US5960153A
Expired / Lapsed
US
⏱️ 0.0 years remaining
Flicker suppression in a digital camera recording system
Assignee: Phase One AS
•
Filing: 1996-06-25
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Granted: 1999-09-28
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Expires: 2016-06-25
Abstract
Abstract An image recording system comprising an electronic camera and an image recording method are provided by which influence of a recorded image of temporal fluctuations in intensity of light illuminating objects to be recorded is significantly reduced so that use of inexpensive light sources for illumination of the objects is possible.
Inventors
- 👤 Jan Oster
- 👤 Niels V. Knudsen
Bibliographic Details
Application Number
—
Jurisdiction
US
Data Source
google_patents
Last Synchronized
2026-11-09 14:03
CPC Classifications
H; H04; H04N; H04N23/00; H04N23/70; H04N23/745
Claims Analysis
Total Claims: 28
Claim 1
Independent Claim
174 words
An image recording system comprising: an electronic camera with a solid state imaging device that is moved across the image during image recording, for successively recording various parts of the image with the imaging device; synchronizing means for synchronizing each recording of a part of the image with intensity fluctuations of light that illuminates the objects so that each part of the image is recorded as if the objects were illuminated with light of a substantially temporally constant light intensity; and processing means for modifying light intensities of each recording of the image in accordance with a monitored illuminating light intensity so that modified light intensities of the recorded image are substantially independent of the intensity fluctuations of the illuminating light, said processing means comprising means for forming a reciprocal value that is proportional to the reciprocal value of the illuminating light monitored during recording of the intensities to be modified, and a multiplier which multiplies recorded intensities of the recorded image with the reciprocal value to form modified intensities of the recorded image.
Claim 2
Dependent Claim
174 words
An image recording system comprising: an electronic camera with a solid state imaging device that is moved across the image during image recording, for successively recording various parts of the image with the imaging device; synchronizing means for synchronizing each recording of a part of the image with intensity fluctuations of light that illuminates the objects so that each part of the image is recorded as if the objects were illuminated with light of a substantially temporally constant light intensity; and processing means for modifying light intensities of each recording of the image in accordance with a monitored illuminating light intensity so that modified light intensities of the recorded image are substantially independent of the intensity fluctuations of the illuminating light, said processing means comprising means for forming a reciprocal value that is proportional to the reciprocal value of the illuminating light monitored during recording of the intensities to be modified, and a multiplier which multiplies recorded intensities of the recorded image with the reciprocal value to form modified intensities of the recorded image.
Claim 3
Dependent Claim
164 words
An image recording system comprising an electronic camera, synchronizing means for synchronizing recording of an image of illuminated objects with intensity fluctuations of light that illuminates the objects to be recorded so that the image is recorded as if the objects were illuminated with light of a temporarily substantially constant light intensity and processing means for modifications of values of recorded light intensities of the recorded image in accordance with the monitored illuminating light intensity so that modified intensity values of the recorded image are generated that are substantially independent of fluctuations of intensity of the illuminating light, said processing means comprises multiplier means for generation of modified intensity values of the recorded image and means for forming a reciprocal value that is proportional to the reciprocal value of the illuminating light energy monitored during recording of the intensity values to be modified, the multiplier means generating the modified values by multiplication of recorded intensity values of the recorded image with the reciprocal value.
Claim 4
Dependent Claim
164 words
An image recording system comprising an electronic camera, synchronizing means for synchronizing recording of an image of illuminated objects with intensity fluctuations of light that illuminates the objects to be recorded so that the image is recorded as if the objects were illuminated with light of a temporarily substantially constant light intensity and processing means for modifications of values of recorded light intensities of the recorded image in accordance with the monitored illuminating light intensity so that modified intensity values of the recorded image are generated that are substantially independent of fluctuations of intensity of the illuminating light, said processing means comprises multiplier means for generation of modified intensity values of the recorded image and means for forming a reciprocal value that is proportional to the reciprocal value of the illuminating light energy monitored during recording of the intensity values to be modified, the multiplier means generating the modified values by multiplication of recorded intensity values of the recorded image with the reciprocal value.
Claim 5
Dependent Claim
98 words
An image recording method for recording of an image of objects illuminated by light incident upon them by an image recording system comprising an electronic camera with a solid state imaging device, the method comprising composing the image from separate exposures of the objects, a selected color filter being inserted into the optical path of the electronic camera during each exposure and synchronizing the recording of the image with intensity fluctuations of the illuminating light whereby separate exposures of the image are recorded as if the objects were illuminated with light of a substantially temporally constant light intensity.
Claim 6
Dependent Claim
98 words
An image recording method for recording of an image of objects illuminated by light incident upon them by an image recording system comprising an electronic camera with a solid state imaging device, the method comprising composing the image from separate exposures of the objects, a selected color filter being inserted into the optical path of the electronic camera during each exposure and synchronizing the recording of the image with intensity fluctuations of the illuminating light whereby separate exposures of the image are recorded as if the objects were illuminated with light of a substantially temporally constant light intensity.
Claim 7
Dependent Claim
93 words
An image recording system for recording of an image of illuminated objects, comprising an electronic camera with a solid state imaging device, a plurality of color filters, one of which is selectively inserted into the optical path of the electronic camera during corresponding separate exposures of the image, and synchronizing means for synchronizing recording of the image with intensity fluctuations of light that illuminates the objects to be recorded so that separate exposures of the image are recorded as if the objects were illuminated with light of a substantially temporally constant light intensity.
