CN109819174B

CN109819174B - Automatic exposure method based on TOF imaging system, automatic exposure time calculation method and TOF camera

Info

Publication number: CN109819174B
Application number: CN201711170733.XA
Authority: CN
Inventors: 周劲蕾
Original assignee: Zhejiang Sunny Optical Intelligent Technology Co Ltd
Current assignee: Zhejiang Sunny Optical Intelligent Technology Co Ltd
Priority date: 2017-11-22
Filing date: 2017-11-22
Publication date: 2021-07-13
Anticipated expiration: 2037-11-22
Also published as: CN109819174A

Abstract

The invention discloses an automatic exposure method based on a TOF imaging system, an automatic exposure time calculation method and a TOF camera. The TOF imaging system provided with the automatic exposure method can conveniently acquire a clear three-dimensional image of the measured object, namely the TOF imaging system can adaptively adjust the exposure time of the three-dimensional image.

Description

Automatic exposure method based on TOF imaging system, automatic exposure time calculation method and TOF camera

Technical Field

The invention relates to the field of camera shooting, in particular to an automatic exposure method based on a TOF imaging system, an automatic exposure time calculation method and a TOF camera.

Background

In other words, "photographing is a light art", and it can be seen that the control of light by the photographing apparatus is a significant factor affecting the final imaging effect in both photographing and photographing processes. Taking a process of acquiring an external image by an image pickup apparatus as an example, the process of acquiring the image by the image pickup apparatus is that a shutter of the image pickup apparatus is opened and is closed within a certain time, external light enters the image pickup apparatus within the certain time and reaches a photosensitive element of the image pickup apparatus, and the photosensitive element senses external light beams and converts the light beams into a visible image, in other words, the process of taking a picture or taking a picture is a process of converting the external light into image information in the image pickup apparatus, so that the exposure performance of the image pickup apparatus is very important for the image quality.

Exposure, which refers to the amount of light that enters the lens and strikes the photosensitive element during photography, is controlled by a combination of aperture, shutter, and sensitivity of the imaging device. For an image pickup apparatus, overexposure causes an image to be too bright, and underexposure causes an image to be dark, and both overexposure and underexposure greatly affect the image quality of the image. However, it is very difficult for a layman to adjust the exposure of the image capturing apparatus according to the external environment during the photographing process, in other words, once the brightness of the external environment changes, the exposure of the image capturing apparatus needs to be adjusted accordingly. For example, when the camera is shooting an object in a sunny environment, the exposure of the camera needs to be adjusted down accordingly to control the amount of light entering the camera. However, when the image capturing apparatus captures an object in a dark environment, the exposure of the image capturing apparatus needs to be increased accordingly, and sometimes even an external flash lamp is needed to supplement the exposure.

In order to solve the exposure problem of the image pickup apparatus and facilitate the use of users, an automatic exposure image pickup apparatus appears on the market, and specifically, the automatic exposure image pickup apparatus photographs an object in an automatic exposure manner, and when the automatic exposure image pickup apparatus photographs the object, the exposure of the image pickup apparatus does not need to be considered. In other words, the purpose of automatic exposure is to enable the image or video data acquired by the image capturing apparatus under different lighting conditions and scenes to achieve an appreciation brightness level or so-called target brightness level so that the video or image captured by the image capturing apparatus is maintained at a proper brightness, and in general, automatic exposure of an image needs to be accomplished by adjusting the exposure time of a sensor, the sensor analog gain and the sensor digital gain.

Conventional automatic exposure imaging apparatuses are mostly suitable for capturing 2D images, in other words, the automatic exposure imaging apparatuses use brightness information of images as a basis for calculating automatic exposure time. Specifically, the automatic exposure imaging device captures brightness information of an object, calculates a required exposure amount according to the brightness information, and calculates an automatic exposure time according to the exposure amount. However, the conventional automatic exposure method and its principles are not suitable for adaptive exposure for 3D image video, in particular for automatic exposure for TOF depth cameras.

Taking the TOF depth camera to acquire a 3D image as an example, the measurement of the three-dimensional structure of an object photographed by the TOF depth camera is mainly based on the measurement of the phase difference of a pulse signal or laser. The system generally comprises a light source transmitting module and a photosensitive receiving module, wherein the light source transmitting module is matched with the photosensitive receiving module and generates depth information of a measured target based on TOF depth measurement. More specifically, the light source emitting module emits a light wave of a specific waveband, the emitted light wave is reflected on the surface of the measured object to be received by the photosensitive receiving module, and the photosensitive receiving module calculates the depth information of the measured object according to the time difference or the phase difference between the emitted light wave and the received light wave. The TOF measuring instrument can not only acquire the depth information of a measured target, but also acquire gray information and brightness information of the measured target like a traditional camera module. Specifically, the TOF depth camera acquires depth information of an object to be measured through a TOF technique, and acquires a three-dimensional view of the object according to the depth information, however, the automatic exposure method in the prior art is based on brightness information of an image, and thus the automatic exposure method in the prior art cannot achieve automatic exposure of the TOF depth camera.

However, the TOF depth camera cannot acquire a depth image of an object in an automatic exposure manner, so that the depth image of the object acquired by the TOF depth camera often has the problems of underexposure or overexposure, and the image information of the depth image is extremely influenced by the underexposure or the overexposure. In particular, the absence of depth information of the object under test results in the absence of exposure defects of the TOF depth camera, which affect the measurement accuracy of the TOF depth camera and the subsequent use of depth information.

In summary, the automatic exposure method in the prior art is not suitable for automatic exposure of the TOF depth camera, which causes the TOF depth camera to easily suffer from underexposure or overexposure when obtaining a depth image of an object, and causes the depth information of the object to be measured to be missing, thereby affecting the practical application of the TOF depth camera.

Disclosure of Invention

An object of the present invention is to provide an automatic exposure method based on a TOF imaging system, an automatic exposure time calculation method, and a TOF camera, wherein the automatic exposure method is suitable for capturing three-dimensional information of a measured object, that is, an image capturing apparatus using the automatic exposure method obtains the three-dimensional information of the measured object in an automatic exposure manner, and ensures the quality of the three-dimensional information.

An object of the present invention is to provide an automatic exposure method and an automatic exposure time calculation method based on a TOF imaging system and a TOF camera, in which when the imaging apparatus acquires three-dimensional information of the object to be measured by using the automatic exposure method, the exposure time of the object to be measured is automatically set, thereby improving the image quality of a three-dimensional image of the object to be measured.

