Camera apparatus and system, method and recording medium for indicating camera field of view

• US 10,630,909 B2
• Filed: 07/20/2018
• Issued: 04/21/2020
• Est. Priority Date: 07/29/2016
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
• Original Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
• Inventors: Connell, II, Jonathan Hudson, Pankanti, Sharathchandra Umapathirao
• Primary Examiner(s): Aghevli, Reza
• Application Number:
  US16/040,616
• Publication Number:
  US 20180338101A1
• Time in Patent Office: 641 Days
• Field of Search: None
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 23/56 provided with illuminating means
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 23/71 Circuitry for evaluating the brightness variation
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 23/74 by influencing the scene brightness using illuminating means
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 25/702 SSIS architectures characterised by non-identical, non-equidistant or non-planar pixel layout

Abstract

A camera field indicating method, system, and non-transitory computer readable medium for a camera including imaging optics, a light sensor, the imaging optics and the light sensor intermittently sensing incoming light, an extended light source provided separate from the imaging optics and the light sensor, the extended light source comprising a distributed illuminator capable of being intermittently activated when the light sensor does not need to sense incoming light such that a projection of the distributed illuminator through a duplicate lens of the extended light source matches a field of view of the light sensor.

Claims

1. A camera comprising:

imaging optics;

a light sensor, the imaging optics and the light sensor intermittently sensing incoming light; and

an extended light source provided separate from the imaging optics and the light sensor, the extended light source comprising a distributed illuminator capable of being intermittently activated when the light sensor does not need to sense incoming light such that a projection of the distributed illuminator through a duplicate lens of the extended light source matches a field of view of the light sensor,

wherein the distributed illuminator is situated near the imaging chip and the duplicate lens,

wherein the imaging optics includes a first lens, and

wherein the duplicate lens comprises a duplicate of the first lens as a second lens disposed on the extended light source.

2. The camera of claim 1, wherein the extended light source comprises an optical filter for patterning the projection of the distributed illuminator.

3. The camera of claim 1, wherein the distributed illuminator is activated simultaneously with the imaging optics to function as a flash.

4. A camera field indicating method for a camera including a light sensor, imaging optics, and an extended light source provided separate from the imaging optics and the light sensor, the method comprising:

sensing incoming light via the imaging optics and the light sensor; and

intermittently activating the extended light source, which includes a distributed illuminator, when the light sensor does not need to sense incoming light such that a projection of the distributed illuminator through a duplicate lens of the extended light source matches a field of view of the light sensor,

wherein the distributed illuminator is situated near the imaging chip and the duplicate lens,

wherein the imaging optics includes a first lens, and

wherein the duplicate lens comprises a duplicate of the first lens as a second lens disposed on the extended light source.

5. The method of claim 4, wherein the extended light source comprises an optical filter for patterning the projection of the distributed illuminator.

6. The method of claim 4, wherein the distributed illuminator is activated simultaneously with the imaging optics to function as a flash.

7. A camera field indicating system for a camera including a light sensor, imaging optics, and an extended light source provided separate from the imaging optics and the light sensor, said system comprising:

a processor; and

a memory, the memory storing instructions to cause the processor to perform;

sensing incoming light via the imaging optics and the light sensor; and

intermittently activating the extended light source, which includes a distributed illuminator, when the light sensor does not need to sense incoming light such that a projection of the distributed illuminator through a duplicate lens of the extended light source matches a field of view of the light sensor,

wherein the distributed illuminator is situated near the imaging chip and the duplicate lens,

wherein the imaging optics includes a first lens, and

wherein the duplicate lens comprises a duplicate of the first lens as a second lens disposed on the extended light source.

8. The system of claim 7, wherein the extended light source comprises an optical filter for patterning the projection of the distributed illuminator.

9. The system of claim 7, wherein the distributed illuminator is activated simultaneously with the imaging optics to function as a flash.