Outer Rim Archives
Archives · 2019 · 20190037124

Application (pre-grant publication)

INTRINSIC COLOR CAMERA

Number
20190037124
Published
2019-01-31
Filed
2017-07-31
Assignee
Disney Enterprises, Inc.
Inventors
CHAPMAN; STEVEN, PATEL; MEHUL, POPP; JOSEPH, AGYEMANG; CALIS, HAGER; JOSEPH
CPC
H04N23/74; H04N23/55; H04N23/56; H04N23/51; H04N23/64; H04N23/634
Verdict
Medium Hardware
Source
Google Patents · FreePatentsOnline

The keeper's note

Intrinsic color camera (camera hardware).

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

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

Systems and methods described herein are directed to capturing intrinsic color images of subjects.

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.

In some implementations, the camera includes a distance determination device configured

Claims

1. A method, comprising: emitting a pulse of light in the direction of an imaged subject, wherein the pulse of light is emitted from a light source coaxial with an image sensor of a camera; after completing emission of the pulse of light, receiving a reflection of the pulse of light from the imaged subject at a lens barrel of the camera; receiving the reflection of the pulse of light at a photosite of the image sensor to generate charge; and using the generated charge to create a digital image. 11. A camera, comprising: a lens barrel comprising a lens; an image sensor comprising a plurality of photosites configured to collect reflected light from a captured subject; a light source coaxial with the image sensor, wherein 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.