Electronic color infrared camera

• US 6,292,212 B1
• Filed: 12/23/1994
• Issued: 09/18/2001
• Est. Priority Date: 12/23/1994
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Harris Corporation (L3Harris Technologies, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Eastman Kodak Company
• Inventors: Holden, Carl L., Schrader, Mark E., Zigadlo, Joseph P., Vogel, Richard M.
• Primary Examiner(s): Le, Vu
• Application Number:
  US08/362,725
• Time in Patent Office: 2,461 Days
• Field of Search: 250/332, 250/330, 250/338.1, 348/277, 348/278, 348/164, 348/33, 348/266, 348/271, 348/29, 348/32, 348/272-73, 348/270-71
• US Class Current: 348/33
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 23/11 for generating image signals from visible and infrared light wavelengths
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 23/84 for processing colour signals
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 25/131 including elements passing infrared wavelengths
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 25/134 based on three different wavelength filter elements
• 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

An infrared digital electronic camera includes a solid state color image sensor having an array of image sensing elements and an array of color filter elements including infrared color filter elements arranged over the image sensing elements for producing a color image signal. A signal processing circuit processes the color image signals from the image sensor to produce a false color image signal.

Claims

1. An infrared digital electronic camera, comprising:

a. a solid state color image sensor having an array of image sensing elements and an array of color filter elements arranged over said image sensing elements for producing a color image signal, said color filter elements including infrared color filter elements that block blue light and pass infrared light; and

b. a signal processing circuit for processing said color image signals from said image sensor to produce a false color image signal.

2. The infrared digital electronic camera claimed in claim 1, wherein said array of color filter elements includes elements that pass red, green and infrared wavelengths of light.

3. An infrared digital electronic camera comprising:

a. a solid state color image sensor having an array of image sensing elements, an array of red, green and blue color filter elements arranged over said image sensing elements for producing a color image signal, and a yellow filter element arranged to filter light impinging on said color image sensor; and

b. a signal processing circuit for processing said color image signals from said image sensor to produce a false color image signal.

4. The infrared digital electronic camera claimed in claim 3, wherein said camera has a lens and said yellow filter element is positioned in front of said lens.

5. The infrared digital electronic camera claimed in claim 3, wherein said yellow filter is positioned on the surface of said image sensor.

6. The infrared digital electronic camera claimed in claim 3, wherein said image sensor is packaged in a container having a window and wherein said yellow filter is located at said window.

7. The electronic camera claimed in claim 3, wherein said yellow filter portion includes an infrared cutoff filter that cuts off at 760 nm.

8. The electronic camera claimed in claim 3, wherein said yellow filter portion includes an infrared cutoff filter that cuts off at 900 nm.

9. A convertible infrared digital electronic camera, comprising:

a. a solid state color image sensor having an array of image sensing elements and an array of color filter elements arranged over said image sensing elements for producing a color image signal;

b. a filter mechanism having an infrared filter portion and a color filter portion, moveable between a first position wherein said infrared filter portion is located to filter light reaching said image sensor, and a second position wherein said color filter portion is located to filter light reaching said image sensor; and

c. a signal processing circuit responsive to said filter mechanism being in said second position for processing said color image signals from said image sensor to produce a false color image signal.

10. The electronic camera claimed in claim 9, wherein said array of color filter elements includes red green and blue color filter elements whereby said image sensor normally produces an image signal having red, green and blue components, said color filter portion is a yellow filter whereby said blue component is an infrared component when said filter is in said second position, and said signal processing circuit removes an infrared component from said red and green signal components.

11. The electronic camera claimed in claim 10, wherein said signal processing circuit further replaces the displayed blue signal component with the green component, replaces the displayed green component with the red component, and replaces the displayed red component with the infrared component.

12. The electronic camera claimed in claim 9, wherein said yellow filter portion includes an infrared cutoff filter that cuts off at 760 nm.

13. The electronic camera claimed in claim 9, wherein said yellow filter portion includes an infrared cutoff filter that cuts off at 900 nm.