Image obtaining method, apparatus, and computer program

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-12598378-B2
Application number	US-202218039169-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Jan 4, 2022
Priority date	Jan 26, 2021
Publication date	Apr 7, 2026
Grant date	Apr 7, 2026

Abstract

An image obtaining method employed by an image obtaining apparatus including a filter for reducing light of a first wavelength for focus control according to an embodiment of the inventive concept includes selecting a filter corresponding to a brightness of a photographing area from among one or more filters, wherein the one or more filters include a second filter that reduces light of the first wavelength; adjusting a focus based on light obtained from the photographing area to which the light of the first wavelength is irradiated; and obtaining an image using light obtained from the photographing area through a filter corresponding to the brightness.

First claim

The invention claimed is:

1 . An image obtaining method employed by an image obtaining apparatus, the image obtaining method comprising:
selecting a filter corresponding to a brightness of a photographing area from among a plurality of filters of the image obtaining apparatus, wherein the plurality of filters includes:
a first filter configured to reduce light of a first wavelength and light of a second wavelength, wherein the first wavelength is greater than the second wavelength; and
a second filter configured to reduce the light of the first wavelength and pass the second wavelength; and
a third filter configured to pass the first wavelength and the second wavelength;
adjusting focus based on light obtained from the photographing area to which the light of the first wavelength is irradiated; and obtaining an image using light obtained from the photographing area through the filter, corresponding to the brightness, that is selected, wherein the selecting of the filter comprises selecting one from among the first filter, the second filter, and the third filter based on comparing the brightness of the photographing area with at least two brightness thresholds.

2 . The image obtaining method of claim 1 , further comprising, before the selecting of the filter, checking the brightness of the photographing area based on at least one of an image obtained by an image sensor and a brightness monitored by a brightness sensor.

3 . A computer program stored on a recording medium, the computer program configured to, when executed by at least one processor, cause the at least one processor to execute the image obtaining method of claim 2 .

4 . The image obtaining method of claim 1 , wherein the selecting of the filter comprises:
selecting the first filter as the filter corresponding to the brightness based on determining that the brightness of the photographing area is greater than or equal to a first threshold brightness; selecting the second filter as the filter corresponding to the brightness based on determining that the brightness of the photographing area is less than the first threshold brightness and greater than or equal to a second threshold brightness; or selecting the third filter as the filter corresponding to the brightness based on determining that the brightness of the photographing area is less than the second threshold brightness.

5 . The image obtaining method of claim 4 , wherein the adjusting of the focus comprises:
radiating light of the first wavelength to the photographing area according to a first mode in a case where one from among the first filter and the second filter is selected as the filter corresponding to the brightness in the selecting of the filter; and irradiating the light of the first wavelength to the photographing area according to a second mode in a case where the third filter is selected as the filter corresponding to the brightness in the selecting of the filter.

6 . A computer program stored on a recording medium, the computer program configured to, when executed by at least one processor, cause the at least one processor to execute the image obtaining method of claim 5 .

7 . The image obtaining method of claim 5 , wherein the first mode is a mode in which the light of the first wavelength is continuously irradiated to the photographing area,
wherein the second mode is a mode in which irradiation of light of the first wavelength is stopped to the photographing area in at least a partial time period.

8 . The image obtaining method of claim 7 , wherein the second mode is a mode that irradiates the light of the first wavelength only in a time period in which the image obtaining apparatus adjusts the focus for the photographing area and stops the irradiation of the light of the first wavelength in a time period in which an image of the photographing area is acquired using an image sensor.

9 . A computer program stored on a recording medium, the computer program configured to, when executed by at least one processor, cause the at least one processor to execute the image obtaining method of claim 8 .

10 . A computer program stored on a recording medium the computer program configured to, when executed by at least one processor, cause the at least one processor to execute the image obtaining method of claim 7 .

11 . A computer program stored on a recording medium, the computer program configured to, when executed by at least one processor, cause the at least one processor to execute the image obtaining method of claim 4 .

12 . The image obtaining method of claim 4 , wherein the selecting of the filter comprises selecting the first filter as the filter corresponding to the brightness based on determining that the brightness of the photographing area is greater than or equal to the first threshold brightness.

13 . The image obtaining method of claim 4 , wherein the selecting of the filter comprises selecting the second filter as the filter corresponding to the brightness based on determining that the brightness of the photographing area is less than the first threshold brightness and greater than or equal to the second threshold brightness.

14 . The image obtaining method of claim 4 , wherein the selecting of the filter comprises selecting the third filter as the filter corresponding to the brightness based on determining that the brightness of the photographing area is less than the second threshold brightness.

15 . A computer program stored on a recording medium, the computer program configured to, when executed by at least one processor, cause the at least one processor to execute the image obtaining method of claim 1 .

16 . An image obtaining apparatus comprising:
a light source configured to radiate light of a first wavelength to a photographing area; an image sensor configured to convert light incident from the photographing area into an electrical signal; a filter group comprising a plurality of filters configured to be disposed between the incident light and the image sensor, the plurality of filters comprising:
a first filter configured to reduce light of the first wavelength and light of a second wavelength, wherein the first wavelength is greater than the second wavelength; and
a second filter configured to reduce the light of the first wavelength and pass the second wavelength; and
a third filter configured to pass the first wavelength and the second wavelength; and
at least one processor configured to select one from among the plurality of filters included in the filter group as a filter according to a brightness of the photographing area, adjust a focus based on light obtained by irradiation of light of the first wavelength onto the photographing area, and obtain an image using light obtained through the selected filter, wherein the at least one processor is configured to select one from among the first filter, the second filter, and the third filter based on comparing the brightness of the photographing area with at least two brightness thresholds.

17 . The image obtaining apparatus of claim 16 , further comprising a brightness sensor configured to detect brightness of the photographing area,
wherein the at least one processor is further configured to check the brightness of the photographing area based on at least one from among an image obtained by the image sensor and a brightness monitored by the brightness sensor.

18 . The image obtaining apparatus of claim 16 , wherein the at least one processor is further configured to:
select the first filter as the fil

Assignees

• Hanwha Vision Co Ltd

Inventors

• Kim Dae Bong
• Lee Jung Kyung
• Park Dong Jin
• Kwon Young Sang

Classifications

• H04N23/71

  Circuitry for evaluating the brightness variation · CPC title

• H04N23/67

  Focus control based on electronic image sensor signals · CPC title

• H04N23/667 Primary

  Camera operation mode switching, e.g. between still and video, sport and normal or high- and low-resolution modes · CPC title

• H04N23/54

  Mounting of pick-up tubes, electronic image sensors, deviation or focusing coils · CPC title

• H04N23/55

  Optical parts specially adapted for electronic image sensors; Mounting thereof · CPC title