Coordinated illumination and image signal capture for enhanced signal detection
First Claim
Patent Images
1. A method for image signal detection comprising:
- obtaining image signals captured under different wavelength illumination, a first image signal captured under illumination of a light source of a first color, and a second image captured under illumination of a light source of a second color;
combining the first and second image signals to increase signal to noise ratio of a signal of interest within the image signals to form a combined signal, the signal of interest comprising a two dimensional signal comprising a first signal modulation of the first color and a second signal modulation of the second color, and wherein the combining comprises adding or subtracting pixels at corresponding locations in the first and second images; and
performing signal detection on the combined image signal, the signal detection detecting the two dimensional signal from the combined image signal.
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Abstract
Signal detection and recognition employees coordinated illumination and capture of images under to facilitate extraction of a signal of interest. Pulsed illumination of different colors facilitates extraction of signals from color channels, as well as improved signal to noise ratio by combining signals of different color channels. The successive pulsing of different color illumination appears white to the user, yet facilitates signal detection, even for lower cost monochrome sensors, as in barcode scanning and other automatic identification equipment.
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Citations
21 Claims
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1. A method for image signal detection comprising:
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obtaining image signals captured under different wavelength illumination, a first image signal captured under illumination of a light source of a first color, and a second image captured under illumination of a light source of a second color; combining the first and second image signals to increase signal to noise ratio of a signal of interest within the image signals to form a combined signal, the signal of interest comprising a two dimensional signal comprising a first signal modulation of the first color and a second signal modulation of the second color, and wherein the combining comprises adding or subtracting pixels at corresponding locations in the first and second images; and performing signal detection on the combined image signal, the signal detection detecting the two dimensional signal from the combined image signal. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6)
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7. A method for image signal detection comprising:
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obtaining image signals captured under different wavelength illumination, wherein the different wavelength illumination comprises pulsing of different color light sources in succession at a rate sufficient for light source illumination from the different color light sources to appear white to a user; from the image signals, separating an image signal corresponding to a channel of illumination corresponding to one of the color light sources, and performing signal detection on the image signal corresponding to the channel of illumination. - View Dependent Claims (8, 9, 10, 11, 12)
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13. An imaging device comprising:
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an illumination source for providing pulsed illumination of different wavelength illumination; an image sensor for capturing image signals in coordination with the pulsed illumination; a controller for coordinating the pulsed illumination and corresponding image capture comprises pulsing of different color light sources in succession at a rate sufficient for light source illumination from the different color light sources to appear white to a user; and a signal detector in communication with the image sensor for obtaining image signals captured under different wavelength illumination, the signal detector configured to obtain an image signal corresponding to a channel of illumination corresponding to one of the color light sources, and configured to perform signal detection on the image signal corresponding to the channel of illumination. - View Dependent Claims (14, 15)
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16. An imaging device comprising:
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an illumination source for providing pulsed illumination of different wavelength illumination; an image sensor for capturing image signals in coordination with the pulsed illumination; a controller in communication with the illumination source and the image sensor to coordinate the pulsed illumination from the illumination source and image capture by the image sensor of image signals captured under different wavelength illumination, a first image signal captured under illumination of a light source of a first color, and a second image captured under illumination of a light source of a second color; a processor configured with instructions to combine the first and second image signals to increase signal to noise ratio of a signal of interest within a combination of the first and second image signals, the signal of interest comprising a two dimensional signal comprising a first signal modulation of the first color and a second signal modulation of the second color, wherein the processor is configured with instructions to add or subtract pixels at spatially aligned locations in the first and second images to increase the two dimensional signal in the combination, and the processor is further configured with instructions to detect the two dimensional signal from the combination. - View Dependent Claims (17, 18, 19, 20, 21)
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Specification