122results about How to "Extended imaging range" patented technology

The apparatus and method provide a readout technique and circuit for increasing or maintaining dynamic range of an image sensor. The readout technique and circuit process each pixel individually based on the magnitude of the readout signal. The circuit includes a gain amplifier amplifying the readout analog signal, a level detection circuit for determining the signal's magnitude, a second gain amplifier applying a gain based on the signal magnitude and an analog-to-digital converter digitizing the signal and a circuit for multiplying or dividing the signal. The method and circuit allow for a lower signal-to-noise ratio while increasing the dynamic range of the imager.

An image sensor has at least two photodiodes in each unit pixel. A high dynamic range is achieved by selecting different exposure times for the photodiodes. Additionally, blooming is reduced. The readout timing cycle is chosen so that the short exposure time photodiodes act as drains for excess charge overflowing from the long exposure time photodiodes. To improve draining of excess charge, the arrangement of photodiodes may be further selected so that long exposure time photodiodes are neighbored along vertical and horizontal directions by short exposure time photodiodes. A micro-lens array may also be provided in which light is preferentially coupled to the long exposure time photodiodes to improve sensitivity.

An image sensor, system and method that alternates sub-sets of pixels with long exposure times and pixels with short exposure times on the same sensor to provide a sensor having improved Wide Dynamic Range (WDR). The sub-sets of pixels are reset at different time intervals after being read, which causes the respective integration times to vary. By combining information contained in the both the short and long integration pixels, the dynamic range of the sensor is improved.

A method of increasing the dynamic range of an image comprising a plurality of pixels each having a luminance value within a first luminance dynamic range. The method includes determining a background luminance value for each pixel of the image and determining a minimum and a maximum of the background luminance values. A conversion factor is then determined for each pixel of the image based on the minimum and maximum of the background luminance values. The image id converted from the first luminance dynamic range to a second luminance dynamic range by multiplying the luminance value of each pixel of the image by its conversion factor.

The invention discloses a positioning and locating device for radiotherapy and a positioning method of a dynamic target region. A therapy robot has an operating arm, wherein a compact linear electronic accelerator is arranged at one end of an operating arm of the therapy robot, and a secondary collimator is installed at one end of the compact linear electronic accelerator; a robot treatment table is arranged on a corresponding position of a double-image C-arm system, an C-arm sliding rail laser locator is arranged inside the double-image C-arm system, and a left side locator for an C-arm installation space is arranged on a corresponding position at the outer part of the double-image C-arm system. The positioning and locating device provided by the invention is provided with two groups of X-ray image systems, so as to realize binocular imaging; when the C-arm sliding rail rotates and a group of X-ray image systems is started, and CBCT (Cone Beam Computed Tomography) imaging can be realized; according to the positioning method, different imaging ways are adopted for a static target region and a dynamic target region, the rapidity and timeliness of the binocular imaging, the high quality, high definition and image registration of the CBCT imaging can be fully exerted.

A unit pixel of a complementary metal-oxide semiconductor (CMOS) image sensor includes a photoelectric conversion element, a transfer transistor, a boosting capacitor and a signal transfer circuit, where the photoelectric conversion element generates a charge based on incident light, the transfer transistor transfers the charge to a floating diffusion node in response to a transfer control signal, the boosting capacitor is disposed between a gate of the transfer transistor and the floating diffusion node, the signal transfer circuit transfers an electric potential of the floating diffusion node in response to a selection signal, and a dynamic range of the electric potential of the floating diffusion node may be widened and a drain-source voltage difference of the transfer transistor may be increased so that the charge transfer efficiency may be enhanced.

A method for increasing a dynamic range of an image by using an electronic shutter of a camera, the method including initiating exposure of an image sensor by moving a mechanical front curtain included in the camera; moving an electronic front curtain with respect to at least one pixel of the image sensor according to a control pulse signal of the electronic shutter; and blocking the exposure of the image sensor by moving a mechanical rear curtain included in the camera.

The method for forming an image with a wide dynamic range makes use of an image sensor containing subsets of pixels that can be individually reset. After an initial reset (21), a pixel or row of pixels is exposed (22) for a first time interval and the gray value(s) (Plong(255)) are read out (23) and stored (24). The pixel or row of pixels is then reset (25) and exposed (26) for a second, shorter time interval. The second gray value(s) (Pshort(255)) is / are read out (27) and either stored or immediately combined (28) with the first gray value(s) (Plong(255)) by means of a merging function (ƒ). The merging function (ƒ) ensures a monotonic, smooth change in output from the lowest to the highest gray values. The procedure is repeated for all pixels or rows of pixels in the image sensor, thus obviating the need for the storage of complete images. The method reduces temporal aliasing to a minimum and eliminates spatial aliasing.

