Patent US5515470A successfully refreshed from Google Patents.
US5515470A
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Process for reconstructing a picture coupled into a fiber optical bundle made of optical fibers
Assignee: Fraunhofer-Gesellschaft zur Förderung der Angewandten Forschung eV
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Filing: 1994-12-07
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Granted: 1996-05-07
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Expires: 2014-12-07
Abstract
Abstract A process for reconstructing a picture coupled into a fiber optical bundle1) comprising optical fibers (2) is provided. It is immaterial for this process whether the optical fibers (2) are parallel or totally random in the fiber optical bundle (1). The prerequisite is that the launching sided and output sided coordinates of each optical fiber (2) are known. The picture coupled into the launching side (3) is reconstructed with the aid of the gray tones passed on by the optical fibers (2) to the output side (4). To this end a grid (5), comprising grid field (6) that are connected together without any gaps, is laid over the launching sided arrangement of the optical fibers (2). Assigned to each grid field (6) is a gray tone, which comprises through addition fractions of the output sided, average gray tones of all of the optical fibers (2), which are at least partially overlapped by the grid field (6), whereby such a fraction corresponds to the percentage of the area of the optical fiber overlapped by the grid field (6) to the total cross sectional area of the optical fiber (2). The grid (5) provided with gray tones is finally reproduced on a video screen.
Inventors
- 👤 Eckard Eikelmann
- 👤 Stefan Keller
- 👤 Tilo Pfeifer
Bibliographic Details
Application Number
—
Jurisdiction
US
Data Source
google_patents
Last Synchronized
2026-10-28 22:59
CPC Classifications
G; G02; G02B; G02B23/00; G02B23/24; G02B23/26; G02B6/00; G02B6/04; G02B6/06
Claims Analysis
Total Claims: 20
Claim 1
Independent Claim
221 words
Process for reconstructing a picture, coupled into a fiber optical bundle, which exhibits a launching side and an output side and is made of optical fibers, whereby the launching side and the output side coordinates of each individual optical fiber are known and can be assigned to each other, wherein when the picture is coupled in, the output side is taken by a camera, exhibiting a sensor area with discrete sensor elements, wherein a grid, comprising grid fields that are connected together without any gaps, is laid over the launching side configuration of the optical fibers, wherein the gray tones, which are picked up by the sensor elements and relate to an optical fiber, are distributed in such a manner on the gird fields overlapping with this optical fiber that each of these grid fields obtains from a gray tone, whose average is formed via at least one part of the output side fiber cross section of said optical fiber, a gray tone percentage, which corresponds to the area percentage of the area, overlapped by the respective grid field, at the fiber cross sectional area, wherein a grid field gray tone is found by adding all of the gray tone percentages of a grid field, and wherein the grid with the grid field gray tones is reproduced via a video screen.
Claim 2
Dependent Claim
221 words
Process for reconstructing a picture, coupled into a fiber optical bundle, which exhibits a launching side and an output side and is made of optical fibers, whereby the launching side and the output side coordinates of each individual optical fiber are known and can be assigned to each other, wherein when the picture is coupled in, the output side is taken by a camera, exhibiting a sensor area with discrete sensor elements, wherein a grid, comprising grid fields that are connected together without any gaps, is laid over the launching side configuration of the optical fibers, wherein the gray tones, which are picked up by the sensor elements and relate to an optical fiber, are distributed in such a manner on the gird fields overlapping with this optical fiber that each of these grid fields obtains from a gray tone, whose average is formed via at least one part of the output side fiber cross section of said optical fiber, a gray tone percentage, which corresponds to the area percentage of the area, overlapped by the respective grid field, at the fiber cross sectional area, wherein a grid field gray tone is found by adding all of the gray tone percentages of a grid field, and wherein the grid with the grid field gray tones is reproduced via a video screen.