An object of the present invention is to provide an automatic exposure method based on a TOF imaging system, an automatic exposure time calculation method and a TOF camera, wherein the automatic exposure method is particularly suitable for a TOF imaging system, and the automatic exposure method utilizes amplitude information of the object to be measured to realize automatic exposure time calculation.

An object of the present invention is to provide an automatic exposure method based on a TOF imaging system, an automatic exposure time calculation method and a TOF camera, wherein the TOF imaging system, which is configured with the automatic exposure method, can conveniently acquire a clear three-dimensional image about the object to be measured, and the TOF imaging system can adaptively adjust the exposure time of the three-dimensional image.

The invention aims to provide an automatic exposure method based on a TOF imaging system, an automatic exposure time calculation method and a TOF camera, wherein the automatic exposure method is set to shorten the exposure adjustment time of the TOF imaging system, so that the TOF imaging system can acquire a three-dimensional image of a measured object in time.

The invention aims to provide an automatic exposure method based on a TOF imaging system, an automatic exposure time calculation method and a TOF camera, wherein the TOF imaging system comprises at least one TOF module and at least one working unit, and the working unit is matched with the TOF module to realize an automatic exposure algorithm of the TOF imaging system.

One objective of the present invention is to provide an automatic exposure method and an automatic exposure time calculation method based on a TOF imaging system, and a TOF camera, wherein the working unit increases the data acquisition speed of the TOF imaging system in a multi-kernel operation manner, so that the TOF imaging system can acquire a clear three-dimensional image of the object to be measured in time.

An object of the present invention is to provide an automatic exposure method and an automatic exposure time calculation method based on a TOF imaging system and a TOF camera, wherein amplitude information of the measured object is sampled and processed in a centralized manner, so as to improve imaging efficiency of the TOF imaging system.

An object of the present invention is to provide an automatic exposure method and an automatic exposure time calculation method based on a TOF imaging system and a TOF camera, wherein the automatic exposure method can be applied to multiple types of TOF imaging systems, such as TOF cameras, TOF mobile phones, and the like.

The invention aims to provide an automatic exposure method based on a TOF imaging system, an automatic exposure time calculation method and a TOF camera, wherein an imaging process of a TOF imaging module set by the automatic exposure method is simple and easy to operate, so that the TOF imaging system is convenient to actually apply.

The invention aims to provide an automatic exposure method based on a TOF imaging system, an automatic exposure time calculation method and a TOF camera, wherein the automatic exposure method improves the imaging efficiency of the TOF imaging system and simultaneously improves the imaging quality of the TOF imaging system.

According to one aspect of the present invention, the present invention provides an automatic exposure time calculation method based on a TOF imaging system, wherein the automatic exposure time calculation method comprises the following steps:

(a) acquiring at least one piece of calculated amplitude information in a mode that a data processing submodule processes at least one piece of original amplitude information related to a measured object;

(b) obtaining an automatic gain value by comparing the calculated amplitude information with a reference amplitude information by a comparison submodule; and

(c) and acquiring at least one recommended exposure time by a calculation submodule according to a reference exposure time and the automatic gain value.

According to an embodiment of the present invention, in the above method, the original amplitude information and the calculated amplitude information are intensity information of a reflected light beam from the object to be measured.

According to an embodiment of the present invention, the step (a) further comprises the steps of:

(a.1) obtaining at least one sampled original amplitude information by sampling said original amplitude information; and

(a.2) quantizing the sampled raw amplitude information to obtain the calculated amplitude information.

According to an embodiment of the present invention, in the above method, the calculated amplitude information is an average value or a median value of the sampled original amplitude information.

According to an embodiment of the present invention, in the above method, the sampled original amplitude information is sequentially arranged in a preset order, and the calculated amplitude information is selected from a preset standard ratio of the sampled original amplitudes in the preset order.

According to an embodiment of the present invention, in the above method, the reference amplitude information is stored in the comparison submodule, wherein the reference amplitude information is the intensity of the emission beam under normal exposure.

According to an embodiment of the present invention, in the above method, the automatic gain value is a ratio of the calculated amplitude information to the reference amplitude information.

According to an embodiment of the invention, the reference exposure time is registered in a register, wherein the calculation submodule is able to retrieve the reference exposure time from the register.

According to one embodiment of the invention, the reference exposure time is a raw exposure time of the TOF imaging system; or the reference exposure time is a manually preset exposure time.

According to another aspect of the present invention, the present invention further provides an automatic exposure method based on a TOF imaging system, wherein the automatic exposure method comprises the following steps:

(A) acquiring image information of a measured object through a TOF camera module;

(B) obtaining at least one initial image data about the object to be measured in a mode of processing the image information of the object to be measured by an image processing module;

(C) calculating the TOF depth of the initial image data through a depth information submodule to obtain at least one piece of original amplitude information;

(D) the image processing module calculates a suggested exposure time according to the original amplitude information; and

(E) and the TOF camera module selects an automatic exposure time according to the suggested exposure time, and exposes according to the selected automatic exposure time.

According to an embodiment of the present invention, in the step (D), further comprising the steps of:

(D.1) the data processing sub-module processes the original amplitude information to obtain at least one piece of calculated amplitude information;

(D.2) obtaining an automatic gain value in a manner that a comparison submodule compares the calculated amplitude information with a reference amplitude information; and

(d.3) obtaining at least one recommended exposure time by a calculation submodule based on a reference exposure time and the automatic gain value.

According to an embodiment of the invention, in the step (d.1), further comprising the steps of:

(d.1.1) obtaining at least one sampled original amplitude information by sampling said original amplitude information; and

(d.1.2) quantizing the sampled raw amplitude information to obtain the calculated amplitude information.

According to an embodiment of the present invention, in the above method, the calculated amplitude information is an average value or a median value of the adopted original amplitude information.

According to another aspect of the present invention, the present invention further provides a TOF camera, wherein the TOF camera acquires a three-dimensional image of a measured object by exposing according to an automatic exposure method, wherein the automatic exposure method comprises the following steps:

These and other objects, features and advantages of the present invention will become more fully apparent from the following detailed description and appended claims, taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings.

Drawings

Fig. 1 is a diagram of a practical application of the TOF imaging system according to an embodiment of the invention, wherein the TOF imaging system acquires a three-dimensional image of a measured object in an automatic exposure manner.

Fig. 2 is a schematic block diagram of the TOF imaging system according to the above embodiment of the invention, and the TOF imaging system includes a TOF module and a working unit. .