Claim 8
Dependent Claim
93 words
An image recording system for recording of an image of illuminated objects, comprising an electronic camera with a solid state imaging device, a plurality of color filters, one of which is selectively inserted into the optical path of the electronic camera during corresponding separate exposures of the image, and synchronizing means for synchronizing recording of the image with intensity fluctuations of light that illuminates the objects to be recorded so that separate exposures of the image are recorded as if the objects were illuminated with light of a substantially temporally constant light intensity.
Claim 9
Dependent Claim
30 words
The method according to claim 3, comprising monitoring the intensity of light received from the illuminated objects and synchronizing the recording of he image and fluctuations in monitored light intensity.
Claim 10
Dependent Claim
39 words
The method according to claim 3, comprising monitoring an energy supply to a light source for generation of illuminating light of the objects to be recorded and synchronizing the image recording of the objects and fluctuations in monitored energy.
Claim 11
Dependent Claim
47 words
The method according to claim 3, comprising supplying energy for the illuminating light sources from a power supply that is connected to mains supply lines operating at a mains voltage and a mains frequency, monitoring of the mains voltage, and synchronizing image recording to the mains voltage.
Claim 12
Dependent Claim
30 words
The method according to claim 3, comprising starting exposure of the image recording means of the electronic camera at a specific time in the fluctuation period of the illuminating light.
Claim 13
Dependent Claim
40 words
The method according to claim 3, comprising determining the light energy incident upon the objects during exposure of a part of the image and stopping exposure of the part of the image upon determination of a specific light energy level.
Claim 14
Dependent Claim
30 words
The method according to claim 3, comprising exposure of the image recording means of the electronic camera during an integer number of periods of the fluctuation of the illuminating light.
Claim 15
Dependent Claim
24 words
The method according to claim 7, comprising adjustment of a selected exposure period to an integer number of half periods of the mains frequency.
Claim 16
Dependent Claim
58 words
The method according to claim 3, comprising measuring of the intensity of illuminating light sources during recording of the image and modification of values of light intensities of the recorded image in accordance with the measured illuminating light intensity whereby modified intensity values are generated that are substantially independent of fluctuations of intensity of the illuminating light sources.
Claim 17
Dependent Claim
38 words
The method according to claim 12, wherein modified values are generated by multiplication of intensity values of the recorded image with the reciprocal value of the illuminating light energy measured during recording of the intensity values in question.
Claim 18
Dependent Claim
27 words
The method according to claim 12, further comprising measurement of light intensity fluctuations of the illuminating light by detection in the recorded image of light intensity fluctuations.
Claim 19
Dependent Claim
37 words
A system according to claim 4, comprising monitoring means for monitoring the intensity of light received from the illuminated objects and wherein the synchronizing means synchronizes the recording of the image with fluctuations in monitored light intensity.
Claim 20
Dependent Claim
50 words
A system according to claim 15, wherein the monitoring means comprises energy monitoring means for monitoring an energy supply to a light source for generation of illuminating light of the objects to be recorded and the synchronizing means synchronizes the image recording of the objects with fluctuations in monitored energy.
Claim 21
Dependent Claim
58 words
A system according to claim 16, wherein energy for the light sources are supplied from a power supply that is connected to mains supply lines operating at a mains voltage and a mains frequency, the energy monitoring comprise mains monitoring means for monitoring of the mains voltage, and the synchronizing means synchronizes image recording with the mains voltage.
Claim 22
Dependent Claim
28 words
A system according to claim 4, comprising exposure control means for starting exposure of the image at a specific time in the fluctuation period of the illuminating light.
Claim 23
Dependent Claim
48 words
A system according to claim 4, comprising energy determination means for determination of light energy incident upon the objects during exposure of a part of the image and first timing means for stopping exposure of the part of the image upon determination of a specific light energy level.
Claim 24
Dependent Claim
38 words
A system according to claim 18, wherein the exposure control means comprises second timing means for controlling that the duration of exposure of the image equals an integer number of periods of the fluctuation of the illuminating light.
Claim 25
Dependent Claim
27 words
A system according to claim 17, comprising adjustment means for adjustment of a selected exposure period to an integer number of half periods of the mains frequency.
Claim 26
Dependent Claim
52 words
A system according to claim 14, comprising processing means for modification of values of recorded light intensities of the recorded image in accordance with the monitored illuminating light intensity so that modified intensity values of the recorded image are generated that are substantially independent of fluctuations of intensity of the illuminating light.
Claim 27
Dependent Claim
72 words
A system according to claim 22, wherein the processing means comprises multiplier means for generation of modified intensity values of the recorded image and means for forming a reciprocal value that is proportional to the reciprocal value of the illuminating light energy monitored during recording of the intensity values to be modified, the multiplier generating the modified values by multiplication of recorded intensity values of the recorded image with the reciprocal value.
Claim 28
Dependent Claim
32 words
A system according to claim 22, further comprising detection means for detection in the recorded image of light intensity fluctuations of the illuminating light for generation of measured illuminating light intensity values.
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| Annuity Stage | Window Opens | Payment Deadline | Surcharge Period Until | Estimated Fee | Status |
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| 3.5 Years (Year 4) | 2002-09-27 | 2003-03-29 | 2003-09-28 | $2000.00 | Window Closed / Lapsed |
| 7.5 Years (Year 8) | 2006-09-27 | 2007-03-29 | 2007-09-28 | $3760.00 | Window Closed / Lapsed |
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