Contrast enhancing illuminator

Details Contrast enhancing illuminator Contrast enhancing illuminator

1996-12-09

1999-10-19

Garber, Wendy

Television

Special applications

Object or scene measurement

348 61, 348252, 348342, 348370, 382274, H04N 718, H04N 5208, H04N 5225

Patent

active

059697547

ABSTRACT:
An apparatus which enhances the visual contrast between bright and dark features of an object by projecting an image of the object onto the object. The features of the projected object image overlay the features of the object such that an observer of the enhanced object senses that the bright features are brighter and the dark features remain the same. A light source illuminates the object, a video imaging means, such as a video camera, creates a video signal representative of the object image, and a video projector receives the video signal from the video camera and projects a visual image of the object. A filter prevents video projector light from reaching the video imaging means, thereby eliminating positive feedback. A preferred apparatus includes a beam separator which causes the image projected from the video projector to illuminate the object from the same perspective that the video imaging means views the object. Preferably, the light source is an infrared light source, the filter transmits infrared light but not visible light, and the beam separator reflects visible light and transmits infrared light. Alternately, the invention visually enhances the edges of features of an object with an unsharp masking edge enhancement technique, thereby making the features of the object easier to distinguish.

REFERENCES:
patent: 3017515 (1962-01-01), Welch
patent: 3849910 (1974-11-01), Greenly
patent: 4065788 (1977-12-01), Meier et al.
patent: 4502075 (1985-02-01), De Forest et al.
patent: 4591918 (1986-05-01), Hisano
patent: 4740812 (1988-04-01), Pryor
patent: 4908876 (1990-03-01), DeForest et al.
patent: 5041965 (1991-08-01), Chen
patent: 5220624 (1993-06-01), Sakamoto et al.
patent: 5231434 (1993-07-01), Kennedy et al.
patent: 5239373 (1993-08-01), Tang et al.
patent: 5353075 (1994-10-01), Conner et al.
patent: 5359550 (1994-10-01), Chen
patent: 5424838 (1995-06-01), Siu
Peli et al., Image Enhancement for the Visually Impaired, Investigative Ophthalmology & Visual Science, vol. 32, No. 8, Jul. 1991, pp. 2337-2350.
In Focus Systems, LitePro 620, http://www. infocus.com/products/projectors/lp620.html.
Texas Instruments, Digital Micromirror Device, http://www.ti.com/dlp/docs/papers/state/state.htm.

Affiliated with

Also associated with

Rating

Contrast enhancing illuminator does not yet have a rating. At this time, there are no reviews or comments for this patent.

If you have personal experience with Contrast enhancing illuminator, we encourage you to share that experience with our LandOfFree.com community. Your opinion is very important and Contrast enhancing illuminator will most certainly appreciate the feedback.

Rate now

Comments { 0 }

Profile ID: LFUS-PAI-O-2062658