Image pick-up device

• US 4,652,916 A
• Filed: 10/12/1984
• Issued: 03/24/1987
• Est. Priority Date: 10/12/1983
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Omron Tateisi Electronics Co. (Omron Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Omron Tateisi Electronics Co. (Omron Corporation)
• Inventors: Yamamoto, Koji, Suzaki, Takuji
• Primary Examiner(s): Britton, Howard W.
• Assistant Examiner(s): Kostak, Victor R.
• Application Number:
  US06/660,238
• Time in Patent Office: 893 Days
• Field of Search: 358/93, 358/228, 358/211, 358/901, 250/578, 350/509, 350/510, 350/523, 350/526, 350/331 R
• US Class Current: 348/79
• CPC Class Codes: G01N 2021/5923 Determining zones of density; quantitating spots
• CPC Class Codes: G01N 21/5911 of the scanning type scanning per se G02B
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 23/75 by influencing optical camera components

Abstract

An image pick-up device for picking up the image of an object having different degrees of brightness, ranging from a low degree to a high degree. The device includes a light source for irradiating the object, an image pick-up unit for picking up an image of the object, and an optical system disposed between the object and the image pick-up unit for forming the image of the object on the image pick-up unit. A discrimination circuit designates a region of high brightness in the image of the object picked-up by the image pick-up unit, and a detection circuit detects the brightness level of a designated region of high brightness. A light transmittance changing circuit reveives a representation of the detected brightness level of the designated region of high brightness from the detection circuit responsive to a designation of a region of high brightness by the discrimination circuit and decreases the light transmittance in a region of the optical system corresponding to the designated region of high brightness in the image. The discrimination circuit includes a comparison circuit for comparing the brightness of the image of the object with a predetermined reference level to automatically designate a region of high brightness.

Claims

1. An image pick-up device, comprising:

a light source for irradiating an object;

image pick-up means for picking up an image of said object;

an optical system, disposed between said object and said image pick-up means for forming said image of said subject on said image pick-up means;

designating means for designating a region of high brightness in said image of said object picked up by said image pick-up means;

an image memory means for storing information representing said image of said object picked up by said image pick-up means;

calculation means for calculating a brightness magnitude of said designated region of high brightness;

writing means, receiving information representing said brightness magnitude from said calculating means, for writing said information into a portion of said image memory means corresponding to said designated region of high brightness; and

light transmittance changing means connected with said optical system, for changing light transmittance in any desired region of said optical system and for decreasing light tansmittance in a region of said optical system corresponding to a said region of said image designated by said designating means as being a region of high brightness.

2. An image pick-up device as in claim 1, wherein said designating means includes means for comparing a brightness level of said image of said object, with a predetermined reference level for automatically designating a said region of high brightness.

3. An image pick-up device, comprising:

a light source for irradiating an object;

image pick-up means for picking up an image of said object;

an optical system disposed between said object and said image pick-up means for forming said image of said object on said image pick-up means;

designating means for designating a region of high brightness in said image of said object picked up by said image pick-up means;

detecting means for detecting a brightness level of a said designated region of high brightness;

image memory means for storing information representing said image of said object picked up by said image pick-up means;

writing means, receiving information representing said brightness level from said detecting means, for writing said information into a portion of said image memory means corresponding to said designated region of high brightness; and

light transmittance changing means receiving a representation of said detected brightness level of said designated region of high brightness from said detection means responsive to a designation of a region of high brightness by said designating means, for decreasing light transmittance in a region of said optical system corresponding to said designated region of high brightness in said image.

4. The image pick-up device as in claim 3, wherein said designating means includes means for comparing a brightness of said image of said object with a predetermined reference level to automatically designate a said region of high brightness.