Camera and image processing method for spectroscopic analysis of captured image

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-9270898-B2
Application number	US-201414206198-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Mar 12, 2014
Priority date	Mar 13, 2013
Publication date	Feb 23, 2016
Grant date	Feb 23, 2016

Abstract

A spectroscopic analysis apparatus includes a light source section that radiates light toward an object being imaged, an imaging section that captures light reflected off the object being imaged to acquire an image, a pixel detector that detects an abnormal pixel in the image which is a pixel where a reflectance ratio is greater than or equal to 1 and detects normal pixels in the image each of which is a pixel where the reflectance ratio is smaller than 1, and a light amount corrector that calculates a light amount correction value based on the amounts of light at normal pixels in a pixel area including the abnormal pixel in the image and replaces the amount of light at the abnormal pixel with the light amount correction value.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A camera comprising:
a light source section that radiates light toward an object being imaged;
an imaging section that captures light reflected off the object being imaged to acquire an image;
a pixel detection section that detects an abnormal pixel in the image which is a pixel where a ratio of the amount of light at the pixel to a reference amount of light obtained when a reference object is irradiated with the light is greater than or equal to a predetermined value and detects normal pixels in the image each of which is a pixel where the ratio is smaller than the predetermined value;
a light amount correction section that calculates a light amount correction value based on the amounts of light at normal pixels out of the normal pixels that are separated from the abnormal pixel in the image and located within a predetermined distance range, wherein the light amount correction section replaces the amount of light at the abnormal pixel with the light amount correction value; and
a spectroscopic device that selects and separates light of a predetermined wavelength from the light reflected off the object being imaged, wherein:
the imaging section captures the light of the wavelength selected by the spectroscopic device to acquire the image, and
the spectroscopic device is capable of changing the wavelength to be selected.

2. The camera according to claim 1 ,
wherein the light amount correction section calculates the light amount correction value in the form of the average of the amounts of light at the normal pixels located within the predetermined distance range.

3. The camera according to claim 1 ,
wherein the light amount correction section calculates the light amount correction value in the form of the median of the amounts of light at the normal pixels located within the predetermined distance range.

4. The camera according to claim 1 ,
wherein the light amount correction section calculates the light amount correction value in the form of the average of the amounts of light in the quartile range at the normal pixels located within the predetermined distance range.

5. The camera according to claim 1 , further comprising an input section that sets the predetermined value based on which each pixel in the image is determined to be an abnormal pixel or a normal pixel.

6. The camera according to claim 1 , further comprising an input section that sets the predetermined distance range that defines a range within which the normal pixels used to correct the amount of light at the abnormal pixel are located.

7. The camera according to claim 1 ,
wherein the spectroscopic device is a wavelength tunable Fabry-Perot etalon.

8. An image processing method in a camera including a light source section that radiates light toward an object being imaged, the method comprising:
selecting and separating light of a predetermined wavelength from the light reflected off the object being imaged;
capturing the light of the wavelength selected to acquire the image;
changing the wavelength to be selected;
detecting an abnormal pixel in the image which is a pixel where a ratio of the amount of light at the pixel to a reference amount of light obtained when a reference object is irradiated with the light is greater than or equal to a predetermined value and detecting normal pixels in the image each of which is a pixel where the ratio is smaller than the predetermined value; and
correcting a light amount by calculating a light amount correction value for correcting the abnormal pixel based on the amounts of light at normal pixels out of the normal pixels that are located in a predetermined pixel area around the abnormal pixel in the image and replacing the amount of light at the abnormal pixel with the light amount correction value.

9. A camera comprising:
a light source section that radiates light toward an object being imaged;
an imaging section that captures light reflected off the object being imaged to acquire an image;
a pixel detection section that detects an abnormal pixel in the image which is a pixel where a ratio of the amount of light at the pixel to a reference amount of light obtained when a reference object is irradiated with the light is greater than or equal to a predetermined value and detects normal pixels in the image each of which is a pixel where the ratio is smaller than the predetermined value;
a light amount correction section that calculates a light amount correction value based on the amounts of light at normal pixels out of the normal pixels that are separated from the abnormal pixel in the image and located within a predetermined distance range, wherein the light amount correction section replaces the amount of light at the abnormal pixel with the light amount correction value; and
an input section that sets the predetermined distance range that defines a range within which the normal pixels used to correct the amount of light at the abnormal pixel are located.

10. An image processing method in a camera including a light source section that radiates light toward an object being imaged and an imaging section that captures light reflected off the object being imaged to acquire an image, the method comprising:
detecting an abnormal pixel in the image which is a pixel where a ratio of the amount of light at the pixel to a reference amount of light obtained when a reference object is irradiated with the light is greater than or equal to a predetermined value and detecting normal pixels in the image each of which is a pixel where the ratio is smaller than the predetermined value;
setting a predetermined distance range that defines a range within which the normal pixels used to correct the amount of light at the abnormal pixel are located; and
correcting a light amount by calculating a light amount correction value for correcting the abnormal pixel based on the amounts of light at normal pixels out of the normal pixels that are located within the predetermined distance range from the abnormal pixel in the image and replacing the amount of light at the abnormal pixel with the light amount correction value.

Assignees

• Seiko Epson Corp

Inventors

• Funamoto Tatsuaki

Classifications

• G01J3/28

  Investigating the spectrum (using colour filters G01J3/51) · CPC title

• H04N23/76 Primary

  by influencing the image signals · CPC title

• G01J3/26 Primary

  using multiple reflection, e.g. Fabry-Perot interferometer, variable interference filters · CPC title

• G01J3/2823

  Imaging spectrometer · CPC title

• H04N25/673

  by using reference sources · CPC title