Fig. 3 is a schematic composition diagram of the data processing module of the TOF imaging system according to the above-described embodiment of the invention.

Fig. 4 is a schematic structural diagram of the TOF imaging system according to the above embodiment of the invention.

Fig. 5 is a schematic diagram of the TOF imaging system according to the above embodiment of the invention acquiring a three-dimensional image of the object to be measured.

FIG. 6 is a schematic back view of the TOF module of the TOF imaging system according to the above-described embodiments of the present invention.

FIG. 7 is an exploded view of the TOF module of the TOF imaging system according to the above-described embodiments of the present invention.

FIG. 8 is a schematic diagram of a TOF light intensity sensor of the TOF module of the TOF imaging system according to the above-described embodiments of the present invention.

FIG. 9 is a schematic diagram of the calculation of auto exposure time for a TOF imaging system according to the above-described embodiments of the present invention.

Fig. 10 to 11 are schematic diagrams of a flow method of an automatic exposure time calculation method of the TOF imaging system according to the above-described embodiment of the invention.

Fig. 12 is a schematic diagram of an implementation of an automatic exposure method of the TOF imaging system according to the above-described embodiment of the invention.

Fig. 13 to 15 are schematic diagrams of a flow method of an automatic exposure method of the TOF imaging system according to the above-described embodiment of the invention.

Detailed Description

The following description is presented to disclose the invention so as to enable any person skilled in the art to practice the invention. The preferred embodiments in the following description are given by way of example only, and other obvious variations will occur to those skilled in the art. The basic principles of the invention, as defined in the following description, may be applied to other embodiments, variations, modifications, equivalents, and other technical solutions without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention.

It will be understood by those skilled in the art that in the present disclosure, the terms "longitudinal," "lateral," "upper," "lower," "front," "rear," "left," "right," "vertical," "horizontal," "top," "bottom," "inner," "outer," and the like are used in an orientation or positional relationship indicated in the drawings for ease of description and simplicity of description, and do not indicate or imply that the referenced devices or components must be constructed and operated in a particular orientation and thus are not to be considered limiting.

It is to be understood that the terms "a" and "an" are to be interpreted as meaning that a number of elements in one embodiment may be one and a number of elements in another embodiment may be plural, and the terms "a" and "an" are not to be interpreted as limiting the number.

As shown in fig. 1, a TOF camera 100 is adapted to acquire an image of at least one object to be measured 200, and unlike a conventional general camera, the TOF camera 100 can acquire three-dimensional image information of the object to be measured 200 according to a time-of-flight method, in other words, the TOF camera 100 can acquire a 3D image of the object to be measured 200. The process of the TOF camera 100 acquiring the three-dimensional information of the object to be measured 200 is, in a simplified aspect, the light passing through the object to be measured 200 enters the TOF camera 100 and is received by a light sensing element of the TOF camera 100, and after the light is analyzed and processed by the light sensing element, the light sensing element converts the light path information into the image information of the object to be measured 200, so as to complete the shooting of the object to be measured 200. Therefore, during the imaging process of the TOF camera 100, the exposure performance of the TOF camera 100 directly or indirectly affects the imaging effect of the object to be measured 200.

In the embodiment of the invention, the TOF camera 100 performs three-dimensional imaging on the object to be measured 200 in an automatic exposure manner, so that the problem of overexposure or underexposure of the three-dimensional image is prevented, and the image quality of the three-dimensional image is improved. Moreover, the TOF camera 100 performs three-dimensional imaging of the object 200 in an automatic exposure manner, so that for a user without sufficient shooting experience, when the TOF camera 200 is used for shooting the three-dimensional image of the object 200, the image quality of the three-dimensional image can be effectively ensured.

In order to implement the automatic exposure process of the TOF camera 100, the present invention provides an automatic exposure method based on a TOF imaging system and an automatic exposure time calculation method thereof, wherein the automatic exposure method is applied to the TOF camera 100 to complete the automatic exposure of the TOF camera 100, although the TOF imaging system is not limited to the TOF camera 100, the TOF imaging system is implemented as an embedded terminal optionally provided with a TOF module, and the TOF imaging system can be implemented as but not limited to a TOF mobile phone, a TOF monitor, etc., and persons skilled in the art should understand that the present invention is not limited in this respect.

As shown in fig. 2, fig. 2 is a block diagram illustrating the TOF imaging system according to the above embodiment of the invention, wherein the TOF imaging system 300 includes at least one TOF camera module and at least one working unit 60, wherein the TOF camera module is communicatively connected to the working unit 60, so that the working unit 60 can control the TOF camera module, and image data obtained by the TOF camera module can be transmitted to the working unit 60 to be processed. That is, the TOF camera module is controllably connected to the working unit 60, so as to control the working state of the TOF camera module by the working unit 60 and process the three-dimensional image taken by the TOF camera module by the working unit 60. In other words, the TOF camera module is adapted to obtain image information of the object to be measured 200, and the working unit 60 can control the working process of the TOF camera module and process the image information to complete the imaging of the object to be measured 200 by the TOF imaging system 300.

The TOF camera module and the working unit 60 work cooperatively to complete automatic exposure of the TOF imaging system 300. In other words, the automatic exposure time calculation method and the automatic exposure method provided by the present invention can be completed by the TOF camera module and the working unit 60, and specifically, the present invention provides an automatic exposure time calculation algorithm for the automatic exposure time calculation method, which is implemented by the TOF imaging system 300. Correspondingly, the present invention provides an auto-exposure algorithm for the auto-exposure method, which is implemented by the TOF imaging system 300.

Specifically, the TOF camera module obtains image information of the object to be measured 200 by a flight calculation method, the working unit 60 controls the TOF camera module to obtain the image information of the object to be measured 200 in an automatic exposure manner, specifically, the working unit 60 calculates an automatic exposure time according to the automatic exposure time calculation method, and the TOF camera module obtains the image information of the object to be measured 200 by the automatic exposure time.

As shown in fig. 2, the TOF camera module includes at least one light source module 10 for providing laser light with a predetermined wavelength and at least one light sensing module 20, where the light sensing module 20 includes at least one TOF light intensity sensor 21, the light source module 10 can generate laser light with a predetermined wavelength and emit the laser light to a target to be measured, and the TOF light intensity sensor 21 is configured to receive the laser light reflected by the target to be measured and generate image information.

It should be noted that the photosensitive module 20 is communicatively connected to the working unit 60, and the working unit 60 includes at least one data processing module 61, wherein the data processing module 61 is configured to receive the image information generated by the TOF light intensity sensor 21 and generate initial image data O of the object under test 200.

