Multi-layer imaging

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-10620434-B2
Application number	US-201916412097-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	May 14, 2019
Priority date	Nov 10, 2016
Publication date	Apr 14, 2020
Grant date	Apr 14, 2020

Abstract

For multi-layer imaging, an apparatus is disclosed. The apparatus includes a transparent display having multiple liquid crystal display (LCD) layers. The apparatus includes an image capture module that interfaces with a camera to capture multiple images of a target object. The apparatus includes an image processing module that identifies a bright spot in first and second images, identifies the target object in the first and second images proximate to the bright spot, and modifies at least one of first and second images to diminish the bright spot and to emphasize the target object. The apparatus includes an image display module that interfaces with the transparent display member to display the first image with the first LCD layer and display the second image with the second LCD layer after modifying at least one of the first and second images.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. An apparatus, comprising:
a transparent display member;
an image capture module that interfaces with a camera to capture multiple images of a target object, including a first image of the target object and a second image of the target object;
an image processing module that:
identifies a bright spot in the first and second images,
identifies the target object in the first and second images proximate to the bright spot,
modifies the first image to diminish the bright spot, wherein modifying the first image to diminish the bright spot comprises darkening a portion of the first image that surrounds the bright spot to diminish the bright spot,
modifies the second image to emphasize a color of the target object, and
combines the first and second images to generate a single multi-layered image; and

an image display module that interfaces with the transparent display member to display the single multi-layered image.

2. The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the transparent display member is embodied as a lens for eyewear.

3. The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the transparent display member is embodied as a windshield for a vehicle.

4. The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the target object comprises at least one of a traffic signal, a road sign, a vehicle, a pedestrian, and an animal, and wherein the bright spot comprises at least one of a bright light and sun glare.

5. The apparatus of claim 1 , further comprising a structural frame member, wherein the transparent display member is mounted to the structural frame member.

6. The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the image capture module interfaces with the camera to capture the first image of the target object with a first set of parameters, and wherein the image capture module interfaces with the camera to capture the second image of the target object with a second set of parameters that are different than the first set of parameters, wherein the first and second sets of parameters include one or more of: different filter settings, different fields of view, different perspectives, different exposure settings, different aperture settings, and different ISO settings.

7. The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein modifying the first image comprises the image processing module applying a histogram to the first image to diminish an intensity of the bright spot.

8. The apparatus of claim 7 , wherein the image processing module applies the histogram to one or more colors in the first image to diminish the bright spot, and wherein the one or more colors comprise one or more of red, green, blue, cyan, magenta, yellow, and black.

9. The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein modifying the second image to emphasize the target object comprises the image processing module applying a histogram to the second image.

10. The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein combining the first and second images to generate the single multi-layered image comprises blending or coalescing at least one parameter associated with each of the first and second images.

11. The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the image processing module compares the target object in the first and second images to one or more stored images in a database to identify one or more other objects that correspond to the target object.

12. The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the image processing module identifies one or more other objects near the bright spot in the first and second images by accessing one or more stored images in a database that correspond to the one or more other objects identified near the bright spot.

13. The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the camera comprises multiple cameras, including a first camera that captures the first image of the target object and a second camera that captures the second image of the target object.

14. The apparatus of claim 13 , wherein the image capture module interfaces with the first camera to capture the first image of the target object with a first set of parameters, and wherein the image capture module interfaces with the second camera to capture the second image of the target object with a second set of parameters that are different than the first set of parameters, wherein the first and second sets of parameters include one or more of: different filter settings, different fields of view, different perspectives, different exposure settings, different aperture settings, and different ISO settings.

15. The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein modifying the second image comprises the image processing module applying a histogram to the second image to strengthen an intensity of the target object.

16. The apparatus of claim 15 , wherein the image processing module applies the histogram to one or more colors in the second image to emphasize the target object, and wherein the one or more colors comprise one or more of red, green, blue, cyan, magenta, yellow, and black.

17. A method, comprising:
interfacing with a camera to capture multiple images of a target object, including a first image of the target object and a second image of the target object;
identifying a bright spot in the first and second images;
identifying the target object in the first and second images proximate to the bright spot;
modifying the first image to diminish the bright spot, wherein modifying the first image to diminish the bright spot comprises darkening a portion of the first image that surrounds the bright spot to diminish the bright spot;
modifying the second image to emphasize the target object, wherein modifying the second image to emphasize the target object comprises applying a histogram to the second image;
combining the first and second images to generate a single multi-layered image; and
interfacing with a transparent display member having a liquid crystal display (LCD) layer to display the single multi-layered image.

18. The method of claim 17 , wherein interfacing with a camera to capture the first image of the target object and the second image of the target object comprises:
capturing the first image of the target object with a first set of parameters, and
capturing the second image of the target object with a second set of parameters that are different than the first set of parameters,
wherein the first and second sets of parameters include one or more of: different filter settings, different fields of view, different perspectives, different exposure settings, different aperture settings, and different ISO settings.

19. A non-transitory computer-readable medium having stored thereon a plurality of computer-executable instructions that, when executed by a computing device, cause the computing device to:
interface with a camera to capture multiple images of a target object, including a first image of the target object and a second image of the target object;
identify a bright spot in the first and second images;
identify the target object in the first and second images proximate to the bright spot;
modify the first image to diminish the bright spot, wherein modifying the first image to diminish the bright spot comprises darkening a portion of the first image that surrounds the bright spot to diminish the bright spot;
modify the second image to emphasize the target object, wherein modifying the second image to emphasize the target object comprises applying a histogram to the second image;
combine the first and second images to generate a single multi-layered image; and
interface with a transparent display member having a liquid crystal display (LCD) layer to display the single multi-layered image.

Assignees

• IBM

Inventors

• Hwang Inseok
• Liu Su
• Rozner Eric J
• Sze Chin Ngai

Classifications

• G09G2340/00

  Aspects of display data processing · CPC title

• G06T11/60

  Creating or editing images; Combining images with text · CPC title

• G09G2340/14

  Solving problems related to the presentation of information to be displayed · CPC title

• G02B2027/0141

  characterised by the informative content of the display · CPC title

• G02C7/101

  having an electro-optical light valve (electro-optical elements per se G02F) · CPC title