Image capturing device and method

Abstract

An image capturing device includes an image capturing module, a plurality of light emitting elements, and a processing module. The image capturing module captures an image of a field of view. The light emitting elements emit light to illuminate the field of view and form a plurality of light spot regions in the field of view, the light spot regions being arranged continuously in the field of view. The processing module is electrically connected to the image capturing module and the light emitting elements. The processing module receives the image of the field of view from the image capturing module. The processing module obtains a target position according to a target image, and adjusts brightness of the light emitting elements according to the target position.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] This invention relates to an image capturing device and method, and more particularly to an image capturing device and method applicable to both day and night use. Background Technology

[0002] Generally, day and night photography (image capturing) devices have a module that emits infrared light and an infrared filter. In daytime mode, the infrared filter is activated to block infrared light from entering the charge-coupled device (CCD) of the lens. In nighttime mode, the device emits an infrared beam within its field of view and the infrared filter is deactivated, allowing the lens to receive infrared light reflected from objects or living organisms and form an image.

[0003] However, due to the limitations of infrared light intensity and coverage in nighttime images, it becomes more difficult to accurately determine the location of organisms. Therefore, it is impossible to enhance the brightness of specific areas where organisms are located, nor to weaken the brightness of other non-critical areas, easily leading to problems of alternating overexposure and underexposure, thus requiring improvement. Summary of the Invention

[0004] In view of the above-mentioned problems, the main objective of the present invention is to provide an image capturing device and method that, through the arrangement of a plurality of light-emitting elements, solves the problem that known day and night image capturing devices produce overexposure or insufficient brightness in night mode.

[0005] To achieve the above objectives, the present invention provides an image capturing device, comprising an image capturing module, a plurality of light-emitting elements, and a processing module. The image capturing module captures an image within a field of view. The light-emitting elements emit light to illuminate the field of view, forming a plurality of light spot regions within the field of view, these light spot regions being continuously arranged within the field of view. The processing module is electrically connected to the image capturing module and the light-emitting elements. The processing module receives the image within the field of view from the image capturing module. The processing module obtains a target position based on the target image and adjusts the brightness of the light-emitting elements according to the target position.

[0006] To achieve the above objectives, the present invention further provides an image capturing method, applied to an image capturing device. The image capturing device includes an image capturing module, a plurality of light-emitting elements, and a processing module. The image capturing method includes the following steps: configuring the light-emitting elements such that they emit light to illuminate a field of view, forming a plurality of light spot regions within the field of view, the light spot regions being continuously arranged within the field of view; the image capturing module capturing an image of the field of view and transmitting it to the processing module; the processing module obtaining a target position based on the target image; and the processing module adjusting the brightness of the light-emitting elements based on the target position.

[0007] According to one embodiment of the present invention, two adjacent light spot regions partially overlap to form at least one reference boundary with higher brightness, and the processing module obtains the target position based on the action of the target image crossing the reference boundary.

[0008] According to one embodiment of the present invention, the processing module increases the brightness of one of the light-emitting elements corresponding to the target position.

[0009] According to one embodiment of the present invention, these light-emitting elements respectively include an infrared light-emitting unit and a lens.

[0010] According to one embodiment of the present invention, the lens is a non-circular lens.

[0011] According to one embodiment of the present invention, the number of these light-emitting elements is four, namely a first light-emitting element, a second light-emitting element, a third light-emitting element, and a fourth light-emitting element, which respectively form a first light spot region, a second light spot region, a third light spot region, and a fourth light spot region within the field of view. Furthermore, the first light spot region, the second light spot region, the third light spot region, and the fourth light spot region are arranged sequentially along the long axis of the field of view.

[0012] According to one embodiment of the present invention, a first light-emitting element generates a first light cone range, a second light-emitting element generates a second light cone range, a third light-emitting element generates a third light cone range, and a fourth light-emitting element generates a fourth light cone range. The off-axis angles of the first and fourth light cone ranges are greater than the off-axis angles of the second and third light cone ranges.

[0013] According to one embodiment of the present invention, the first light cone range and the fourth light cone range face opposite directions, and the second light cone range and the third light cone range face opposite directions.

[0014] According to one embodiment of the present invention, the angles of the first and fourth light cone ranges are greater than the angles of the second and third light cone ranges.

[0015] According to one embodiment of the present invention, a first light spot region and a second light spot region partially overlap to form a first reference boundary. A second light spot region and a third light spot region partially overlap to form a second reference boundary. A third light spot region and a fourth light spot region partially overlap to form a third reference boundary. The first reference boundary, the second reference boundary, and the third reference boundary are arranged sequentially along the long axis of the field of view.