Claim 3
Dependent Claim
102 words
Process, as claimed in claim 1, wherein first a gray tone, whose average is formed via at least one part of the output side fiber cross section, is determined in order to distribute the gray tones, which are picked up by the sensor elements and relate to an optical fiber, on the grid fields overlapping with the optical fiber; and the gray tone percentages of the grid fields are defined as fractions of the averaged gray tone, whereby such a fraction is given by the quotient from the area, overlapped by the respective grid field, to the total fiber cross sectional area.
Claim 4
Dependent Claim
24 words
Process, as claimed in claim 2, wherein a grid field area is chosen whose amount corresponds to the cross sectional area of the fiber.
Claim 5
Dependent Claim
29 words
Process, as claimed in claim 3, wherein the gray tone of the dark spots generated on the launching side by a non-ideal packing of the optical fibers is increased.
Claim 6
Dependent Claim
22 words
Process, as claimed in claim 3, wherein during reproduction on the video screen one grid field corresponds exactly to one picture element.
Claim 7
Dependent Claim
27 words
Process, as claimed in claim 2, wherein the grid comprises grid fields, whose size and shape correspond to the sensor elements in consideration of the reproduction scale.
Claim 8
Dependent Claim
29 words
Process, as claimed in claim 6, wherein the gray tone of the dark spots generated on the launching side by a non-ideal packing of the optical fibers is increased.
Claim 9
Dependent Claim
22 words
Process, as claimed in claim 6, wherein during reproduction on the video screen one grid field corresponds exactly to one picture element.
Claim 10
Dependent Claim
29 words
Process, as claimed in claim 2, wherein the gray tone of the dark spots generated on the launching side by a non-ideal packing of the optical fibers is increased.
Claim 11
Dependent Claim
22 words
Process, as claimed in claim 2, wherein during reproduction on the video screen one grid field corresponds exactly to one picture element.
Claim 12
Dependent Claim
60 words
Process, as claimed in claim 1, wherein the individual gray tones, which are picked up by the sensor elements and relate to an optical fiber, are assigned directly to the grid fields overlapping with this optical fiber; and the gray tone percentages of the respective grid fields are determined by adding the gray tones assigned to the respective grid fields.
Claim 13
Dependent Claim
24 words
Process, as claimed in claim 11, wherein a grid field area is chosen whose amount corresponds to the cross sectional area of the fiber.
Claim 14
Dependent Claim
29 words
Process, as claimed in claim 12, wherein the gray tone of the dark spots generated on the launching side by a non-ideal packing of the optical fibers is increased.
Claim 15
Dependent Claim
22 words
Process, as claimed in claim 12, wherein during reproduction on the video screen one grid field corresponds exactly to one picture element.
Claim 16
Dependent Claim
29 words
Process, as claimed in claim 11, wherein the gray tone of the dark spots generated on the launching side by a non-ideal packing of the optical fibers is increased.
Claim 17
Dependent Claim
22 words
Process, as claimed in claim 11 wherein during reproduction on the video screen one grid field corresponds exactly to one picture element.
Claim 18
Dependent Claim
29 words
Process, as claimed in claim 1, wherein the gray tone of the dark spots generated on the launching side by a non-ideal packing of the optical fibers is increased.
Claim 19
Dependent Claim
22 words
Process, as claimed in claim 17, wherein during reproduction on the video screen one grid field corresponding exactly to one picture element.
Claim 20
Dependent Claim
22 words
Process, as claimed in claim 1, wherein during reproduction on the video screen one grid field corresponding exactly to one picture element.
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USPTO Annuity & Maintenance Windows
| Annuity Stage | Window Opens | Payment Deadline | Surcharge Period Until | Estimated Fee | Status |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 3.5 Years (Year 4) | 1999-05-07 | 1999-11-06 | 2000-05-07 | $2000.00 | Window Closed / Lapsed |
| 7.5 Years (Year 8) | 2003-05-07 | 2003-11-06 | 2004-05-07 | $3760.00 | Window Closed / Lapsed |
| 11.5 Years (Year 12) | 2007-05-07 | 2007-11-06 | 2008-05-07 | $7700.00 | Window Closed / Lapsed |