Device for assisting with the creation of image records, use of the device and method for creating an image record

Abstract

The subject matter of the present disclosure relates to a device for assisting with the creation of image records, and the use of the device for creating image records of parts of plants and / or pests.

Description

[0001] Device for supporting the generation of image recordings, use of the device and method for generating an image recording

[0002] The subject matter of the present disclosure is a device for supporting the generation of image recordings and the use of the device for generating image recordings of plant parts and / or plant pests.

[0003] There are a variety of situations in which it may be appropriate and / or useful to create images of plant parts and / or plant pests in order to analyze them with regard to various aspects.

[0004] For example, JGA Barbedo discloses a method for counting whiteflies on soybean leaves based on images of the whitefly-infested leaves (Using digital image processing for counting whiteflies on soybean leaves, Journal of Asia-Pacific Entomology, 2014, 17: 685-694).

[0005] For example, SV Mimezami et al. disclose a method for automatically counting trichomes based on images of soybean leaves (Automated trichome counting in soybean using advanced image-processing techniques, Appl Plant Sci., 2020, 8(7): el 1375).

[0006] For example, J. Cho et al. disclose a method for automatically identifying whiteflies, aphids, and thrips in greenhouses based on images of sticky traps containing these pests (Automatic identification of whiteflies, aphids and thrips in greenhouse based on image analysis, International Journal of Mathematics and Computers in Simulation, 2007, 1(1): 46-53).

[0007] Accordingly, there are a variety of tools for analyzing image recordings that allow a user (e.g., a farmer) to determine the health status of crops and / or to detect and / or identify diseases and / or plant pests at an early stage. These tools require one or more images of a plant part and / or plant pests as input. Such images can be created with digital cameras, which are now built into almost every mobile phone. However, for the automated analysis of the images using automated image analysis methods, the images must have a certain quality. This means, for example, that the elements to be analyzed are sharp and have high contrast.Furthermore, predefined illumination of the object to be imaged and / or a predefined distance between the object and the camera's image sensor are useful, as images captured under predefined (consistent) conditions simplify automated image analysis. The images should be capable of being captured in the field and / or in the greenhouse; therefore, a mobile device is required.

[0008] Based on the described prior art, the technical task was to provide means for generating images that are easy to handle, capable of generating images that can be automatically analyzed using image analysis tools, that can be used in the field and / or in the greenhouse, and that can be used with a variety of different cameras. Furthermore, these means should allow the generation of images under defined conditions (lighting, image size, and / or the like).

[0009] This object is achieved by the subject matter of the independent patent claims. Preferred embodiments can be found in the dependent patent claims, the present description, and the drawings.

[0010] A first subject matter of the present invention is a device comprising a body, wherein the body comprises a top side and a bottom side, wherein the body comprises a recess between the top side and the bottom side, a handle which is connected to the body or is a component of the body, a holder for receiving a camera on the top side of the body above and / or within the recess, a light hood, wherein the light hood comprises an inside and an outside side, wherein the light hood comprises a first opening and a second opening opposite the first opening, wherein the light hood is mounted on the bottom side of the body, wherein the first opening of the light hood and the recess of the body at least partially overlap, one or more light sources which emit / send light onto the inside of the light hood.

[0011] A further object of the present invention is a use of the said device for generating images of plant parts and / or plant pests for the purpose of automatic image analysis.

[0012] Another object of the present invention is a method for generating an image recording comprising:

[0013] Providing a device comprising o a body, wherein the body comprises a top side and a bottom side, wherein the body comprises a recess between the top side and the bottom side, o a handle that is connected to the body or is a component of the body, o a holder for receiving a camera on the top side of the body above and / or within the recess, o a light hood, wherein the light hood comprises an inside and an outside side, wherein the light hood comprises a first opening and a second opening opposite the first opening, wherein the light hood is mounted on the underside of the body, wherein the first opening of the light hood and the recess of the body at least partially overlap, o one or more light sources that emit / send light onto the inside of the light hood,

[0014] Attaching a camera to the mount,

[0015] Positioning the device with respect to an object, wherein the light hood is positioned with the second opening on and / or above the object, sending light onto the inside of the light hood,

[0016] Creating an image of the object using the camera.

