Sony Corporation

Sony Group Corporation

Paul Springer

Thimo Emmerich

Zoltan Facius

Frank Moesle

Zhichun Lei

Matthias Brueggemann

Piergiorgio Sartor

Markus Kamm

Toru Nishi

Oliver Erdler

Francesco Michielin

Martin Richter

Gregor Schewior

Ryota Isozaki

Frank Mösle

An optical device for capturing an image of a scene, the optical device comprising: a plurality of image sensors each operable to capture a respective initial image of the scene; a lens arrangement operable to receive light from the scene and to form each initial image on each respective image sensor, each image sensor being located at a different respective distance from the lens arrangement; and an image processor operable to generate the captured image of the scene on the basis of image data from one or more of the captured initial images.

Optical scope system for capturing an image of a scene

An imaging device for producing images of a scene, the imaging device comprising: a first and a second hyperchromatic lens being arranged in a stereoscopic configuration to receive light from the scene; image sensor circuitry configured to capture a first and second image of the light encountered by the first and the second lens respectively; processor circuitry configured to: produce depth information using the captured first and second images of the scene and produce a resultant first and second image of the scene using both the captured first and second image and the depth information.

Imaging device, method and program for producing images of a scene having an extended depth of field with good contrast

An imaging device for use with an endoscope, the imaging device comprising: a lens arrangement operable to receive light from a scene captured by the endoscope and to form an image of the scene using the received light; an image sensor operable to capture the image of the scene formed by the lens arrangement; a birefringent device positioned along an optical path between the endoscope and the image sensor, wherein the birefringent device comprises birefringent material arranged in a plurality of concentric rings, and wherein the birefringent material of each of the concentric rings is configured such that the polarisation directions of an ordinary ray and an extraordinary ray of light from the scene which travels through the birefringent material are different for at least two of the plurality of concentric rings; and an image processor operable to process the captured image to generate an output image.

Capturing an image of a scene

An imaging device for converting a first image into a plurality of second images, the imaging device comprising a light receiving unit having a first aperture configured to receive light of the first image, a light reflecting unit configured to reflect the light received by the light receiving unit along a number of paths having a predetermined number of reflections within the light reflecting unit according to a portion of the first aperture from which the light originated, and a light output unit configured to output at least a subset of the paths of light reflected by the light reflecting unit as a plurality of second images, the second images having a focal length associated with the predetermined number of reflections experienced by the corresponding paths of light through the light reflecting unit.

Imaging device, system, method and program for converting a first image into a plurality of second images

An imaging system includes an optical unit that captures, from a scene, sets of first images as well as sets of second images. The scene is illuminated with non-structured light when the sets of first images are captured and illuminated with structured light when the sets of second images are captured. A pattern processing unit generates, from the second images, a recovered shadow pattern from a shadow pattern projected onto the scene during illumination with structured light, wherein at least one motion-compensated reference image is used. A depth processing unit obtains depth information on the basis of the recovered shadow pattern.

Imaging system using structured light for depth recovery

An imaging system includes an optical unit that captures, from a scene, first images indifferent wavelength ranges when the scene is illuminated with not-structured light and second images of different wavelength ranges when the scene is illuminated with structured light. Thereby an imaging lens unit with longitudinal chromatic aberration is arranged between the scene and an imaging sensor unit. A depth processing unit may generate depth information on the basis of the second images by using optical triangulation. A sharpness processing unit uses the depth information to generate an output image by combining the first images. The optical unit of the imaging, system may be implemented in an endoscope.

Imaging system including lens with longitudinal chromatic aberration, endoscope and imaging method

The present invention relates to method of adaptive noise measurement of a video signal comprising a sequence of images. The proposed method comprises the steps of searching one or more spatially uniform areas within a current image, determining a spatial uniformity value of said one or more spatially uniform areas and combining said spatial uniformity values to obtain a spatial noise value representing a first measure for the amount of noise in said current image, detecting motion by comparing the current image with one or more preceding images and/or one or more succeeding images of said sequence of images by use of a motion threshold to obtain one or more motion maps indicating the amount of motion between the current image and the respective preceding or succeeding image, searching one or more static areas within said one or more motion maps, determining a temporal uniformity value for said one or more static areas by comparing image values at positions in said one or more preceding images and/or said one or more succeeding images, at which a low amount or no motion is indicated in the respective one or more motion maps, said temporal uniformity value representing a measure for the amount of noise at said positions in said current image, and combining said obtained temporal uniformity values to obtain a combined noise value representing a second measure for the amount of noise in said current image.

Method and device for adaptive noise measurement of a video signal

The present invention relates to a device and a corresponding method for audible transient noise detection in an audio signal. To avoid the detection of false positives or at least reduce the number of detected false positives a device is proposed comprising a detector configured to detect a set of transient noise candidates in time or frequency domain among a plurality of samples of said audio signal, and a selector configured to select audible transient noise candidates from said set of transient noise candidates by use of one or more selection criteria, wherein the selection criteria used for said selection are selected and/or whose parameters are at least partly set based on characteristics of said audio signal.

Device and method for audible transient noise detection

The present invention relates to a method and a corresponding apparatus for detecting coding artifacts in an image. The proposed apparatus comprises an edge position detector that detects an edge position of an edge in said image, a border position detector that detects a border position of a border between a texture area and a flat area in said image, and an artifact position defining unit that defines the area between said edge position and said border position as artifact area potentially comprising coding artifacts.

Method and apparatus for detecting coding artifacts in an image

The present invention relates to an image enhancement apparatus for enhancing an input image of a sequence of input images. To provide the ability to increase the resolution of an input image and/or to temporally reduce artifacts and/or noise in an input image, the apparatus comprises a motion compensation unit, a weighted selection unit, a feature analysis unit, an image model unit configured to generate a modelled image by applying an image model on said input image and/or said weighted selection image, a spatio-temporal detail signal generation unit configured to generate a detail signal from said input image and said weighted selection image, and a combination unit configured to generate said enhanced output image from said input image, said detail signal and said modelled image.

Image enhancement apparatus and method

A method for detecting edges within an image. An edge strength indicator for each pixel within the image is determined and the edge strength indicator is classified into at least three classes to generate a map having one value associated to each class. The classified map is then separated into individual maps depending on the classification. A dilation process is applied to at least a part of the individual maps. The processed and/or individual maps are finally combined by logical operation to obtain a final map indicating edges without nearby texture.

Method and system for detecting edges within an image

The present invention is directed to an apparatus for motion segmentation in the field of motion detection, whereby an initial motion map is processed to a more accurate final motion map which identifies the non- and the movement of pixels between at least two successive images, said apparatus comprising a processing-segmentation device and a combination-logic device. In this apparatus the initial motion map is processed to three different feature maps, describing static edges, moving edges and moving flat areas between at least two successive images, respectively. The present invention is further directed to a corresponding method adapted for motion segmentation in the field of motion detection.

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Stuttgart, Germany

Paul Springer