Patent · US Active

Spatially adaptive photographic flash unit

US8218963B2 · kind B2 · utility

14Cited by

2References

8Claims

0Family size

Assignee

ETH Zuerich · CH

Inventors

Rolf Adelsberger · Bellinzona, CH
Markus Gross · Uster, CH
Marc Levoy · Stanford, US
Remo Ziegler · Uster, CH

Key dates

Filing date	Feb 4, 2009
Grant date	Jul 10, 2012
Priority date	—
Expiry date	Feb 23, 2029

Classification

Technology area (CPC G)Physics
CPC primaryG06F2203/04808
WIPO fieldComputer technology
WIPO sectorElectrical engineering

Abstract

Using photographic flash for candid shots often results in an unevenly lit scene, in which objects in the back appear dark. A spatially adaptive photographic flash (100) is disclosed, in which the intensity of illumination (21, 23) varies depending on the depth and reflectivity (30, 101) of features in the scene. Adaption to changes in depth are used in a single-shot method. Adaption to changes in reflectivity are used in a multishot method. The single-shot method requires only a depth image (30), whereas the multi-shot method requires at least one color image (40) in addition to the depth data (30).

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