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US 8,985,771 B2Granted
Image capturing apparatus and capturing method
AssigneeAltek Corporation
InventorTe-Chao Tsao
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
An image capturing apparatus including a plurality of image sensing modules and at least a light source is provided for capturing an image of an eye. Each of the image sensing modules includes an image sensor and a lens. The light source emits an illumination light, and the illumination light irradiates the eye. The eye reflects the illumination light into an image light. The image light includes a plurality of sub-image beams, and the sub-image beams are transmitted to the image sensors of the image sensing modules through the lenses of the image sensing modules, respectively. A capturing method is also provided.
Claims17
An image capturing apparatus, configured to capture an image of an eye, the image capturing apparatus comprising:
- a plurality of image sensing modules configured to simultaneously capture a plurality of images of a fundus of the eye from different directions, each comprising an image sensor and a lens, wherein the images of the fundus of the eye comprise a central image and a plurality of peripheral images adjacent to the central image, and the central image is partially overlapped with each of the peripheral images and each overlapping portions between two peripheral images;
- at least one light source, emitting an illumination light, wherein the illumination light irradiates the eye, and the eye reflects the illumination light into an image light, the image light comprises a plurality of sub-image beams, and the sub-image beams are respectively transmitted to the image sensors through the lenses of the image sensing modules;
- and
- a processing unit, electrically connected to the image sensing modules to synthesize a plurality of images of the eye that are respectively produced by the sub-image beams detected by the image sensors, wherein the processing unit comprises:
- a first comparison module, comparing coinciding portions of a first peripheral image in the peripheral images and the central image;
- a second comparison module, comparing coinciding portions of a second peripheral image in the peripheral images and the central image;
- a third comparison module, calculating an average image of coinciding portions of the first peripheral image and the second peripheral image, and comparing coinciding portions of the average image and the central image;
- a fourth comparison module, calculating a gradient image of the coinciding portions of the first peripheral image and the second peripheral image, and comparing coinciding portions of the gradient image and the central image;
- and
- a determination module, determining a minimum comparison difference of comparison results of the first to the fourth comparison modules, wherein when a comparison difference of the first comparison module is the minimum, the determination module uses data of the first peripheral image for the coinciding portions of the first peripheral image and the second peripheral image;
- when a comparison difference of the second comparison module is the minimum, the determination module uses data of the second peripheral image for the coinciding portions of the first peripheral image and the second peripheral image;
- when a comparison difference of the third comparison module is the minimum, the determination module uses data of the average image for the coinciding portions of the first peripheral image and the second peripheral image;
- and when a comparison difference of the fourth comparison module is the minimum, the determination module uses data of the gradient image for the coinciding portions of the first peripheral image and the second peripheral image.
10 more elements
A capturing method, configured to capture an image of an eye, the capturing method comprising:
- simultaneously capturing a plurality of images of a fundus of the eye from different directions, wherein the images of the fundus of the eye comprise a central image and a plurality of peripheral images adjacent to the central image, and the central image is partially overlapped with each of the peripheral images and each overlapping portions between two peripheral images;
- and
- synthesizing the images, wherein the step of synthesizing the images comprises comparing coinciding portions of the images to serve as a correction reference used when the images are synthesized, and the step of synthesizing the images further comprises:
- (a) comparing coinciding portions of a first peripheral image in the peripheral images and the central image;
- (b) comparing coinciding portions of a second peripheral image in the peripheral images and the central image;
- (c) calculating an average image of coinciding portions of the first peripheral image and the second peripheral image, and comparing coinciding portions of the average image and the central image;
- (d) calculating a gradient image of the coinciding portions of the first peripheral image and the second peripheral image, and comparing coinciding portions of the gradient image and the central image;
- and
- (e) determining a minimum comparison difference in comparison results of the step (a) to the step (d), wherein when a comparison difference of the step (a) is the minimum, data of the first peripheral image is used for the coinciding portions of the first peripheral image and the second peripheral image;
- when a comparison difference of the step (b) is the minimum, data of the second peripheral image is used for the coinciding portions of the first peripheral image and the second peripheral image;
- when a comparison difference of the step (c) is the minimum, data of the average image is used for the coinciding portions of the first peripheral image and the second peripheral image;
- and when a comparison difference of the step (d) is the minimum, data of the gradient image is used for the coinciding portions of the first peripheral image and the second peripheral image.
9 more elements
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.