Image generation apparatus and image generation method

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-10382678-B2
Application number	US-201815898888-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Feb 19, 2018
Priority date	Mar 1, 2017
Publication date	Aug 13, 2019
Grant date	Aug 13, 2019

Abstract

An image generation apparatus includes first and second light sources, an image sensor, a mask, and a processing circuit. The image sensor acquires a first image when the first light source is energized and acquires a second image when the second light source is energized. The processing circuit obtains a pixel value based on a direct light component or a pixel value based on a component other than the direct light component corresponding to a focal point by using pixel values of first pixel regions of the first image, pixel values of second pixel regions of the second image, the ratios of the direct light and the light other than the direct light from the first light source, and the ratios of the direct light and the light other than the direct light from the second light source and generates a cross-sectional image of a substance on the focal plane.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. An image generation apparatus comprising:
a first light source;
a second light source located a predetermined distance away from the first light source;
an image sensor on which a translucent substance is disposed;
a mask located between the image sensor and the first and second light sources, the mask having a light-transmitting portion that transmits light emitted from the first light source and light emitted from the second light source and a light-shielding portion that blocks light emitted from the first light source and light emitted from the second light source; and
a processing circuit,
wherein the image sensor acquires a first image of the substance when the first light source is energized and acquires a second image of the substance when the second light source is energized, the first image has a plurality of first pixel regions, and the second image has a plurality of second pixel regions,
wherein the processing circuit (a) acquires information regarding a focal plane located between the image sensor and the mask and having a plurality of focal points, (b) acquires, for each of the first pixel regions, a ratio of first light including direct light that is emitted from the first light source, travels straight without being refracted and/or scattered, and is incident on the image sensor, and a ratio of second light including light other than the direct light that is emitted from the first light source and is incident on the image sensor, acquires, for each of the second pixel regions, a ratio of third light including direct light that is emitted from the second light source, travels straight without being refracted and/or scattered, and is incident on the image sensor, and a ratio of fourth light including light other than the direct light that is emitted from the second light source and is incident on the image sensor, (c) acquires, by using pixel values of the plurality of the first pixel regions of the first image, pixel values of the plurality of the second pixel regions of the second image, the ratio of the first light, the ratio of the second light, the ratio of the third light, and the ratio of the fourth light, a pixel value based on the first light and the third light for each of the plurality of focal points or a pixel value based on the second light and the fourth light for each of the plurality of focal points, and (d) generates a cross-sectional image of the substance on the focal plane by using the pixel value based on the first light and the third light for each of the plurality of focal points or the pixel value based on the second light and the fourth light for each of the plurality of focal points.

2. The image generation apparatus according to claim 1 , wherein in operation (c), letting α 1 , β 2 , α 2 , β 2 , L 1 , and L 2 be the ratio of the first light, the ratio of the second light, the ratio of the third light, the ratio of the fourth light, the pixel value of the first pixel region, and the pixel value of the second pixel region corresponding to one of the plurality of focal points, respectively, a pixel value D based on the first light and the third light corresponding to the focal point and a pixel value G based on the second light and the fourth light corresponding to the focal point are obtained by solving the following equation by using a least squares method:

[

L
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1

L
⁢

⁢
2

]

=

[

α
⁢

⁢
1

β
⁢

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1

α
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2

β2

]

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[

D

G

]

.

3. A method for generating an image using a first light source, a second light source located a predetermined distance away from the first light source, an image sensor on which a translucent substance is disposed, and a mask located between the image sensor and the first and second light sources and having a light-transmitting portion that transmits light emitted from the first light source and light emitted from the second light source and a light-shielding portion that blocks light emitted from the first light source and light emitted from the second light source, the method comprising:
(a) acquiring a first image of the substance by using the image sensor when the first light source is energized, where the first image has a plurality of first pixel regions;
(b) acquiring a second image of the substance by using the image sensor when the second light source is energized, where the second image has a plurality of second pixel regions;
(c) acquiring information regarding a focal plane located between the image sensor and the mask and having a plurality of focal points;
(d) acquiring, for each of the first pixel regions, a ratio of first light including direct light that is emitted from the first light source, travels straight without being refracted and/or scattered, and is incident on the image sensor, and a ratio of second light including light other than the direct light that is emitted from the first light source and is incident on the image sensor;
(e) acquiring, for each of the second pixel regions, a ratio of third light including direct light that is emitted from the second light source, travels straight without being refracted and/or scattered, and is incident on the image sensor, and a ratio of fourth light including light other than the direct light that is emitted from the second light source and is incident on the image se

Assignees

• Panasonic Ip Man Co Ltd

Inventors

• Kato Yumiko
• Sawada Yoshihide
• Mukaigawa Yasuhiro
• Funatomi Takuya
• Kubo Hiroyuki
• Kuniyoshi Fusataka

Classifications

• G02B21/0004 Primary

  specially adapted for specific applications · CPC title

• H04N23/951

  by using two or more images to influence resolution, frame rate or aspect ratio · CPC title

• H04N23/74

  by influencing the scene brightness using illuminating means · CPC title

• H04N23/56

  provided with illuminating means · CPC title

• H04N25/48

  Increasing resolution by shifting the sensor relative to the scene · CPC title