Patent · US Active

Methods and apparatus for improved imaging through scattering media

US11609328B2 · kind B2 · utility

1Cited by
6References
20Claims
0Family size

Assignee

Inventors

Key dates

Filing dateMay 14, 2019
Grant dateMar 21, 2023
Priority date
Expiry dateJan 19, 2042

Classification

  • Technology area (CPC G)Physics
  • CPC primaryG01S17/89
  • WIPO fieldMeasurement
  • WIPO sectorInstruments

Abstract

A light source may illuminate a scene that is obscured by fog. Light may reflect back to a time-resolved light sensor. For instance, the light sensor may comprise avalanche photodiodes that are not single-photon sensitive. The light sensor may perform a raster scan. The imaging system may determine reflectance and depth of the fog-obscured target. The imaging system may perform a probabilistic algorithm that exploits the fact that times of arrival of photons reflected from fog have a Gamma distribution that is different than the Gaussian distribution of times of arrival of photons reflected from the target. The imaging system may adjust frame rate locally depending on local density of fog, as indicated by a local Gamma distribution determined in a prior step. The imaging system may perform one or more of spatial regularization, temporal regularization, and deblurring.

Source: USPTO / EPO open patent data. Objective bibliographic and citation counts.