An image sensor, system and method that alternates sub-sets of pixels with long exposure times and pixels with short exposure times on the same sensor to provide a sensor having improved Wide Dynamic Range (WDR). The sub-sets of pixels are reset at different time intervals after being read, which causes the respective integration times to vary. By combining information contained in the both the short and long integration pixels, the dynamic range of the sensor is improved.

An optical imaging lens assembly includes, in order from an object side to an image side, a first lens element, a second lens element, a third lens element, a fourth lens element, a fifth lens element, a sixth lens element and a seventh lens element. The first lens element has negative refractive power. The second lens element has negative refractive power. The third lens element has positive refractive power. The fourth lens element has positive refractive power. The fifth lens element has negative refractive power. The seventh lens element has an object-side surface and an image-side surface being both aspheric, wherein at least one of the object-side surface and the image-side surface of the seventh lens element includes at least one inflection point.

A method and apparatus for an electronic image sensor having a base exposure, followed by a second or multiple exposures that are formed during signal readout. A timing controller controls the signal readout, such that as each line is read, the second and subsequent exposures are subsequently added to the base exposure to enrich the dynamic range. The image sensor may further include an analog-to-digital converter and noise suppression to further enhance the efficacy of the dynamic range enrichment. The system may also include additional signal processing and scaling functions.

An apparatus for imaging an object has an image sensor that comprises a plurality of pixels. The plurality of pixels is matrix-arrayed along vertical and horizontal directions. The apparatus also has an image sensor driver that drives the image sensor, and the image sensor driver is capable of reading image-pixel signals of neighboring pixels among the plurality of pixels while mixing the image-pixel signals. The apparatus also has a pixel addition setting processor that sets the number of pixel addition with respect to at least one of at least one row and at least one column. The pixel addition setting processor sets different numbers of pixel addition to different pixel areas. The image sensor driver reads the image-pixel signals in response to the set number of pixel addition.

An image capturing apparatus includes an image capturing unit including a plurality of pixels adjacently disposed in a horizontal direction and a vertical direction and configured to perform photoelectric conversion on received light to accumulate electric charge, and a pixel exposure control unit configured to set an exposure amount of each of the plurality of pixels based on a result of capturing an image by the image capturing unit and to control an exposure time of each of the plurality of pixels.

The specification and drawings present a new method, apparatus and software product for enhancing a dynamic range of an image with a multi-exposure pixel pattern taken by an image sensor of a camera for one or more color channels, wherein a plurality of groups of pixels of the image sensor have different exposure times (e.g., pre-selected or adjusted by a user through a user interface using a viewfinder feedback, or adjusted by a user through a user interface after taking and storing RAW image, etc.). Processing of the captured image for constructing an enhanced image of the image for each of the one or more color channels can be performed using weighted combination of exposure times of pixels having different pre-selected exposure times according to a predetermined criterion.

The invention discloses a reflection-type off-axis digital holographic microscopy measurement device, which comprises a light source unit, an object light adjusting unit, a reference light adjusting unit and an image processing unit. The reference light adjusting unit comprises an optical path adjustment reflector group and an optical path guidance reflector group. The optical path adjustment reflector group comprises a first reflector and a second reflector, the positions of which are relatively fixed. The first reflector is used for reflecting the reference light R to the second reflector; the second reflector is used for reflecting the input reference light R to the optical path guidance reflector group; the optical path of the reference light R can be adjusted by moving the optical path adjustment reflector group wholly; the optical path guidance reflector group can guide the reference light R, the optical path of which is adjusted, to be input to the image processing unit to have interference with reflected light O'; and the image processing unit is used for processing interference fringes to obtain a sample three-dimensional image. The device can improve the quality of the holographic image.

Systems, apparatuses, and methods are provided for processing video. In one method, analog image information is acquired over an exposure period, and digital image information is generated from the analog image information at a frame period where the exposure period is greater than the frame period. In another method, stored characteristic information such as images of parties are compared to a received characteristic information. If there is a match, a communication link is established between the parties.

An image sensor comprises a pixel array having a plurality of pixel regions, wherein the pixel array is adapted to generate at least one signal from each pixel region and a separate signal from a subset of pixels within each pixel region, both during a single exposure period. In one embodiment, the sensor is in communication with a shift register which accumulates the separate signal and transfers the separate signal to an amplifier. The shift register further accumulates the at least one signal from the pixel region after the separate signal has been transferred to the amplifier and transfers the at least one signal to the amplifier.