[0016] According to one embodiment of the present invention, the number of light-emitting elements is six, namely a first light-emitting element, a second light-emitting element, a third light-emitting element, a fourth light-emitting element, a fifth light-emitting element, and a sixth light-emitting element. The fifth light-emitting element and the sixth light-emitting element respectively form a fifth light-spot region and a sixth light-spot region on the outer side and edge of the field of view. The fifth light-spot region partially overlaps with the first light-spot region to form a fourth reference boundary. The sixth light-spot region partially overlaps with the fourth light-spot region to form a fifth reference boundary.

[0017] As described above, the image capturing apparatus and method of the present invention, by configuring a plurality of light-emitting elements, forms a plurality of light spot regions within the field of view, and these light spot regions are continuously arranged within the field of view. In other words, by setting a plurality of light-emitting elements, the center and edge of the field of view are illuminated in sections. Furthermore, after the processing module determines the target position, the processing module can also independently control the brightness of the light-emitting elements corresponding to each light spot region according to the target position, that is, the brightness can be controlled in sections to avoid overexposure or insufficient brightness. Attached Figure Description

[0018] Figure 1 This is a schematic diagram of an image capturing device according to an embodiment of the present invention.

[0019] Figure 2 for Figure 1 The image capturing device shown is a block diagram.

[0020] Figure 3 This is a schematic diagram of the process steps of an image capturing method according to an embodiment of the present invention.

[0021] Figure 4 for Figure 1 The diagram shows the field of view captured by the image capturing module.

[0022] Figure 5 for Figure 1 An enlarged schematic diagram of the first light-emitting element shown.

[0023] Figure 6A for Figure 1 A schematic diagram of the light distribution curves generated by the first and fourth light-emitting elements.

[0024] Figure 6B for Figure 1 A schematic diagram of the light distribution curves generated by the second and third light-emitting elements shown.

[0025] Figure 7 This is a block diagram of an image capturing device according to another embodiment of the present invention.

[0026] Figure 8 for Figure 7The diagram shows the field of view captured by the image capturing module.

[0027] Figure 9 This is a schematic diagram of the process steps of an image capturing method according to another embodiment of the present invention.

[0028] In the attached figures, the following labels are used:

[0029] Image capturing devices 1, 1a

[0030] Image capturing module 10

[0031] First light-emitting element 21

[0032] Infrared light emitting unit 211

[0033] Lens 212

[0034] Second light-emitting element 22

[0035] Third light-emitting element 23

[0036] Fourth light-emitting element 24

[0037] Fifth light-emitting element 25

[0038] Sixth light-emitting element 26

[0039] Processing Module 30

[0040] First reference boundary F1

[0041] Second reference boundary F2

[0042] Third reference boundary F3

[0043] Fourth reference boundary F4

[0044] Fifth reference boundary F5

[0045] Field of view (FOV)

[0046] L along the major axis

[0047] First light spot region R1

[0048] Second light spot area R2

[0049] Third spot area R3

[0050] Fourth spot region R4

[0051] Fifth spot region R5

[0052] Sixth spot region R6

[0053] Short axis direction SX axis direction

[0054] Off-axis angles θ1, θ2, θ3, θ4

[0055] Angles θ1A, θ2A, θ3A, θ4A Detailed Implementation

[0056] To better understand the technical content of the present invention, preferred embodiments are described below.

[0057] Figure 1 This is a schematic diagram of an image capturing device according to an embodiment of the present invention. Figure 2 for Figure 1 The block diagram shown is of the image capturing device. Figure 3 This is a schematic diagram of the flow steps of an image capturing method according to an embodiment of the present invention. Figure 4 for Figure 1 The diagram showing the field of view captured by the image capturing module is for reference only. Figure 1 , Figure 2 , Figure 3 and Figure 4 As shown. First, the image capturing device 1 in this embodiment is a day and night dual-use image capturing device, which can execute a day mode and a night mode respectively. The following description concerns the case where the image capturing device 1 executes the night mode.

[0058] In this embodiment, the image capturing device 1 includes an image capturing module 10, a plurality of light-emitting elements, and a processing module 30. The image capturing module 10 may include components for shooting or recording, such as a lens and an image sensor. The image capturing module 10 is used to capture images within the field of view (FOV), such as... Figure 4 As shown. Furthermore, the image capturing device 1 uses four light-emitting elements as an example, meaning there are four light-emitting elements: a first light-emitting element 21, a second light-emitting element 22, a third light-emitting element 23, and a fourth light-emitting element 24. The structure and function of the light-emitting elements will be described in detail later.

[0059] In this embodiment, the processing module 30 is electrically connected to the image capturing module 10 and the light-emitting elements (i.e., the first light-emitting element 21, the second light-emitting element 22, the third light-emitting element 23, and the fourth light-emitting element 24). The processing module 30 can receive images of the field of view (FOV) from the image capturing module 10 and control the brightness of the light-emitting elements, as detailed below. In this embodiment, the processing module 30 may be, for example, but not limited to, a digital signal processor (DSP) or a central processing unit (CPU).