[0017] The present invention is explained in more detail below, without distinguishing between the subject matters of the invention (device, use, method). Rather, the following explanations are intended to apply analogously to all subject matters of the invention, regardless of the context (device, use, method) in which they occur.

[0018] If steps are mentioned in a particular order in this description or in the claims, this does not necessarily mean that the invention is limited to that order. Rather, it is conceivable that the steps may be performed in a different order or even in parallel; unless a step builds on another step, which absolutely requires that the subsequent step be performed (which will become clear in individual cases). The specified sequences thus represent preferred embodiments of the invention.

[0019] One subject of the present disclosure is a device.

[0020] The device has a body with a first side and a second side. The first side and the second side delimit the body in two outward directions (relative to the environment / outside world). The first side is also referred to in this description as the top side; the second side is also referred to in this description as the bottom side. When the device is used by a user, the top side is usually directed towards the user's view, while the bottom side is directed away from their view. Preferably, the top side and / or the bottom side is / are flat (uncurved). Preferably, the top side and the bottom side run parallel to one another. Preferably, the top side and the bottom side have a minimum distance of more than 0.5 mm and / or a maximum distance of less than 10 cm.

[0021] The body has a recess. The recess is located between the top and bottom; in other words, the recess connects the top to the bottom; in other words, the recess allows access from the top to the bottom.

[0022] The recess can be designed, for example, as a passage (tunnel) or a notch. The recess can have a <<-angular shape in a plan view (e.g. from a view of the top and / or bottom of the body), where n is an integer greater than two (e.g. triangular, quadrangular (e.g. square or rectangular)), or a circular, oval, elliptical or other shape. Preferably, the recess has a circular or rectangular shape in a plan view. In a plan view, the circle can have a diameter of, for example, 3 mm to 50 mm. In a plan view, the rectangle can have a side length of 3 mm to 50 mm.

[0023] The recess (i.e., the recessed volume) may, for example, have the shape of a cylinder, a cuboid, a prism, a truncated cone, or a truncated pyramid. Preferably, the recess has a cylindrical or cuboid shape.

[0024] One or more optical elements can be mounted in the recess. Examples of optical elements include lenses, apertures, prisms, polarization filters, color filters, gray filters, diffractive optical elements, beam splitters, and / or the like.

[0025] The device has a mount for a camera. Such a camera typically comprises an image sensor (camera sensor) and optical elements. The image sensor is a device for electrically capturing two-dimensional images from light. These are typically semiconductor-based image sensors such as CCD (charge-coupled device) or CMOS (complementary metal-oxide-semiconductor) sensors. The optical elements (lenses, apertures, and / or the like) serve to create the sharpest possible image of the object, of which an image is to be captured, on the image sensor.

[0026] In one embodiment, the camera is a component of a mobile phone, meaning the mount for the camera is designed as a mount for a mobile phone. However, the mount can also accommodate a different camera.

[0027] The mount is preferably mounted on top of the body. The mount is designed so that the camera is mounted on top of the body above and / or within the recess. The mount ensures that the camera is positioned in a defined manner relative to the recess. More specifically, the mount ensures that the camera's image sensor is positioned in a defined manner relative to the recess. More specifically, the mount ensures that the image sensor is positioned so that light passes through the recess onto the image sensor.More precisely, the holder ensures that the image sensor is mounted at a defined distance from the second opening of the light hood in such a way that light passes through the second opening of the light hood, through the first opening of the light hood and through the recess onto the image sensor and an object that is at a defined distance from the second opening of the light hood is sharply imaged on the image sensor.

[0028] The mount preferably has fastening means with which the camera can be fixed so that the camera maintains its position during a translational and / or rotational movement of the body. The fastening means can be designed as clamps, fastening straps, belts, screw connections, and / or the like. Preferably, the fastening means allow a reversible (detachable) connection of the camera to the body, meaning that the camera can be connected to the body multiple times and the connection can be released multiple times.

[0029] If the camera is part of a mobile phone, the holder can, for example, be designed as a cover for the mobile phone, into which the mobile phone is embedded and by which the mobile phone is held by a force-fitting and / or form-fitting connection.

