Abstract: Example imaging systems are disclosed. One example includes a signal source and a signal receiver configured to receive a reflected electromagnetic signal from an imaged object. The imaging system further includes a processor configured to, for each of N wavelengths, determine a phase value of a reflected component of the reflected electromagnetic signal having that wavelength. The processor may compute an estimated distance to the imaged object at least in part by mapping the plurality of phase values to a 2N-dimensional vector, and computing a plurality of zeroes of a trigonometric polynomial. For each of the plurality of zeroes, computing the estimated distance may further include computing a respective geodesic distance between the 2N-dimensional vector and a point along the curve evaluated at that zero, and selecting and outputting a shortest geodesic distance multiplied by a least common multiple of the wavelengths.

Abstract: An imaging method includes acquiring one or more passive light images of a scene. A region of interest in the scene is identified based on the one or more passive light images. One or more illumination zones of a plurality of illumination zones that collectively cover the region of interest is determined. Each illumination zone is sized according to active illumination emitted from a steerable illumination source. For a determined illumination zone of the one or more illumination zones, the illumination zone is individually illuminated with the active illumination from the steerable illumination source. For a pixel of a sensor array that maps to the illumination zone, a depth value of an object locus in the scene reflecting the active illumination back to the pixel is determined.

Abstract: Example imaging systems are disclosed. One example includes a signal source and a signal receiver configured to receive a reflected electromagnetic signal from an imaged object. The imaging system further includes a processor configured to, for each of N wavelengths, determine a phase value of a reflected component of the reflected electromagnetic signal having that wavelength. The processor may compute an estimated distance to the imaged object at least in part by mapping the plurality of phase values to a 2N-dimensional vector, and computing a plurality of zeroes of a trigonometric polynomial. For each of the plurality of zeroes, computing the estimated distance may further include computing a respective geodesic distance between the 2N-dimensional vector and a point along the curve evaluated at that zero, and selecting and outputting a shortest geodesic distance multiplied by a least common multiple of the wavelengths.

Abstract: An imaging method includes acquiring one or more passive light images of a scene. A region of interest in the scene is identified based on the one or more passive light images. One or more illumination zones of a plurality of illumination zones that collectively cover the region of interest is determined. Each illumination zone is sized according to active illumination emitted from a steerable illumination source. For a determined illumination zone of the one or more illumination zones, the illumination zone is individually illuminated with the active illumination from the steerable illumination source. For a pixel of a sensor array that maps to the illumination zone, a depth value of an object locus in the scene reflecting the active illumination back to the pixel is determined.

Abstract: An active illumination range camera operable to determine distances to features in a scene, and comprising an illumination system and imaging system simultaneously controllable to provide a FOI and a FOV that coincide at, and are substantially coextensive with, a region of interest (ROI) in a portion of the scene and track the ROI as it moves.

Abstract: A camera includes a sensor array including a plurality of individually addressable sensor elements, each of the plurality of sensor elements responsive to incident light over a broad wavelength band. Covering the sensor array is a light valve switchable electronically between closed and open states. The light valve is configured to, in the closed state, block light of a stopband and transmit light outside the stopband, and, in the open state, transmit the light of the stopband. An electronic controller of the camera is configured to switch the light valve from the closed to the open state and, synchronously with switching the light valve, address the sensor elements of the sensor array.

Abstract: An active illumination range camera operable to determine distances to features in a scene, and comprising an illumination system and imaging system simultaneously controllable to provide a FOI and a FOV that coincide at, and are substantially coextensive with, a region of interest (ROI) in a portion of the scene and track the ROI as it moves.

Abstract: A camera includes a sensor array including a plurality of individually addressable sensor elements, each of the plurality of sensor elements responsive to incident light over a broad wavelength band. Covering the sensor array is a light valve switchable electronically between closed and open states. The light valve is configured to, in the closed state, block light of a stopband and transmit light outside the stopband, and, in the open state, transmit the light of the stopband. An electronic controller of the camera is configured to switch the light valve from the closed to the open state and, synchronously with switching the light valve, address the sensor elements of the sensor array.

Abstract: A phase-based TOF system is operated with N?3 modulation frequencies fi. These frequencies can be changed during N time intervals that together define an exposure time for the TOF pixel array. Preferably N=3 and modulation frequencies f1, f2, f3 are used, where f1=?m1, f2=?m2, and f3=?m3, where m1, m2, and m3 are small integers co-prime to each other, and a is a coefficent. A first phase image is acquired during perhaps the first third of exposure time using f1, then for the next third of exposure time a second phase image is acquired using f2, and then f3 is used to acquire a third phase image during the last third of exposure time. Geometric analysis yields desired values for m1, m2, and m3 to unwrap and thus disambiguate phase. Identification of valid and invalid data is identified using dynamically adjustable error tolerances.

Abstract: An inspection system having a sensor array that provides image data. A process node includes a memory to receive the image data, a commercially available central processing unit to receive and coprocess at least a first portion of the image data within the memory, and a field programmable gate array to receive and coprocess at least a second portion of the image data within the memory. In this manner, there are two elements in the process node that are used to simultaneously process the image data, and the image data analysis thereby proceeds at a much faster rate than it would with just a single processor in a commercially available computer. However, the system as described has very little custom hardware, and thus is relatively inexpensive, and highly versatile.

Abstract: An image processing system uses an FPGA and an external memory to form neighborhoods for image processing. The FPGA is connected to the external memory in a way that reuses address lines, and increases the effective bandwidth of the operation.