Lens cleaning warning system and method
First Claim
Patent Images
1. A lens cleaning warning system for a camera which receives light representing a scene, the system comprising:
- a pixel array which provides image data from the light received by the camera;
a lens unit which focuses the received light onto the pixel array; and
an image processing unit which analyzes the image data corresponding to a single image to determine whether the image data corresponding to the single image indicates defects attributable to the lens being contaminated and, if so, provides an indication that the lens is contaminated, wherein the image processing unit is configured to;
generate a histogram of the image data corresponding to the single image; and
analyze the histogram for an absence of the image data within a first predetermined range of values, for a presence of the image data within a second predetermined range of values and for a presence of image data within a third predetermined range of values, not adjacent to the first or second predetermined ranges, to provide the indication that the lens is contaminated.
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Accused Products
Abstract
Lens cleaning warning systems and methods. A system includes an image processing unit configured to analyze image data to determine whether the image data indicates lens flare and, if so, provide an indication to the user that the lens is contaminated.
25 Citations
16 Claims
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1. A lens cleaning warning system for a camera which receives light representing a scene, the system comprising:
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a pixel array which provides image data from the light received by the camera; a lens unit which focuses the received light onto the pixel array; and an image processing unit which analyzes the image data corresponding to a single image to determine whether the image data corresponding to the single image indicates defects attributable to the lens being contaminated and, if so, provides an indication that the lens is contaminated, wherein the image processing unit is configured to; generate a histogram of the image data corresponding to the single image; and analyze the histogram for an absence of the image data within a first predetermined range of values, for a presence of the image data within a second predetermined range of values and for a presence of image data within a third predetermined range of values, not adjacent to the first or second predetermined ranges, to provide the indication that the lens is contaminated. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8)
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9. A method of warning that a lens of a camera is contaminated comprising:
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receiving light into the camera; generating image data from the received light; analyzing the image data corresponding to a single image for luminance values within first, second and third predetermined ranges; and if image data values within the first predetermined range are not found and image data values within the second and third predetermined ranges are found, providing an indication that the lens is contaminated, where the third predetermined range of values is not adjacent to the first or second predetermined ranges of values. - View Dependent Claims (10, 11, 12, 13, 14)
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15. A method of warning that a lens of a camera is contaminated comprising:
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focusing a scene within view of a lens unit onto a pixel array; capturing the scene as a single image of image data using the pixel array; analyzing the image data to detect whether the single image contains defects attributable to the lens being contaminated, including; generating a histogram of the image data of the single image; and analyzing the histogram for an absence of the image data within a first predetermined range of values and for a presence of the image data within a second predetermined range of values and a third predetermined range of values not adjacent to the first or second predetermined ranges of values to detect the defects attributable to the lens being contaminated; repeating the focusing, capturing and analyzing steps for at least one other image; and providing an indication that the lens is contaminated if defects attributable to the lens being contaminated are detected with respect to at least one of the captured images. - View Dependent Claims (16)
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Specification