Image Processing Device Multi-Spectral Fusion Low-Light Clarity

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Solution Overview

Problem

Existing technologies fail to produce infrared images with sufficient image quality for recognizing objects, particularly in low-light conditions, as they lack the necessary color detail and clarity.

Innovation Solution

An image processing device and method that acquires far-infrared, near-infrared, and visible light images of a common object and generates a color image by filtering pixels from these images, leveraging the strengths of each to enhance image quality.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Loss of information

If color information from visible light images is used to provide color in infrared images, then color is added to infrared images, but image quality is insufficient for recognizing objects

Engineering Contradiction:
Improvecolor informationVSAvoidimage quality
Core Design Contradiction:
Loss of informationVSMeasurement precision

Solution Approach 1:

The patent combines far-infrared images, near-infrared images, and visible light images through filtering operations to create a composite color image. This merging of multiple image sources preserves color information while enhancing image quality by integrating the strengths of each imaging modality.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #5Merging (Combining)

Solution Approach 2:

The patent creates a composite color image by integrating data from multiple spectral bands (far-infrared, near-infrared, and visible light). This composite approach combines the thermal information from infrared images with the color and detail information from visible light images to achieve superior image quality.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #40Composite materials

2Loss of information

If only visible light images are used, then color information is available, but visibility is poor under low-light conditions

Engineering Contradiction:
Improvecolor informationVSAvoidvisibility in low-light
Core Design Contradiction:
Loss of informationVSIllumination intensity

Solution Approach 1:

The patent merges visible light images with infrared images captured under the same low-light conditions. The infrared component provides enhanced visibility in low-light environments while the visible light component contributes color information, resulting in a color image that maintains visibility quality in poor lighting conditions.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #5Merging (Combining)

Solution Approach 2:

The patent applies different filtering operations to different regions and wavelength components of the images. By selectively processing far-infrared, near-infrared, and visible light components with appropriate filters, the system optimizes the contribution of each spectral band to the final color image, ensuring that color information is preserved where available while maintaining visibility in low-light regions.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #3Local quality

3Illumination intensity

If only infrared images are used, then visibility is improved in low-light conditions, but color information is lost

Engineering Contradiction:
Improvevisibility in low-lightVSAvoidcolor information
Core Design Contradiction:
Illumination intensityVSLoss of information

Solution Approach 1:

The patent combines infrared images (which provide enhanced visibility in low-light conditions) with visible light images (which provide color information). The filtering process integrates these different image types to produce a color image that maintains the improved visibility characteristics of infrared imaging while restoring color information from the visible light component.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #5Merging (Combining)

Applied Scientific Principles

This section explains which scientific principles are used to turn an abstract innovation direction into a practical engineering solution.

Function Achieved in This Case

The solution generates a color image with improved quality, capable of clearly identifying objects even in poor environmental lighting conditions by combining the clarity and color information from multiple spectral bands.

Implementation Method 1

a far-infrared image, a near-infrared image, and a visible light image in which a common imaged object is captured

Methodology Applied
Scientific EffectInfrared radiation detection: Infrared Radiation

Implementation Method 2

captures an imaged object in a far-infrared region, a near-infrared region, and a visible light region

Methodology Applied
Scientific EffectElectromagnetic radiation detection: Electromagnetic Induction

Data Source

PatentEP3229468B1Image processing device, image processing method, program, and system
Publication Date: 2020.03.18 SONY GROUP CORP
  • EP3229468B1 patent drawingFigure 1
  • EP3229468B1 patent drawingFigure 2
  • EP3229468B1 patent drawingFigure 3

AI summary

[Object] To generate a color image with further improved image quality. [Solution] Provided is an image processing device including: an image acquisition unit that acquires a far-infrared image, a near-infrared image, and a visible light image in which a common imaged object is captured; and a generation unit that generates a color image by filtering filter taps including pixels of the far-infrared image, the near-infrared image, and the visible light image.