Camera lens cleaning system and method of using same

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-9538170-B1
Application number	US-201514847929-A
Country	US
Kind code	B1
Filing date	Sep 8, 2015
Priority date	Sep 8, 2015
Publication date	Jan 3, 2017
Grant date	Jan 3, 2017

Abstract

A camera lens cleaning system includes a camera, a cleaning device, a processing unit, and an executing unit configured to move the color testing disk and the cleaning device. The camera is used to capture a plurality of different color images of a color testing disk located below the camera. The processing unit is used to process every adjacent two different color images to obtain a difference color value; thereby the processing unit compares the different color value with a reference color value to determine whether dirt is located on a camera lens of the camera. When the dirt is located on the camera lens, the executing unit is configured to move the cleaning device to clean the camera lens. The disclosure further offers a camera lens cleaning method.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A camera lens cleaning system comprising:
a bracket;
a camera secured to the bracket and configured to capture a plurality of different color images from color testing disk located below the camera;
a cleaning device rotatably attached to the bracket;
a processing unit configured to process pairs of adjacent different color images on the testing disk and to determine a difference color value each pair; and
an executing unit configured to rotate the color testing disk and the cleaning device;
wherein the processing unit is configured to compare the different color value with a reference color value to determine whether dirt is located on a camera lens of the camera, and when the dirt is located on the camera lens, the executing unit is configured to control the cleaning device to clean the camera lens,
further comprising a storing unit, wherein the plurality of different color images is stored in the storing unit;
wherein the processing unit comprises an obtain module, a calculating module and a determining module, the obtain module is configured to obtain RGB color values of the plurality of pixel points of each color image in the storing unit to transform the RGB color values to 3D coordinate point values, the calculating module is configured to calculate the difference color value of a same pixel point position between every two adjacent color images according to the 3D coordinate point values, and the determining module is configured to compare the different color value with the reference color value;
wherein the different color value is obtained by the calculating module according to the formula

(

x
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2

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x
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1

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2

+

(

y
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2

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(

z
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;

wherein when the difference color value is less than or equal to the reference color value, a record number is added one time by the determining module, and when the difference color value is higher than the reference color value, a record number is not added one time by the determining module.

2. The camera lens cleaning system of claim 1 , wherein when the record number of anyone of the pixel points of the plurality of different color images is higher than the reference ratio, the determining module is configured to determine the dirt is existed on the camera lens.

3. The camera lens cleaning system of claim 1 , wherein the cleaning device is rotatable relative to the camera to clean the camera lens.

4. The camera lens cleaning system of claim 1 , wherein the color testing disk is a color circle disk which comprising a plurality of different colors.

5. The camera lens cleaning system of claim 1 , wherein the color testing disk is a liquid crystal display which comprising a plurality of different colors.

6. A camera lens cleaning method comprising:
(a) obtaining a plurality of different color images of a color testing disk by a camera;
(b) processing every adjacent two different color images to obtain a difference color value by a processing unit;
(c) comparing the different color value with a reference color value to determine whether dirt is located on a camera lens of the camera by the processing unit; and
(d) when the dirt is located on the camera lens, moving the cleaning device to clean the camera lens by an executing unit,
wherein before the step (b) includes following step: storing the plurality of different color images in a storing unit;
wherein the step (b) includes following step: obtaining RGB color values of the plurality of pixel points of each color image in the storing unit to transform the RGB color values to 3D coordinate point values, and calculating the difference color value of a same pixel point position between every two adjacent color images according to the 3D coordinate point values, and comparing the different color value with the reference color value;
wherein the different color value is obtained by the calculating module according to the formula

(

x
⁢

⁢
2

-

x
⁢

⁢
1

)

2

+

(

y
⁢

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2

-

y
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1

Assignees

• Hon Hai Prec Ind Co Ltd
• Hon Hai Prec Co Ltd

Inventors

• Lee Hou-Hsien
• Lee Chang-Jung
• Lo Chih-Ping

Classifications

• H04N23/60

  Control of cameras or camera modules · CPC title

• G06F18/22

  Matching criteria, e.g. proximity measures · CPC title

• G06V10/56

  relating to colour · CPC title

• G06T7/408

  Physics · mapped topic

• H04N5/2251

  Electricity · mapped topic