Adaptive control of an electronic imaging camera
First Claim
1. A method for adaptively adjusting the camera lighting level and distance between a camera and a light reflectance object plane including a reflectance field of view, comprising the steps of:
- illuminating a reflectance field of view;
sensing a desired image field within the reflectance field of view;
generating an image signal of said image field;
generating a plurality of image parameter signals from the image signal;
generating a means image parameter signal from said plurality of image parameter signals;
comparing said mean image parameter signal with a predetermined reference signal and generating a difference signal therefrom;
initially reducing the camera lighting when the mean image parameter signal is less than said predetermined reference signal,reducing said distance between the camera and the light reflectance object plane when the mean image parameter signal is greater than said predetermined reference signal;
thereafter repeating said comparing step; and
again reducing the camera lighting when the mean image parameter signal is less than said predetermined reference signal but increasing the camera lighting to a predetermined previous level set when the mean image parameter signal is greater than said reference signal.
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Accused Products
Abstract
A CCD imaging camera is adaptively controlled by: illuminating a reflectance field of view, selectively sensing a desired image field area within the field of view and generating an image signal thereof, reducing low frequency components of the sensed area image signal, generating a contrast signal from the image signal, generating an average or mean signal from a plurality of image contrast signals, comparing the mean signal with a reference signal corresponding to a predetermined contrast maximum value, and thereafter controlling the light level or the range of the camera to the object field.
48 Citations
21 Claims
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1. A method for adaptively adjusting the camera lighting level and distance between a camera and a light reflectance object plane including a reflectance field of view, comprising the steps of:
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illuminating a reflectance field of view; sensing a desired image field within the reflectance field of view; generating an image signal of said image field; generating a plurality of image parameter signals from the image signal; generating a means image parameter signal from said plurality of image parameter signals; comparing said mean image parameter signal with a predetermined reference signal and generating a difference signal therefrom; initially reducing the camera lighting when the mean image parameter signal is less than said predetermined reference signal, reducing said distance between the camera and the light reflectance object plane when the mean image parameter signal is greater than said predetermined reference signal; thereafter repeating said comparing step; and again reducing the camera lighting when the mean image parameter signal is less than said predetermined reference signal but increasing the camera lighting to a predetermined previous level set when the mean image parameter signal is greater than said reference signal.
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2. A method for adaptively adjusting the camera lighting level and distance between a camera and a light reflectance object plane including a reflectance field of view, comprising the steps of:
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illuminating a reflectance field of view; sensing a desired image field within the reflectance field of view; generating an image signal of said image field; generating a plurality of contrast parameter signals from said image signal, said contrast parameter signals being a function of intensity of luminance of the image field; generating a mean contrast parameter signal; comparing said mean contrast parameter signal with a reference signal corresponding to a predetermined contrast level and generating a contrast difference signal; initially reducing the camera lighting when the mean contrast parameter signal is less than said predetermined contrast level, reducing said distance between the camera and the light reflectance object plane when the mean contrast parameter signal is greater than said predetermined contrast signal; repeating said comparing step; and then reducing the camera lighting when the mean contrast parameter signal is less than said predetermined contrast value but increasing the camera lighting to a predetermined previous level set when the mean contrast parameter signal is greater than said predetermined contrast value. - View Dependent Claims (3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10)
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11. A method for adaptively adjusting the camera lighting level and distance between a camera and a light reflectance object plane including a reflectance field of view, comprising the steps of:
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illuminating a reflectance field of view; sensing a desired image field within the reflectance field of view; generating an image signal of said image field; homomorphically filtering said image signal for reducing low frequency components therefrom; generating at least one contrast parameter signal from the filtered image signal, said contrast parameter signal being a function of intensity or luminance of the image field; comparing said at least one contrast parameter signal with a reference signal corresponding to a predetermined contrast level and generating a contrast difference signal; and controlling the light level or the distance between the camera and the light reflectance object plane as a function of said contrast difference signal. - View Dependent Claims (12)
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13. Apparatus for adaptively adjusting the camera lighting level and distance between a camera and a light reflectance object plane including a reflectance field of view, comprising:
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means for illuminating a reflectance field of view; means for sensing a desired image field within the reflectance field of view; means for generating an image signal of said image field; means for generating a plurality of image parameter signals from the image signal, said contrast parameter signal being a function of intensity of luminance of the image field; means for generating a mean contrast parameter signal from said plurality of contrast parameter signals; means for comparing said mean contrast parameter signal with a reference signal corresponding to a minimum contrast level and generating a contrast difference signal; and means for controlling the light level or the distance between the camera and the light reflectance object place as a function of said contrast difference signal. - View Dependent Claims (14, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19, 20, 21)
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Specification