# US 12,010,422 B2 · Image acquiring device, image acquiring method, and image processing device > Agents: this data is available as JSON from the patentgrep API and MCP server — see https://patentgrep.com/llms.txt - Number: US 12,010,422 B2 - Document ID: US12010422B2 - Status: Granted - Kind: B2 - Application number: 17/801,925 - Filed: 2020-02-28 - Published: 2023-03-30 - Granted: 2024-06-11 - Earliest claimed: 2020-02-28 - Assignees: NEC Corporation - Applicants: NEC Corporation - Inventors: Ryo Yamakabe; Yuka Ogino; Keiichi Chono - Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US12010422B2 ## CPC - G06V 40/19: Sensors therefor - H04N 23/67: Focus control based on electronic image sensor signals - G02B 7/04: with mechanism for focusing or varying magnification - G02B 7/08: adapted to co-operate with a remote control mechanism - G02B 7/09: adapted for automatic focusing or varying magnification - G02B 7/36: using image sharpness techniques {, e.g. image processing techniques for generating autofocus signals (image data processing per se G06T; in cameras having a solid state image sensor H04N23/67)} - G03B 13/36: Autofocus systems - G06V 40/193: {Preprocessing; Feature extraction} - H04N 23/45: for generating image signals from two or more image sensors being of different type or operating in different modes, e.g. with a CMOS sensor for moving images in combination with a charge-coupled device [CCD] for still images - H04N 23/90: Arrangement of cameras or camera modules, e.g. multiple cameras in TV studios or sports stadiums - G06V: IMAGE OR VIDEO RECOGNITION OR UNDERSTANDING - H04N: PICTORIAL COMMUNICATION, e.g. TELEVISION - G02B: OPTICAL ELEMENTS, SYSTEMS OR APPARATUS - G03B: APPARATUS OR ARRANGEMENTS FOR TAKING PHOTOGRAPHS OR FOR PROJECTING OR VIEWING THEM; APPARATUS OR ARRANGEMENTS EMPLOYING ANALOGOUS TECHNIQUES USING WAVES OTHER THAN OPTICAL WAVES; ACCESSORIES THEREFOR (optical parts of such apparatus G02B; photosensitive materials or processes for photographic purposes G03C; apparatus for processing exposed photographic materials G03D) ## Abstract The image acquiring device 10 includes the voltage control unit 30 which generates first voltage information that can identify voltage applied to the first variable-focus lens 20A included in the first imaging unit 20 installed in a position where a subject can be photographed and whose focal length changes in accordance with an applied voltage, and generates second voltage information that can identify voltage applied to the second variable-focus lens 21A included in the second imaging unit 21 installed in the position where the subject can be photographed and whose focal length changes in accordance with an applied voltage, and the image judgment unit 40 which inputs images from the first imaging unit 20 and the second imaging unit 21, and selects one image taken at an in-focus position among input images, wherein the voltage control unit 30 generates information, as the first voltage information, that can identify each voltage in a time series of voltages whose values change with time, and generates information, as the second voltage information, that can identify that each of the voltages identified by the first voltage information is applied to the second variable-focus lens 21A after a predetermined period of delay. ## Claims ### Claim 1 An image acquiring device comprising: a voltage control unit which generates first voltage information that can identify voltage applied to a first variable-focus lens which is included in a first imaging unit installed in a position where a subject can be photographed and whose focal length changes in accordance with an applied voltage, and generates second voltage information that can identify voltage applied to a second variable-focus lens which is included in a second imaging unit installed in the position where the subject can be photographed and whose focal length changes in accordance with an applied voltage; and an image judgment unit which inputs images from the first imaging unit and the second imaging unit, and selecting one image taken at an in-focus position among input images, wherein the voltage control unit generates information, as the first voltage information, that can identify each voltage in a time series of voltages whose values change with time, and generates information, as the second voltage information, that can identify that each of the voltages identified by the first voltage information is applied to the second variable-focus lens after a predetermined period of delay. ### Claim 2 (depends on 1) The image acquiring device according to claim 1, wherein the predetermined period is selected from 100 to 300 ms. ### Claim 3 (depends on 1) The image acquiring device according to claim 1, wherein the image judgment unit selects the image whose contrast exceeds a predetermined value among the images input from the first imaging unit and the second imaging unit. ### Claim 4 (depends on 1) The image acquiring device according to claim 1, further comprising a first voltage applying unit which applies a voltage of a value identified by the first voltage information to the first variable-focus lens, and a second voltage applying unit which applies a voltage of a value identified by the second voltage information to the second variable-focus lens. ### Claim 5 (depends on 4) The image acquiring device according to claim 4, wherein the first voltage applying unit applies the voltage to a liquid lens as the first variable-focus lens, and the second voltage applying unit applies the voltage to a liquid lens as the second variable-focus lens. ### Claim 6 (depends on 1) An image processing device comprising: the image acquiring device according to claim 1, and a feature extraction unit which generates features of an iris region of the subject from the in-focus image selected by the image judging unit. ### Claim 7 An image acquiring method comprising generating first voltage information that can identify voltage applied to a first variable-focus lens which is included in a first imaging unit installed in a position where a subject can be photographed and whose focal length changes in accordance with an applied voltage, and generating second voltage information that can identify voltage applied to a second variable-focus lens which is included in a second imaging unit installed in the position where the subject can be photographed and whose focal length changes in accordance with an applied voltage, wherein the first voltage information is information that can identify each voltage in a time series of voltages whose values change with time, the second voltage information is information that can identify information that each of the voltages identified by the first voltage information is applied to the second variable-focus lens after a predetermined period of delay, and the method further comprises selecting one image taken at an in-focus position among images input from the first imaging unit and the second imaging unit. ### Claim 8 (depends on 7) The image acquiring method according to claim 7, wherein the predetermined period is selected from 100 to 300 ms. ### Claim 9 (depends on 7) The image acquiring method according to claim 7, further comprising selecting the image whose contrast exceeds a predetermined value among the images input from the first imaging unit and the second imaging unit.