The invention discloses a reflective imaging method and system for a modulation-type diffuse reflection surface according to the flight time principle. Laser emitted by a laser device is reflected to an object to be detected after passing through a spatial light modulator and the surface of a diffuse reflection body. After reflective light of the object to be detected is re-reflected through the surface of the diffuse reflection body, the reflective light is received by a detector controlled by a digital processor at different photonic flight times, and the object to be detected, which is sheltered by a barrier can be restored according to the elliptical distribution conditions of a contour map of an image. The digital processor is connected with the spatial light modulator, the laser device and the detector, and the laser device is connected with the spatial light modulator. The barrier is arranged between a three-dimensional laser radar system and the object to be detected. Output light, modulated through the spatial light modulator, of the laser device irradiates on the object to be detected by passing the diffuse reflection body, and the reflective light of the object to be detected is received by the detector by passing the diffuse reflection body. A non-direct-view object which can not be detected by an imaging system of a traditional optical system can be detected through the reflective imaging method and system, and therefore the imaging range of a three-dimensional laser radar is expanded.

The invention discloses a multi-focus scanning three-dimensional imaging method and system based on a double-helix-point spread function. The method comprises the following steps: irradiating a laserbeam on a digital micromirror element at a preset angle; reflecting the laser beam by the digital micromirror element, and projecting onto the sample surface; switching the illumination mode of the digital micromirror element at equal intervals, exciting the generation of periodic arrays on the sample surface to move along with the switching of the illumination mode; performing phase modulation onfluorescent light generated by excitation of the sample surface, converting a fluorescence signal of Gaussian distribution into a fluorescence signal of a double-helix form, acquiring a fluorescencesignal of the double-helix form by a detector, and acquiring a plurality of image data; locating and intercepting all double helix points on each image according to the acquired image data to obtain aplurality of sub-regions, and performing wavefront reconstruction processing on all sub-regions to obtain a three-dimensional restructuring graph of a sample. The sample is excited simultaneously through multiple focus points, so that the sample acquisition time is reduced, and the time resolution of a three-dimensional image scanning microscopy system is greatly improved.

The invention discloses a free-form surface-based spectral imaging system, which is characterized by comprising an incident slit, a curved prism, a free-form surface reflector, a plane reflector and a detector image plane. The incident slit serves as the object plane of the spectral imaging system. Light rays, far from the heart of an object space, inject onto the curved prism through the incident slit. After the transmission process, the light rays are reflected by the free-form surface reflector, then transmitted through the curved prism again, and finally imaged on the detector image plane after being reflected by the plane reflector. According to the technical scheme of the invention, based on the non-rotation symmetry of the free-form surface, the defect that a grating is low in diffraction efficiency and overlapped in spectral orders can be effectively overcome. Meanwhile, only one reflector and one prism are adopted, so that the aberration caused by the increased field of view can be effectively balanced. The imaging range of the system is enlarged, and the imaging quality of the system is improved. In addition, both the size and the weight of a spectrometer are reduced, and the system is simplified. The system can be applied to airborne applications large in field of view, large in relative aperture and wide in spectrum.

Disclosed are a method and an apparatus for constructing an accurate three-dimensional model. The apparatus includes a plurality of light sources, an image-capturing element and an image-processing unit. The present invention is used to integrate the two-dimensional images from different views of an object into a high accurate three-dimensional model. Compared with conventional apparatuses, the apparatus of the present invention is useful without safety problems, relatively easily manipulated, and capable of quick image reconstruction.

A method of broadening a dynamic range is applied to a solid-state image sensor of the type including photodiodes each being divided into a main and a subregion different in photosensitivity from each other. While the quantity of light to be incident on a photodiode is reduced, a signal charge is read out only from the main region of the photodiode. The signal charge is digitized and then written to two image memories. Digital signals thus stored in the image memories are respectively amplified by white balance gain circuits with different gains. The resulting digital signals are combined by an image synthesizer. The method can therefore broaden the dynamic range of the image sensor by using only the main regions of the photodiodes.

The invention provides a laser distance measuring sensor which comprises a base, a laser transmitter, a scanning unit, an image processing unit and a data processing unit. The scanning unit comprises a motor connected with the base and a prism connected with the motor, and the motor is fixed on the base; the prism synchronously rotates with the motor and reflects and scans light beams emitted by the laser transmitter; the image processing unit comprises an ordinary CCD image sensor and a cylindrical concave mirror; the data processing unit is connected with the motor and records rotating angle information of the prism. Compared with a traditional laser distance measuring sensor, the laser distance measuring sensor is higher in measurement precision and sensitivity, smaller in size, lighter in weight, lower in cost and longer in working life and has large application value in the field of low-cost intelligent consumption.