Systems and Methods for Generating a Digital Image

• US 20190045165A1
• Filed: 10/09/2018
• Published: 02/07/2019
• Est. Priority Date: 05/01/2015
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Duelight LLC
• Original Assignee: Duelight LLC
• Inventors: Rivard, William, Feder, Adam, Kindle, Brian
• Granted Patent: US 10,375,369 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 23/13 with multiple sensors
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 23/16 Optical arrangements associated therewith, e.g. for beam-splitting or for colour correction
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 23/45 for generating image signals from two or more image sensors being of different type or operating in different modes, e.g. with a CMOS sensor for moving images in combination with a charge-coupled device [CCD] for still images
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 23/56 provided with illuminating means
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 23/57 Mechanical or electrical details of cameras or camera modules specially adapted for being embedded in other devices
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 23/62 Control of parameters via user interfaces
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 23/631 Graphical user interfaces [GUI] specially adapted for controlling image capture or setting capture parameters
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 23/661 Transmitting camera control signals through networks, e.g. control via the Internet
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 23/74 by influencing the scene brightness using illuminating means
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 23/843 Demosaicing, e.g. interpolating colour pixel values
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 23/88 for colour balance, e.g. white-balance circuits or colour temperature control
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 23/90 Arrangement of cameras or camera modules, e.g. multiple cameras in TV studios or sports stadiums
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 9/77 Circuits for processing the brightness signal and the chrominance signal relative to each other, e.g. adjusting the phase of the brightness signal relative to the colour signal, correcting differential gain or differential phase circuits for matrixing H04N9/67

Abstract

A system, method, and computer program product for generating a digital image is disclosed. The system includes a first image sensor configured to capture a first image that includes a plurality of chrominance values, a second image sensor configured to capture a second image that includes a plurality of luminance values, and an image processing subsystem configured to generate a resulting image by combining the plurality of chrominance values with the plurality of luminance values. The first image sensor and the second image sensor may be distinct image sensors optimized for capturing chrominance images or luminance images.

Claims

1. A system, comprising:

a first image sensor configured to capture a first image that includes a plurality of chrominance values;

a second image sensor configured to capture a second image that includes a plurality of luminance values; and

an image processing subsystem configured to generate a resulting image by combining the plurality of chrominance values with the plurality of luminance values.

2. The system of claim 1, further comprising:

a first lens that focuses light from a photographic scene onto the first image sensor, and

a second lens that focuses light from the photographic scene onto the second image sensor.

3. The system of claim 1, further comprising a lens that focuses light from a photographic scene onto a beam splitter that is configured to split the light from the photographic scene onto the first image sensor and the second image sensor.

4. The system of claim 1, wherein the first image sensor comprises a first portion of photodiodes included in a photodiode array and the second image sensor comprises a second portion of photodiodes included in the photodiode array.

5. The system of claim 1, wherein the first image sensor and the second image sensor sample images utilizing a global shutter operation.

6. The system of claim 1, wherein the first image sensor and the second image sensor sample images utilizing a rolling shutter operation.

7. The system of claim 1, wherein one of the first image sensor and the second image sensor samples images utilizing a rolling shutter operation and the other of the first image sensor and the second image sensor samples images utilizing a global shutter operation.

8. The system of claim 1, further comprising a strobe unit, and wherein the first image and the second image are sampled under strobe illumination.

9. The system of claim 8, wherein the strobe unit includes a red light-emitting diode (LED), a green LED, and a blue LED.

10. The system of claim 9, wherein the image processing subsystem is configured to capture and image under ambient illumination, analyze the image to determine a white balance setting, and enable the strobe unit to provide strobe illumination of a particular color based on the white balance setting.

11. The system of claim 1, wherein the resulting image is generated by:

for each pixel in the resulting image;

determining a corresponding pixel in the first image, wherein the corresponding pixel in the first image is associated with a color specified by a red value, a green value, and a blue value;

converting the color specified by the red value, the green value, and the blue value into a Hue-Saturation-Value model that specifies the color using a Hue value, a Saturation value, and a Value value;

determining a corresponding pixel in the second image, the corresponding pixel in the second image is associated with an intensity value; and

combining the intensity value with the Hue value and the Saturation value to specify a color for the pixel in the resulting image.

12. The system of claim 1, wherein the first image sensor, second image sensor, and image processing subsystem are included in a wireless mobile device.

13. The system of claim 1, wherein the first image sensor, second image sensor, and image processing subsystem are included in a digital camera.

14. A method, comprising:

receiving a first image that includes a plurality of chrominance values;

receiving a second image that includes a plurality of luminance values; and

generating a resulting image by combining the plurality of chrominance values with the plurality of luminance values.

15. The method of claim 14, wherein generating the resulting image comprises:

for each pixel in the resulting image;

determining a corresponding pixel in the first image, wherein the corresponding pixel in the first image is associated with a color specified by a red value, a green value, and a blue value;

converting the color specified by the red value, the green value, and the blue value into a Hue-Saturation-Value model that specifies the color using a Hue value, a Saturation value, and a Value value;

determining a corresponding pixel in the second image, the corresponding pixel in the second image is associated with an intensity value; and

combining the intensity value with the Hue value and the Saturation value to specify a color for the pixel in the resulting image.

16. The method of claim 14, wherein the first image is captured by a first image sensor, and wherein the second image is captured by a second image sensor.

17. The method of claim 16, wherein a beam splitter directs light from a photographic scene onto the first image sensor and the second image sensor simultaneously.

18. A computer program product embodied on a non-transitory computer-readable medium, comprising:

code for receiving a first image that includes a plurality of chrominance values;

code for receiving a second image that includes a plurality of luminance values; and

code for generating a resulting image by combining the plurality of chrominance values with the plurality of luminance values.

19. The computer program product of claim 18, wherein the first image is captured by a first image sensor, and wherein the second image is captured by a second image sensor.

20. The computer program product of claim 18, wherein a beam splitter directs light from a photographic scene onto a first image sensor and a second image sensor simultaneously.