[0030] The device has a light hood. The light hood comprises an inner side and an outer side. The light hood encloses a volume (hereinafter also referred to as the interior of the light hood). The light hood is delimited by the inner side of the volume (inwards). The outer side delimits the light hood from the environment / outside world (outwards). The light hood comprises a first opening and a second opening. The openings are preferably flat. The openings preferably run parallel at a defined distance from one another. The distance can, for example, have a value in the range from 1 cm to 30 cm. Preferably, the distance is in a range from 3 cm to 20 cm.

[0031] The first opening and / or the second opening may have an m-shaped shape in a plan view (e.g., in the plane in which the first and / or second opening preferably extend), where m is an integer greater than two (e.g., triangular, quadrangular (e.g., square or rectangular), pentagonal, hexagonal, heptagonal, or octagonal), or a circular, oval, elliptical, or other shape. Preferably, the first opening and / or the second opening have a round or rectangular shape in a plan view.

[0032] The light hood is attached to the underside of the body such that the recess in the body and the first opening of the light hood at least partially overlap. Preferably, the recess and the first opening have the same shape when viewed from above. Preferably, the recess and the first opening are aligned. Preferably, the recess and the first opening are designed to coincide with one another, i.e., they completely or almost completely overlap, i.e., they are designed such that an observer perceives a uniform opening leading from the interior of the light hood to the top of the body.

[0033] Preferably, the recess of the body, the first opening of the light hood and the second opening of the light hood are arranged along a common line.

[0034] Preferably, the second opening of the light hood has the same shape as the first opening of the light hood. Preferably, the second opening of the light hood is larger than the first opening of the light hood. The first opening of the light hood can, for example, be circular and have a diameter of 5 mm to 50 mm, and the second opening of the light hood can, for example, also be circular and have a diameter of 10 mm to 200 mm.

[0035] Preferably, the light hood has an axis of symmetry, wherein the axis of symmetry runs through the first and second openings.

[0036] Preferably, the light hood (together with the volume it encloses) has the shape of a spherical segment (e.g., the shape of a hemisphere), the shape of a truncated cone, or the shape of a truncated pyramid. In the case of a light hood with the shape of a truncated cone or truncated pyramid, the first opening is preferably located in the top surface of the truncated cone or truncated pyramid, and the second opening is preferably located in the base surface of the truncated cone or truncated pyramid, and the lateral surface of the truncated cone preferably forms(s) the outer side of the light hood.

[0037] The device comprises one or more light sources. A light source is understood to be a source of electromagnetic radiation, wherein the wavelength of the electromagnetic radiation is preferably at least partially in the range of the part of the electromagnetic spectrum visible to humans (380 nm to 690 nm). It is also conceivable for the light source to emit electromagnetic radiation in the infrared range and / or the ultraviolet range. The at least one light source can emit monochromatic or polychromatic light. Preferably, a user can choose between one or more wavelengths and / or one or more wavelength ranges of the emitted light. The light source can, for example, be a light-emitting diode (LED) or the light source can comprise a light-emitting diode.

[0038] The at least one light source is preferably mounted such that light is directed onto the inside of the light hood. The at least one light source is preferably mounted such that emitted light from the inside of the light hood is at least partially reflected toward the second opening of the light hood.

[0039] The at least one light source is preferably mounted such that emitted light is not directly emitted from the at least one light source through the first opening of the light hood and / or the second opening of the light hood. The at least one light source is preferably mounted such that emitted light is neither directly emitted through the first opening of the light hood nor directly through the second opening of the light hood.

[0040] Preferably, the inside of the light hood is designed such that it diffusely reflects (e.g. visible) light. Such diffuse reflection can be achieved, for example, by a white coating and / or a rough surface. Preferably, the light hood is designed such that emitted light first hits the inside of the light hood and from there is sent directly or indirectly (i.e. after single or multiple reflections from other areas of the light hood) towards the second opening of the light hood and / or is not sent towards the first opening of the light hood. In other words, the at least one light source is preferably mounted such that it irradiates the inside of the light hood and radiation diffusely reflected from the inside of the light hood passes through the second opening of the light hood onto the object of which an image is to be recorded.

