Systems and methods for controlling exposure time periods for image acquisition

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-12395744-B2
Application number	US-202318324385-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	May 26, 2023
Priority date	Dec 8, 2020
Publication date	Aug 19, 2025
Grant date	Aug 19, 2025

Abstract

A method for image acquisition may be provided. The method may include sending an exposure instruction to a plurality of image sensors. The method may further include controlling exposure time periods of at least one exposure group to obtain a plurality of frame images based on the exposure instruction. For each of the at least one exposure group, the exposure group may include a plurality of exposure regions corresponding to the plurality of image sensors, imaging positions corresponding to the plurality of exposure regions may be the same, and the exposure instruction may cause that a relationship between midpoints of exposure time periods of the plurality of exposure regions in the exposure group satisfies a condition.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A system for image acquisition, comprising:
at least one storage device including a set of instructions; and
at least one processor in communication with the at least one storage device, wherein when executing the set of instructions, the at least one processor is directed to cause the system to perform operations including:
sending an exposure instruction to a plurality of image sensors; and
controlling, based on the exposure instruction, exposure time periods of at least one exposure group to obtain a plurality of frame images, wherein, for each of the at least one exposure group,
the exposure group includes a plurality of exposure regions corresponding to the plurality of image sensors, wherein
each of the plurality of exposure regions of the exposure group covers a portion of an imaging region of an image sensor corresponding to the exposure region; and
imaging positions corresponding to the at least one exposure group covers a whole of the imaging region of the image sensor;

imaging positions corresponding to the plurality of exposure regions are the same; and
the exposure instruction causes that a relationship between midpoints of exposure time periods of the plurality of exposure regions in the exposure group satisfies a condition.

2. The system of claim 1 , wherein the condition is satisfied in response to a distance between the midpoints of exposure time periods of the plurality of exposure regions in the exposure group being smaller than or equal to a threshold.

3. The system of claim 1 , wherein each of the plurality of exposure regions of the exposure group covers a whole of an imaging region of an image sensor corresponding to the exposure region.

4. The system of claim 1 , wherein delay time differences of a plurality of exposure time sequences corresponding to the plurality of image sensors are the same, wherein, for each of the plurality of image sensors,
an exposure time sequence corresponding to the image sensor is determined based on an arrangement of exposure starting times of a plurality of exposure regions corresponding to the image sensor; and
a delay time difference of the exposure time sequence is determined based on a difference between two adjacent exposure starting times in the exposure time sequence corresponding to the image sensor.

5. The system of claim 1 , wherein the at least one exposure group is associated with a moving object.

6. The system of claim 5 , wherein the at least one processor is directed to cause the system to further perform operations including:
predicting a position of the moving object in a target frame image based on a plurality of historical frame images, wherein the target frame image is generated based on the exposure instruction; and
determining the at least one exposure group based on the position of the moving object.

7. The system of claim 1 , wherein the at least one processor is directed to cause the system to further perform operations including:
obtaining a reference total length of an exposure time period of a target image sensor of the plurality of image sensors; and
determining the at least one exposure group based on the reference total length of the exposure time period of the target image sensor.

8. A method for image acquisition, the method being implemented on a computing device having at least one storage device and at least one processor, the method comprising:
sending an exposure instruction to a plurality of image sensors; and
controlling, based on the exposure instruction, exposure time periods of at least one exposure group to obtain a plurality of frame images, wherein, for each of the at least one exposure group,
the exposure group includes a plurality of exposure regions corresponding to the plurality of image sensors, wherein
each of the plurality of exposure regions of the exposure group covers a portion of an imaging region of an image sensor corresponding to the exposure region; and
imaging positions corresponding to the at least one exposure group covers a whole of the imaging region of the image sensor;

imaging positions corresponding to the plurality of exposure regions are the same; and
the exposure instruction causes that a relationship between midpoints of exposure time periods of the plurality of exposure regions in the exposure group satisfies a condition.

9. The method of claim 8 , wherein the condition is satisfied in response to a distance between the midpoints of exposure time periods of the plurality of exposure regions in the exposure group being smaller than or equal to a threshold.

10. The method of claim 8 , wherein each of the plurality of exposure regions of the exposure group covers a whole of an imaging region of an image sensor corresponding to the exposure region.

11. The method of claim 8 , wherein delay time differences of a plurality of exposure time sequences corresponding to the plurality of image sensors are the same, wherein, for each of the plurality of image sensors,
an exposure time sequence corresponding to the image sensor is determined based on an arrangement of exposure starting times of a plurality of exposure regions corresponding to the image sensor; and
a delay time difference of the exposure time sequence is determined based on a difference between two adjacent exposure starting times in the exposure time sequence corresponding to the image sensor.

12. The method of claim 8 , wherein the at least one exposure group is associated with a moving object.

13. The method of claim 12 , wherein the method further comprises:
predicting a position of the moving object in a target frame image based on a plurality of historical frame images, wherein the target frame image is generated based on the exposure instruction; and
determining the at least one exposure group based on the position of the moving object.

14. The method of claim 8 , wherein the method further comprises:
obtaining a reference total length of an exposure time period of a target image sensor of the plurality of image sensors; and
determining the at least one exposure group based on the reference total length of the exposure time period of the target image sensor.

15. A non-transitory computer readable medium, comprising at least one set of instructions for image acquisition, wherein when executed by one or more processors of a computing device, the at least one set of instructions causes the computing device to perform a method, the method comprising:
sending an exposure instruction to a plurality of image sensors; and
controlling, based on the exposure instruction, exposure time periods of at least one exposure group to obtain a plurality of frame images, wherein, for each of the at least one exposure group,
the exposure group includes a plurality of exposure regions corresponding to the plurality of image sensors, wherein
each of the plurality of exposure regions of the exposure group covers a portion of an imaging region of an image sensor corresponding to the exposure region; and
imaging positions corresponding to the at least one exposure group covers a whole of the imaging region of the image sensor;

imaging positions corresponding to the plurality of exposure regions are the same; and
the exposure instruction causes that a relationship between midpoints of exposure time periods of the plurality of exposure regions in the exposure group satisfies a condition.

Assignees

• Zhejiang Dahua Technology Co

Inventors

• Lu Erli
• Kuang Lu

Classifications

• H04N25/626

  Reduction of noise due to residual charges remaining after image readout, e.g. to remove ghost images or afterimages · CPC title

• H04N23/741

  by increasing the dynamic range of the image compared to the dynamic range of the electronic image sensors · CPC title

• H04N25/41

  Extracting pixel data from a plurality of image sensors simultaneously picking up an image, e.g. for increasing the field of view by combining the outputs of a plurality of sensors · CPC title

• H04N23/73 Primary

  by influencing the exposure time · CPC title

• H04N23/45

  for generating image signals from two or more image sensors being of different type or operating in different modes, e.g. with a CMOS sensor for moving images in combination with a charge-coupled device [CCD] for still images · CPC title