Adaptive relative illumination optical system
US12177577B2 · kind B2 · utility
Assignee
Inventors
Key dates
| Filing date | Apr 14, 2022 |
| Grant date | Dec 24, 2024 |
| Priority date | — |
| Expiry date | Feb 10, 2043 |
Classification
- Technology area (CPC H)Electricity
- CPC primaryH04N23/75
- WIPO fieldAudio-visual technology
- WIPO sectorElectrical engineering
Abstract
A method for controlling an optical system including at least one active light-controlling element to better control the illumination of a scene when imaged on an image sensor is presented. This active light-controlling element is used to control the amount of light in an image zone depending on an electric signal from a controller. This allows imaging scenes with bright objects without over-exposure or scenes with dark objects without under-exposure on the image sensor. After image processing to reverse the effect of the active light-controlling element, the resulting processed images have an enhanced depth without the drawbacks associated to traditional HDR imaging. The method can use any shape of sub-elements in the active light-controlling element depending on the application. The method can also be used with multiple active light-controlling surfaces to further control the light on the image sensor, including separating the colors in the image.
Source: USPTO / EPO open patent data. Objective bibliographic and citation counts.