Detection device

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-12581199-B2
Application number	US-202418607801-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Mar 18, 2024
Priority date	Mar 23, 2023
Publication date	Mar 17, 2026
Grant date	Mar 17, 2026

Abstract

According to an aspect, a detection device includes: a planar detection device including photodetection elements arranged in a planar configuration; a light-transmitting placement substrate to place thereon objects to be detected; and light sources provided correspondingly to the photodetection elements. The planar detection device, the placement substrate, and the light sources are arranged in the order as listed. The light sources include first light sources that are separately arranged and second light sources that are arranged adjacent to the respective first light sources. The detection device has: a first period in which the first light sources are on and the second light sources are off; and a second period in which the second light sources are on and the first light sources are off. The detection device is configured to combine a first image detected in the first period with a second image detected in the second period.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1 . A detection device comprising:
a planar detection device comprising a plurality of photodetection elements arranged in a planar configuration; a light-transmitting placement substrate to place thereon a plurality of objects to be detected; and a plurality of light sources provided correspondingly to the photodetection elements, wherein the planar detection device, the placement substrate, and the light sources are arranged in the order as listed, wherein the light sources comprise a plurality of first light sources that are separately arranged and a plurality of second light sources that are arranged adjacent to the respective first light sources, wherein the detection device has:
a first period in which the first light sources are on and the second light sources are off; and
a second period in which the second light sources are on and the first light sources are off, and
wherein the detection device is configured to combine a first image detected by the planar detection device in the first period with a second image detected by the planar detection device in the second period.

2 . The detection device according to claim 1 ,
wherein the light sources comprise a plurality of third light sources arranged adjacent to the respective first light sources and the respective second light sources, and wherein the detection device has:
the first period in which the first light sources are on, and the second light sources and the third light sources are off;
the second period in which the second light sources are on, and the first light sources and the third light sources are off; and
a third period in which the third light sources are on, and the first light sources and the second light sources are off, and
wherein the detection device is configured to combine together the first image detected by the planar detection device in the first period, the second image detected by the planar detection device in the second period, and a third image detected by the planar detection device in the third period.

3 . The detection device according to claim 2 ,
wherein the light sources are arranged in a staggering manner.

4 . The detection device according to claim 2 , comprising a divided image generation circuit configured to generate a divided image based on a sensor value from each of the photodetection elements in each of the first period, the second period, and the third period,
wherein the divided image generation circuit is configured to generate a plurality of the divided images by cutting out hexagonal portions corresponding to irradiated areas of the turned-on light sources from the images generated based on the sensor values from the photodetection elements.

5 . The detection device according to claim 4 ,
wherein the divided image generation circuit is configured to generate the divided images by cutting off portions of the image corresponding to overlapping portions of the irradiated areas of the adjacent light sources.

6 . The detection device according to claim 4 , comprising a division processing circuit configured to reduce a size of each of the divided images in accordance with a distance between the light sources and the planar detection device and a distance between the light sources and the placement substrate in a direction orthogonal to a surface of the planar detection device.

7 . The detection device according to claim 4 ,
wherein the divided images corresponding to the irradiated areas of the light sources have larger planar shapes than those of the irradiated areas, and wherein when combining together the divided images acquired in a plurality of periods, the adjacent divided images are combined by shifting positions of the divided images so as to form no overlapping portions.

8 . The detection device according to claim 4 ,
wherein each of the light sources comprises sub-light sources for emitting light in a plurality of colors, and the divided images are acquired in a plurality of periods for the respective sub-light sources for emitting light in the colors and combined together.

9 . The detection device according to claim 8 ,
wherein the sub-light sources in the colors comprise a first sub-light source configured to emit red light, a second sub-light source configured to emit green light, and a third sub-light source configured to emit blue light.

10 . The detection device according to claim 1 ,
wherein the light sources comprise a plurality of third light sources and a plurality of fourth light sources arranged adjacent to the respective first light sources and the respective second light sources, and wherein the detection device has:
the first period in which the first light sources are on, and the second light sources, the third light sources, and the fourth light sources are off;
the second period in which the second light sources are on, and the first light sources, the third light sources, and the fourth light sources are off;
a third period in which the third light sources are on, and the first light sources, the second light sources, and the fourth light sources are off; and
a fourth period in which the fourth light sources are on, and the first light sources, the second light sources, and the third light sources are off, and
wherein the detection device is configured to combine together the first image detected by the planar detection device in the first period, the second image detected by the planar detection device in the second period, a third image detected by the planar detection device in the third period, and a fourth image detected by the planar detection device in the fourth period.

11 . The detection device according to claim 10 ,
wherein the light sources are arranged in a grid pattern.

12 . The detection device according to claim 10 , comprising a divided image generation circuit configured to generate a divided image based on a sensor value from each of the photodetection elements in each of the first period, the second period, the third period, and the fourth period,
wherein the divided image generation circuit is configured to generate a plurality of the divided images by cutting out quadrilateral portions corresponding to irradiated areas of the turned-on light sources from the images generated based on the sensor values from the photodetection elements.

13 . The detection device according to claim 12 ,
wherein the divided image generation circuit is configured to generate the divided images by cutting off portions of the image corresponding to overlapping portions of the irradiated areas of the adjacent light sources.

14 . The detection device according to claim 12 , comprising a division processing circuit configured to reduce a size of each of the divided images in accordance with a distance between the light sources and the planar detection device and a distance between the light sources and the placement substrate in a direction orthogonal to a surface of the planar detection device.

15 . The detection device according to claim 12 ,
wherein the divided images corresponding to the irradiated areas of the light sources have larger planar shapes than those of the irradiated areas, and wherein when combining together the divided images acquired in a plurality of periods, the adjacent divided images are combined by shifting positions of the divided images so as to form no overlapping portions.

16 . The detection device according to claim 12 ,
wherein each of the light sources comprises sub-light sources for emitting light in a plurality of colors, and the d

Assignees

• Magnolia White Corp

Inventors

• Ishihara Tomoyuki
• Tezen Tomoya
• Hamano Daisuke
• Asano Naoyuki
• Ito Kaoru
• Fujisawa Akihiko

Classifications

• H10F39/182

  Colour image sensors · CPC title

• H04N23/76

  by influencing the image signals · CPC title

• H04N5/265

  Mixing · CPC title

• H04N23/71

  Circuitry for evaluating the brightness variation · CPC title

• H04N5/2628

  Alteration of picture size, shape, position or orientation, e.g. zooming, rotation, rolling, perspective, translation · CPC title