Imaging device, adjusting device, and adjusting method

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-9609292-B2
Application number	US-201514635350-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Mar 2, 2015
Priority date	Mar 4, 2014
Publication date	Mar 28, 2017
Grant date	Mar 28, 2017

Abstract

An imaging device includes a filter unit including filter areas having different wavelength selectivities; a light receiving element array configured to receive light transmitted through the filter unit; a storage unit configured to store, for each filter area, positional information indicating a position at which light transmitted is received on the light receiving element array; an area detector configured to detect, based on the positional information, an image area corresponding to the light transmitted from an image output by the light receiving element array when light from an object enters the filter unit; and a color detector configured to detect a color of the object based on an output value of the image area. The positional information indicates a position on the light receiving element array identified by using a spectral-response-coincidence-degree indicating a degree of coincidence between a spectral responsivity of each pixel and a desired wavelength selectivity.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. An imaging device comprising:
a filter unit including a plurality of filter areas having different wavelength selectivities;
a light receiving element array configured to receive light transmitted through the filter unit and output an image;
a storage unit configured to store, for each of the filter areas, positional information indicating a position at which light transmitted through each of the filter areas is received on the light receiving element array;
an area detector configured to detect, based on the positional information, an image area corresponding to the light transmitted through each of the filter areas from the image output by the light receiving element array when light from an object enters the filter unit; and
a color detector configured to detect a color of the object based on an output value of the detected image area,
wherein the positional information corresponding to each of the filter areas indicates a position on the light receiving element array which is identified by using a spectral-response-coincidence-degree indicating a degree of coincidence between a spectral responsivity of each pixel and a desired wavelength selectivity, the spectral responsivity of each pixel being calculated based on a set of images output by the light receiving element array when monochromatic inspection light with a different wavelength sequentially enters the filter unit.

2. The imaging device according to claim 1 , further comprising:
a spectral-response-coincidence-degree calculator configured to calculate the spectral-response-coincidence-degree of each pixel; and
a position identifier configured to identify the position at which the light transmitted through each of the filter areas is received on the light receiving element array by using the spectral-response-coincidence-degree, and store in the storage unit the positional information indicating the identified position as the positional information corresponding to each of the filter areas.

3. The imaging device according to claim 1 , wherein the spectral-response-coincidence-degree is an inner product of the desired wavelength selectivity and the spectral responsivity.

4. The imaging device according to claim 1 , wherein the filter unit includes at least three filter areas with spectral transmittance based on a color-matching function.

5. An adjusting device for adjusting an imaging device that includes a filter unit including a plurality of filter areas having different wavelength selectivities, a light receiving element array configured to receive light transmitted through the filter unit and output an image, and a storage unit configured to store, for each of the filter areas, positional information indicating a position at which light transmitted through each of the filter areas is received on the light receiving element array, the adjusting device comprising:
an inspection light generator configured to cause monochromatic inspection light with a different wavelength to sequentially enter the filter unit;
a spectral-response-coincidence-degree calculator configured to calculate a spectral responsivity of each pixel based on a set of images output by the light receiving element array when the inspection light enters the filter unit, and calculate a spectral-response-coincidence-degree indicating a degree of coincidence between a desired wavelength selectivity and the spectral responsivity; and
a position identifier configured to identify the position at which the light transmitted through each of the filter areas is received on the light receiving element array by using the obtained spectral-response-coincidence-degree, and store in the storage unit the positional information indicating the identified position as the positional information corresponding to each of the filter areas.

6. The adjusting device according to claim 5 , wherein the inspection light generator includes a light source and a spectral unit configured to transmit a light emitted from the light source and use the light as the inspection light.

7. The adjusting device according to claim 6 , wherein
the spectral unit includes
a diffraction grating configured to disperse the light emitted from the light source into light with different wavelengths,
a slit configured to selectively transmit the light with a different wavelength dispersed by the diffraction grating, and
a shift unit configured to change a position of the slit with respect to the diffraction grating to select a wavelength of light to be transmitted through the slit.

8. The adjusting device according to claim 6 , wherein the spectral unit is one of an absorption filter using a pigment and an interference filter using a dielectric multi-layer.

9. The adjusting device according to claim 6 , wherein the light source is any one of a xenon lamp, a halogen lamp, and a light emitting diode.

10. An adjusting method for adjusting an imaging device that includes a filter unit including a plurality of filter areas having different wavelength selectivities, a light receiving element array configured to receive light transmitted through the filter unit and output an image, and a storage unit configured to store, for each of the filter areas, positional information indicating a position at which light transmitted through each of the filter areas is received on the light receiving element array, the adjusting method comprising:
causing monochromatic inspection light with a different wavelength to sequentially enter the filter unit;
calculating a spectral responsivity of each pixel based on a set of images output by the light receiving element array when the inspection light enters the filter unit;
calculating a spectral-response-coincidence-degree indicating a degree of coincidence between a desired wavelength selectivity and the spectral responsivity;
identifying the position at which the light transmitted through each of the filter areas is received on the light receiving element array by using the obtained spectral-response-coincidence-degree; and
storing in the storage unit the positional information indicating the identified position as the positional information corresponding to each of the filter areas.

Assignees

• Yamanaka Yuji
• Masuda Kensuke
• Maruyama Go
• Nagai Sho
• Ricoh Co Ltd

Inventors

• Yamanaka Yuji
• Masuda Kensuke
• Maruyama Go
• Nagai Sho

Classifications

• H04N23/12 Primary

  with one sensor only · CPC title

• H04N23/125 Primary

  Colour sequential image capture, e.g. using a colour wheel · CPC title

• H04N23/73

  by influencing the exposure time · CPC title

• H04N23/71

  Circuitry for evaluating the brightness variation · CPC title

• H04N5/2353

  Electricity · mapped topic