FALSE COLOR RADIANT ENERGY DETECTION METHOD AND APPARATUS

• US 3,748,471 A
• Filed: 09/24/1971
• Issued: 07/24/1973
• Est. Priority Date: 09/24/1971
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Donald S. Ross, Lisle H. Roberts
• Original Assignee: Donald S. Ross, Lisle H. Roberts
• Inventors: Ross, Donald S., Roberts, Lisle H.
• Primary Examiner(s): Borchelt, Archie R.
• Application Number:
  US05/183,378
• Time in Patent Office: 669 Days
• Field of Search: 250/83.3H,83.3HP
• US Class Current: 250/333
• CPC Class Codes: G01N 2021/8466 Investigation of vegetal material, e.g. leaves, plants, fruits
• CPC Class Codes: G01N 21/3563 for analysing solids; Preparation of samples therefor
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 9/43 Conversion of monochrome picture signals to colour picture signals for colour picture display

Abstract

Visible and non-visible radiation reflected from an object is electronically detected and used to develop at least two separate false colored images of the object which are then combined to produce, in real-time, a composite false colored image highlighting those portions of the object having a high degree of reflectance in the non-visible spectrum.

Claims

1. A false color detection method comprising the steps of:

photo-electrically detecting radiant energy in the visible spectrum emanating from an object and developing a first electrical signal commensurate therewith;

photo-electrically detecting radiant energy in the non-visible spectrum emanating from said object and developing a second electrical signal commensurate therewith;

converting said first electrical signal into a first image of a first color;

converting said second electrical signal into a second image of a second color; and

combining said first and second images to develop a composite visible image in real time from which certain characteristics of said object can be determined.

2. A false color detection method as recited in claim 1 wherein at least said second color is a false color.

3. A false color detection method as recited in claim 1 wherein the detected non-visible radiant energy has wavelengths greater than 700 nanometers.

4. A false color detection method as recited in claim 1 and further including the step of illuminating said object with visible and non-visible radiation developed by an artificial source.

5. A false color detection method comprising the steps of:

illuminating an object with radiant energy having wavelengths in both the visible and non-visible Portions of the spectrum;

photo-electrically detecting visible radiant energy reflected from said object and developing a first electrical signal commensurate therewith;

photo-electrically detecting non-visible radiant energy reflected from said object and developing a second electrical signal commensurate therewith; and

converting said first and second signals into a false color composite visible image in real time highlighting certain non-visible characteristics of said objects.

6. A false color detection method as recited in claim 5 wherein the detected non-visible radiant energy has wavelengths greater than 700 nanometers.

7. A false color detection method as recited in claim 5 wherein said composite image is formed by converting said first electrical signal into a first image of a first color and converting said second electrical signal into a second image of a second color, and then combining said first and second images.

8. A method of inspecting plant life in the presence of natural illumination to determine particular characteristics thereof comprising the steps of:

photo-electrically detecting radiant energy reflected from the plant life having wavelengths of less than 700 nanometers and developing a first electrical signal commensurate therewith;

photo-electrically detecting radiant energy reflected from the plant life having wavelengths of greater than 700 nanometers and developing a second electrical signal commensurate therewith;

developing first and second different colored images of the plant life from said first and second electrical signals, respectively; and

combining said first and second images to develop a false color composite visible image in real time of the plant life.

9. Apparatus for detecting certain characteristics of an object, comprising:

means responsive to non-visible radiant energy emanating from the object and operative to develop a first visible image commensurate therewith, said first image having a selected false color;

means responsive to visible radiant energy emanating from said object and operative to develop a second visible image of said object; and

means responsive to said first and second images and operative to develop a false colored visible composite image of said object in real time from which said characteristic can be determined.

10. Apparatus for the viewing in real time the visible and non-visible radiation from an object comprising means for converting the visible radiation into a first black and white image, means for converting the non-visible radiation into a second black and white image, means for converting said first black and white image into a first false color image, means for converting said second black and white image into a second false color image, and means for combining said first and second false color images into a composite color image visible in real time.

11. Apparatus as claimed in claim 10 wherein said means for converting said visible and non-visible images into black and white images includes a television camera spanning the visible and non-visible spectrum, means for operating said television camera in time-share manner to produce alternately said two images, and means coupled to said latter means for synchronizing said combining means with the alternating black and white images produced by said television camera.