Google Inc.

Cisco Technology, Inc.

Adrian Mircea Proca

Bill Duran

William Duran

William E Jacobs

John Louis Warpakowski Furlan

Yuriy Musatenko

Siddarth Raghunathan

Wei Zhong

Jacobi Colton Grillo

Philip Sean Stetson

Ivan Kovtun

Nikhil Sathe

Volodymyr Kysenko

Yevhen Ivannikov

ChihHao Chen

An electronic device receives a first plurality of images of a scene captured by an image sensor of an electronic device, receives an ambient light level proximate to the electronic device, and determines whether the ambient light level is less than a first threshold value. In accordance with a determination that the ambient light level is less than the first threshold value, the electronic device detects motion in the scene based on one or more of the first plurality of images. In accordance with detecting motion in the scene, the electronic device receives a second plurality of images of the scene captured by the image sensor of the electronic device, forms a composite image from two or more of the second plurality of images, and causes the composite image to be presented for display on a user device.

Low frame rate night vision on video camera

This document describes asymmetric camera sensor positioning for enhanced package detection. In aspects, an electronic doorbell has an image sensor that is rotated to a portrait orientation and vertically shifted relative to a lens of a camera, resulting in asymmetric positioning of the image sensor relative to the lens. The lens projects an image circle onto the image sensor and the image sensor has a sensor detection area having upper corners within the image circle and lower corners outside of the image circle to enable capture of an object located in a lower portion of the image circle and proximate to an edge of the image circle. Then, lens distortion correction is performed on a captured image to provide a final image usable to detect the package, which may be located within the image circle but outside of a conventional sensor detection area.

Asymmetric camera sensor positioning for enhanced package detection

The various implementations described herein include methods, devices, and systems for implementing high dynamic range and automatic exposure functions in a video system. In one aspect, a method is performed at a video camera device and includes, while operating in a non-high dynamic range (HDR) mode: capturing first video data of a scene with the image sensor; determining whether a minimum number of pixels of the first video data meets one or more first color intensity criteria; and in accordance with the determination that the minimum number of pixels of the first video data meets the one or more first color intensity criteria, switching operation from the non-HDR mode to an HDR mode.

Systems and methods for automatic exposure in high dynamic range video capture systems

Composite frame generation for low-light video monitoring

The various implementations described herein include methods, devices, and systems for implementing high dynamic range and automatic exposure functions in a video system. In one aspect, a method is performed at a video camera device and includes, while operating in an HDR mode: (1) capturing video data of a scene, including: (a) capturing a first subset of the video data with a first exposure time; and (b) capturing a second subset of the video data with a second exposure time, lower than the first exposure time; (2) combining video data of the first subset with video data of the second subset to generate an HDR frame; and (3) adjusting a duration of at least one of the first exposure time and the second exposure time based on one or more parameters of the captured video data, thereby altering a ratio of the first exposure time to the second exposure time.

The various implementations described herein include methods, devices, and systems for implementing high dynamic range and automatic exposure functions in a video system. In one aspect, a method is performed at a video camera device and includes, while operating in an HDR mode: capturing video data of a scene, including capturing a first subset of the video data with a first exposure time and capturing a second subset of the video data with a second exposure time, lower than the first exposure time; determining whether the first subset of the video data meets first criteria; determining whether the second subset of the video data meets second criteria; and in accordance with a determination that the first subset meets the first criteria or a determination that the second subset meets the second criteria, switching operation from the HDR mode to a non-HDR mode.

Systems and methods for selectively activating high dynamic range in a video capture system

The various implementations described herein include methods, devices, and systems for implementing high dynamic range and automatic exposure functions in a video system. In one aspect, a method is performed at a video camera device and includes, while operating in an HDR mode: (1) capturing video data of a scene, including: (a) capturing a first subset of the video data with a first exposure time; and (b) capturing a second subset of the video data with a second exposure time, lower than the first exposure time; (2) determining whether the first subset of the video data meets first criteria; (3) determining whether the second subset of the video data meets second criteria; (4) in accordance with a determination that the first subset meets the first criteria or a determination that the second subset meets the second criteria, switching operation from the HDR mode to a non-HDR mode.

A system and method that provides adaptive IR illumination for a camera. In some implementations, IR illumination adapts to the objects in a scene being monitored and IR illumination adaptation may be implemented in conjunction with automatic exposure and other exposure adjustment methods. Some implementations include: illuminating a scene using a first IR illumination power; capturing a first image of the scene with a camera; and determining whether a first region of the first image is underexposed or overexposed. When the first region is underexposed, the scene is illuminated at a second power level greater than the first illumination power and a second image is captured. When the first region is overexposed, the scene is illuminated at a third power level that is less than the first illumination power and a third image is captured. The operations are repeated until scene illumination is satisfactory.

Adaptive infrared illumination for exposure correction

A method is executed at a camera operating in a night mode in which an IR filter is not interposed between a lens assembly and sensor arrays of the camera. In the night mode, the camera receives ambient light that is not filtered by the IR filter. For each image tile, the camera determines whether the ambient light received at the tile is due to an IR light source or a light source other than an IR light source and generates a respective mode change signal accordingly. A mode change parameter is then determined as a function of a total number of the mode change signals for image tiles of the camera. Based on the mode change parameter, the camera determines whether to continue the operation of the camera in the night mode or switch the operation of the camera from the night mode to a day mode.

Tile-based camera mode switching

A method is executed at a camera for controlling a camera mode. The camera is operated in a night mode in which an IR filter is not interposed between a lens assembly and a sensor array of the camera. While operating in the night mode, the camera receives at the sensor array ambient light that is not filtered by the IR filter, and determines whether the received ambient light is due to a light source other than an IR light source. The camera continues operation of the camera in the night mode when it is determined that the received ambient light is due to an IR light source. In some implementations, the camera switches the operation of the camera from the night mode to a day mode when it is determined the received ambient light is due to a light source other than an IR light source.

Camera mode switching based on light source determination

A method for controlling a camera mode is executed at a camera including a controller, a sensor array, an IR filter, and a lens assembly. The camera is operated in a night mode. While in the night mode the IR filter is not interposed between the lens assembly and the sensor array, the camera receives at the sensor array ambient light that is not filtered by the IR filter, determines whether the received ambient light is due to a light source other than an IR light source, and detects a light level of the received ambient light. The camera switches the operation of the camera from the night mode to a day mode when it is determined the received ambient light is due to a light source other than an IR light source and that the light level of the received ambient light exceeds a first threshold.

Day and night detection based on one or more of illuminant detection, Lux level detection, and tiling

A camera device includes monochromatic and color image sensors that capture an image as a clear image in monochrome and as a Bayer image. The camera device implements image processing algorithms to produce an enhanced, high-resolution HDR color image. The Bayer image is demosaiced to generate an initial color image, and a disparity map is generated to establish correspondence between pixels of the initial color image and clear image. A mapped color image is generated to map the initial color image onto the clear image. A denoised clear image is applied as a guide image of a guided filter that filters the mapped color image to generate a filtered color image. The filtered color image and the denoised clear image are then fused to produce an enhanced, high-resolution HDR color image, and the disparity map and the mapped color image are updated based on the enhanced, high-resolution HDR color image.

Growing community of inventors

Santa Cruz, CA, United States of America

Adrian Mircea Proca