Visible light and IR combined image camera
First Claim
Patent Images
1. A method of displaying visible-light (VL) images and infrared (IR) images, the method comprising:
- providing a camera having a VL lens with a VL sensor, an IR lens with an IR sensor, and a display, the VL lens and the IR lens being located on the camera such that an optical axis of the VL lens is offset from, and generally parallel to, an optical axis of the IR lens so the VL sensor and the IR sensor sense a VL image and an IR image, respectively, of a target scene from different points of view causing a parallax error, the IR lens being manually rotatable;
displaying at least a portion of the VL image and at least a portion of the IR image on the display, the relative positions on the display of the at least the portion of the VL image and of the at least the portion of the IR image being controllable via rotation of the IR lens; and
manually rotating the IR lens until the at least the portion of the VL image and the at least the portion of the IR image are positioned in register on the display to correct the parallax error, the registration via IR lens rotation focusing the IR lens on the target scene.
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Abstract
Methods, camera, and a computer-readable medium for registering on a camera display infrared and visible light images of a target scene taken from different points of view causing a parallax error.
56 Citations
43 Claims
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1. A method of displaying visible-light (VL) images and infrared (IR) images, the method comprising:
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providing a camera having a VL lens with a VL sensor, an IR lens with an IR sensor, and a display, the VL lens and the IR lens being located on the camera such that an optical axis of the VL lens is offset from, and generally parallel to, an optical axis of the IR lens so the VL sensor and the IR sensor sense a VL image and an IR image, respectively, of a target scene from different points of view causing a parallax error, the IR lens being manually rotatable; displaying at least a portion of the VL image and at least a portion of the IR image on the display, the relative positions on the display of the at least the portion of the VL image and of the at least the portion of the IR image being controllable via rotation of the IR lens; and manually rotating the IR lens until the at least the portion of the VL image and the at least the portion of the IR image are positioned in register on the display to correct the parallax error, the registration via IR lens rotation focusing the IR lens on the target scene. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17)
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18. A method of displaying visible-light (VL) images and infrared (IR) images, the method comprising:
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providing a camera having a VL lens with a VL sensor, an IR lens with an IR sensor, and a display, the VL lens and the IR lens being located on the camera such that an optical axis of the VL lens is offset from, and generally parallel to, an optical axis of the IR lens so the VL sensor and the IR sensor sense a VL image and an IR image, respectively, of a target scene from different points of view causing a parallax error; displaying at least a portion of the VL image with at least a portion of the IR image on the display, the at least the portion of the IR image being displayed without the corresponding portion of the VL image; and registering the VL image with the IR image on the display by displacing the VL image and the IR image relative to each other until registered to correct the parallax error via a manual adjustment mechanism, the registration via the manual adjustment mechanism focusing the IR lens on the target scene. - View Dependent Claims (19, 20, 21, 22)
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23. A camera producing visible light (VL) and infrared (IR) images, the camera comprising:
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a VL lens; a VL sensor associated with the VL lens and having an array of VL sensor elements that produce a VL image of a target scene; an IR lens; an IR sensor associated with the IR lens and having an array of IR sensor elements that produce an IR image of the target scene, the IR image being formed by substantially fewer sensor elements than being used to form the VL image, the VL lens with the VL sensor having a larger field of view than the IR lens with the IR sensor, the IR lens being manually rotatable, rotation of the IR lens causing an axial shift of the IR lens relative to the IR sensor to focus the IR lens; the VL lens and the IR lens being located on the camera such that an optical axis of the VL lens is offset from, and generally parallel to, an optical axis of the IR lens so the VL sensor array of pixels and the IR sensor array of pixels sense the target scene from different points of view causing a parallax error, the focusing of the IR lens registering the VL image with the IR image to correct the parallax error; and a display for concurrently displaying at least a portion of the VL image registered with at least a portion of the IR image, the displayed portion of the IR image being surrounded by the VL image to effect a picture-in-picture view of the target scene. - View Dependent Claims (24, 25, 26, 27, 28, 29, 30)
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31. A computer-readable medium programmed with instructions for performing a method of registering multiple images, the medium comprising instructions for causing a programmable processor to:
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receive a first image of a target scene, the first image being produced by a VL lens and a VL sensor with an array of VL sensor elements; receive a second image of the target scene, the second image having a parallax error with the first image and being produced by an IR lens and an IR sensor with an array of IR sensor elements, the IR sensor having substantially fewer sensor elements than the VL sensor; display at least portions of the first and second images on a display; and move the first and second images relative to each other on the display in response to a user input, the user input changing the focus of the IR lens as the first and second images are moved, when the first and second images are moved into register to correct the parallax error the IR lens being focused on the target scene. - View Dependent Claims (32, 33, 34, 35, 36, 37, 38, 39, 40, 41, 42, 43)
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Specification