[0060] It should be noted that, in addition to being configured as hardware devices, software programs, firmware, or combinations thereof, the aforementioned modules can also be configured via circuit loops or other suitable forms. The modules are interconnected via wired or wireless means for data reception and transmission. Furthermore, the modules can be configured individually or in combination. Moreover, this embodiment only illustrates a preferred embodiment of the invention; to avoid redundancy, not all possible variations are described in detail. However, those skilled in the art will understand that not all of the aforementioned modules or elements are necessarily necessary. Furthermore, other known modules or elements with more detail may be included to implement the invention. Modules or elements may be omitted or modified as needed, and other modules or elements may exist between any two modules.

[0061] The following is in accordance with Figure 3 The illustrated image capturing method further explains the configuration of the light-emitting elements, the operation of the image capturing module 10 and the processing module 30, and how they achieve the functions of the present invention.

[0062] Step S10: Configure these light-emitting elements so that they emit light to illuminate the field of view (FOV) and form multiple speckle regions within the FOV. Adjacent speckle regions partially overlap to form at least one reference boundary with higher brightness.

[0063] In this embodiment, the light spot area refers to the illumination area formed by the light emitted by the light-emitting element within the field of view (FOV), and can also be called the light spot illumination area. The FOV is the imaging range of the image capturing module 10. In this embodiment, by configuring the first light-emitting element 21, the second light-emitting element 22, the third light-emitting element 23, and the fourth light-emitting element 24, they respectively form a first light spot area R1, a second light spot area R2, a third light spot area R3, and a fourth light spot area R4 within the FOV, as follows: Figure 4 As shown. Specifically, the light emitted by the first light-emitting element 21 illuminates the field of view (FOV) (e.g., ...). Figure 4 The leftmost bold box shown forms the first light spot region R1. The light emitted by the second light-emitting element 22 illuminates the field of view (FOV) (e.g., the area shown in bold). Figure 4 (The bold box slightly to the left of center shown) forms the second light spot region R2. The third light-emitting element 23 illuminates the field of view (FOV) (e.g., Figure 4 (The bold box slightly to the right of center shown) forms the third light spot region R3. The fourth light-emitting element 24 illuminates the field of view (FOV) (e.g., Figure 4 (The rightmost bold box shown) is used to form the fourth spot region R4.

[0064] These light spot regions are arranged continuously within the field of view (FOV). That is, adjacent light spot regions are connected to each other to partition the center and edge of the FOV. Preferably, in this embodiment, adjacent light spot regions partially overlap to form at least one reference fence with higher brightness. For example, the first light spot region R1 and the second light spot region R2 partially overlap to form a first reference fence F1. The second light spot region R2 and the third light spot region R3 partially overlap to form a second reference fence F2. The third light spot region R3 and the fourth light spot region R4 partially overlap to form a third reference fence F3. It should be noted that the reference fence in this embodiment refers to a virtual boundary, which is the area where two adjacent light spot regions overlap; therefore, this area (i.e., the reference fence) has higher brightness. In the subsequent step S20, the processing module 30 can utilize the characteristic of different brightness to determine the position of the organism.

[0065] Generally, the aspect ratio of a photographic image (i.e., the field of view, FOV) is typically 16:9, and the human body within the photographic image often moves along the long axis L of the FOV. Preferably, in this embodiment, the reference boundary is parallel to the short axis S of the FOV, so that the configuration of the reference boundary conforms to the activity pattern of a living organism (especially the human body). Specifically, the first spot region R1, the second spot region R2, the third spot region R3, and the fourth spot region R4 can be arranged sequentially along the long axis L of the FOV, such that the first reference boundary F1, the second reference boundary F2, and the third reference boundary F3 are also arranged sequentially along the long axis L of the FOV.

[0066] In this embodiment, these light-emitting elements include infrared light-emitting units and lenses. Furthermore, this embodiment utilizes the structure of the lens and the placement of the infrared light-emitting units to arrange the first light spot region R1, the second light spot region R2, the third light spot region R3, and the fourth light spot region R4 sequentially along the long axis L of the field of view (FOV).

[0067] Figure 5 for Figure 1 Please refer to the enlarged schematic diagram of the first light-emitting element shown. Figure 5As shown. Taking the first light-emitting element 21 as an example, the first light-emitting element 21 includes an infrared light-emitting unit 211 and a lens 212. Preferably, the lens 212 is a non-circular lens, meaning that the light-emitting surface of the lens 212 is not a perfect spherical surface. Specifically, the convex lens used in general light-emitting elements has a plane incident surface and a perfect spherical surface emitting surface. In this embodiment, the light-emitting surface of the lens 212 is also a plane, facing the infrared light-emitting unit 211, while the light-emitting surface of the lens 212 is, for example, an ellipsoidal surface or other non-spherical surface. The non-spherical lens 212 can form a brighter spot area, thereby making the brightness difference between the reference boundary and the spot area more obvious.

