# US 11,451,713 B2 · Autogaining of color pattern filtered sensors to ensure color fidelity

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- Number: US 11,451,713 B2
- Document ID: US11451713B2
- Status: Granted
- Kind: B2
- Application number: 17/320,465
- Filed: 2021-05-14
- Published: 2021-11-18
- Granted: 2022-09-20
- Earliest claimed: 2020-05-15
- Assignees: Rockwell Collins, Inc.
- Applicants: Rockwell Collins, Inc.
- Inventors: Weston J. Lahr; Julian C. Ryde; Richard M. Rademaker; Richard Jinkins
- Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US11451713B2

## CPC

- H04N 23/71: Circuitry for evaluating the brightness variation
- H04N 23/73: by influencing the exposure time
- H04N 23/88: for colour balance, e.g. white-balance circuits or colour temperature control
- H04N 25/134: {based on three different wavelength filter elements}
- H04N: PICTORIAL COMMUNICATION, e.g. TELEVISION

## Abstract

A system and method are provided for automatically adjusting exposure to maintain color fidelity where a point source puts a small cluster of pixels in saturation. An exposure level is iteratively reduced until pixels corresponding only one color in a Bayer filter remain above a threshold while all other colors are at or below the threshold. The cluster of pixels is isolated for analysis such that only neighboring pixels are considered while reducing the exposure.

## Claims

### Claim 1

A computer apparatus comprising:
a photosensor array;
a Bayer filter disposed on the photosensor array; and
at least one processor in data communication with a memory storing processor executable code for configuring the at least one processor to:
receive one or more signals from the photosensor array;
identify a plurality of pixels in the photosensor array corresponding to a point source, the plurality of pixels comprising at least two color channels;
identify at least one first pixel in the photosensor array in saturation, the at least one first pixel being in a first color channel; and
adjust an exposure until all pixels in the plurality of pixels outside the first color channel fall below a predefined threshold.

### Claim 2 (depends on 1)

The computer apparatus of claim 1, wherein the at least one processor is further configured to output an estimated color of the point source.

### Claim 3 (depends on 1)

The computer apparatus of claim 1, wherein the at least one processor is further configured to identify pixels outside the first color channel based on a known color pattern of a color filter.

### Claim 4 (depends on 3)

The computer apparatus of claim 3, wherein the color filter is a Bayer filter.

### Claim 5 (depends on 1)

The computer apparatus of claim 1, wherein at least one processor is further configured to apply an autogain adjustment process.

### Claim 6 (depends on 5)

The computer apparatus of claim 5, wherein identifying the plurality of pixels in the photosensor array corresponding to a point source comprises:
identifying a cluster of pixels in saturation; and
identifying that remaining pixels are balanced.

### Claim 7 (depends on 1)

The computer apparatus of claim 1, wherein:
the computer apparatus is embodied in an aircraft; and
at least one processor is further configured to identify runway lights.

### Claim 8 (depends on 1)

The computer apparatus of claim 1, wherein identifying the plurality of pixels in the photosensor array corresponding to a point source comprises identifying a cluster of saturated pixels indicating a color of light in an otherwise well-balanced image.

### Claim 9

A method comprising:
receiving one or more signals from a photosensor array;
identifying a plurality of pixels in the photosensor array corresponding to a point source, the plurality of pixels comprising at least two color channels;
identifying at least one first pixel in the photosensor array in saturation, the at least one first pixel being in a first color channel; and
adjusting an exposure until all pixels in the plurality of pixels outside the first color channel fall below a predefined threshold.

### Claim 10 (depends on 9)

The method of claim 9, further comprising outputting an estimated color of the point source.

### Claim 11 (depends on 9)

The method of claim 9, further comprising identifying pixels outside the first color channel based on a known color pattern of a color filter.

### Claim 12 (depends on 9)

The method of claim 9, further comprising applying an autoexposure adjustment process.

### Claim 13 (depends on 12)

The method of claim 12, wherein identifying the plurality of pixels in the photosensor array corresponding to a point source comprises:
identifying a cluster of pixels in saturation; and
identifying that remaining pixels are balanced.

### Claim 14 (depends on 9)

The method of claim 9, wherein identifying the plurality pixels in the photosensor array corresponding to a point source comprises identifying a cluster of saturated pixels indicating a color of light in an otherwise well-balanced image.

### Claim 15 (depends on 9)

The method of claim 9, further comprising iteratively adjusting the exposure while analyzing each of a plurality of point sources.