IP Library Granted Patent US 9,912,851
Granted Patent B2
US 9,912,851 · App. 15/032,499 · Granted Mar 6, 2018

Image-capturing device, organic el element, image-capturing method, program, and recording medium

Inventor: Shusaku Kon (Tokyo, JP)
Assignee: NEC LIGHTING, LTD.
H04N5/2256H04N5/238H04N5/2354H04N5/335H01L2251/5323
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Quick Facts
Patent No.
US 9,912,851
App. No.
15/032,499
Granted
Mar 6, 2018
Kind
B2
Abstract

Provided is an image-capturing device that reduces the effect of direct incident light on an image-capturing element and allows a high contrast image to be obtained. An image-capturing device includes: an image-capturing element; a light emitting element; and an image data correction unit, wherein the light emitting element irradiates a subject with light, the image-capturing element senses the light reflected by the subject and generates an image data, and the image data correction unit corrects the image data by subtracting incident light directly entered into the image-capturing element from the light emitting element without being reflected by the subject from the image data.

Claims (25)

1. An image-capturing device comprising:

an image-capturing sensor;

a light emitting source; and

an image data correction unit, implemented by a processor, wherein the light emitting source irradiates a subject with light,

the image-capturing sensor senses the light reflected by the subject and generates an image data,

the image data correction unit corrects the image data by subtracting, from the image data, incident light directly entered into the image-capturing sensor from the light emitting source without being reflected by the subject,

the image data correction unit obtains a light emission characteristic by placing a black body reference subject at the position of the subject and performing a preliminary measurement of the light emission characteristic of light that is emitted from the light emitting source and directly entered into the image-capturing sensor using the black body reference subject, and

the image data correction unit corrects the image data by performing subtraction based on the light emission characteristic that is obtained by the preliminary measurement.

2. The image-capturing device according to claim 1 , wherein the light emitting source is an organic electroluminescence (EL) element.

3. The image-capturing device according to claim 1 , wherein the image-capturing sensor is a charge coupled device (CCD) or a complementary MOS (CMOS) image sensor.

4. The image-capturing device according to claim 1 , wherein the light reflected by the subject passes through the light emitting source and enters into the image-capturing sensor.

5. An organic electroluminescence (EL) element used as the light emitting source according to claim 1 .

6. The organic EL element according to claim 5 , comprising

a first electrode,

an organic layer comprising a light-emitting layer, and

a second electrode, wherein

the first electrode, the organic layer, and the second electrode are stacked in this order, and the organic layer is electrically connected to both of the first and second electrodes.

7. The organic EL element according to claim 6 , wherein both of the first electrode and the second electrode are transparent electrodes.

8. An image-capturing method comprising steps of:

irradiating, by a light emitting source, a subject with light;

sensing the light reflected by the subject with an image-capturing sensor, thereby generating image data; and

correcting, by an image data correction unit implemented by a processor, the image data by subtracting, from the image data, incident light directly entered into the image-capturing sensor without being reflected by the subject, wherein

the image data correction unit obtains a light emission characteristic by placing a black body reference subject at the position of the subject and performing a preliminary measurement of the light emission characteristic of light that is emitted from the light emitting source and directly entered into the image-capturing sensor using the black body reference subject, and

the image data correction unit corrects the image data by performing subtraction based on the light emission characteristic that is obtained by the preliminary measurement.

9. A non-transitory computer-readable recording medium recorded with a program, which, when executed by a computer, performs the method according to claim 8 .

Assignments (4)
CHANGE OF ADDRESS Recorded Jan 23, 2024
From: HOTALUX, LTD.
To: HOTALUX, LTD.
Reel/Frame 066365/0200 →
CORRECTIVE ASSIGNMENT TO CORRECT THE ASSIGNEE ADDRESS PREVIOUSLY RECORDED AT REEL: 050850 FRAME: 0287. ASSIGNOR(S) HEREBY CONFIRMS THE ASSIGNMENT. Recorded Nov 6, 2019
From: HOTALUX, LTD.
To: HOTALUX, LTD.
Reel/Frame 050942/0429 →
CHANGE OF NAME Recorded Oct 29, 2019
From: NEC LIGHTING, LTD.
To: HOTALUX, LTD.
Reel/Frame 050850/0287 →
ASSIGNMENT OF ASSIGNOR'S INTEREST Recorded Apr 27, 2016
From: KON, SHUSAKU
To: NEC LIGHTING, LTD.
Reel/Frame 038395/0449 →
Priority Claims (1)
JP 2013-232165 · Nov 8, 2013 · national
Continuity (1)
Related Publication 20160255258A1 · Sep 1, 2016