, if executed by the processor, operatively enable a computing device to move the IR emitter to a second position and to utilize an image corresponding to the received first IR signal from the first position of the IR emitter if it is determined that a shadow region is not detected from the received first IR signal from the first position of the IR emitter.

15. The apparatus of claim 11, wherein the IR emitter comprises an IR emitter disposed on a track.

16. The apparatus of claim 11, wherein the image capture device comprises a complimentary metal oxide semiconductor (CMOS) device.

17. The apparatus of claim 16, wherein the CMOS device comprises a monochrome CMOS sensor.

18. The apparatus of claim 11, wherein the image capture device comprises a charged coupled device (CCD).

19. The apparatus of claim 11, wherein the signal bearing medium comprises a signal bearing medium comprising machine-readable instructions stored thereon, which, if executed by the processor, operatively enable a computing device to determine depth of image based at least in part on IR signals from one or more positions of the IR emitter.

20. The apparatus of claim 11, wherein the signal bearing medium comprises a signal bearing medium comprising machine-readable instructions stored thereon, which, if executed by the processor, operatively enable a computing device to determine a silhouetted object.

21. The apparatus of claim 11, wherein the signal bearing medium comprises a signal bearing medium comprising machine-readable instructions stored thereon, which, if executed by the processor, operatively enable a computing device to extrapolate a full object image from a determined partially obscured object.

22. A method of image processing, the method comprising:

receiving, at an image capture device, a first infrared (IR) signal from a first IR emitter received;

receiving, at the image capture device, a second IR signal from a second IR emitter;

determining if a shadow region is detected from the received first IR signal from the first IR emitter; and

facilitating emission of the first IR signal from the first IR emitter and emission of the second IR signal from the second IR emitter in an alternating pattern.

23. The method of claim 22 further comprising utilizing an image corresponding to the received second IR signal from the second IR emitter if is determined that a shadow region is detected from the received first signal from the first IR emitter.

24. The method of claim 22 further comprising utilizing an image corresponding to the received first IR signal from the first IR emitter if it is determined that a shadow region is not detected from the received first IR signal from the first IR emitter.

25. The method of claim 22, wherein the first IR emitter and the second IR emitter comprise a first IR emitter and a second IR emitter having a predetermined distance between them.

26. The method of claim 22, wherein the first IR emitter and the second IR emitter comprise each of a first IR emitter and a second IR emitter disposed on a track configured to move the first and second IR emitter in at least one of a substantially horizontal direction, a substantially vertical direction, or both a substantially vertical and a substantially horizontal direction.

27. The method of claim 22, wherein determining comprises determining depth of an image based at least in part on the received first and second IR signals.

28. A method of image processing, the method comprising:

receiving, at an image capture device, a first infrared (IR) signal from an IR emitter at a first position, the IR emitter configured to move in at least one of a substantially horizontal direction, a substantially vertical direction, or a substantially horizontal and vertical direction;

moving the IR emitter to a second position; and

receiving, at the image capture device, a second IR signal from the IR emitter at the second position.

29. The method of claim 28 further comprises determining if a shadow region is detected from the received first IR signal from the first position of the IR emitter.

30. The method of claim 29 further comprises utilizing an image corresponding to the received second IR signal from the second position of the IR emitter if it is determined that a shadow region is detected from the received first IR signal from the first position of the IR emitter.

31. The method of claim 29 further comprises utilizing an image corresponding to the received first IR signal from the first position of the IR emitter if it is determined that a shadow region is not detected from the received first IR signal from the first position of the IR emitter.

32. The method of claim 28, wherein the IR emitter comprises an IR emitter disposed on a track.

33. The method of claim 28, wherein the image capture device comprises a complimentary metal oxide semiconductor (CMOS) device.

34. The method of claim 28, wherein the image capture device comprises a charged coupled device (CCD).

35. An article comprising:

a signal bearing medium comprising machine-readable instructions stored thereon, which, if executed by the processor, operatively enable a computing device to;

receive, at an image capture device, a first infrared (IR) signal from a first IR emitter;

receive, at the image capture device, a second IR signal from a second IR emitter;

determine if a shadow region is detected from the received first IR signal from the first IR emitter; and

facilitate emission of the first IR signal from the first IR emitter and emission of the second IR signal from the second IR emitter in an alternating pattern.

36. The article of claim 35, wherein the signal bearing medium further comprises a signal bearing medium comprising machine-readable instructions stored thereon, which, if executed by the processor, operatively enable a computing device to utilize an image corresponding to the received second IR signal from the second IR emitter if is determined that a shadow region is detected from the received first signal from the first IR emitter.

37. The article of claim 35, wherein the signal bearing medium further comprises a signal bearing medium comprising machine-readable instructions stored thereon, which, if executed by the processor, operatively enable a computing device to utilize an image corresponding to the received first IR signal from the first IR emitter if it is determined that a shadow region is not detected from the received first IR signal from the first IR emitter.

38. An article comprising:

a signal bearing medium comprising machine-readable instructions stored thereon, which, if executed by the processor, operatively enable a computing device to;

receive, at an image capture device, a first infrared (IR) signal from an IR emitter at a first position, the IR emitter configured to move in at least one of a substantially horizontal direction, a substantially vertical direction, or a substantially horizontal and vertical direction;

move the IR emitter to a second position; and

receive, at the image capture device, a second IR signal from the IR emitter at the second position.

39. The article of claim 38, wherein the signal bearing medium further comprises a signal bearing medium comprising machine-readable instructions stored thereon, which, if executed by the processor, operatively enable a computing device to determine if a shadow region is detected from the received first IR signal from the first position of the IR emitter.

40. The article of claim 39, wherein the signal bearing medium further comprises a signal bearing medium comprising machine-readable instructions stored thereon, which, if executed by the processor, operatively enable a computing device to utilize an image corresponding to the received second IR signal from the second position of the IR emitter if it is determined that a shadow region is detected from the received first IR signal from the first position of the IR emitter.

41. The article of claim 39, wherein the signal bearing medium further comprises a signal bearing medium comprising machine-readable instructions stored thereon, which, if executed by the processor, operatively enable a computing device to utilize an image corresponding to the received first IR signal from the first position of the IR emitter if it is determined that a shadow region is not detected from the received first IR signal from the first position of the IR emitter.