IR signal capture for images

• US 9,398,288 B2
• Filed: 02/02/2015
• Issued: 07/19/2016
• Est. Priority Date: 11/04/2011
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Empire Technology Development LLC (Allied Inventors Management, LLC)
• Original Assignee: Empire Technology Development LLC (Allied Inventors Management, LLC)
• Inventors: Kim, Seungil
• Primary Examiner(s): ELAHI, SHAN E
• Application Number:
  US14/611,952
• Publication Number:
  US 20150145960A1
• Time in Patent Office: 533 Days
• Field of Search: 348/46
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: G06T 2207/10028 Range image; Depth image; 3D point clouds
• CPC Class Codes: G06T 2207/10048 Infrared image
• CPC Class Codes: G06T 2207/30196 Human being; Person
• CPC Class Codes: G06T 7/586 from multiple light sources, e.g. photometric stereo
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 13/254 in combination with electromagnetic radiation sources for illuminating objects
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 23/20 for generating image signals from infrared radiation only
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 23/56 provided with illuminating means
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 5/33 Transforming infrared radiation cameras or camera modules for generating image signals from infrared radiation H04N23/20; circuitry of SSIS for transforming infrared radiation into image signals H04N25/20

Abstract

Technologies and implementations for capturing images from IR signals are generally disclosed.

Claims

1. An apparatus to reduce shadowing proximate to one or more objects within a region comprising:

a first infrared (IR) emitter configured to at least partially illuminate an object within the region, wherein a shadow is created proximate to the object;

a second IR emitter configured to at least partially illuminate the shadow to facilitate depth determination within the shadow;

an image capture device to capture infrared signals in the region; and

a processor configured to;

determine a first depth information of a first image in the region based on a first infrared signal received from the image capturing device at a first time, the first infrared signal resulting from the first IR emitter;

determine a second depth information of a second image in the region based on a second infrared signal received from the image capturing device at a second time, the second infrared signal resulting from the second IR emitter; and

utilize the first depth information and the second depth information to reduce the shadow region proximate the object.

2. The apparatus as claimed in claim 1, wherein the processor is further configured to capture a first image when the first IR emitter illuminates the object and the second IR emitter is off, and to capture a second image when the second IR emitter illuminates the object and the first IR emitter is off.

3. The apparatus as claimed in claim 2, wherein the processor is further configured to combine the first image with the second image to at least partially eliminate the shadow in a combined image.

4. The apparatus as claimed in claim 1, further comprising a third infrared (IR) emitter configured to at least partially illuminate the shadow to facilitate depth determination within the shadow.

5. The apparatus as claimed in claim 4, wherein the processor is further configured to capture a first image when the first IR emitter illuminates the object and the second IR emitter and the third IR emitter are off, to capture a second image when the second IR emitter illuminates the object and the first IR emitter and the third IR emitter are off, and to capture a third image when the third IR emitter illuminates the object and the first IR emitter and the second IR emitter are off.

6. The apparatus as claimed in claim 5, wherein the processor is further configured to combine the first image, the second image, and the third image to at least partially eliminate the shadow in a combined image.

7. A processor-based method to reduce shadowing proximate to one or more objects within a region, comprising:

at least partially illuminating an object within the region with a first infrared (IR) emitter, wherein a shadow region is created proximate to the object;

at least partially illuminating the shadow region with a second IR emitter;

capturing infrared signals in the region with an image capture device; and

determining, in the processor, a first depth information of a first image in the region based on a first infrared signal received from the image capturing device at a first time, the first infrared signal resulting from the first IR emitter;

determining, in the processor, a second depth information of a second image in the region based on a second infrared signal received from the image capturing device at a second time, the second infrared signal resulting from the second IR emitter; and

utilizing the first depth information and the second depth information to reduce the shadow region proximate the object.

8. The method as claimed in claim 7, further comprising capturing a first image when the first IR emitter illuminates the object and the second IR emitter is off, and capturing a second image when the second IR emitter illuminates the object and the first IR emitter is off.

