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US 2003/0193604 A1Published application
Camera lens contamination detection and indication system and method
AssigneeHewlett-Packard Development Company, L.P.
InventorsMark Nelson Robins, Heather Noel Bean
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
Method and apparatus for detecting contamination of a Camera lens are disclosed.
Claims22
A system for detecting the presence of contamination on a lens of a camera having a digital image sensor, the system comprising:
- a lens cover shielding the lens from external light;
- a light source located between the lens cover and the digital image sensor for directing light toward the lens;
- wherein if there is no contamination on the lens, substantially none of the light from the light source reaches the digital image sensor;
- and if there is contamination on the lens, a portion of the light from the light source is scattered by the contamination and directed onto the digital image sensor;
- a contamination detector for receiving from the digital image sensor signals caused by the scattered light from the light source and determining the presence or absence of contamination on the lens;
- and
- a device for providing a signal to a user of the camera when the contamination detector determines that contamination is present on the lens.
4 more elements
A camera with a lens comprising:
- a lens contamination detection system.
A camera lens contamination sensing system comprising:
- means for sensing the intensity of light impinged thereon;
- and
- means for illuminating a camera lens with testing light such that little or no testing light reaches the means for sensing when the lens is free of contamination, and such that a sensible amount of testing light is scatteredly reflected by the contamination onto the means for sensing when the lens is contaminated.
A camera comprising:
- a lens contamination sensing system comprising:
- means for sensing the intensity of light impinged thereon;
- and
- means for illuminating a camera lens with testing light such that little or no testing light reaches the means for sensing when the lens is free of contamination, and such that a sensible amount of testing light is scatteredly reflected by the contamination onto the means for sensing when the lens is contaminated.
1 more element
A camera comprising:
- means for imaging an object on a photosensor;
- and
- means for sensing contamination of said means for imaging.
A method of detecting contamination of a lens comprising:
- directing testing light onto the lens at an orientation such that virtually none of the testing light which impinges on the lens will be directed to a sensing station when the lens is free of contamination but such that a sensible amount of the testing light which impinges on the lens will be directed to the sensing station when the lens is contaminated;
- and
- sensing the testing light which reaches the testing station and generating a sensing signal representative thereof.
The method of claim 22 further comprising:
- generating a contamination alert signal when the sensing signal is within predetermined parameters.
A method of operating a camera comprising:
- shielding a camera lens assembly and photosensor from external light;
- illuminating the camera lens assembly with test light from an internal light source;
- and
- based upon the amount of test light reaching the photosensor assembly determining whether the lens is contaminated.
1 more element
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.