Methods for constructing a color composite image

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-10728445-B2
Application number	US-201715725753-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Oct 5, 2017
Priority date	Oct 5, 2017
Publication date	Jul 28, 2020
Grant date	Jul 28, 2020

Abstract

A method is provided for constructing a composite image. The method comprises illuminating an object with light of a particular spectral band, capturing a digital image of the illuminated object using a monochromatic image sensor of an imaging device to obtain a monochrome image, repeating the steps of illuminating and capturing to obtain a plurality of monochrome images of the object illuminated by light of a plurality of different spectral bands, processing the plurality of monochrome images to generate image data for one or more output channels, and generating a color composite image from the image data. The color composite image comprises the one or more output channels.

First claim

The invention claimed is:

1. A method for constructing a composite image, the method comprising:
illuminating an object with light of a particular spectral band;
capturing a digital image of the illuminated object using a monochromatic image sensor of an imaging device to obtain a monochrome image;
repeating the steps of illuminating and capturing to obtain a plurality of monochrome images of the object illuminated by light of a plurality of different spectral bands;
processing the plurality of monochrome images to generate image data for one or more output channels;
generating a color composite image from the image data, the color composite image comprising the one or more output channels; and
adjusting a mode of operation in the imaging device by:
analyzing the object in the digital image for a machine-readable indicium;
detecting a presence or an absence of the machine-readable indicium within the digital image;
wherein in response to detection of the machine-readable indicium is detected in the digital image, operating the imaging device in an indicia-reading mode, wherein additional digital images are automatically acquired and processed to read indicia; and
wherein in response to the machine-readable indicium not being detected in the digital image, operating the imaging device in a different color construction mode, wherein the additional digital images are automatically captured to generate a false color composite image.

2. The method according to claim 1 , wherein illuminating the object with light of the particular spectral band comprises at least one of: illuminating the object with light of a single spectral band or illuminating the object with light of one or more spectral bands at the same time.

3. The method according to claim 1 , wherein illuminating the object with light of the particular spectral band comprises illuminating the object with at least one of visible and near-visible light.

4. The method according to claim 1 , wherein illuminating the object with light of the particular spectral band comprises illuminating the object with light having a bandwidth between about 10 to about 100 nanometers.

5. The method according to claim 1 , further comprising aligning the plurality of monochrome images after the repeating step and before the processing step.

6. The method according to claim 1 , further comprising, prior to the processing step:
analyzing the plurality of monochrome images;
determining whether at least one of an illumination setting and a camera setting for at least one monochrome image of the plurality of monochrome images needs adjustment; and
adjusting at least one of the illumination setting and the camera setting for the at least one monochrome image depending upon the determination.

7. The method according to claim 6 , further comprising, after adjusting at least one of the illumination setting and the camera setting:
repeating the steps of illuminating and capturing to obtain the plurality of monochrome images of the object illuminated by light of the plurality of different spectral bands.

8. The method according to claim 1 , further comprising displaying the color composite image.

9. The method according to claim 1 , further comprising:
capturing another digital image of the object using the monochromatic image sensor without applied illumination to obtain a reference monochrome image that is representative of contaminating noise from ambient light;
determining an unknown amplitude (A) of the contaminating noise based on a difference in exposure time between a particular monochrome image and the reference monochrome image, with the difference in exposure time used to determine the unknown amplitude of the contaminating noise between the monochrome image and the reference monochrome image; and
subtracting the contaminating noise in one or more monochrome images of the plurality of monochrome images.

10. The method according to claim 9 , wherein the unknown amplitude is different in different monochrome images.

11. The method according to claim 1 , wherein processing the plurality of monochrome images to generate the image data comprises processing one or more monochrome images of the plurality of monochrome images by at least one of:
mapping each particular spectral band in the one or more monochrome images to an output channel of the one or more output channels;
adding a percentage of one monochrome image to another monochrome image; subtracting a percentage of one monochrome image from a different monochrome image;
multiplying one monochrome image by a different monochrome image;
dividing one monochrome image by a different monochrome image;
applying a positive or negative multiplier to the one or more monochrome images; applying a positive or negative offset value to the one or more monochrome images; and
applying a positive or negative exponent to the one or more monochrome images.

12. The method according to claim 11 , wherein one or more of the processing steps are repeated.

13. The method according to claim 11 , further comprising generating additional image data for the one or more output channels from the image data, wherein generating the additional image data comprises at least one of:
adding image data together;
subtracting image data from other image data;
multiplying image data by other image data;
dividing image data by other image data;
applying a positive or negative multiplier to image data;
applying a positive or negative offset value to image data; and
applying a positive or negative exponent to image data.

14. The method according to claim 1 , wherein generating the color composite image from the image data comprises:
assigning the image data to the one or more output channels.

15. The method according to claim 13 , wherein generating the color composite image from the image data comprises generating the color composite image from the image data generated from processing the one or more monochrome images and from the additional image data.

16. The method according to claim 15 , wherein processing the one or more monochrome images and generating additional image data results in adjusting at least one of hue, saturation, lightness, chroma, intensity, contrast, and brightness of the color composite image.

17. A method for constructing a color composite image comprising:
capturing a plurality of digital monochrome images with a monochromatic image sensor, each digital monochrome image in the plurality of digital monochrome images illuminated with a different spectral band;
processing the plurality of digital monochrome images to generate image data for one or more output channels;
generating the color composite image from the image data, the color composite image comprising the one or more output channels and
adjusting a mode of operation in the monochromatic image sensor by:
analyzing an object in the plurality of digital monochrome images for a machine-readable indicium;
detecting a presence or an absence of the machine-readable indicium within the plurality of digital monochrome images;
wherein in response to detection of the machine-readable indicium is detected in the plurality of digital monochrome images, operating the monochromatic image sensor in an indicia-reading mode, wherein an additional plurality of digital monochrome images are automatically acquired and processed to read indicia; and
wherein in response to the machine-readable indicium not being detected in the plurality of digital monochrome images, operating the monochromatic image sensor in a different

Assignees

• Hand Held Prod Inc

Inventors

• Good Timothy
• Giordano Patrick Anthony

Classifications

• H04N9/43 Primary

  Conversion of monochrome picture signals to colour picture signals for colour picture display · CPC title

• H04N23/56

  provided with illuminating means · CPC title

• H04N23/11

  for generating image signals from visible and infrared light wavelengths · CPC title

• H04N23/74

  by influencing the scene brightness using illuminating means · CPC title

• H04N23/80

  Camera processing pipelines; Components thereof · CPC title