Method and apparatus for image reconstruction

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-9516242-B2
Application number	US-201314415750-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Jul 18, 2013
Priority date	Jul 20, 2012
Publication date	Dec 6, 2016
Grant date	Dec 6, 2016

Abstract

An apparatus for image reconstruction comprises an optical system and a control means for controlling the optical system, which control means is configured to control the optical system, for the capture of a plurality of single images, in such a manner that at least one parameter of the optical system is different upon capture of at least two single images. The apparatus comprises a processing device for digitally reconstructing an image in dependence on the plurality of single images and in dependence on information about optical transfer functions of the optical system upon capture of the plurality of single images.

First claim

The invention claimed is:

1. A method for image reconstruction, comprising:
determining a number of single images to be captured depending on a strength of wavelength-dependent aberration changes of an optical system;
capturing a plurality of single images according to the determined number using the optical system, wherein at least one parameter of the optical system is different upon capture of at least two single images; and
digitally reconstructing, by a processing device, an image in dependence on the plurality of single images and in dependence on information about optical transfer functions of the optical system upon capture of the plurality of single images;
wherein a first single image is captured with a first optical transfer function and a second single image is captured with a second optical transfer function, the second optical transfer function being different from the first optical transfer function;
the image being reconstructed in dependence on information about the first optical transfer function and information about the second optical transfer function; and
wherein capturing the plurality of single images comprises:
changing the at least one parameter upon capture of the single images in dependence on at least one of:
spatial frequencies at which a first modulation transfer function, which is a modulus of the first optical transfer function, is smaller than a threshold value; or

spatial frequencies at which a second modulation transfer function, which is a modulus of the second optical transfer function, is smaller than the threshold value.

2. The method according to claim 1 ,
wherein the at least one parameter is changed automatically upon capture of the single images in dependence on at least one of the first optical transfer function or the second optical transfer function.

3. The method according to claim 2 ,
wherein changing the at least one parameter includes changing an aberration of the optical system.

4. The method according to claim 1 ,
wherein changing the at least one parameter comprises:
determining a change in the at least one parameter which causes the second modulation transfer function to be greater than the threshold value at those spatial frequencies at which the first modulation transfer function is smaller than the threshold value.

5. The method according to claim 1 ,
wherein the image is reconstructed in dependence on spatial frequencies at which the first modulation transfer function is greater than the second modulation transfer function.

6. The method according to claim 1 , wherein changing the at least one parameter comprises:
determining a change of the at least one parameter which causes at least one of the first modulation transfer function and the second modulation transfer function to be greater than the threshold value at each spatial frequency up to the diffraction limit.

7. The method according to claim 1 ,
wherein the first optical transfer function exhibits a phase shift relative to the second optical transfer function.

8. The method according to claim 1 ,
wherein the image is reconstructed as a function of a wavelength dependence of the first optical transfer function and a wavelength dependence of the second optical transfer function.

9. The method according to claim 8 ,
wherein the optical system comprises an image sensor having a plurality of color channels, and
wherein the image is reconstructed in dependence on a wavelength dependence of a sensitivity of the image sensor for each one of the plurality of color channels.

10. The method according to claim 8 ,
wherein a multispectral reconstruction of the image is performed.

11. The method according to claim 10 ,
wherein a number of single images which are captured is determined automatically in dependence on a number of wavelengths for which the image is reconstructed.

12. The method according to claim 1 ,
wherein a control device detects a setting of the optical system upon capture of a first single image, determines a change of the at least one parameter in dependence on the recognised setting using a table, and controls the optical system in such a manner that a second single image is captured with the changed at least one parameter, so that an optical transfer function of the optical system upon capture of the second single image is different from an optical transfer function upon capture of the first single image.

13. The method according to claim 1 , wherein changing comprises one or more of the following measures:
setting a pupil of the optical system;
setting a defocus;
polarisation-coded manipulation;
setting of a Jones pupil;
setting of a longitudinal chromatic aberration or a transverse chromatic aberration;
setting of a spatial light modulation;
setting of a shift of spatial frequencies of an object captured in the plurality of single images by lighting;
setting of a two-dimensional orientation of the first and second optical transfer functions;
setting of an imaging scale; and
setting of a pixel size of an image sensor.

14. An apparatus for image reconstruction, comprising:
an optical system;
a control device for controlling the optical system, which control device is configured to determine a number of single images to be captured depending on a strength of a wavelength-dependent aberration changes of the optical system and to control the optical system, for the capture of a plurality of single images corresponding to the determined number, in such a manner that at least one parameter of the optical system is different upon capture of at least two single images, in order to capture a first single image with a first optical transfer function and to capture a second single image with a second optical transfer function which is different from the first optical transfer function; and
a processing device for digitally reconstructing an image in dependence on the plurality of single images and in dependence on information about the first optical transfer function of the optical system upon capture of the first single image and information about the second optical transfer function of the optical system upon capture of the second single image;
wherein the control device is configured to set a change of the at least one parameter upon capture of the single images in dependence on at least one of:
spatial frequencies at which a first modulation transfer function, which is a modulus of the first optical transfer function, is smaller than a threshold value; or
spatial frequencies at which a second modulation transfer function, which is a modulus of the second optical transfer function, is smaller than the threshold value.

15. The apparatus according to claim 14 , wherein the control device is configured to control the capture of the plurality of single images in dependence on a gradient of the first modulation transfer function or of the second modulation transfer function.

16. The method according to claim 1 , wherein determining the number of single images to be captured depending on the strength of wavelength-dependent aberration changes of the optical system comprises determining the number based on how pronounced are the aberration changes with the wavelength.

17. The apparatus according to claim 14 ,
wherein the optical system comprises an image sensor having a plurality of color channels; and
wherein the processing device is configured to reconstruct the image as a function of a wavelength dependence of a sensitivity of the image sensor and at least one of:
a wavelength dependence of the first

Assignees

• Zeiss Carl Ag

Inventors

• Kerwien Norbert
• Kieweg Michael

Classifications

• G06T5/50 Primary

  using two or more images, e.g. averaging or subtraction · CPC title

• H04N5/262 Primary

  Studio circuits, e.g. for mixing, switching-over, change of character of image, other special effects {; Cameras specially adapted for the electronic generation of special effects} · 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

• G06T2207/20221

  Image fusion; Image merging · CPC title

• H04N1/56

  Processing of colour picture signals (H04N1/52 takes precedence) · CPC title