Vision system

• US 8,836,848 B2
• Filed: 01/26/2010
• Issued: 09/16/2014
• Est. Priority Date: 01/26/2010
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Southwest Research Institute
• Original Assignee: Southwest Research Institute
• Inventors: Neutzler, Jay K., Lopez, Roger R.
• Primary Examiner(s): Berhan, Ahmed A
• Application Number:
  US12/693,669
• Publication Number:
  US 20110181767A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,694 Days
• Field of Search: 345/340, 345/343, 345/345, 348/340, 348/345, 348/343, 348/47, 348/48, 348/51, 348/159, 348/157, 348/153, 348/169, 348/202, 348/207.99, 348/344
• US Class Current: 348/345
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 23/55 Optical parts specially adapted for electronic image sensors; Mounting thereof

Abstract

The present disclosure relates to a vision system which may include a plurality of lenses coupled to an image sensor by a plurality of optical fiber bundles. Each of the plurality of lenses is configured to capture at least a portion of the scene. The image sensor may be located a distance from the plurality of lenses. The optical fiber bundles are configured to transmit optical image data from each lens to the image sensor. The image sensor is configured to convert the optical image data from each lens into corresponding electrical image data (“electrical image data”) for each lens.

Claims

1. A vision apparatus comprising:

a plurality of lenses, each of said plurality of lenses configured to capture at least a portion of a scene, and wherein a first lens of said plurality of lenses is oriented at an angle that differs from an orientation of a second lens of said plurality of lenses;

a lens orientation controller configured to sense said orientation of said first lens relative to said orientation of said second lens and to adjust said orientation of said first lens in response to input from a user interface;

a plurality of optical fiber bundles, each of said plurality of optical fiber bundles having a first end and a second end, each said first end coupled to one of said plurality of lenses; and

an image sensor coupled to said second end of said plurality of optical fiber bundles, wherein each of said plurality of optical fiber bundles is configured to transmit optical image data corresponding to each said at least a portion of a scene from each said lens to said image sensor and said image sensor is configured to convert said optical image data into corresponding electrical image data; and

wherein said coupling of said second end to said image sensor is configured to preserve an orientation of said second end relative to a surface of said image sensor during said adjustment of said orientation of said first lens.

2. The apparatus of claim 1 wherein said plurality of lenses are each capable of being separately positioned and/or jointly positioned.

3. The apparatus of claim 1 wherein said plurality of lenses comprises between 2 and 100 lenses.

4. The apparatus of claim 1 wherein said plurality of lenses have an angle of view of 10 degrees to 75 degrees.

5. The apparatus of claim 1 wherein said fiber bundles have a length of between 1.27 cm and 3.05 meters.

6. The apparatus of claim 1 wherein said image sensor comprises a plurality of pixels and each of said fiber bundles comprise a plurality of fibers, where the plurality of fibers in a bundle correspond to a sub-set of said plurality of pixels in the image sensor.

7. The apparatus of claim 6 wherein the correspondence between the plurality of fibers to said sub-set of pixels comprises the value of 1:

2 to 2;

1.

8. A system comprising:

a plurality of lenses, each of said plurality of lenses configured to capture at least a portion of a scene, and wherein a first lens of said plurality of lenses is oriented at an angle that differs from an orientation of a second lens of said plurality of lenses;

a plurality of optical fiber bundles, each of said plurality of optical fiber bundles having a first end and a second end, each said first end coupled to one of said plurality of lenses;

an image sensor coupled to said second end of said plurality of optical fiber bundles, wherein each of said plurality of optical fiber bundles is configured to transmit optical image data corresponding to each said at least a portion of a scene from each said lens to said image sensor and said image sensor is configured to convert said optical image data into corresponding electrical image data;

a processor coupled to said image sensor, said processor configured to process said electrical image data and to generate an output based on said electrical image data; and

a lens orientation controller configured to sense said orientation of said first lens relative to said orientation of said second lens and to adjust said orientation of said first lens under control of said processor, wherein said coupling of said second end to said image sensor is configured to preserve an orientation of said second end relative to a surface of said image sensor during said adjustment of said orientation of said first lens.

9. The system of claim 8 wherein said plurality of lenses are each capable of being separately positioned and/or jointly positioned.