[0068] Figure 6A for Figure 1 The diagram shows the radiation patterns generated by the first and fourth light-emitting elements. Figure 6B for Figure 1 Please refer to the schematic diagram of the light distribution curves generated by the second and third light-emitting elements shown. Figure 5 ,as well as Figure 6A , Figure 6B The light distribution curve is shown. Through the non-spherical lens 212, the first light-emitting element 21 produces a light cone range with a non-circular shape, i.e., an asymmetrical light cone range, which is referred to here as the first light cone range. Figure 6A The light cone range on the left. It should be noted that the first light cone range refers to the overall shape of the light rays emitted from the light-emitting surface of lens 212, such as... Figure 5 As shown by the dashed line, its light distribution curve is as follows: Figure 6A As shown on the left. Figure 4 The first light spot area R1 shown refers to the area where the light emitted from lens 212 is projected onto the wall or other objects within the field of view (FOV). For the following explanation of the off-axis angle and subtended angle of the light cone range, please refer to... Figure 6A and Figure 6B The light distribution curve shown.

[0069] Furthermore, the placement of the infrared light-emitting unit 211 allows the first light cone range to have a specific off-axis angle. In other words, this embodiment uses the placement of the infrared light-emitting units to create light cone ranges with different off-axis angles. Figure 5 Taking the perspective of [image source] as an example, the infrared light-emitting unit 211 of the first light-emitting element 21 is disposed on the right bottom edge of the lens 212, so that the first light cone range is formed on the left side of the lens 212. It should be further noted that, here, the right side of the lens 212 refers to [the area along the lens]. Figure 1 In the X-axis direction shown, the lens 212 is positioned away from the image capturing module 10 (i.e., the lens) from the center axis of the incident image light. Figure 1Taking the perspective of the image capture module 10 as an example, the first light-emitting element 21 in this embodiment is located at the upper left of the image capture module 10. The infrared light-emitting unit 211 of the first light-emitting element 21 is offset away from the incident center axis of the image capture light of the image capture module 10 (i.e., the lens). The offset angle θ1 of the first light cone range generated by the first light-emitting element 21 is relatively large, so that the first light spot area R1 can be located at the leftmost side of the field of view (FOV). Figure 4 (As shown).

[0070] Similarly, the infrared light-emitting unit (not shown) of the second light-emitting element 22, compared to the infrared light-emitting unit 211 of the first light-emitting element 21, can be positioned slightly to the right of the center of the lens near the second light-emitting element 22, so that the range of the second light cone generated by the second light-emitting element 22 is located slightly to the left of the light-emitting surface, and the second light spot area R2 is located slightly to the left of the center of the field of view (FOV). Figure 4 (As shown). In other words, compared to the position of the infrared light-emitting unit 211 in the first light-emitting element 21 relative to the lens 212, the infrared light-emitting unit in the second light-emitting element 22 is positioned closer to the center of the lens. Figure 1 Taking the perspective of the second light-emitting element 22 in this embodiment as an example, the infrared light-emitting unit of the second light-emitting element 22 is set away from the image capturing module 10 and is biased away from the image capturing light incident center axis.

[0071] The infrared light-emitting unit (not shown) of the third light-emitting element 23 can be positioned slightly to the left of the center of the lens near the third light-emitting element 23, so that the range of the third light cone generated by the third light-emitting element 23 is located slightly to the right of the light-emitting surface, and the third light spot region R3 is located slightly to the right of the center of the field of view (FOV). Figure 4 (As shown). The infrared light-emitting unit (not shown) of the fourth light-emitting element 24 can be disposed on the left bottom edge of the lens of the fourth light-emitting element 24, so that the range of the fourth light cone generated by the fourth light-emitting element 24 is located on the right side of the light-emitting surface, and the fourth light spot area R4 is located on the far right of the field of view (FOV) (as shown). Figure 4 (As shown). Figure 1 Taking the perspective of the image capture module 10 as an example, the infrared light-emitting units of the third light-emitting element 23 and the fourth light-emitting element 24 in this embodiment are both offset away from the incident center axis of the image capturing light. In short, by the offset configuration of the infrared light-emitting units (i.e., the infrared light-emitting units are not disposed in the center of the lens), the offset angles θ1 and θ4 of the first light cone range and the fourth light cone range in this embodiment are greater than the offset angles θ2 and θ3 of the second light cone range and the third light cone range. Furthermore, the first light cone range and the fourth light cone range face opposite directions, and the second light cone range and the third light cone range face opposite directions, so as to form a configuration in which the first light spot region R1, the second light spot region R2, the third light spot region R3, and the fourth light spot region R4 are arranged sequentially within the field of view (FOV).