[0041] Preferably, the inside of the light hood is provided with a coating that diffuses the emitted light, while the outside of the light hood is preferably provided with a coating that absorbs or reflects ambient light. The absorbing or reflecting coating ensures that no or as little ambient light as possible (e.g., sunlight) penetrates the interior of the light hood, preventing unwanted reflections in the images.

[0042] Preferably, there are a plurality of light sources mounted in the second opening of the light hood and / or above the second opening of the light hood (i.e., inside the light hood) and aligned to emit light onto the inside of the light hood.

[0043] The device has a handle. The handle is attached to the body or the handle is a component of the body. The handle supports the use of the device by a user. The user can hold the device in one hand using the handle. The user can use the other hand, for example, to operate the camera and / or a mobile phone, which can serve as a controller for the camera and / or the at least one light source.

[0044] The device preferably has one or more webs which lead / lead over the second opening. Preferably, at least two webs are present which run parallel to one another at a defined distance, for example at a distance of 5 mm to 30 mm. It is also conceivable for webs to be arranged in the form of a square or rectangular or triangular or hexagonal grid. If the device with the at least one web is placed on a plant part (for example a leaf), the at least one web ensures that the plant part is leveled and / or aligned parallel at a defined distance from the second opening. The at least one web can be formed, for example, by a metal wire and / or a polymer thread.The web preferably has a width of less than 1 mm in order to obscure as little area of ​​the plant part as possible when an image is captured from an image of the plant part on the camera's image sensor. As an alternative to the at least one web, or in addition to the at least one web, the device can comprise a base. The base can serve to place and / or fix a plant part onto which the device is placed in order to create an image of the plant part. The base is preferably flat and preferably has an extension that is larger than the second opening of the light hood. The base can comprise fastening means for fixing a plant part. The surface of the base facing the second opening of the light hood can be designed in a defined color, which preferably ensures maximum contrast with the plant part.Markings can be applied to the base that can be used to calibrate the camera. Such markings can be used, for example, to determine the size of an object being photographed.

[0045] The base may comprise fastening means by which the base can be fastened to the light hood and / or at a defined distance from the second opening of the light hood (whereby the distance may also be zero).

[0046] The device may comprise a source of electrical energy (e.g., an electrochemical cell, an accumulator, a solar cell, a fuel cell, and / or the like) to supply the electrically operated components (e.g., light source, camera, and / or mobile phone) with electrical energy. Preferably, the electrical energy for operating the camera and / or for operating the at least one light source and / or for operating a mobile phone is provided by an accumulator, which may be a component of the camera and / or mobile phone detachably connectable to the device, or may be a separate component. If, for example, the camera is a component of a mobile phone, the accumulator of the mobile phone may also be used to supply the at least one light source.For example, an electrical voltage can be tapped via a USB or Lightning port on the mobile phone and used to supply at least one light source.

[0047] However, it is also possible for a separate battery (e.g. a so-called power bank) to be present, which supplies the camera, the at least one light source and / or a mobile phone with electrical energy. It is possible for the device to have a camera and a mobile phone, whereby the mobile phone can be used to switch the at least one light source on and off and / or to operate the camera. The mobile phone can also be used to determine location information. By means of a GPS receiver, for example, the location at which one or more images are taken with the camera can be determined and stored as information about the one or more images. Analogously, the time and / or date at which one or more images are taken can also be recorded and / or stored, e.g. with the mobile phone.Data collected by the mobile phone and / or images may be transmitted by the mobile phone via a mobile network to a separate computer system, e.g., to analyze the images on the separate computer system.

[0048] The device is mobile, ie it can be carried by a user and used in the field and / or in a greenhouse to produce images of plants, plant parts (e.g. leaves) and / or plant pests.

[0049] The subject matters of the present disclosure are described in more detail below with reference to drawings, without intending to limit the subject matters of the present disclosure to the features and combinations of features shown in the drawings.

[0050] In all drawings, the same reference numerals were used for the various components of the device.

[0051] Fig. 1 schematically shows an embodiment of the device in a perspective view. Fig. 1 shows the body (10). A handle (20) is attached to the body (20). A light hood (30) is attached to the underside (12) of the body (10). The light hood (30) has the shape of a spherical segment. The light hood (30) comprises an outer side (31) and an inner side (32). The light hood (30) comprises a first opening (not visible in Fig. 1) and a second opening (34).