Specifically, the light source module 10 and the photosensitive module 20 form a depth detection system for detecting the surface depth of the object to be detected 200, so as to obtain the depth imaging data of the object to be detected 200. It is understood that the laser emitted from the light source module 10 is reflected by a target to be detected, and can be further sensed and detected by the TOF light intensity sensor 21. Thus, each laser point data detected by the TOF light intensity sensor 21 has depth (value) information, and the TOF light intensity sensor 21 is communicatively connected to the data processing module 61 to obtain the initial image data O of the object under test 200. As known to those skilled in the art, the laser emitted by the light source module 10 of the TOF camera module may be infrared light. Preferably, the laser emitted by the light source module 10 is a laser with a preset wavelength.

In addition, the working unit 60 further includes a control module 62, wherein the control module 62 is configured to control the operation of the TOF light intensity sensor 21 according to a control instruction (e.g., a control instruction from an upper computer). The control module 62 may also control the operation of the TOF light intensity sensor 21 according to a preset program. Further, the control module 62 is configured to control the operation of other structural modules of the working unit 60, such as the data processing module 61, to process the depth detection raw data generated by the TOF light intensity sensor 21. That is, the TOF light intensity sensor 21 and the data processing module 61 are respectively communicably connected to the control module 62, and the TOF light intensity sensor 21 is controllably connected to the control module 62, so that the control module 62 can control the TOF light intensity sensor 21 to operate to obtain raw depth detection data through photoelectric conversion by the TOF light intensity sensor 21, wherein the control module 62 can control the data processing module 61 to receive the raw depth detection data from the TOF light intensity sensor 21 and process the raw depth detection data.

It should be noted that, in the embodiment of the present invention, the control module 62 and the data processing module 61 are both communicatively connected to the TOF camera module, and the TOF imaging system 300 of the present invention can realize imaging of the object under test 200 in an automatic exposure manner. Specifically, the control module 62 can control the light source module 10 to emit an emission beam with a predetermined wavelength, the emitted light beam is reflected by the object to be measured 200 to form at least one received light beam, the received light beam is converted into image information on the TOF light intensity sensor 21 after being received by the light sensing module 20, the data processing module 61 processes the image information of the light sensing module 20, and obtains the initial image data O, the data processing module 61 calculates the automatic exposure time B4 according to the automatic exposure time algorithm, and the data processing module 61 transmits the automatic exposure time B4 to the control module 62, so that the control module 62 controls the automatic exposure time B4 of the photosensitive module 20, so that the photosensitive module 20 receives the received light beam reflected by the object to be measured 200 for the set automatic exposure time B4.

In an embodiment of the invention, the TOF light intensity sensor 21 is implemented as an image sensor, which may be implemented as a CMOS or CCD, which receives the received light beam and generates the image information. The control module 62 is implemented as a command computer to control the TOF camera module, and in the embodiment of the present invention, the control module 62 is implemented as a reduced instruction set computer, hereafter abbreviated as RISC. The data processing module 61 is implemented as a digital signal processor to process the image information and various data, and can calculate and acquire the auto exposure time according to the auto exposure time calculation method. It will be understood by those skilled in the art that the particular types of TOF light intensity sensor 21, control module 62 and data processing module 61 are not limiting of the invention.

In addition, the work unit 60 further includes a data interface 63 so that the initial image data O of the data processing module 61 can be transmitted to an upper computer. For example, the initial image data O is transmitted to the upper computer through, but not limited to, a MIPI data interface.

As shown in fig. 4 to 7, the structure of the TOF camera module is briefly introduced, and the light source module 10 includes a power supply 11 and a laser emitter 12 electrically connected to the power supply 11 and emitting laser light, wherein the laser emitter 12 emits the emitted light beam to the object 200 to be measured after being powered by the power supply 11. Preferably, in the present embodiment, the light source module 10 is implemented as a Vertical Cavity Surface Emitter (VCSEL)10, which includes the power supply 11 of a VCSEL and the laser emitter 12.

In addition, the TOF imaging system 300 further includes a circuit board 30, wherein the light sensing module 20 and the light source module 10 are both connected to the circuit board 30, and preferably, the light source module 10 and the light sensing module 20 are both disposed on the circuit board 30. That is, in the preferred embodiment, the light source module 10 and the light sensing module 20 are integrally disposed on the circuit board 30, so that the TOF camera module has a compact structure, which is beneficial to miniaturization of the TOF camera module, and is beneficial to improving the depth measurement accuracy of the TOF camera module. At this time, the working unit 60 is communicably connected to the circuit board 30 to realize communication connection with the TOF camera module.

Of course, the circuit board 30 includes, but is not limited to, a rigid circuit board, a flexible circuit board, a rigid-flex board, and a ceramic. In a preferred embodiment, the circuit board 30 is a PCB board having a light source module assembling area 31 and a light sensing module assembling area 32, wherein the light source module assembling area 31 and the light sensing module assembling area 32 are connected by a flexible connecting board 33, so that the light source module 10 and the light sensing module 20 can move freely relative to each other, and the overall structure of the TOF camera module is optimized. In particular, in the present invention, the TOF camera module adopts a stacked design mode, that is, the light source module 10 and the light sensing module 20 are located in different height spaces, in such a way that the size of the TOF camera module is reduced, and the installation tolerance between the components is relatively reduced.

It should be noted that, in order to facilitate heat dissipation of the light source module 10 and even the whole TOF camera module, a part of the back surface of the circuit board 30 (the surface opposite to the surface where the light source module 10 is located) of the TOF camera module is exposed to the air, so as to facilitate heat dissipation. Further, in an embodiment, the metal conductive layer disposed on the back surface of the circuit board 30 is partially exposed, and the exposed area corresponds to the light source module 10, so as to further enhance the heat dissipation effect of the circuit board. In another embodiment of the present invention, the circuit board 30 further includes a heat conducting plate 34, the heat conducting plate 34 is disposed on the back surface of the circuit board 30 (the surface opposite to the surface on which the light source module 10 is located) in an overlapping manner, and is conductively connected to the light source module 10 and the light sensing module 20, so as to enhance the heat dissipation performance of the TOF camera module through the heat conducting plate 34. In addition, in another embodiment of the present invention, the light source module 10 further includes at least one thermal conductive member 13, wherein the thermal conductive member 13 is disposed on the laser emitter 12, and penetrates the circuit board 30 and extends to the back surface of the circuit board 30 through a through hole 301.