[0072] like Figure 6A and Figure 6B As shown, this embodiment further utilizes non-circular lenses of different shapes to generate light cone ranges with different angles. Specifically, the lens 212 of the first light-emitting element 21 has the same shape as the lens of the fourth light-emitting element 24, and can form a first light cone range and a fourth light cone range with relatively thin shapes. In other words, the angle θ1A of the first light cone range is the same as the angle θ4A of the fourth light cone range, and the angles θ1A and θ4A are relatively small, such as... Figure 6A As shown. Furthermore, the second light-emitting element 22 and the third light-emitting element 23 have the same lens shape, and can form a relatively wide second light cone range and a relatively wide third light cone range, such as... Figure 6B As shown. In other words, the angle θ2A of the second light cone range is the same as the angle θ3A of the third light cone range, and the angles θ2A and θ3A of the second and third light cone ranges are greater than the angles θ1A and θ4A of the first and fourth light cone ranges.

[0073] Furthermore, by adjusting the orientation of the infrared light-emitting units and the structure of the lens, four light-emitting elements can be mounted on the same circuit board (PCB), achieving space saving and miniaturization. In this embodiment, the normal of the circuit board surface is parallel to the imaging direction of the image capturing module 10, and all four light-emitting elements are close to the image capturing module 10. Based on the aforementioned orientation of the infrared light-emitting units and the shape of the non-circular lens, a first light-emitting element 21, a second light-emitting element 22, a third light-emitting element 23, and a fourth light-emitting element 24 are mounted. Specifically, the first light-emitting element 21 and the second light-emitting element 22 can generate a first light cone range and a second light cone range for biased illumination, so the first light-emitting element 21 and the second light-emitting element 22 can be mounted in the upper left of the image capturing module 10. Similarly, the third light-emitting element 23 and the fourth light-emitting element 24 are mounted in the upper right of the image capturing module 10. Furthermore, the first light-emitting element 21 and the fourth light-emitting element 24 can generate a first light cone range and a fourth light cone range with relatively large off-axis angles θ1 and θ4 and relatively small subdivision angles θ1A and θ4A. Therefore, the first light-emitting element 21 and the fourth light-emitting element 24 can be respectively disposed above the second light-emitting element 22 and the third light-emitting element 23. In other embodiments, the lens of the light-emitting element can also be a common circular lens. By using multiple circuit boards (e.g., one light-emitting element per circuit board), multiple light-emitting elements can be arranged in three-dimensional space. For example, four light-emitting elements can be arranged along an inverted U-shape, which can also form multiple light spot areas with partial overlap between two adjacent light spot areas in the field of view (FOV). This invention is not limited.

[0074] Step S20: The image capturing module 10 captures the image of the field of view (FOV) and transmits it to the processing module 30.

[0075] As mentioned above, the image capturing module 10 in this embodiment is used for shooting or recording, that is, for capturing images of the field of view (FOV). The image capturing module 10 transmits the captured images to the processing module 30.

[0076] Step S30: The processing module 30 obtains the target position based on the action of the target image crossing the reference boundary.

[0077] After receiving images from the field of view (FOV), the processing module 30 can first determine whether a living organism exists within the FOV based on the image content. In this embodiment, the image of a living organism (e.g., a human body) within the FOV is referred to as the target image. The processing module 30 can determine which light spot region the target image is located in using image recognition technology. In this embodiment, when the target image (i.e., the living organism) moves within the FOV and crosses a reference boundary, the processing module 30 can detect dark, bright, and dark reflections, thereby confirming which light spot region the target image is located in, referred to in this embodiment as the target location.

[0078] For example, the target image passes through sequentially Figure 4 When the first spot region R1, the first reference boundary F1, and the second spot region R2 (meaning, crossing the first reference boundary F1) are shown, the processing module 30 can detect dark, bright, and dark reflection signals sequentially from the left side of the field of view (FOV), and thus determine that the target image is located in the second spot region R2. That is, the target position is the second spot region R2.

[0079] In other words, by partially overlapping two adjacent light spot areas to form a reference boundary with higher brightness, the processing module 30 can detect the movement effect across the reference boundary and use this characteristic to determine the target position.

[0080] Furthermore, the common movement direction of living organisms (especially humans) is along the long axis L of the field of view (FOV). In this embodiment, the first reference boundary F1, the second reference boundary F2, and the third reference boundary F3 are arranged sequentially along the long axis L of the FOV, enabling the processing module 30 to more accurately determine the location of the living organism (especially the human body).

[0081] Step S40: The processing module 30 adjusts the brightness of these light-emitting elements according to the target position.

[0082] After determining the target location of the organism, the processing module 30 can adjust the brightness of the light-emitting elements according to the target location. Specifically, the processing module 30 can increase the brightness of one of the light-emitting elements corresponding to the light spot area where the target location is located; or, the processing module 30 can decrease the brightness of the light-emitting elements corresponding to the light spot areas adjacent to the target location.