[0052] Fig. 2 (a), (b), and (c) show the same device as Fig. 1. Fig. 2 (a) shows the device in a bottom view. Fig. 2 (c) shows the device in a top view. Fig. 2 (b) shows the device in a side view in cross-section along the line AA'.

[0053] The device comprises a body (10). The body (10) comprises a top side (11) and a bottom side (12). The top side (11) and the bottom side (12) are flat and run parallel to each other.

[0054] The body (10) further comprises a recess (13) between the top (11) and the bottom (12).

[0055] The device further comprises a handle (20). The handle (20) is connected to the body (10).

[0056] The device further comprises a light hood (30). The light hood (30) has the shape of a hemisphere. The light hood (30) is connected to the underside (12) of the body (10). The light hood (20) has an inner side (32) and an outer side (31). The light hood (20) has a first opening (33) and a second opening (34) opposite the first opening (33). The second opening (34) is larger than the first opening (33). The first opening (33) and the second opening (34) have a circular shape. The first opening (33) is arranged below the recess (13) and is aligned with the recess (13).

[0057] Light sources (40) are mounted inside the light hood (30) above the second opening (34), emitting light onto the inside (32) of the light hood (30). The light sources (40) are mounted on a web that extends in a circle around the second opening (34).

[0058] Fig. 3 schematically shows another embodiment of the device in a perspective view. The device in Fig. 3 corresponds to the device shown in Fig. 1, with the difference that the device shown in Fig. 3 comprises webs (50) that extend over the second opening (34) of the light hood (30). The webs (50) are arranged at a constant distance from one another; they run parallel and at the same distance from one another.

[0059] Fig. 4 (a), (b) and (c) show the same device as Fig. 3. Fig. 4 (a) shows the device in a bottom view. Fig. 4 (c) shows the device in a top view. Fig. 4 (b) shows the device in a side view in cross section along the line AA'. The device in Fig. 4 (a), (b) and (c) corresponds to the device shown in Fig. 2 (a), (b) and (c), with the difference that the device shown in Fig. 4 (a), (b) and (c) comprises webs (50) which lead over the second opening (34) of the light hood (30). The webs (50) are arranged at a constant distance from one another; they run parallel at the same distance from one another.

[0060] Fig. 5 (a), (b) and (c) show schematically a further embodiment of the device. Fig. 5 (a) shows the device in a bottom view. Fig. 5 (c) shows the device in a top view. Fig. 5 (b) shows the device in a side view in cross section along the line AA'. The device in Fig. 5 (a), (b) and (c) corresponds to the device shown in Fig. 2 (a), (b) and (c), with the difference that the light hood in Fig. 5 (a), (b) and (c) has the shape of a truncated pyramid.

[0061] Fig. 6 (a), (b) and (c) show an embodiment of the device comprising a body (10), a handle (20) and a holder (14) for a camera. In the present example, the holder (14) is designed as a holder for a mobile phone. Fig. 6 (a) shows the device in a side view, Fig. 6 (b) shows the device from above in cross-section along the line BB'. Fig. 6 (c) shows the device from the side facing away from the handle in cross-section along the line CC'. The body (10) comprises a top side (11), a bottom side (12) and a recess (13). The holder (14) comprises two pairs of elements that protrude from the body on opposite sides of the body (10) and are connected to each other within the body by a tension spring. The tension springs exert a force on the opposing elements (14) of the holder, moving the elements towards each other (indicated by the arrows in Fig. 6 (c)).The elements (14) of the holder have an angled shape into which a mobile phone can be clamped.

[0062] Fig. 7 shows an embodiment of the use of the device for generating images of plant parts and / or plant pests or a method for generating images with the aid of the device, preferably in a field and / or in a greenhouse.

[0063] In a first step (110) the device is provided.

[0064] In a second step (120), a camera is mounted in the holder. Preferably, the camera is a camera built into a mobile phone, i.e., the mobile phone is mounted in the holder of the device. The camera lens is positioned so that light from the object passes through the second opening of the light hood, through the first opening of the light hood, and through the recess in the body of the device onto the camera's image sensor.