The light source module 10 of the TOF imaging system 300 further comprises a metal protective cover 14, wherein the metal protective cover 14 is arranged outside the laser transmitter 12 and is used as part of a conducting circuit. In other words, when the metal protective cover 14 is detached from the outside of the laser emitter 12, the circuit for supplying power to the laser emitter 12 of the light source module 10 is opened, so that the light excitation or light emission of the laser emitter 12 of the light source module 10 is terminated. In addition, the metal protective cover 14 is disposed outside the laser emitter 12, and serves as an outer casing of the laser emitter 12, and further provides a certain protection function for the laser emitter 12.

The light source module 10 further includes a diffractive optical element 15(DOE), wherein the diffractive optical element 15 is configured to change the phase and spatial intensity of the light wave generated by the laser emitter 12. Those skilled in the art should understand that the modulated emitted laser has a higher environmental interference resistance, which is beneficial to improving the measurement accuracy of the TOF camera module, and the modulated emitted light wave does not cause damage to human eyes.

Specifically, the metal protection cover 14 is mounted on the circuit board 30 to form an isolation cavity between the circuit board 30 and the metal protection cover 14, wherein the laser emitter 12 and the diffractive optical element 15 are accommodated in the isolation cavity, and the emitting direction of the laser is controlled through an optical window 142 disposed at the top end of the metal protection cover 14. The isolation cavity is matched with the optical window 142, on one hand, the laser emitter 12 is isolated, radiation pollution is prevented, and on the other hand, laser generated by the laser emitter 12 can only reach the outside through the optical window 142, so that the emitting direction of the laser is limited.

The TOF camera module further comprises a temperature sensor 40, wherein the temperature sensor 40 can sense the temperature of the emitted light beam emitted by the laser emitter 12 of the light source module 10, so that after the optical power of the emitted light beam emitted by the laser emitter 12 exceeds a preset power, the control module 62 can reduce or even cut off the power supply of the laser emitter 12 of the light source module 10, so as to ensure that the laser emitted by the laser emitter 12 of the light source module 10 is in a safe range.

The light source module 10 of the TOF camera module further comprises a driving circuit 16, wherein the driving circuit 16 is disposed between the power supply 11 and the laser emitter 12 to control the power supply 11 to the laser emitter 12. Preferably, the drive circuit 16 is in electrical communication with the control module 62 to enable the circuit to control the power supplied by the power source to the laser transmitter 12 in accordance with control instructions from the control module 62.

In addition, the light sensing module 20 further includes a lens 23, wherein the lens 23 includes at least one lens, and the lens 23 is disposed outside the TOF light intensity sensor 21 of the light sensing module 20 and corresponds to the light sensing path of the TOF light intensity sensor 21, so as to collect the reflected light beam reflected by the surface of the measured object through the lens. The photosensitive module 20 further includes a holder 24, wherein the holder 24 is configured to hold the lens 23 in place. Preferably, the lens 23 is disposed in a position fixing hole 240 formed in the holder 24 to secure the lens 23 at a predetermined position. The light sensing module 20 further comprises a filter element 25, wherein the filter element 25 is disposed between the TOF light intensity sensor 21 and the lens 23, so that stray light is filtered through the filter element 25, and the measurement accuracy of the TOF camera module is improved.

Of course, the TOF imaging system 300 further includes a bracket 50, wherein the circuit board 30 is disposed on the bracket 50 such that the position of the circuit board 30 is fixed. Further, the positions of the respective electronic components disposed on the circuit board 30 are also fixed to achieve a preset layout of the TOF camera module.

In the imaging process of the TOF camera module, the light source module 10 of the TOF camera module is controlled to emit the emission light beam to the object to be measured 200, the emission light beam reaches the object to be measured 200 and is then reflected to form the reflected light beam, and the reflected light beam is received by the light sensing module 20. In the embodiment of the present invention, when the TOF imaging system 300 is set to the automatic exposure mode, the photosensitive module 20 obtains the image of the object to be measured 200 with the automatic exposure time, the working unit 60 of the TOF imaging system 300 calculates the automatic exposure time B4 according to the automatic exposure time algorithm based on the depth information D and the amplitude information a1 of the object to be measured 200 obtained by the photosensitive module 20, and the photosensitive module 20 obtains the image of the object to be measured 200 with the automatic exposure time B4.

As shown in fig. 9 to fig. 11, the present invention provides an automatic exposure time calculation method based on the TOF imaging system 300, wherein the automatic exposure time calculation method is implemented according to the automatic exposure time calculation algorithm, during the automatic exposure of the TOF imaging system 300, the photosensitive module 20 implements automatic exposure according to the automatic exposure time B4, and the automatic exposure time calculation method calculates the automatic exposure time B4 of the photosensitive module 20.

Specifically, the data processing module 61 is communicatively connected to the TOF camera module, and particularly, the data processing module 61 is communicatively connected to the photosensitive module 20 to perform data processing on the image signal acquired by the photosensitive module 20, so that the data processing module 61 can calculate the automatic exposure time B4 according to the automatic exposure time algorithm, so that the photosensitive module 20 acquires an image with the automatic exposure time B4.

As shown in fig. 3, the data processing module 61 further includes an image processing sub-module 611, wherein the image processing sub-module 611 is communicatively connected to the TOF light intensity sensor 21 to receive the image signal from the light sensing module 20, and the TOF light intensity sensor 21 is implemented as an image sensor. In the process of acquiring an image by the photosensitive module 20, the reflected light beam reflected by the object to be measured 200 reaches the TOF light intensity sensor 21 after passing through the lens 23, and it should be mentioned that the TOF light intensity sensor 21 receives the emitted light beam reflected by the object to be measured 200, wherein the reflected light beam can reflect the depth information of the object to be measured 200, and the emitted light beam forms the image information at the TOF light intensity sensor 21. At this time, the image information is transmitted to the image processing sub-module 611, and the image processing sub-module 611 processes the image information to generate initial image data O about the object to be measured 200, the initial image data O including phase information and gradation information of the object to be measured 200. It is noted that the image information formed by the TOF light intensity sensor 21 also includes the phase information and the gray scale information, and the image processing sub-module 611 processes the image information to generate the initial image data O that can be subjected to recognition processing.

