Image system

• US 9,459,351 B2
• Filed: 05/13/2015
• Issued: 10/04/2016
• Est. Priority Date: 10/05/2011
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: PixArt Imaging Incorporated
• Original Assignee: PixArt Imaging Incorporated
• Inventors: Hsu, En-Feng
• Primary Examiner(s): ELAHI, SHAN E
• Application Number:
  US14/711,179
• Publication Number:
  US 20150247925A1
• Time in Patent Office: 510 Days
• Field of Search: 348/46
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 17/08 for measuring distance only indirect measurement G01S17/46; active triangulation systems G01S17/48
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 17/89 for mapping or imaging
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 7/4802 using analysis of echo signal for target characterisation; Target signature; Target cross-section
• CPC Class Codes: G06T 2207/10152 Varying illumination
• CPC Class Codes: G06T 7/586 from multiple light sources, e.g. photometric stereo
• CPC Class Codes: G06V 10/141 Control of illumination
• CPC Class Codes: G06V 10/143 Sensing or illuminating at different wavelengths
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 13/271 wherein the generated image signals comprise depth maps or disparity maps
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 7/18 Closed-circuit television [CCTV] systems, i.e. systems in which the video signal is not broadcast

Abstract

An image system comprises a light source, an image sensing device, and a computing apparatus. The light source is configured to illuminate an object comprising at least one portion. The image sensing device is configured to generate a picture comprising an image. The image is produced by the object and comprises at least one part corresponding to the at least one portion of the object. The computing apparatus is configured to determine an intensity value representing the at least one part and to determine at least one distance between the at least one portion and the image sensing device using the intensity value and a dimension of the at least one part of the image.

Claims

1. An image system comprising:

a light source configured to illuminate at least one portion of an object;

an image sensing device configured to generate an object image produced by the object;

a computing apparatus configured to determine an intensity value of light from the light source representing the object image and to determine a distance between the object and the image sensing device using the intensity value of the light and a dimension of the object image, wherein the computing apparatus is further configured to determine the intensity value of the light based on an intensity of the light from the light source that is reflected from the object, and the dimension of the object image is based on a distance of the object from the image sensing device; and

a visible light image sensing device configured to generate a visible light picture of the object, wherein the computing apparatus is further configured to determine a position of the visible light picture and a dimension of the object based on the visible light picture.

2. The image system of claim 1, wherein the object comprises a plurality of portions, and the computing apparatus is further configured to determine a plurality of first distances corresponding to the plurality of portions and to determine a three-dimensional image using the plurality of first distances and the visible light picture.

3. The image system of claim 1, wherein the light source is configured to emit invisible light and the image sensing device is configured to detect the invisible light.

4. The image system of claim 3, wherein the light source is configured to emit infrared light and the image sensing device is configured to detect infrared light.

5. The image system of claim 3, wherein the computing apparatus is further configured to determine a position of at least one part of the visible light picture and a size of the at least one part based on the visible light picture.

6. The image system of claim 1, wherein the computing apparatus is configured to compare the intensity value representing at least one part of the object image with a predetermined intensity range to determine either the time during which the light source is turned on or the exposure time of the image sensing device.

7. An image system comprising:

a light source configured to illuminate an object comprising a first portion and a second portion connected with the first portion, wherein the first portion comprises a reflectance different from a reflectance of the second portion;

an image sensing device configured to generate a picture comprising an object image produced by the object, the object image comprising a first part corresponding to the first portion of the object and a second part corresponding to the second portion of the object;

a computing apparatus configured to determine reflectance of the second portion of the object using an intensity value of light from the light source representing the first part of the object image and an intensity value of light from the light source representing the second part of the object image and to determine a distance between the object and the image sensing device using the intensity values of the light from the light source and a dimension of the object image, wherein the computing apparatus is further configured to determine the reflectance of the second portion of the object using the intensity values of the light based on an intensity of the light from the light source that is reflected from the object; and

a visible light image sensing device configured to generate a visible light picture of the object, wherein the computing apparatus is further configured to determine a position of at least one part of the visible light picture and a dimension of the at least one part based on the visible light picture.

8. The image system of claim 7, wherein the light source is configured to emit invisible light and the image sensing device is configured to detect the invisible light.

9. The image system of claim 8, wherein the light source is configured to emit infrared light and the image sensing device is configured to detect infrared light.

10. The image system of claim 7, wherein the image sensing device is configured to detect visible light.

11. The image system of claim 7, wherein the image sensing device is a global shutter image sensor.

12. An image system comprising:

a light source configured to illuminate an object;

an image sensing device configured to generate, in sequence, a first picture and a second picture each respectively comprising a first object image and a second object image produced from the object;

a computing apparatus configured to determine a distance between the object and the image sensing device by the first object image of the first picture using an intensity value of the light from the light source and a dimension of at least the first object image of the first picture, to determine a first intensity value of the light from the light source representing the first object image of the first picture and a second intensity value of the light from the light source representing the second object image of the second picture and corresponding to the first intensity value, and to determine a travel distance of the light from a time that the first picture is generated until a time that the second picture is generated using the first intensity value of the light, the second intensity value of the light, and the travel distance, wherein the first and second intensity values of the light are based on an intensity of light from the light source and reflected from the object, and the travel distance is based on a distance traveled by light from the light source to the object and then to the image sensing device; and

a visible light image sensing device configured to generate a visible light picture of the object, wherein the computing apparatus is further configured to determine a position of at least one part of the visible light picture and a dimension of the at least one part based on the visible light picture.

13. The image system of claim 12, wherein the light source is configured to emit invisible light and the image sensing device is configured to detect the invisible light.

14. The image system of claim 12, wherein the image sensing device is configured to detect visible light.

15. The image system of claim 12, wherein the image sensing device is a global shutter image sensor.

16. An image system comprising:

a light source configured to illuminate an object comprising a plurality of portions;

an image sensing device configured to generate a plurality of pictures with each of the plurality of pictures comprising an object image produced by the object and each object image corresponding to one of the plurality of portions;

a computing apparatus configured to generate motion signals corresponding to the plurality of portions of the object according to changes in positions and intensity values of light from the light source illuminating the object images of the plurality of parts and to determine a distance between the object and the image sensing device using an intensity value of light from the light source illuminating at least one of the object images and a size of the at least one of the object images, wherein the intensity values of the light from the light source corresponding to the object images are based on an intensity of light from the light source that is reflected from the object, and sizes of each of the object images are based on a distance of the object from the image sensing device; and

a visible light image sensing device configured to generate a visible light picture of the object, wherein the computing apparatus is further configured to determine a position of at least one part of the visible light picture and a dimension of the at least one part based on the visible light picture.

17. The image system of claim 16, wherein the computing apparatus is configured to determine a three-dimensional image of the object according to the positions and the intensity values of each object image.

18. The image system of claim 16, wherein the light source is configured to emit invisible light and the image sensing device is configured to detect the invisible light.

19. The image system of claim 18, wherein the computing apparatus is further configured to determine the position and the dimension of one of the at least one part of the image of one picture using an image of the visible light picture.