US 10,834,341 B2 · Systems and methods for simultaneous capture of two or more sets of light images

Abstract

Described herein are systems and methods that provide effective way for simultaneous capture of infrared and non-infrared images from a single camera. In embodiments, a filter comprises at least two types of filters elements: (1) an infrared filter type that allows infrared light to pass through the filter element; and (2) at least one non-infrared filter type that allows light in a visible spectrum range or ranges to pass through the filter element. In embodiments, the filter elements form a pattern of the infrared filter elements and the non-infrared filter elements and is positioned relative to a camera's array of sensor cells to form a correspondence between sensor cells and filter elements. In embodiments, signals captured at the camera's sensor cells may be divided to form an infrared image and a visible light image that were captured simultaneous, which images may be used to determine depth information.

Claims20

Dependent claims

An imaging system comprising:

an image sensor comprising an array of sensor cells;
and
a filter comprising at least two types of filters elements comprising:
an infrared filter type that allows light in an infrared spectrum range to pass through the filter element;
and
at least one non-infrared filter type that allows light in a visible spectrum range to pass through the filter element;
and
the filter comprising a pattern of the infrared filter elements and the non-infrared filter elements and being positioned relative to the sensor cells in the array of sensor cells to form a correspondence between sensor cells and filter elements in the filter to allow for simultaneous capture of an infrared image and visible light image using the same image sensor.

5 more elements

A method for simultaneous capture of an infrared image and visible light image using a same image sensor array, the method comprising:

capturing an image of a scene using an image sensor comprising an array of sensor cells and a filter comprising at least two types of filters elements comprising:
an infrared filter type that allows light in an infrared spectrum range to pass through the filter element;
and
at least one non-infrared filter type that allows light in a visible spectrum range to pass through the filter element;
and
the filter comprising a pattern of the infrared filter elements and the non-infrared filter elements and is positioned relative to the sensor cells in the array of sensor cells to form a correspondence between sensor cells and filter elements in the filter to allow for simultaneous capture of an infrared image and visible light image using the same image sensor;
converting signals generate by each sensor cell to digitally represented data;
dividing the digital sensor data into at least two sets comprising with one set comprising the infrared data and the other set comprising the non-infrared data;
for each set of data, for each element whose value was removed, using one or more nearby values to estimate a value and add that value in the missing location;
and
outputting an infrared image and at least one non-infrared image.

8 more elements

An imaging system comprising:

an image sensor comprising an array of sensor cells;
and
a filter comprising at least two types of filters elements comprising:
an infrared filter type that allows light in an infrared spectrum range to pass through the filter element;
and
at least one non-infrared filter type that allows light in a visible spectrum range to pass through the filter element;
and
the filter comprising a pattern of the infrared filter elements and the non-infrared filter elements and being positioned relative to the sensor cells in the array of sensor cells to form a correspondence between sensor cells and filter elements in the filter.

5 more elements

Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.

Systems and methods for simultaneous capture of two or more sets of light images

Life of this patent

Systems and methods for simultaneous capture of two or more sets of light images

Life of this patent

Abstract

Claims20