[0065] In a third step (130), a plant part and / or one or more plant pests are placed in front of the second opening of the light hood (outside the light hood). It is conceivable, for example, that the device is placed with the second opening of the light hood facing forward onto a plant part (e.g., a leaf) or onto a trap containing one or more plant pests (e.g., a yellow card or a trap tray). If the device comprises at least one web, the at least one web can level the plant part or the yellow card. It is conceivable that a base is used on which the plant part or the yellow card is placed before the device is placed with the second opening of the light hood facing forward onto the base and / or the plant part and / or the yellow card. It is conceivable that a plant part or a yellow card is clamped between the at least one web and the base.It is conceivable that the base is connected to the light hood of the device.

[0066] In a fourth step (140), the light source is switched on, or the light sources are switched on if several are present. Preferably, the at least one light source emits electromagnetic radiation that falls on the inside of the light hood, from where it is reflected, preferably diffusely, toward the second opening of the light hood, then falls on the object of which an image is to be recorded (e.g., plant part and / or one or more plant pests), and strikes the image sensor through the second opening of the light hood, through the first opening of the light hood, and through the recess in the body.

[0067] In a fifth step (150), an image recording is generated, ie the object imaged on the image sensor is detected and a digital image recording is generated (for example a JPEG file or a BMP file or a TIFF file or an image recording in another format).

[0068] The image can be stored in a data storage device, displayed on a screen, printed out, and / or transmitted to a computer system. Preferably, the image is fed into a computer program for automated image analysis.

Claims

Patent claims 1. Device comprising a body (10), wherein the body (10) comprises a top (11) and a bottom (12), wherein the body (10) comprises a recess (13) between the top (12) and the bottom (12), a handle (20) connected to or forming part of the body (10), a holder (14) for receiving a camera on the top (11) of the body (10) above and / or within the recess (13), a light hood (30), wherein the light hood (30) comprises an inner surface (32) and an outer surface (31), wherein the light hood (30) comprises a first opening (33) and a second opening (34) opposite the first opening (33), wherein the light hood (30) is mounted on the bottom (12) of the body (10), wherein the first opening (33) of the light hood (30) and the recess (13) of the body (10) at least partially overlap, one or more light sources (40),the light is sent to the inside (32) of the light hood (30).

2. Device according to claim 1, wherein the recess (13) has a cylindrical or cuboid shape.

3. Device according to one of claims 1 or 2, wherein the holder (14) is designed as a holder for a mobile phone.

4. Device according to one of claims 1 to 3, wherein the light hood (30) has the shape of a circular segment, a truncated pyramid or a truncated cone.

5. Device according to any one of claims 1 to 4, wherein the first opening (33) and / or the second opening (34) has / have a circular or rectangular shape.

6. Device according to one of claims 1 to 5, wherein the inside (32) of the light hood (30) is provided with a coating that diffusely reflects light.

7. Device according to any one of claims 1 to 6, wherein the outer surface (31) of the light hood (30) is provided with a coating that reflects or absorbs light.

8. Device according to any one of claims 1 to 7, wherein the device comprises at least one web (50) which extends over the second opening (34).

9. Device according to claim 8, wherein the device comprises a plurality of webs (50) arranged parallel to each other at a defined distance.

10. Device according to any one of claims 1 to 9, wherein the device comprises a base which is or can be attached at a defined distance from the second opening.

11. Use of a device according to any one of claims 1 to 10 for producing images of plant parts and / or plant pests.

12. Use according to claim 11, comprising the steps: Provisioning the device Attaching a camera to the mount (14) Arranging a plant part and / or one or more plant pests in front of the second opening (34) of the light hood (30) Switching on the light source (n) (40) Creating an image capture.

13. Use according to claim 11 or 12, wherein the camera is a component of a mobile phone.

14. Use according to claim 13, wherein the one or more light sources (n) (40) are provided by a The mobile phone's power source is / are supplied with electrical energy.

15. Use according to one of claims 11 or 14, further comprising the step: Image capture data is fed into a computer program for automated image analysis.

16. Method for generating an image recording comprising: - providing a device according to any one of claims 1 to 10, Attaching a camera to the mount (14), Positioning the device in relation to an object, wherein the light hood (30) with the second opening (34) is positioned on and / or above the object, Sending light onto the inside of the light hood (30), - creating an image of the object using the camera.

Images