The data processing module 61 further comprises a depth information sub-module 612, wherein the depth information sub-module 612 is communicatively connected to the image processing sub-module 611, so as to convert the initial image data O into a raw amplitude information a1, the raw amplitude information a1 is another valid information generated by the depth information sub-module 612 after TOF depth calculation of the initial image data O, and the raw amplitude information a1 refers to the intensity of the reflected light beam, so as to reflect the depth information of the object under test 200. Specifically, the depth information sub-module 612 calculates the depth information of the object 200 according to the gray scale information and the phase information of the object 200 to be measured, and forms the original amplitude information a1 and at least one depth data S, where the original amplitude information a1 and the depth data S are suitable for identifying the depth information of the object 200 to be measured.

In order to save processing efficiency of the data processing module 61 on the raw amplitude information a1 and relieve data processing pressure of the data processing module 61, the data processing module 61 further comprises a data processing sub-module 613, and the data processing sub-module 613 processes the raw amplitude information a1 to obtain at least one calculated amplitude information A3. It is worth mentioning that the calculated amplitude information a3 also reflects the intensity of the reflected beam. Since the original amplitude information a1 corresponding to the object under test 200 is large in number, the data processing sub-module 613 samples and quantizes the original amplitude information a1 to obtain the calculated amplitude information A3. It should be clear to one skilled in the art that in some embodiments, the original amplitude information a1 need not be converted into the calculated amplitude information A3, and the invention is not limited in this respect.

The data processing module 61 further comprises a comparison sub-module 614, wherein the comparison sub-module 614 is communicatively connected to the data processing sub-module 613, or in some embodiments, the comparison sub-module 614 is communicatively connected to the depth information sub-module 612. I.e. when the original amplitude information a1 is translated into the calculated amplitude information A3, the ratio sub-module 614 is communicatively connected to the data processing sub-module 613 to obtain the calculated amplitude information A3. When the original amplitude information a1 is not translated into the calculated amplitude information A3, the ratio sub-module 614 is communicatively connected to the depth information sub-module 612 to obtain the original amplitude information a1, at which point the original amplitude information a1 may be defined as a special form of calculated amplitude information A3.

It should be noted that the calculated amplitude information A3 corresponds to the intensity of the reflected light beam at the time, the comparison sub-module 614 stores or sets a reference amplitude information a2, the reference amplitude information a2 is implemented as the intensity of the reflected light beam received by reference at the time of normal exposure, and the comparison sub-module 614 compares the reference amplitude information a2 and the calculated amplitude information A3 to obtain at least one automatic gain value G reflecting the ratio of the calculated amplitude information value A3 to the reference amplitude information a 2. Specifically, when the calculated amplitude information A3 shows that the intensity of the reflected light beam corresponding to a certain point at the time is stronger than a reference intensity, the proportional value of the calculated amplitude information value A3 and the reference amplitude information a2 is recorded as the automatic gain value G, so that the data processing module 61 is facilitated to make a targeted compensation adjustment for the original amplitude information a1 or the calculated amplitude information A3, even though the data processing module 61 adjusts the exposure time for the automatic gain value G to generate the automatic exposure time B4.

In order to enable the data processing module 61 to calculate the automatic exposure time B4 based on the automatic gain value G, the data processing module 61 further comprises a calculation submodule 615, the calculation submodule 615 is communicatively connected to the ratio submodule 614 to obtain the automatic gain value G and to calculate a recommended exposure time B2 based on the automatic gain value G. Specifically, the calculating submodule 615 receives a reference exposure time B1, and at this time, the reference exposure time B1 is implemented as the current exposure time of the photosensitive module 20, that is, the reference exposure time B1 corresponds to the exposure time when the photosensitive module 20 acquires the initial image data O, and the reference exposure time B1 may be the exposure time stored in the photosensitive module 20 or the exposure time input by the user, which is not limited in this respect.

In one embodiment, the reference exposure time B1 is set when the photosensitive module 20 acquires the image of the target object for the first time, and the reference exposure time B1 is implemented as the exposure time of the previous exposure when the photosensitive module 20 acquires the image of the target object for the second or more times.

At this time, the calculation sub-module 615 calculates the recommended exposure time B2 based on the reference exposure time B1 and the automatic gain value G, it is worth mentioning that the automatic gain value G represents a proportional value of the calculated amplitude information A3 to the reference amplitude information a2, and the reference exposure time B1 corresponds to the calculated amplitude information A3, so that the calculation sub-module 615 calculates the recommended exposure time B2 in a manner of compensating for the calculated amplitude information A3. Specifically, for example, when the automatic gain value G indicates that the intensity of the reflected light beam is weaker than a reference value, the calculation sub-module 615 may increase the exposure time based on the reference exposure time B1 using the automatic gain value G as a criterion to obtain the recommended exposure time B2.

As shown in fig. 8, the recommended exposure time B2 is transmitted to the light sensing module 20, a register 211 is set on the TOF light intensity sensor 21 of the light sensing module 20, the register 211 registers the raw exposure time B3 of the light sensing module 20, wherein it is noted that the reference exposure time B1 may be implemented as the raw exposure time. The register 211 receives the recommended exposure time B2 and compares the original exposure time B3 to obtain the automatic exposure time B4, and in particular, when the recommended exposure time B2 is the same as the original exposure time B3, the automatic exposure time B4 is implemented as the original exposure time B3, when the recommended exposure time B2 is different from the original exposure time B3, the automatic exposure time B4 is implemented as the recommended exposure time B2, and the photosensitive module 20 obtains an image of the object under test 200 according to the automatic exposure time B4 to achieve automatic exposure of the TOF imaging system 300.

In other words, the acquisition process of the automatic exposure time of the TOF imaging system 300 is as follows: the method comprises the steps of firstly obtaining amplitude information of a current image through the TOF camera module, calculating and analyzing the amplitude information, and then obtaining a suggested exposure time, wherein the suggested exposure time is registered in the TOF camera module to be used for collecting a next frame of image.

In order to realize the automatic exposure of the TOF imaging system 300, the invention provides an automatic exposure time calculation method based on the TOF imaging system 300, which comprises the following steps:

s1: a data processing submodule 613 acquires at least one piece of original amplitude information a1 of the object 200 to be measured;

s2: the data processing submodule 613 processes the raw amplitude information a1 to obtain at least one calculated amplitude information A3;

s3: a comparison-pair module 614 compares the calculated amplitude information A3 with a reference amplitude information a2 to obtain an automatic gain value G; and

s4: a calculation sub-module 615 obtains at least one reference exposure time B1 and calculates a recommended exposure time B2 according to the AGC value G.