[0083] Following the aforementioned example, after the processing module 30 determines that the organism is located in the second light spot region R2 (i.e., the target location), the processing module 30 can increase the brightness of the second light-emitting element 22 corresponding to the second light spot region R2; or, decrease the brightness of the first light-emitting element 21 and the third light-emitting element 23 corresponding to the adjacent first light spot region R1 and third light spot region R3. In this embodiment, the processing module 30 can increase the driving current of the second light-emitting element 22 to increase its brightness. Alternatively, the processing module 30 can also decrease the driving current of the first light-emitting element 21 and the third light-emitting element 23 to weaken their brightness. In other words, the brightness of the second light spot region R2 where the organism is located is enhanced to avoid insufficient brightness. Furthermore, the brightness of the first light spot region R1 and the third light spot region R3, which are not the target location, is weakened to avoid overexposure. Therefore, in this embodiment, the center and edge of the field of view (FOV) are illuminated by multiple light-emitting elements (step S10). The subsequent processing module 30 can also independently control the brightness of the light-emitting elements corresponding to each light spot area according to the target position. That is, it can also achieve the function of independently controlling the brightness of each light spot area.

[0084] Figure 7 This is a block diagram of an image capturing device according to another embodiment of the present invention. Figure 8 for Figure 7 The diagram showing the field of view captured by the image capturing module is for reference only. Figure 7 and Figure 8 As shown. The difference between the image capturing device 1a in this embodiment and the image capturing device 1 in the previous embodiment is that two light-emitting elements are added, so that light spot areas can be formed on the outer side and edge of the field of view (FOV) to improve the processing module 30. Specifically, the number of light-emitting elements in this embodiment is six, namely, the first light-emitting element 21, the second light-emitting element 22, the third light-emitting element 23, the fourth light-emitting element 24, the fifth light-emitting element 25, and the sixth light-emitting element 26. Among them, the fifth light-emitting element 25 and the sixth light-emitting element 26 are newly added light-emitting elements in this embodiment, and the structure of their infrared light-emitting unit and lens can refer to the infrared light-emitting unit 211 and lens 212 of the first light-emitting element 21, which will not be described in detail here.

[0085] In this embodiment, the infrared emitting unit (not shown) of the fifth light-emitting element 25 can be disposed on the right bottom edge of the lens of the fifth light-emitting element 25, so that the light spot generated by the fifth light-emitting element 25 is located on the left side of the light-emitting surface of the lens of the fifth light-emitting element 25. Compared with the placement position of the infrared emitting unit 211 in the first light-emitting element 21 relative to the lens 212, the placement position of the infrared emitting unit in the fifth light-emitting element 25 relative to the lens is further away from the center of the lens. Similarly, the infrared emitting unit (not shown) of the sixth light-emitting element 26 can be disposed on the left bottom edge of the lens of the sixth light-emitting element 26, so that the light spot generated by the sixth light-emitting element 26 is located on the right side of the light-emitting surface of the lens of the sixth light-emitting element 26. Compared with the placement position of the infrared emitting unit in the fourth light-emitting element 24 relative to the lens, the placement position of the infrared emitting unit in the sixth light-emitting element 26 relative to the lens is further away from the center of the lens.

[0086] The fifth light-emitting element 25 and the sixth light-emitting element 26 have an offset configuration of infrared light-emitting units and a non-circular lens shape. The fifth light-emitting element 25 is located at the upper left of the image capturing module 10, and the sixth light-emitting element 26 is located at the upper right of the image capturing module 10. Furthermore, the fifth light-emitting element 25 can generate a light cone range with an offset angle greater than the offset angle θ1 and a subtended angle less than the subtended angle θ1A. The sixth light-emitting element 26 can generate a light cone range with an offset angle greater than the offset angle θ4 and a subtended angle less than the subtended angle θ4A. The light cone ranges generated by the fifth light-emitting element 25 and the sixth light-emitting element 26 face opposite directions.

[0087] In this embodiment, the fifth light-emitting element 25 and the sixth light-emitting element 26 form a fifth light spot region R5 and a sixth light spot region R6 on the outer side and edge of the field of view (FOV), respectively. The fifth light spot region R5 is located to the left of the first light spot region R1, and partially overlaps with the first light spot region R1 to form a fourth reference boundary F4. Similarly, the sixth light spot region R6 is located to the right of the fourth light spot region R4, and partially overlaps with the fourth light spot region R4 to form the fifth reference boundary F5. Likewise, the fourth reference boundary F4, the first reference boundary F1, the second reference boundary F2, the third reference boundary F3, and the fifth reference boundary F5 are arranged sequentially along the long axis L of the FOV.

[0088] The fourth reference boundary F4 and the fifth reference boundary F5 are formed at the left and right edges of the field of view (FOV), respectively. When a living organism enters the FOV from outside the FOV, for example, by crossing the fourth reference boundary F4 and entering the first spot region R1, the processing module 30 can detect bright and dark reflection signals sequentially from the left side of the FOV, thereby determining that the target image is located in the first spot region R1, thus improving the accuracy of the processing module 30 in determining the target position.

