Dual-mode camera
First Claim
1. A camera, comprising:
- a single lens system adapted to direct a beam, the single lens system providing a directed beam;
an iris adapted to limit an amount of the directed beam, the iris providing a limited amount of the directed beam;
a mirror adapted to receive and distribute the limited amount of the directed beam, the mirror providing a first portion of the distributed beam and a second portion of the distributed beam;
a first digital image sensor adapted to receive the first portion of the distributed beam;
a second digital image sensor adapted to receive the second portion of the distributed beam;
an image intensifier adapted to receive and intensify at least one of the following;
the limited amount of the directed beam,the first portion of the distributed beam, andthe second portion of the distributed beam;
a processor adapted to receive an output from at least one of the first image sensor and the second image sensor, the processor being adapted to provide an iris driver control signal to an iris driver;
a multiplexer adapted to merge characteristics of output provided by the first digital image sensor and the second digital image sensor;
an iris driver adapted to operate the iris, the iris driver receiving the iris driver control signal; and
where the iris driver control signal is provided to establish the limited amount of the directed beam to prevent overexposure to at least one of the following;
the image intensifier,the first digital image sensor, andthe second digital image sensor.
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Accused Products
Abstract
A dual camera system uses a single lens and no moving parts in the optical path. A single lens directs a desired scene to a partially reflective beamsplitting mirror, thence to a pair of image sensors. For day/night operation, one sensor may be optimized for nighttime sensitivity, while the other is optimized for daytime operation. Alternatively, one optical path may have greater magnification, thus allowing electronic zooming with no resolution loss. The system may be enhanced with an image intensifier for nighttime operation; digital sensors for improved resolution, or orthogonal gyroscopic accelerometers for image stabilization. Additionally, the monochrome and color images may be produced simultaneously and ‘fused’ algorithmically, yielding an improvement in sensitivity and color resolution compared with a conventional color camera.
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Citations
4 Claims
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1. A camera, comprising:
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a single lens system adapted to direct a beam, the single lens system providing a directed beam; an iris adapted to limit an amount of the directed beam, the iris providing a limited amount of the directed beam; a mirror adapted to receive and distribute the limited amount of the directed beam, the mirror providing a first portion of the distributed beam and a second portion of the distributed beam; a first digital image sensor adapted to receive the first portion of the distributed beam; a second digital image sensor adapted to receive the second portion of the distributed beam; an image intensifier adapted to receive and intensify at least one of the following; the limited amount of the directed beam, the first portion of the distributed beam, and the second portion of the distributed beam; a processor adapted to receive an output from at least one of the first image sensor and the second image sensor, the processor being adapted to provide an iris driver control signal to an iris driver; a multiplexer adapted to merge characteristics of output provided by the first digital image sensor and the second digital image sensor; an iris driver adapted to operate the iris, the iris driver receiving the iris driver control signal; and where the iris driver control signal is provided to establish the limited amount of the directed beam to prevent overexposure to at least one of the following; the image intensifier, the first digital image sensor, and the second digital image sensor. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4)
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Specification