In summary, the TOF imaging system 300 includes the TOF camera module and a working unit 60, the TOF camera module includes a light source module 10 and a light sensing module 20, the working unit 60 includes a data processing module 61 and a control module 62, wherein the automatic exposure time calculation method is completed in the data processing module 61. In other words, the data processing module 61 calculates the recommended exposure time B2 according to the automatic exposure time calculation method. The data processing module 61 comprises the data processing submodule 613, the comparison submodule 614 and the calculation submodule 615, wherein the data processing submodule 613, the comparison submodule 614 and the calculation submodule 615 are communicated with each other to complete the calculation of the recommended exposure time B2.

In step S1, the photosensitive module 20 obtains image information of the object 200 to be measured, the data processing module 61 converts the image information into initial image data O, the initial image data O includes gray scale information and phase information of the object 200 to be measured, and the initial image data O is further converted into the original amplitude information a 1. More specifically, the light sensing module 20 includes a TOF light intensity sensor 21, the TOF light intensity sensor 21 is implemented as an image sensor to receive the emitted light beam from the object under test 200 and generate the image information, and the data processing module 61 processes the image information into the raw amplitude information a1 that can be identified and applied. It is worth mentioning that the original amplitude information a1 reflects the intensity of the reflected beam.

In the step S2, the data processing sub-module 613 processes the original amplitude information a1 into the calculated amplitude information A3, the calculated amplitude information A3 being the intensity of the reflected light beam. Wherein the step S2 further comprises the steps of:

s21: sampling the original amplitude information A1 to obtain at least one sampled original amplitude information; and

s22: quantizing the sampled original amplitude information to obtain the calculated amplitude information a 3.

Specifically, since the original amplitude information a1 corresponding to a measured object 200 is complicated, the amount of calculation of the data processing module 61 is greatly increased and the data processing efficiency of the data processing module 61 is reduced, provided that the data processing module 61 processes all of the original amplitude information a 1. The data processing sub-module 612 selects at least two sampled original amplitude information in the original amplitude information a1 to reduce the amount of computation of the data processing module 61.

In the step S22, a plurality of sets of sampled original amplitude information are quantized to obtain the calculated amplitude information A3, the sampled original amplitude information is quantized to quantize and measure the original amplitude information a1, so as to obtain the representative calculated amplitude information A3, specifically, the depth information of the object to be measured 200 is composed of a plurality of reflected light beams, so that each image corresponds to a plurality of sets of the original amplitude information a1, the sampled original amplitude information represents amplitude information of several feature points of the image, and the calculated amplitude information A3 is representative amplitude information corresponding to the image.

It is worth mentioning that in the step S22, the quantization of the sampled original amplitude information may be performed by, for example, calculating the average value of the sampled amplitude information to obtain the calculated amplitude information A3, and selecting the median value of the sampled amplitude information to obtain the calculated amplitude information A3. Further, the calculated amplitude information A3 may be selected from a preset standard ratio of the sampled amplitude information, specifically, the sampled amplitude information is arranged from small to large, and the calculated amplitude information A3 is selected from the preset standard ratio of the sampled amplitude information. For example, when the preset standard proportion value is 5%, the calculated amplitude information a3 is selected from the values of the current sampled amplitude information arranged at the 5% position. The setting of the preset standard proportion value changes according to the actual situation. It will be understood by those skilled in the art that the acquisition of the calculated amplitude information a3 is not limited to the implementation method mentioned in the present invention, and the present invention is not limited in this respect. The acquisition of the calculated amplitude information a3 corresponds to acquiring several feature points for one image, and selecting or calculating an appropriate amplitude value from the several feature points.

In the step S3, the calculated amplitude information A3 corresponds to the intensity of the reflected beam of the object 200 being measured at that time, and the comparison sub-module 614 stores or sets a reference amplitude information a2, the reference amplitude information a2 being implemented as the intensity of the reflected beam received at the reference when the normal exposure is performed, and the comparison sub-module 614 compares the reference amplitude information a2 and the calculated amplitude information A3 to obtain the automatic gain value G reflecting the ratio between the calculated amplitude information A3 and the reference amplitude information a 2.

Specifically, when the calculated amplitude information A3 shows that the intensity of the reflected light beam corresponding to a certain place at this time is stronger than the reference amplitude information a2, then the proportional value of the calculated amplitude information A3 to the reference amplitude information a2 is recorded as the automatic gain value G, or when the calculated amplitude information A3 shows that the intensity of the reflected light beam corresponding to a certain place at this time is weaker than the reference amplitude information a2, then the proportional value of the calculated amplitude information A3 to the reference amplitude information a2 is recorded as the automatic gain value G, thereby facilitating the data processing module 61 to make a targeted compensation adjustment for the original amplitude information a1 or the calculated amplitude information A3, even if the data processing module 61 adjusts the exposure time for the automatic gain value G to generate the suggested exposure time B2.

In the step S4, the calculation sub-module 615 is communicatively connected to the ratio sub-module 614 to obtain the automatic gain value G, and calculates the recommended exposure time B2 based on the automatic gain value G. Specifically, the calculation sub-module 615 receives the reference exposure time B1, and at this time, the reference exposure time B1 is implemented as the current exposure time of the photosensitive module 20, that is, the reference exposure time B1 corresponds to the exposure time when the photosensitive module 20 acquires the initial image data O, and the reference exposure time B1 may be the exposure time stored in the photosensitive module 20 or the exposure time input by the user, which is not limited in this respect.

At this time, the calculation sub-module 615 calculates the recommended exposure time B2 based on the reference exposure time B1 and the automatic gain value G, it is worth mentioning that the automatic gain value G represents a proportional value between the calculated amplitude information A3 and the reference amplitude information a2, and the reference exposure time B1 corresponds to the calculated amplitude information A3, so that the calculation sub-module 615 calculates the recommended exposure time B2 in a manner of compensating for the calculated amplitude information A3. Specifically, for example, when the automatic gain value G shows that the intensity of the reflected light beam is weaker than a reference value, the calculation sub-module 615 increases the exposure time based on the reference exposure time B1 to obtain the recommended exposure time B2.

In summary, the automatic exposure time calculation method based on the TOF imaging system 300 according to the present invention calculates and obtains the recommended exposure time B2 based on the amplitude information of the object under test 200, in other words, the automatic exposure time calculation method calculates the recommended exposure time B2 based on the intensity of the reflected light beam of the object under test 200, and the recommended exposure time B2 is applied to the TOF camera module to complete the automatic exposure of the TOF imaging system 300.

