Image capturing device and method thereof

• US 9,143,704 B2
• Filed: 11/29/2012
• Issued: 09/22/2015
• Est. Priority Date: 01/20/2012
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: HTC Corporation
• Original Assignee: HTC Corporation
• Inventors: Lin, Chun-Ta
• Primary Examiner(s): Vaughn, Jr., William C
• Assistant Examiner(s): ADAMS, EILEEN M
• Application Number:
  US13/688,217
• Publication Number:
  US 20130188057A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,027 Days
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 23/11 for generating image signals from visible and infrared light wavelengths
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 5/33 Transforming infrared radiation cameras or camera modules for generating image signals from infrared radiation H04N23/20; circuitry of SSIS for transforming infrared radiation into image signals H04N25/20

Abstract

An image capturing device and a method thereof are provided. The image capturing device includes an image sensor and a processor. The image sensor includes a color filter array and a sensor chip. The color filter array includes a first region permitting visible light and infrared light to pass and a second region permitting the infrared light to pass. The sensor chip obtains a target image through the color filter array, wherein the target image includes a composite image corresponding to the first region and a first group infrared image corresponding to the second region, and the composite image includes a second group infrared image, where the second group infrared image and the first group infrared image are linear correlated. The processor adjusts a proportion of the second group infrared image in the composite image by employing the first group infrared image, so as to generate a processed image.

Claims

1. An image capturing device, comprising:

an image sensor, configured to obtain a target image, wherein the image sensor comprises;

a color filter array, comprising a first region permitting visible light and infrared light to pass and a second region permitting the infrared light to pass; and

a sensor chip, obtaining the target image by the color filter array, wherein the target image comprises;

a composite image corresponding to the first region;

a first group infrared image corresponding to the second region, wherein the composite image is composed of a RGB image and the second group infrared image; and

a processor, generating a processed image by employing the first group infrared image,

wherein under a normal mode, the processor retrieves the RGB image from the composite image by employing the first group infrared image and sets the retrieved RGB image as the processed image, and

wherein under a glimmer mode, the processor adjusts the weight of the second group infrared image in the composite image by employing the first group infrared image to generate the processed image.

2. The image capturing device according to claim 1, wherein under the glimmer mode the processor progressively increases the weight of the second group infrared image in the composite image as an ambient brightness gradually decreases.

3. The image capturing device according to claim 1, wherein under the glimmer mode, in response to an exposure time of the image sensor reaching a first predetermined value and a signal gain value of the image sensor reaching a second predetermined value, the processor linearly sets an infrared adjustment factor and thereby adjusts the weight of the second group infrared image in the composite image according to an ambient brightness by employing the first group infrared image to generate the processed image.

4. The image capturing device according to claim 1, wherein the sensor chip further comprising:

a pixel sensor array, wherein the pixel sensor array is correspondingly disposed at a first side of the color filter array,

wherein the color filter array comprises a plurality of filter blocks, and each of the filter blocks comprises a plurality of filtering units, the filtering units are arranged in a repeating pattern and respectively correspond to one of pixel sensors in the pixel sensor array in space, and each of the filtering units permits light with at least one frequency band to pass, so that the pixel sensor array senses the target image under a light intensity with the at least one frequency band.

5. The image capturing device according to claim 4, wherein each of the filter blocks comprises a first filtering unit, a second filtering unit, a third filtering unit and a fourth filtering unit, wherein the first filtering unit comprises a first dyestuff capable of simultaneously sensing blue light and the infrared light to obtain a first image signal, the second filtering unit comprises a second dyestuff capable of simultaneously sensing green light and the infrared light to obtain a second image signal, the third filtering unit comprises a third dyestuff capable of simultaneously sensing red light and the infrared light to obtain a third image signal, and the fourth filtering unit comprises a fourth dyestuff capable of sensing the infrared light to obtain a fourth image signal.

6. The image capturing device according to claim 1, wherein the image sensor further comprises:

a lens, correspondingly disposed at a second side of the color filter array; and

an auto focus module, adjusting a focus distance of the lens relative to the sensor chip,

wherein the processor calculates the focus distance through the first group infrared image.

7. The image capturing device according to claim 1, further comprising:

a dual-band filter, configured to filter out light, so that the light with wavelengths located at a first frequency band and/or a second frequency band pass through the color filter array of the image capturing device, wherein the first frequency band comprises a wavelength range permitting the visible light to pass, and the second frequency band comprises a wavelength range permitting the infrared light to pass.

8. An image capturing method, applicable to an image capturing device, the image capturing method comprising:

obtaining a target image by the image capturing device, wherein the step of obtaining the target image comprises;

receiving light by a color filter array, so that visible light and infrared light pass through a first region of the color filter array and the infrared light passes through a second region of the color filter array; and

generating a composite image corresponding to the first region and a first group infrared image corresponding to the second region by a sensor chip, wherein the composite image is composed of a RGB image and the second group infrared image; and

generating a processed image by employing the first group infrared image,

wherein under a normal mode, the processor retrieves the RGB image from the composite image by employing the first group infrared image and sets the retrieved RGB image as the processed image, and

wherein under a glimmer mode, the processor adjusts the weight of the second group infrared image in the composite image by employing the first group infrared image to generate the processed image.

9. The image capturing method according to claim 8, wherein the step of adjusting the weight of the second group infrared image in the composite image under the glimmer mode comprises:

progressively increasing the weight of the second group infrared image in the composite image as an ambient brightness gradually decreases.

10. The image capturing method according to claim 8, wherein under the glimmer mode, the method further comprising:

determining whether an exposure time of the image capturing device reaches a first predetermined value, and determining whether a signal gain value of the image capturing device reaches a second predetermined value; and

linearly setting an infrared adjustment factor and thereby adjusting the weight of the second group infrared image in the composite image according to an ambient brightness by employing the first group infrared image to generate the processed image.

11. The image capturing method according to claim 8, further comprising:

calculating a focus distance by the first group infrared image; and

adjusting the focus distance of a lens relative to the sensor chip in the image capturing device, wherein the lens is correspondingly disposed at a second side of the color filter array.

12. The image capturing method according to claim 8, wherein the step of obtaining the target image by the image capturing device further comprises:

correspondingly disposing a pixel sensor array at a first side of the color filter array, wherein the color filter array comprises a plurality of filter blocks, and each of the filter blocks comprises a plurality of filtering units;

arranging the filtering units in a repeating pattern, and respectively corresponding each of the filtering units to one of pixel sensors in the pixel sensor array in space, wherein each of the filtering units permits the light with at least one frequency band to pass; and

sensing the target image by the pixel sensor array under a light intensity with the at least one frequency band.

13. The image capturing method according to claim 8, wherein the step of obtaining the target image by the image capturing device further comprises:

filtering the light by a dual-band filter, so that the light with wavelengths located at a first frequency band and/or a second frequency band pass through the color filter array of the image capturing device, wherein the first frequency band comprises a wavelength range permitting the visible light to pass, and the second frequency band comprises a wavelength range permitting the infrared light to pass.