Imaging device with white balance compensation and related systems and methods
AssigneeUniversity of Southern Queensland
InventorSteven Rees
Life of this patent
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Abstract
The various embodiments herein relate to imaging devices and systems that capture an image of a target object and separately capture light from the light source illuminating the target object to compensate for inconsistent lighting of that object. Some systems have scene cameras to capture the images of the target objects and a separate light capturing camera to capture the light from the light source. Other embodiments relate to a single camera capturing an image of the target object while simultaneously capturing light from the light source.
Claims20
An object identification system comprising:
- (a) at least one scene camera positioned to capture an image of a target object, wherein the target object is illuminated by a light source, the at least one scene camera comprising:
- (i) a scene image sensor having a scene image sensing direction;
- and
- (ii) a scene processor operably coupled to the scene image sensor;
- (b) a light monitoring camera positioned to capture light from the light source wherein the light source is located in a different direction from the scene image sensing direction as the light is received by the object identification system, the light monitoring camera being oriented toward the light source to capture light in a light monitoring sensing direction to capture light from the light source comprising:
- (i) a light monitoring image sensor, the light monitoring image sensor collecting light from the light monitoring sensing direction outside the object identification system which is a direction substantially different from the scene image sensing direction;
- and
- (iv) a light monitoring processor operably coupled to the light monitoring image sensor, wherein the light monitoring processor is configured to determine color of the light source and produce color balance information;
- and
- (c) a communication line operably coupled at a first end to the scene processor and at a second end to the light monitoring processor and providing the color balance information from the light monitoring processor to said scene processor;
- the scene processor utilizing the color balance information received on said communication line to correct the color of said image produced by said scene image sensor to enhance color accuracy.
A method of compensating for inconsistent lighting in an imaging system, the method comprising:
- capturing an image of a target object with a scene image sensor having a scene image sensing direction with respect to the imaging system, wherein the target object is illuminated by a light source;
- capturing light directly from the light source on a light monitoring image sensor, the light monitoring image sensor being directed toward the light source with an orientation in a direction substantially different from the scene image sensing direction as collected by the imaging system;
- processing the light obtained from the light monitoring image sensor and determining color balance information therefrom;
- providing the color balance information from the light monitoring image sensor to a processor processing the image captured by the scene image sensor, and
- adjusting the color balance of the image of the target object from the color balance information.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.