IP Library › Granted Patent US 12,108,197
Granted Patent B2
US 12,108,197 · App. 17/974,302 · Granted Oct 1, 2024

Cameras and image obtaining methods based on controlling brightness adjustment parameters

Inventors: Jun Liu (Shanghai, CN); Zhipeng Deng (Shanghai, CN); Han Pan (Shanghai, CN); Shengkai Yang (Hangzhou, CN)
Assignee: Huawei Technologies Co., Ltd.
H04N9/77H04N23/55
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Quick Facts
Patent No.
US 12,108,197
App. No.
17/974,302
Granted
Oct 1, 2024
Kind
B2
Abstract

A first light beam can be collected by using an optical module. A second light beam can be obtained based on the first light beam. An image sensor can perform photoelectric conversion on the infrared light beam that is in the second light beam and that is irradiated to the first channel to obtain a first electrical signal. Photoelectric conversion can be performed on the visible light beam that is in the second light beam and that is irradiated to the second channel to obtain a second electrical signal. An initial image can be generated based on the first electrical signal and the second electrical signal. A color image and a grayscale image can be sent to an image processor. The image processor can receive the color image and the grayscale image. Fusion processing can be performed on the color image and the grayscale image to obtain a fused image.

Claims (53)

1. A camera, wherein the camera comprises an optical module, a single image sensor, and an image processor, the image sensor is electrically connected to the image processor, the image sensor comprises at least one first channel and at least one second channel, each of the at least one first channel and the at least one second channel comprises a plurality of pixels, and each of the at least one first channel and each of the at least one second channel have at least one different pixel, and wherein:

the optical module is configured to collect a first light beam and send a second light beam to the image sensor based on the first light beam, and the second light beam comprises a visible light beam and an infrared light beam;

the image sensor is configured to:

perform, based on a brightness adjustment parameter corresponding to the first channel, photoelectric conversion on the infrared light beam that is in the second light beam and that is irradiated to the first channel, to obtain a first electrical signal;

perform, based on a brightness adjustment parameter corresponding to the second channel, photoelectric conversion on the visible light beam that is in the second light beam and that is irradiated to the second channel, to obtain a second electrical signal, wherein the brightness adjustment parameter comprises an exposure duration, and wherein a value of the exposure duration corresponding to the first channel is different from a value of the exposure duration corresponding to the second channel;

generate an initial image based on the first electrical signal and the second electrical signal; and

send a color image and a grayscale image to the image processor based on the initial image; and

the image processor is configured to:

receive the color image and the grayscale image; and

perform fusion processing on the color image and the grayscale image to obtain a fused image.

2. The camera according to claim 1 , wherein the optical module comprises a band-pass optical filter, and wherein

the band-pass optical filter is configured to filter the first light beam to obtain the infrared light beam and the visible light beam as the second light beam.

3. The camera according to claim 2 , wherein the infrared light beam comprises a first infrared light beam in a band near 850 nm and a second infrared light beam in a band near 750 nm.

4. The camera according to claim 1 , wherein the image sensor is further configured to perform, based on the brightness adjustment parameter corresponding to the first channel, photoelectric conversion on the visible light beam that is in the second light beam and that is irradiated to the first channel, to obtain the second electrical signal.

5. The camera according to claim 4 , wherein a band-stop optical filter membrane is disposed on a surface of the image sensor, and the band-stop optical filter membrane is configured to shield the infrared light beam in the second light beam to allow the visible light beam in the second light beam to be irradiated to the second channel.

6. The camera according to claim 1 , wherein the image processor is further configured to:

adjust, based on brightness information of the grayscale image, the brightness adjustment parameter corresponding to the first channel; and

adjust, based on brightness information of the color image, the brightness adjustment parameter corresponding to the second channel.

7. The camera according to claim 1 , wherein the brightness adjustment parameter comprises a gain.

8. An image obtaining method, wherein the method comprises:

collecting a first light beam by using an optical module;

obtaining a second light beam based on the first light beam, wherein the second light beam comprises a visible light beam and an infrared light beam;

performing, by an image sensor based on a brightness adjustment parameter corresponding to a first channel of the image sensor, photoelectric conversion on the infrared light beam that is in the second light beam and that is irradiated to the first channel, to obtain a first electrical signal;

performing, based on a brightness adjustment parameter corresponding to a second channel of the image sensor, photoelectric conversion on the visible light beam that is in the second light beam and that is irradiated to the second channel, to obtain a second electrical signal, wherein the brightness adjustment parameter comprises an exposure duration, wherein a value of the exposure duration corresponding to the first channel is different from a value of the exposure duration corresponding to the second channel;

generating an initial image based on the first electrical signal and the second electrical signal;

sending a color image and a grayscale image to an image processor based on the initial image, wherein each of the first channel and the second channel comprises a plurality of pixels, and the first channel and the second channel have at least one different pixel;

receiving, by the image processor, the color image and the grayscale image; and

performing fusion processing on the color image and the grayscale image to obtain a fused image.

