System and method to increase effective dynamic range of image sensors
First Claim
Patent Images
1. A method of effectively increasing the dynamic range of a machine vision application, the method comprising:
- capturing multiple images of a scene taken at different exposures and with multiple image sensors;
searching a selected image of the multiple images for overexposed and underexposed portions based on a pixel value indicative of luminance;
analyzing portions in other images of the multiple images taken at lower exposures corresponding spatially to the overexposed portions in the selected image;
analyzing portions in other images of the multiple images taken at higher exposures corresponding spatially to the underexposed portions in the selected image; and
applying feature extraction to at least one of the analyzed portions for distance determination based on relative locations of the features within images associated with the multiple image sensors.
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Abstract
A system and method of increasing the dynamic range of image sensors by controlling the exposure (either electronically or mechanically) of multiple images and optionally forming a composite image from the properly exposed areas of the multiple images of varying exposure settings. Certain embodiments of the system and method utilize image processing techniques to determine the various exposure settings and to form the optional composite image. The properly exposed areas can be used directly by machine vision applications.
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Citations
99 Claims
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1. A method of effectively increasing the dynamic range of a machine vision application, the method comprising:
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capturing multiple images of a scene taken at different exposures and with multiple image sensors; searching a selected image of the multiple images for overexposed and underexposed portions based on a pixel value indicative of luminance; analyzing portions in other images of the multiple images taken at lower exposures corresponding spatially to the overexposed portions in the selected image; analyzing portions in other images of the multiple images taken at higher exposures corresponding spatially to the underexposed portions in the selected image; and applying feature extraction to at least one of the analyzed portions for distance determination based on relative locations of the features within images associated with the multiple image sensors. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7)
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8. A method of effectively increasing the dynamic range of a machine vision application, the method comprising:
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obtaining an image of a scene with multiple image sensors; analyzing the image to identify one or more regions that are either too bright or too dark, wherein any one of the regions includes a plurality of pixels; for any identified region that is identified as being too bright, obtaining a reduced exposure image; for any identified region that is identified as being too dark, obtaining an increased exposure image; and analyzing one or more of the properly exposed regions of the image or one or more properly exposed regions in the reduced and/or increased exposure images, wherein analyzing comprises feature extraction for distance determination based on relative locations of the features within images associated with the multiple image sensors. - View Dependent Claims (9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19, 40)
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20. A computer program storage medium storing instructions that when executed by a processor perform a method of increasing the dynamic range of a machine vision application, the method comprising:
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obtaining a base image of a scene with multiple image sensors; analyzing the base image to identify one or more regions that are either too bright or too dark, wherein any one of the regions includes a plurality of pixels; for any identified region that is too bright, obtaining a reduced exposure image; for any identified region that is too dark, obtaining an increased exposure image; and analyzing the base image and one or more properly exposed regions in the reduced and/or increased exposure images, wherein analyzing comprises feature extraction for distance determination based on relative locations of features within images associated with the multiple image sensors. - View Dependent Claims (21, 22, 23, 24, 25, 26)
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27. An image sensing system for effectively increasing the dynamic range of a machine vision application, the system comprising:
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means for acquiring an image of a scene a plurality of times with different exposures using multiple image sensors to obtain a plurality of images; means for segmenting the images into a plurality of image regions, wherein each region is indicative of a selected dynamic range; and means for analyzing one or more of the plurality of image regions for feature extraction including distance determination based on relative locations of the features within images associated with the multiple image sensors. - View Dependent Claims (28, 29, 30, 31, 32, 33, 34, 35)
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36. A method of effectively increasing the dynamic range of a machine vision application, the method comprising:
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acquiring an image of a scene a plurality of times with different exposures using multiple image sensors to obtain a plurality of images; segmenting the images into a plurality of image regions, wherein each region is indicative of a selected dynamic range; and analyzing any one or more of the plurality of image regions, wherein analyzing comprises feature extraction for distance determination based on relative locations of features within images associated with the multiple image sensors. - View Dependent Claims (37, 38, 39, 41)
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42. An image acquisition system for effectively increasing the dynamic range of a machine vision application, the system comprising:
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means for acquiring a plurality of images of a scene with multiple image sensors, each image having a different exposure; means for obtaining a plurality of image regions, wherein each region contains portions of a particular image with good dynamic range from the plurality of images; and means for analyzing one or more of the plurality of image regions for feature extraction including distance determination based on relative locations of the features within images associated with the multiple image sensors. - View Dependent Claims (43, 44, 45, 46, 47, 48, 49, 50)
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51. A method of effectively increasing the dynamic range of a machine vision application, the method comprising:
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capturing multiple images of a scene taken in different lighting conditions and with multiple image sensors; searching an image of the multiple images for overexposed and underexposed portions based on a pixel value indicative of luminance; reanalyzing the overexposed portions and the underexposed portions in the selected image corresponding to a spatially related portion in other images of the multiple images taken in different lighting conditions; and analyzing at least one of the reanalyzed portions, wherein analyzing comprises feature extraction for distance determination based on relative locations of the features within images associated with the multiple image sensors. - View Dependent Claims (52, 53, 54, 55, 56, 57, 58)
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59. An image sensing system for effectively increasing the dynamic range of a machine vision application, the system comprising:
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means for acquiring an image of a scene a plurality of times under different lighting conditions and with multiple image sensors so as to obtain a plurality of images; means for segmenting the images into a plurality of image regions, wherein each region is indicative of a selected dynamic range; and means for analyzing one or more of the plurality of image regions for feature extraction including distance determination based on relative locations of the features within images associated with the multiple image sensors. - View Dependent Claims (60, 61, 62, 63, 64, 65, 66, 67)
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68. A method to improve the performance of a machine vision system by increasing the amount of data captured within images of a scene, the method comprising:
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obtaining multiple images of a scene taken at different exposures and with multiple image sensors, wherein one of the multiple images is designated as a base image; analyzing properly exposed portions of the base image; analyzing regions in higher exposure images that correspond to pixels in the base image that were underexposed; analyzing regions in the lower exposure images that correspond to pixels in the base image that were overexposed; and applying feature extraction to at least one of the analyzed portions or regions for distance determination based on relative locations of the features within images associated with the multiple image sensors. - View Dependent Claims (69, 70, 71, 72)
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73. A method of effectively increasing the dynamic range of an image sensor, the method comprising:
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obtaining an image of a scene; analyzing the image to identify one or more regions that are either too bright or too dark, wherein any one of the regions includes a plurality of pixels; for any identified region that is identified as being too bright, obtaining a reduced exposure image; for any identified region that is identified as being too dark, obtaining an increased exposure image; wherein the obtaining a reduced exposure image and/or obtaining an increased exposure image are repeated as long as an average pixel value of any region is not within a selected limit; and processing one or more of the properly exposed regions of the image and one or more properly exposed regions in the reduced and/or increased exposure images.