10. The system of claim 8 wherein said plurality of lenses comprises between 2 and 100 lenses.

11. The system of claim 8 wherein said plurality of lenses have an angle of view of 10 degrees to 75 degrees.

12. The system of claim 8 wherein said fiber bundles have a length of between 1.27 cm and 3.05 meters.

13. The system of claim 8 wherein said image sensor comprises a plurality of pixels and each of said fiber bundles comprise a plurality of fibers, where the plurality of fibers in a bundle correspond to a sub-set of said plurality of pixels in the image sensor.

14. The system of claim 13 wherein the correspondence between the plurality of fibers to said sub-set of pixels comprises the value of 1:

2 to 2;

1.

15. A method for vision comprising:

capturing optical image data representing at least a portion of a scene using a plurality of lenses coupled to a plurality of optical fiber bundles, wherein a first lens of said plurality of lenses is oriented at an angle that differs from an orientation of a second lens of said plurality of lenses;

sensing said orientation of said first lens relative to said orientation of said second lens;

adjusting said orientation of said first lens in response to input from a user interface;

transmitting said optical image data to an image sensor using said plurality of optical fiber bundles, said plurality of optical fiber bundles coupled to said image sensor, wherein said coupling of said plurality of optical fibers to said image sensor is configured to preserve an orientation of said plurality of optical fibers relative to a surface of said image sensor during said adjustment of said orientation of said first lens; and

converting said optical image data into electrical image data using said image sensor, said electrical image data corresponding to said optical image data.

16. The method of claim 15 further comprising:

providing said electrical image data to a processor; and

processing said electrical image data using said processor; and

generating an output based on said processed electrical image data.

17. The method of claim 15 wherein said plurality of lenses are each capable of being separately positioned and/or jointly positioned.

18. The method of claim 15 wherein said plurality of lenses comprises between 2 and 100 lenses.

19. The method of claim 15 wherein said plurality of lenses have an angle of view of 10 degrees to 75 degrees.

20. The method of claim 15 wherein said fiber bundles have a length of between 1.27 cm and 3.05 meters.

21. The method of claim 15 wherein said image sensor comprises a plurality of pixels and each of said fiber bundles comprise a plurality of fibers, where the plurality of fibers in a bundle correspond to a sub-set of said plurality of pixels in the image sensor.

22. The method of claim 21 wherein the correspondence between the plurality of fibers to said sub-set of pixels comprises the value of 1:

2 to 2;

1.

23. An article comprising a storage medium having stored thereon instructions that when executed by a machine result in the following operations:

capturing optical image data representing at least a portion of a scene using a plurality of lenses coupled to a plurality of optical fiber bundles, wherein a first lens of said plurality of lenses is oriented at an angle that differs from an orientation of a second lens of said plurality of lenses;

sensing said orientation of said first lens relative to said orientation of said second lens;

adjusting said orientation of said first lens in response to input from a user interface;

transmitting said optical image data to an image sensor using said plurality of optical fiber bundles, said plurality of optical fiber bundles coupled to said image sensor, wherein said coupling of said plurality of optical fibers to said image sensor is configured to preserve an orientation of said plurality of optical fibers relative to a surface of said image sensor during said adjustment of said orientation of said first lens;

converting said optical image data into electrical image data using said image sensor, said electrical image data corresponding to said optical image data.

24. The article of claim 23 wherein said instructions further result in the following operations:

providing said electrical image data to a processor; and

processing said electrical image data using said processor; and

generating an output based on said processed electrical image data.

25. The article of claim 23 wherein said plurality of lenses are each capable of being separately positioned and/or jointly positioned.

26. The article of claim 23 wherein said plurality of lenses comprises between 2 and 100 lenses.

27. The article of claim 23 wherein said plurality of lenses have an angle of view of 10 degrees to 75 degrees.

28. The article of claim 23 wherein said fiber bundles have a length of between 1.27 cm and 3.05 meters.

29. The article of claim 23 wherein said image sensor comprises a plurality of pixels and each of said fiber bundles comprise a plurality of fibers, where the plurality of fibers in a bundle correspond to a sub-set of said plurality of pixels in the image sensor.

30. The article of claim 29 wherein the correspondence between the plurality of fibers to said sub-set of pixels comprises the value of 1:

2 to 2;

1.