Intrinsic color camera

Number: 10904449
Published: 2021-01-26
Filed: 2017-07-31
Assignee: DISNEY ENTERPRISES, INC.
Inventors: Chapman; Steven, Patel; Mehul, Popp; Joseph, Agyemang; Calis, Hager; Joseph
CPC: H04N23/51; H04N23/634; H04N23/55; H04N23/74; H04N23/56; H04N23/64
Verdict: Low Hardware
Source: Google Patents · FreePatentsOnline

The keeper's note

Intrinsic-color camera hardware/imaging technique.

Abstract

Systems and methods described herein are directed to capturing intrinsic color images of subjects. A camera may be equipped with a light source that is coaxial to the camera's image sensor and configured to emit a pulse of light of short duration. During image capture of a subject, the camera light source may emit the pulse of light through the lens barrel of the camera and stop emission of light before the reflected light from the light source returns. Thereafter, the camera lens receives the reflected light from the light source (with the light source no longer emitting light) and charge is collected at one or more image sensor photodetector sites of the camera.

Background

DESCRIPTION OF THE RELATED ART (1) Photography refers to the practice of creating durable images by recording light using an image sensor or other means. The term 'photograph' means literally 'light drawing,' yet one factor that is out of a photographer's control is incidental lighting from the sun or artificial sources of light. Traditionally, photographers have attempted to compensate for external light interference by using supplemental lighting or shadowing to control the received light. BRIEF SUMMARY OF THE DISCLOSURE (2) Systems and methods described herein are directed to capturing intrinsic color images of subjects. (3) In one embodiment, a camera includes: a lens barrel including a lens; an image sensor including photosites configured to collect reflected light from a captured subject; and a light source coaxial with the image sensor, where the light source is configured to emit a pulse of light having a duration shorter than the length of time it takes to receive the reflected light from the captured subject at the lens barrel. In implementations, the light source may be integrated into a camera housing including the image sensor. In implementations, the light source is configured to emit the pulse of light through the lens barrel. The lens barrel may include a light filter, the light filter including at least one of: a polarizer, a notch filter, or a waveband filter. (4) In some implementations, the camera includes a distance determination device configured to dete

Claims

1. A method comprising: emitting a pulse of light through a lens of a camera from a light source in the camera, in a direction of a subject within a field of view of the lens; terminating an emission of the pulse of light; after termination of the emission of the pulse of light, receiving at an image sensor of the camera, reflected light from the subject, wherein, the image sensor includes an aperture, the light source is disposed behind the image sensor relative to the subject, the pulse of light is configured to be emitted through the aperture in the image sensor toward the subject, and the reflected light corresponds to at least a portion of the pulse of light; and generating an intrinsic color digital image based on the portion of the pulse of light in the reflected light describing an intrinsic color of the subject. || 11. A camera comprising: a housing; a lens attached to the housing; an image sensor located within the housing having an aperture defined therein and configured to receive reflected light from a subject a light source located within the housing and positioned behind the image sensor relative to the subject and configured to: emit a pulse of light through the aperture in the image sensor and the lens in a direction of the subject within a field of view of the lens, and terminate emission of the pulse of light, wherein: the reflected light corresponds to at least a portion of the pulse of light, and the reflected light is received after termination of the emission of the pulse of light; and a processing element configured to generate an intrinsic color digital image based on the portion of the pulse of light in the reflected light describing an intrinsic color of the subject.