Image processing apparatus

• US 6,404,902 B1
• Filed: 07/28/1998
• Issued: 06/11/2002
• Est. Priority Date: 07/28/1997
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Sharp Kabushiki Kaisha (Hon Hai Precision Industry Co., Ltd.)
• Original Assignee: Sharp Kabushiki Kaisha (Hon Hai Precision Industry Co., Ltd.)
• Inventors: Sumita, Tomoaki, Kawanaka, Seido, Kubo, Noboru, Takano, Misao
• Primary Examiner(s): Boudreau, Leo
• Assistant Examiner(s): Choobin, Barry
• Application Number:
  US09/123,808
• Time in Patent Office: 1,414 Days
• Field of Search: 345/435, 348/48, 358/450, 382/105, 382/104, 382/284
• US Class Current: 382/104
• CPC Class Codes: G06V 10/147 Details of sensors, e.g. sensor lenses fingerprint or palmprint sensors G06V40/13; vascular sensors G06V40/145; eye sensors G06V40/19
• CPC Class Codes: G06V 20/625 License plates

Abstract

An image processing apparatus includes a plurality of imaging devices located at respective prescribed positions; at least one optical device for receiving light and projecting an image of the received light to the imaging devices; and an image processing section for processing respective images obtained by the imaging devices, wherein the imaging devices and the optical section form a single unit.

Claims

1. An image processing apparatus, comprising:

a plurality of imaging devices located at respective prescribed positions each for imaging different portions of an image scene;

at least one optical device for receiving light of the image scene and projecting respective portions of the received light to respective imaging devices;

an image processing section for processing at least one of the image portions obtained by a respective one of the imaging devices, wherein the imaging devices and the at least one optical device form a single unit;

wherein the image processing section synthesizes at least two of the respective image portions obtained by the imaging devices into a single image having no overlapping portion.

2. An image processing apparatus according to claim 1, wherein

the optical device is a single element, and projects an entire image scene as respective portions thereof to respective ones of the plurality of imaging devices.

3. An image processing apparatus according to claim 1, further comprising:

a semi-transparent mirror for dividing the light from the optical device into the plurality of portions to assign respective portions of the divided image scene to the respective imaging devices.

4. An image processing apparatus according to claim 1, further comprising:

a detecting section for detecting a position of an object in the image scene, wherein the image processing section selects one of the respective image portions obtained by the imaging devices, based on the detected position of the object, and processes the selected image portion.

5. An image processing apparatus according to claim 4, wherein

the image processing section extracts the object from the selected image portion.

6. An image apparatus according to claim 1, wherein

the image processing section extracts the object from the single image resulting from synthesizing at least two of the respective image portions obtained by the imaging devices.

8. An image processing apparatus according to claim 1, wherein

the optical device is a single element, and projects an entire image scene as respective portions thereof to respective ones of the plurality of imaging devices.

13. An image processing apparatus according to claim 1, wherein

the semi-transparent mirror reflects a portion of the image scene to a first imaging device and allows another portion of the image scene to pass directly by to a second imaging device.

14. An image processing device according to claim 13, further including a third imaging device and a second semi-transparent mirror.

15. An image processing apparatus according to claim 1, further including a distance sensor operatively connected to an image selecting section for sensing the distance to an object in the image scene.

7. An image processing apparatus, comprising:

a plurality of imaging devices, located at respective prescribed positions, the different positions being different positions each for imaging portions of an image scene;

at least one optical device for receiving light of the image scene and projecting respective portions of the received light to respective imaging devices;

a first semi-transparent mirror for dividing the image scene from the optical device into a plurality of slightly overlapping portions to assign respective portions of the divided scene to the respective imaging devices; and

an image processing section for processing respective image portions of the image scene obtained by the imaging devices, wherein the imaging devices and the optical section form a single unit.

9. An image processing apparatus according to claim 7, further comprising

a detecting section for detecting a position of an object in the image scene, wherein the image processing section selects one of the respective portions obtained by the imaging devices, based on the detected position of the object, and processes the selected image portion.

10. An image processing apparatus according to claim 9, wherein the image processing section extracts the object from the selected image portion.

11. An image processing apparatus according to claim 7, wherein

the image processing section synthesizes at least two of the respective images obtained by the imaging devices into a single image having no overlapping portion.

12. An image processing apparatus according to claim 11, wherein

the image processing section extracts the object from the single image resulting from synthesizing at least two of the respective image portions obtained by the imaging devices.