Flip-up/down low light camera for augmented reality night vision
AssigneeSiOnyx, Inc.
InventorsMartin PRALLE, Robert Walker BABSON
Life of this patent
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Abstract
System and methods are provided for augmented reality systems with a combined low light camera and display system that can be selectively flipped or translated into a user's visual line-of-sight for low light operations and counter-flipped or counter-translated out of place to allow for normal daylight vision. In certain implementations, the camera and/or the display system may be selectively attached or detached from eyewear or goggles. The camera and display may be positioned to reduce or eliminate parallax.
Claims18
A day/night vision camera system comprising:
- a camera capable of capturing images in a low light condition;
- a display coupled to an output of the camera;
- a moveable mechanism coupled to the camera and display, wherein the moveable mechanism has a flip-up position to stow the camera and display out of view during a daylight condition and a flip-down position where the camera is aligned with a user's eye optical axis for the low light condition.
A compact fused module for stereoscopic imaging comprising:
- two thermal cameras;
- two low light cameras;
- a display;
- at least one processor;
- a moveable mechanism coupled to the two thermal cameras, the two low light camera and the display, wherein the moveable mechanism is operable to rotate or translate to a first position to stow the low light cameras and display out of view during a daylight condition, and wherein the moveable mechanism is operable to counter-rotate or counter-translate to a second position where the low light cameras are aligned with a user's eye optical axis for a low light condition.
A method, comprising:
- stowing a combined low-light camera and display during daylight conditions by selectively rotating or translating the combined low-light camera and display to a first position out of a user's line of sight;
- and
- selectively counter-rotating or counter-translating the combined low-light camera and display to a second position aligned with a user's eye optical axis for low-light conditions.
A method of automatic parallax correction, comprising:
- receiving an indication of vertical offset between a thermal camera and a low light camera;
- detecting or receiving an indication of an imaging range;
- automatically correcting parallax in a processed image based one or more of the vertical offset between a thermal camera and a low light camera and the imaging range;
- and
- outputting the processed image to a display.
A day/night vision camera system, comprising:
- a camera capable of capturing images in a low light condition;
- a display coupled to an output of the camera;
- and
- a moveable mechanism coupled to the camera, wherein the moveable mechanism is configured to move the camera independent of a position of the display, wherein the moveable mechanism is operable to selectively rotate or translate the camera to a first position to stow the camera out of view during a daylight condition, and wherein the moveable mechanism is operable to selectively counter-rotate or counter-translate the camera to a second position to align the camera with a user's eye optical axis for the low light condition.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.