[0089] Figure 9 This is a schematic diagram illustrating the flow steps of an image capturing method according to another embodiment of the present invention. Firstly, the image capturing method of this embodiment can be applied to... Figure 1 or Figure 7 The image capturing devices 1 and 1a shown are used here in Figure 1 The image capturing device 1 shown is used as an example for illustration. Please refer to [the example]. Figure 1 and Figure 9 As shown. Furthermore, the image capturing method of this embodiment includes: configuring these light-emitting elements so that they emit light to illuminate the field of view (FOV), forming a plurality of speckle regions within the FOV, and these speckle regions are continuously arranged along the long axis L of the FOV (step S10'); the image capturing module 10 captures an image of the FOV and transmits it to the processing module 30 (step S20); the processing module 30 obtains a target position based on the target image (step S30'); and the processing module 30 adjusts the brightness of these light-emitting elements based on the target position (step S40'). The difference from the aforementioned embodiment lies in steps S10' and S30', while steps S20 and S40 can be directly referred to in the aforementioned embodiment.

[0090] As in the aforementioned embodiments, the first light-emitting element 21, the second light-emitting element 22, the third light-emitting element 23, and the fourth light-emitting element 24 can form a first light spot region R1, a second light spot region R2, a third light spot region R3, and a fourth light spot region R4 (step S10'). Through the biased arrangement of the infrared light-emitting units of each light-emitting element and the shape of the non-circular lens, the first light spot region R1, the second light spot region R2, the third light spot region R3, and the fourth light spot region R4 are arranged continuously within the field of view (FOV), preferably sequentially along the long axis L of the FOV. The positions of the infrared light-emitting units in the first light-emitting element 21, the second light-emitting element 22, the third light-emitting element 23, and the fourth light-emitting element 24, and the shape of the non-circular lens, can be referred to in the aforementioned embodiments and will not be repeated here.

[0091] In step S30', after receiving the image of the field of view (FOV), the processing module 30 can first determine whether there is a living organism within the FOV based on the image content. In this embodiment, the image of a living organism (e.g., a human body) within the FOV is referred to as the target image. The processing module 30 can also determine which light spot area the target image is located in through image recognition technology, which is referred to as the target location in this embodiment. Since the image recognition technology is already well known to those skilled in the art and is not the focus of this invention, its details will not be elaborated here. In addition, regarding step S40, adjusting the brightness of the light-emitting element, the foregoing embodiment can also be directly referred to.

[0092] In this embodiment, a plurality of light-emitting elements (i.e., the first light-emitting element 21, the second light-emitting element 22, the third light-emitting element 23, and the fourth light-emitting element 24) are arranged around the image capturing module 10, and a plurality of light spot regions (i.e., the first light spot region R1, the second light spot region R2, the third light spot region R3, and the fourth light spot region R4) are formed in sequence within the field of view (FOV). In other words, the plurality of light-emitting elements provide partitioned illumination (preferably along the long axis direction L) to the center and edge of the field of view (FOV) (step S10'). Through partitioned illumination, the brightness of each light spot region can be independently controlled, thereby avoiding insufficient brightness or overexposure.

[0093] In summary, the image capturing apparatus and method of the present invention, by configuring a plurality of light-emitting elements, forms a plurality of light spot regions within the field of view, and these light spot regions are continuously arranged within the field of view. In other words, by setting a plurality of light-emitting elements, the center and edge of the field of view are illuminated in sections. Furthermore, after the processing module determines the target position, the processing module can also independently control the brightness of the light-emitting elements corresponding to each light spot region according to the target position, that is, the brightness can be controlled in sections to avoid overexposure or insufficient brightness.

[0094] It should be noted that the above embodiments are examples for ease of illustration, and the scope of the claims of this invention should be determined by the claims, and not limited to the above embodiments.

Claims

1. An image capturing device, characterized in that, include: The image capturing module captures images within the field of view; A plurality of light-emitting elements emit light to illuminate the field of view and form a plurality of light spot areas within the field of view, the light spot areas being arranged continuously within the field of view; as well as The processing module is electrically connected to the image capturing module and the light-emitting elements. It receives the image of the field of view from the image capturing module. The processing module obtains the target position based on the target image and adjusts the brightness of the light-emitting elements based on the target position. Among these light spot regions, two adjacent light spot regions partially overlap to form at least one reference boundary with higher brightness, and the processing module obtains the target position based on the action of the target image crossing the reference boundary.

2. The image capturing device according to claim 1, wherein the processing module increases the brightness of one of the light-emitting elements corresponding to the target position.

3. The image capturing device according to claim 1, wherein the light-emitting elements respectively include an infrared light-emitting unit and a lens.