9. The method according to claim 8 , wherein the optical module comprises a band-pass optical filter, and the obtaining a second light beam based on the first light beam comprises:

filtering, by the band-pass optical filter, the first light beam to obtain the infrared light beam and the visible light beam as the second light beam.

10. The method according to claim 8 , wherein a band-stop optical filter membrane is disposed on a surface of the image sensor, and the infrared light beam in the second light beam is shielded by the band-stop optical filter membrane to allow the visible light beam in the second light beam to be irradiated to the second channel.

11. The method according to claim 8 , wherein after the performing fusion processing on the color image and the grayscale image to obtain a fused image, the method further comprises:

adjusting, based on brightness information of the grayscale image, the brightness adjustment parameter corresponding to the first channel; and

adjusting, based on brightness information of the color image, the brightness adjustment parameter corresponding to the second channel.

12. The method according to claim 8 , wherein the brightness adjustment parameter comprises a gain.

13. The method according to claim 9 , wherein the infrared light beam comprises a first infrared light beam in a band near 850 nm and a second infrared light beam in a band near 750 nm.

14. A non-transitory computer-readable storage medium storing programming instructions for execution by at least one processor, that when executed by the at least one processor, cause a camera to perform operations comprising:

collecting a first light beam by using an optical module;

obtaining a second light beam based on the first light beam, wherein the second light beam comprises a visible light beam and an infrared light beam;

performing, by an image sensor based on a brightness adjustment parameter corresponding to a first channel of the image sensor, photoelectric conversion on the infrared light beam that is in the second light beam and that is irradiated to the first channel, to obtain a first electrical signal;

performing, based on a brightness adjustment parameter corresponding to a second channel of the image sensor, photoelectric conversion on the visible light beam that is in the second light beam and that is irradiated to the second channel, to obtain a second electrical signal, wherein the brightness adjustment parameter comprises an exposure duration, wherein a value of the exposure duration corresponding to the first channel is different from a value of the exposure duration corresponding to the second channel;

generating an initial image based on the first electrical signal and the second electrical signal;

sending a color image and a grayscale image to an image processor based on the initial image, wherein each of the first channel and the second channel comprises a plurality of pixels, and the first channel and the second channel have at least one different pixel;

receiving, by the image processor, the color image and the grayscale image; and

performing fusion processing on the color image and the grayscale image to obtain a fused image.

15. The non-transitory computer-readable storage medium according to claim 14 , wherein the optical module comprises a band-pass optical filter, and the obtaining a second light beam based on the first light beam comprises:

filtering, by the band-pass optical filter, the first light beam to obtain the infrared light beam and the visible light beam as the second light beam.

16. The non-transitory computer-readable storage medium according to claim 14 , wherein a band-stop optical filter membrane is disposed on a surface of the image sensor, and the infrared light beam in the second light beam is shielded by the band-stop optical filter membrane to allow the visible light beam in the second light beam to be irradiated to the second channel.

17. The non-transitory computer-readable storage medium according to claim 14 , wherein after the performing fusion processing on the color image and the grayscale image to obtain a fused image, the operations further comprise:

adjusting, based on brightness information of the grayscale image, the brightness adjustment parameter corresponding to the first channel; and

adjusting, based on brightness information of the color image, the brightness adjustment parameter corresponding to the second channel.

18. The non-transitory computer-readable storage medium according to claim 14 , wherein the brightness adjustment parameter comprises a gain.

19. The non-transitory computer-readable storage medium according to claim 15 , wherein the infrared light beam comprises a first infrared light beam in a band near 850 nm and a second infrared light beam in a band near 750 nm.

Assignments (1)
ASSIGNMENT OF ASSIGNOR'S INTEREST Recorded May 2, 2023
From: LIU, JUN; DENG, ZHIPENG; PAN, HAN; YANG, SHENGKAI
To: HUAWEI TECHNOLOGIES CO., LTD.
Reel/Frame 063507/0283 →
Continuity (2)
Continuation PCTCN2020087878 · Apr 29, 2020
Related Publication 20230049248A1 · Feb 16, 2023