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74. A method of effectively increasing the dynamic range of an image sensor, the method comprising:
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obtaining an image of a scene; analyzing the image to identify one or more regions that are either too bright or too dark, wherein any one of the regions includes a plurality of pixels; for any identified region that is identified as being too bright, obtaining a reduced exposure image; for any identified region that is identified as being too dark, obtaining an increased exposure image; processing one or more of the properly exposed regions of the image and one or more properly exposed regions in the reduced and/or increased exposure images; analyzing the properly exposed regions in the reduced and/or increased exposure images to identify one or more subregions that are either too bright or too dark; for any identified subregion that is too bright, obtaining another reduced exposure image; for any identified subregion that is too dark, obtaining another increased exposure image; and processing the properly exposed region and, one or more properly exposed subregions in the reduced and/or increased exposure images.
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75. A method to improve the performance of a machine vision system by increasing the amount of data captured within images of a scene, the method comprising:
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obtaining multiple images of a scene taken at different exposures, wherein one of the multiple images is designated as a base image; analyzing features in properly exposed portions of the base image; analyzing features in regions in higher exposure images that correspond to pixels in the base image that were underexposed; analyzing features in regions in the lower exposure images that correspond to pixels in the base image that were overexposed, wherein subregions of the higher exposure images remain overexposed and subregions of the lower exposure images remain underexposed; analyzing features in corresponding subregions of images with still higher and lower exposures; and processing at least one of the analyzed features with a machine vision application associated with mapping, navigation, or localization.
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76. A method to effectively improve the performance of a machine vision system, the method comprising:
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capturing multiple images of a scene taken at different exposures using a plurality of image sensors; analyzing at least a selected one of the images by applying feature extraction; if regions of the at least selected one analyzed image are too dark or too light, analyzing portions in other images of the multiple images taken at higher exposures corresponding spatially to the regions in the selected analyzed image that are too underexposed, and analyzing portions in other images of the multiple images taken at lower exposures corresponding spatially to the regions in the selected analyzed image that are too overexposed; and determining a distance from the image sensors to at least one extracted feature based on relative locations of the features within images associated with the plurality of image sensors. - View Dependent Claims (77, 78, 79, 80, 81, 82, 83, 84, 85)
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86. A method of effectively increasing the dynamic range of a machine vision application, the method comprising:
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capturing multiple images of a scene taken at different exposures using a plurality of image sensors; analyzing a selected image of the multiple images for overexposed and underexposed portions based on a pixel value indicative of luminance; analyzing portions in other images of the multiple images taken at lower exposures corresponding spatially to the overexposed portions in the selected image; analyzing portions in other images of the multiple images taken at higher exposures corresponding spatially to the underexposed portions in the selected image; and applying feature extraction to at least one of the analyzed portions for distance determination based on relative locations of the features within images associated with the plurality of image sensors. - View Dependent Claims (87, 88, 89, 90, 91, 92, 93, 94, 95, 96)
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97. An image sensing system for effectively increasing the dynamic range of a machine vision application, the system comprising:
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means for acquiring an image of a scene a plurality of times with different exposures to obtain a plurality of images; means for segmenting the images into a plurality of image regions, wherein each region is indicative of a selected dynamic range; means for analyzing one or more of the plurality of image regions for feature extraction including object identification or distance determination; and wherein the image sensing system includes at least two image sensors offset from each other, and wherein the machine vision application utilizes corresponding image segments from the at least two image sensors to determine distance and/or orientation from the camera system to the object or feature being imaged.
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98. An image acquisition system for effectively increasing the dynamic range of a machine vision application, the system comprising:
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means for acquiring a plurality of images of a scene, each image having a different exposure; means for obtaining a plurality of image regions, wherein each region contains portions of a particular image with good dynamic range from the plurality of images; means for analyzing one or more of the plurality of image regions for feature extraction including distance determination; and wherein the image sensing system contains at least two image sensors offset from each other, and wherein the machine vision application utilizes corresponding image segments from the at least two image sensors to determine distance and/or orientation from the camera system to the object or feature being imaged.
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99. An image sensing system for effectively increasing the dynamic range of a machine vision application, the system comprising:
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means for acquiring an image of a scene a plurality of times under different lighting conditions so as to obtain a plurality of images; means for segmenting the images into a plurality of image regions, wherein each region is indicative of a selected dynamic range; means for analyzing one or more of the plurality of image regions for feature extraction including distance determination; and wherein the image sensing system contains at least two image sensors offset from each other, and wherein the machine vision application utilizes corresponding image segments from the at least two image sensors to determine distance and/or orientation from the camera system to the object or feature being imaged.
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Specification