4. The image capturing device according to claim 3, wherein the lens is a non-circular lens.

5. The image capturing device according to claim 1, wherein the number of light-emitting elements is four, namely a first light-emitting element, a second light-emitting element, a third light-emitting element and a fourth light-emitting element, and forming a first light spot region, a second light spot region, a third light spot region and a fourth light spot region respectively in the field of view, and the first light spot region, the second light spot region, the third light spot region and the fourth light spot region are arranged sequentially along the long axis of the field of view.

6. The image capturing apparatus according to claim 5, wherein the first light-emitting element generates a first light cone range, the second light-emitting element generates a second light cone range, the third light-emitting element generates a third light cone range, and the fourth light-emitting element generates a fourth light cone range, wherein the off-axis angle of the first light cone range and the fourth light cone range is greater than the off-axis angle of the second light cone range and the third light cone range.

7. The image capturing apparatus according to claim 6, wherein the first light cone range and the fourth light cone range face opposite directions, and the second light cone range and the third light cone range face opposite directions.

8. The image capturing apparatus according to claim 6, wherein the angle between the first light cone range and the fourth light cone range is greater than the angle between the second light cone range and the third light cone range.

9. The image capturing apparatus according to claim 5, wherein the first spot region and the second spot region partially overlap to form a first reference boundary, the second spot region and the third spot region partially overlap to form a second reference boundary, the third spot region and the fourth spot region partially overlap to form a third reference boundary, and the first reference boundary, the second reference boundary and the third reference boundary are arranged sequentially along the long axis direction of the field of view.

10. The image capturing apparatus according to claim 9, wherein the number of light-emitting elements is six, namely the first light-emitting element, the second light-emitting element, the third light-emitting element, the fourth light-emitting element, the fifth light-emitting element, and the sixth light-emitting element, wherein the fifth light-emitting element and the sixth light-emitting element respectively form a fifth light spot region and a sixth light spot region on the outer side and the edge of the field of view, the fifth light spot region partially overlaps with the first light spot region to form a fourth reference boundary, and the sixth light spot region partially overlaps with the fourth light spot region to form a fifth reference boundary.

11. An image capturing method, applied to an image capturing device, the image capturing device comprising an image capturing module, a plurality of light-emitting elements, and a processing module, characterized in that, The image acquisition method includes the following steps: These light-emitting elements are configured to emit light that illuminates the field of view and forms a plurality of light spot areas within the field of view, and these light spot areas are arranged continuously within the field of view; The image capturing module captures images within the field of view and transmits them to the processing module; The processing module obtains the target location based on the target image; and The processing module adjusts the brightness of these light-emitting elements according to the target position; Among these light spot regions, two adjacent light spot regions partially overlap to form at least one reference boundary with higher brightness, and the processing module obtains the target position based on the action of the target image crossing the reference boundary.

12. The image capturing method according to claim 11, wherein the processing module increases the brightness of one of the light-emitting elements corresponding to the target position.

13. The image capturing method according to claim 11, wherein the number of light-emitting elements is four, namely a first light-emitting element, a second light-emitting element, a third light-emitting element and a fourth light-emitting element, the first light-emitting element, the second light-emitting element, the third light-emitting element and the fourth light-emitting element are configured to form a first light spot region, a second light spot region, a third light spot region and a fourth light spot region respectively in the field of view, and the first light spot region, the second light spot region, the third light spot region and the fourth light spot region are arranged sequentially along the long axis of the field of view.

14. The image capturing method according to claim 13, wherein the first light-emitting element generates a first light cone range, the second light-emitting element generates a second light cone range, the third light-emitting element generates a third light cone range, the fourth light-emitting element generates a fourth light cone range, and the off-axis angle of the first light cone range and the fourth light cone range is greater than the off-axis angle of the second light cone range and the third light cone range.

15. The image capturing method according to claim 14, wherein the first light cone range and the fourth light cone range face opposite directions, and the second light cone range and the third light cone range face opposite directions.

16. The image capturing method according to claim 14, wherein the angle between the first light cone range and the fourth light cone range is greater than the angle between the second light cone range and the third light cone range.

17. The image capturing method according to claim 13, wherein the first spot region and the second spot region partially overlap to form a first reference boundary, the second spot region and the third spot region partially overlap to form a second reference boundary, the third spot region and the fourth spot region partially overlap to form a third reference boundary, and the first reference boundary, the second reference boundary and the third reference boundary are arranged sequentially along the long axis direction of the field of view.

18. The image capturing method according to claim 17, wherein the number of light-emitting elements is six, namely the first light-emitting element, the second light-emitting element, the third light-emitting element, the fourth light-emitting element, the fifth light-emitting element, and the sixth light-emitting element, wherein the fifth light-emitting element and the sixth light-emitting element respectively form a fifth light spot region and a sixth light spot region on the outer side and the edge of the field of view, the fifth light spot region partially overlaps with the first light spot region to form a fourth reference boundary, and the sixth light spot region partially overlaps with the fourth light spot region to form a fifth reference boundary.

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