9. The method as claimed in claim 8, further comprising combining the first image with the second image to at least partially eliminate the shadow in a combined image.

10. The method as claimed in claim 7, further comprising at least partially illuminating the shadow with a third infrared (IR) emitter to facilitate depth determination within the shadow.

11. The method as claimed in claim 10, further comprising capturing a first image when the first IR emitter illuminates the object and the second IR emitter and the third IR emitter are off, capturing a second image when the second IR emitter illuminates the object and the first IR emitter and the third IR emitter are off, and capturing a third image when the third IR emitter illuminates the object and the first IR emitter and the second IR emitter are off.

12. The method as claimed in claim 11, further comprising combining the first image, the second image, and the third image to at least partially eliminate the shadow region in a combined image.

13. A non-transitory machine-readable medium having instructions stored thereon, wherein the instructions, if executed by a machine, result in determining a depth of one or more objects within a region by:

at least partially illuminating an object within the region with a first infrared (IR) emitter, wherein a shadow region is created proximate to the object;

at least partially illuminating the shadow region with a second IR emitter;

capturing infrared signals in the region with an image capture device; and

determining, in the processor, a first depth information of a first image in the region based on a first infrared signal received from the image capturing device at a first time, the first infrared signal resulting from the first IR emitter;

determining, in the processor, a second depth information of a second image in the region based on a second infrared signal received from the image capturing device at a second time, the second infrared signal resulting from the second IR emitter; and

utilizing the first depth information and the second depth information to reduce the shadow region proximate the object.

14. The non-transitory machine-readable medium as claimed in claim 13, further comprising instructions stored thereon, wherein the instructions, if executed by a machine, result in capturing a first image when the first IR emitter illuminates the object and the second IR emitter is off, and capturing a second image when the second IR emitter illuminates the object and the first IR emitter is off.

15. The non-transitory machine-readable medium as claimed in claim 14, further comprising instructions stored thereon, wherein the instructions, if executed by a machine, result in combining the first image with the second image to at least partially eliminate the shadow in a combined image.

16. The non-transitory machine-readable medium as claimed in claim 13, further comprising instructions stored thereon, wherein the instructions, if executed by a machine, result in at least partially illuminating the shadow with a third infrared (IR) emitter to facilitate depth determination within the shadow.

17. The non-transitory machine-readable medium as claimed in claim 16, further comprising instructions stored thereon, wherein the instructions, if executed by a machine, result in capturing a first image when the first IR emitter illuminates the object and the second IR emitter and the third IR emitter are off, capturing a second image when the second IR emitter illuminates the object and the first IR emitter and the third IR emitter are off, and capturing a third image when the third IR emitter illuminates the object and the first IR emitter and the second IR emitter are off.

18. The non-transitory machine-readable medium as claimed in claim 17, further comprising instructions stored thereon, wherein the instructions, if executed by a machine, result in combining the first image, the second image, and the third image to at least partially eliminate the shadow region in a combined image.

19. An apparatus to reduce shadowing proximate to one or more objects within a region, comprising:

an image capturing device configured to capture an image of a region; and

an array of infrared (IR) emitters configured to at least partially illuminate one or more objects within the region;

wherein the image capturing device is capable of capturing a first image of the region at a first time when a first subset of the array of IR emitters is activated and a second subset of the array of IR emitters is off to at least partially illuminate the one or more objects within the region, wherein one or more shadows are created proximate to the one or more objects;

wherein the imaging capturing device is capable of capturing a second image of the region at a second time when the second subset of the array of IR emitters is activated and the first subset of the array of IR emitters is off to at least partially illuminate the one or more objects with the region, wherein the one or more shadows are at least partially eliminated; and

a processor configured to;

determine a first depth information of the first image of the region based on the first image;

determine a second depth information of a second image in the region based on the second image; and

utilize the first depth information and the second depth information to reduce the shadow region proximate the object.

20. The apparatus as claimed in claim 19, wherein the image capturing device is capable of sending the first image and the second image to an external processor to determine a depth of the one or more objects using the first image and the second image.