Image enhancement system for scaled viewing at night or under other vision impaired conditions

• US 6,301,050 B1
• Filed: 10/13/1999
• Issued: 10/09/2001
• Est. Priority Date: 10/13/1999
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Louis E. Capt, Optics Wireless Led, Inc., Robert B. Willoughby
• Original Assignee: Optics Wireless Led, Inc.
• Inventors: DeLeon, Jose M.
• Primary Examiner(s): Ben, Loha
• Application Number:
  US09/417,701
• Time in Patent Office: 727 Days
• Field of Search: 359/618, 359/630, 359/633, 359/637, 345/7, 345/8
• US Class Current: 359/618
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 23/12 with means for image conversion or intensification

Abstract

An image enhancement system for scaled viewing of surrounding objects at night or other vision impairing conditions such as dust, smoke, rain, fog, any combination of these conditions or other adverse weather conditions. The system includes a set of glasses or “headset”, which a user wears in a manner similar to a pair of sun or prescription glasses. Affixed to the headset is a camera system which matches a lens element with high speed electronic circuitry to provide an enhanced image of a viewed object, in true scale and range, on LCD screens in front of the user'"'"'s eyes. Audio is optionally provided. A high intensity wave form illuminator is used to further illuminate the object being viewed, and is preferably attached to the headset. The user has full control over optical properties of the viewed enhanced image, and the system can be activated by switch, by voice or by motion.

Claims

1. An image enhancement system for viewing an object under adverse conditions, the system comprising:

(a) a viewing device for viewing by a user; and

(b) a camera system to provide an enhanced image of said object to said user on said viewing device, wherein said camera system comprises

(i) a matching factor lens, and

(ii) high speed CCD camera circuitry, and wherein

(iii) said lens and said camera circuitry are matched in that the lens determines how much reflected raw wavelength information enters the camera circuitry so that said object is viewed as an enhanced image by said user on said viewing device at true scale and range.

2. The system of claim 1 further comprising an illuminator to illuminate said object with high intensity infrared light.

3. The system of claim 2 further comprising an iris system which automatically adjusts said camera system for conditions of varying light intensity.

4. The system of claim 3 wherein said viewing device comprises at least one liquid crystal display.

5. The system of claim 4 further comprising a headset worn by said user, wherein said viewing device and said camera system and said illuminator are affixed to said headset.

6. The image enhancement system of claim 1, wherein the viewing device is adapted to optionally provide a black and white or color image to a user.

7. An image enhancement system for viewing an object under adverse conditions, the system comprising:

(a) a headset worn by a user;

(b) first and second viewing screens affixed to said headset wherein said first screen is positioned in front of one eye of said user and said second screen is positioned in front of another eye of said user; and

(c) a camera system affixed to said headset to provide an enhanced image of said object on said first and second viewing screens, wherein said camera system comprises

(i) a matching factor lens, and

(ii) high speed CCD camera circuitry, wherein

(iii) said lens and said camera circuitry are matched in that the lens determines how much reflected raw wavelength information enters the camera circuitry so that said object is viewed as said enhanced image by said user on said viewing screens at true scale and range.

8. The system of claim 7 further comprising an illuminator affixed to said headset to illuminate said object with high intensity infrared light, wherein said camera system and said illuminator are directed in the general direction in which said user is facing.

9. The system claim 7 further comprising controls on said headset which are operated by said user to:

(a) activate and deactivate operation of said image enhancement system;

(b) provide said enhanced image on said first viewing screen or said second viewing screen or both said first and said second viewing screens;

(c) provide icons on at least one said viewing screen representing controllable parameters of said enhanced image; and

(d) select and adjust said controllable parameters using said icons and a two position control switch.

10. The system of claim 7 further comprising an earphone to provide audio signals to said user from the environs of the user and from a remote location.

11. The system of claim 10 further comprising a transceiver with which said enhanced image can be transmitted to at least one remote location, and said audio signals can be transmitted to at least one remote location, and an external audio signal can be transmitted from at least one remote location and be heard by said user through said earphone, and an external image can be transmitted from at least one remote location and viewed by said user on at least one said viewing screen.

12. The system of claim 7 further comprising a power supply affixed to said headset to provide electrical power to said system.

13. The system of claim 7 wherein said first and second viewing screens are liquid crystal displays comprising lithium niobate crystals which have two optical paths for doubling resolution of said enhanced image to about 800 horizontal TV lines and a capacity of over 1 million pixels.

14. The system of claim 7 further comprising an activator in cooperation with a speech recognition means whereby said image enhancement system is activated by a voice command.

15. The system of claim 7 further comprising an activator cooperating with a motion detector means whereby said image enhancement system is activated by motion.

16. A method for enhancing an image of an object under adverse conditions, the method comprising the steps of:

(a) providing a viewing device for viewing by a user;

(b) providing a camera system which cooperates with said viewing device;

(c) aiming said camera system to capture said image of said object; and

(d) matching a lens element and a CCD camera circuit element of said camera system in that the lens element determines how much reflected raw wavelength information enters the CCD camera circuit element so that an enhanced image of said object is viewed at said viewing device by said user at true scale and range.

17. The method of claim 16 further including the step of illuminating said object with high intensity infrared light.

18. The method of claim 17 further comprising the step of automatically adjusting said camera system for conditions of varying a light intensity using an iris equipped with light sensing component.

19. The method of claim 18 wherein said viewing device comprises at least one liquid crystal display comprising lithium niobate crystals.

20. The method of claim 16 including an additional step of initiating said matching step by voice command.

21. The method of claim 16 including an additional step of transmitting said enhanced image to a remote location.