Specifically, the present invention provides an automatic exposure method based on the TOF imaging system 300, wherein the automatic exposure method is completed based on the automatic exposure time calculation method, and comprises the following steps:

1000: a TOF camera module acquires image information of a measured object 200;

2000: an image processing sub-module 611 processes the image information to obtain initial image data O of the object 200 to be measured;

3000: the TOF depth calculation of the initial image data O is completed by a depth information submodule 612, and at least one piece of original amplitude information a1 is obtained; and

4000: a data processing module 61 processes the raw amplitude information a1 to calculate a recommended exposure time B2; and

5000: and the TOF camera shooting module judges the recommended exposure time B2 to select an automatic exposure time B4, and the TOF camera shooting module exposes with the automatic exposure time B4.

In step 1000, the TOF imaging system 300 includes a TOF camera module and a working unit 60, the TOF camera module includes a light source module 10 and a light sensing module 20, the light source module 10 emits a light beam to the object to be measured 200, the emitted light beam is reflected by the object to be measured 200 to form at least one reflected light beam, and the reflected light beam is received by the light sensing module 20, so that the light sensing module 20 obtains the image information of the object to be measured 200. It is noted that the light sensing module 20 comprises a TOF light intensity sensor 21, the TOF light intensity sensor 21 being implemented as an image sensor for converting the light information of the emitted light beam into the image information.

In addition, the working unit 60 includes a control module 62 and the data processing module 61, wherein the control module 62 controls the TOF camera module, specifically, the control module 62 controls the light source module 10 and the light sensing module 20 simultaneously. The TOF light intensity sensor 21 includes a register 211 that registers operating parameters of the photosensitive module 20, including shutter, aperture, exposure time, etc., so that the photosensitive module 20 can operate according to the operating parameters.

In step 1000, the control module 62 configures the photosensitive module 20 such that the photosensitive module 20 enters a ready-to-operate state. Specifically, the control module 62 configures the register 211 to complete the configuration of the photosensitive module 20. In other words, the step 1000 further comprises the steps of:

1001: a control module 62 configured with a light sensing module 20, wherein the TOF camera module comprises the light sensing module 20 and a light source module 10; and

1002: the photosensitive module 20 obtains the image information of the object to be measured 200.

The TOF light intensity sensor 21 of the light sensing module 20 obtains the image information, specifically, the TOF light intensity sensor 21 converts an external light signal into an electrical signal or other data signal, and the TOF light intensity sensor 21 is communicatively connected to the data processing unit 61, so that the data processing unit 61 can calculate a suggested exposure time B2 according to the image information, thereby implementing automatic exposure of the TOF imaging system 300.

In step 2000, the image information is transmitted to the image processing sub-module 611, and the image processing sub-module 611 processes the image information to generate initial image data O about the object 200 to be measured, the initial image data O including phase information and gray scale information of the object 200 to be measured. It is noted that the image information formed by the TOF light intensity sensor 21 also includes the phase information and the gray scale information, and the image processing sub-module 611 processes the image information to generate the initial image data O that can be subjected to recognition processing.

The data processing unit 61 further comprises the depth processing submodule 612, and the depth information processing submodule 612 converts the initial image data O into original amplitude information a1 of the object under test 200. Notably, the depth processing sub-module 612 configures a TOF depth algorithm to convert the initial image data O into the raw amplitude information a 1. In addition, in order to further improve the data processing efficiency of the data unit 61, the initial image data O is allocated by multiple cores, and the depth processing sub-module 612 implements algorithm parallel processing, in such a way that the algorithm efficiency is improved while the real-time performance of the algorithm is ensured.

In step 3000, the depth information sub-module 612 processes the initial image data O to obtain at least one depth data S, which displays depth information of the object 200.

The data processing module 61 further includes the data processing sub-module 613, the data processing sub-module 613 is communicatively connected to the depth information sub-module 612, when the depth information sub-module 612 obtains the original amplitude information a1 of the object under test 200, the data processing sub-module 613 obtains the original amplitude information a1, and obtains the recommended exposure time B2 according to the automatic exposure time calculation method, which is not described herein again.

After the data processing sub-module 613 obtains the recommended exposure time B2 according to the automatic exposure time calculation method, the recommended exposure time B2 is transmitted to the TOF light intensity sensor 21, wherein the register 211 of the TOF light intensity sensor 21 registers the original exposure time B3 of the light sensing module 20, wherein it is noted that the reference exposure time B1 may be implemented as the original exposure time B3. The register 211 receives the recommended exposure time B2 and compares the original exposure time B3 to obtain the automatic exposure time B4, and in particular, when the recommended exposure time B2 is the same as the original exposure time B3, the automatic exposure time B4 is implemented as the original exposure time B3, when the recommended exposure time B2 is different from the original exposure time B3, the automatic exposure time B4 is implemented as the recommended exposure time B2, and the photosensitive module 20 obtains an image of the object under test 200 according to the automatic exposure time B4 to achieve automatic exposure of the TOF imaging system 300.

In other words, the step 5000 further includes the steps of:

5001: a TOF light intensity sensor is arranged on the light sensing module 20 to acquire the recommended exposure time B2; and

5002: comparing the recommended exposure time B2 with the original exposure time B3, wherein when the recommended exposure time B2 is the same as the original exposure time B3, the TOF light intensity sensor is operated at the recommended exposure time B2 when the recommended exposure time B2 is different from the original exposure time B3.

From the above it can be seen that the objects of the invention are fully and effectively accomplished. The embodiments illustrated to explain the functional and structural principles of the present invention have been fully illustrated and described, and the present invention is not to be limited by changes based on the principles of these embodiments. Accordingly, this invention includes all modifications encompassed within the scope and spirit of the following claims.

Furthermore, those skilled in the art will appreciate that the embodiments of the present invention described above and illustrated in the accompanying drawings are by way of example only and are not limiting of the invention. The objects of the invention have been fully and effectively accomplished. The functional and structural principles of the present invention have been shown and described in the examples, and any variations or modifications of the embodiments of the present invention may be made without departing from the principles.

Claims

1. An automatic exposure time calculation method based on a TOF imaging system is characterized by comprising the following steps:

receiving a reflected light beam reflected from a measured object through a TOF light intensity sensor to obtain image information;

processing the image information by an image processing submodule to obtain initial image data of the object to be measured, wherein the initial image data comprises phase information and gray scale information of the object to be measured;

converting the initial image data into original amplitude information by a depth information submodule, wherein the original amplitude information is used for representing the intensity of the reflected light beam;

2. The automatic exposure time calculation method according to claim 1, wherein in the above method, the original amplitude information and the calculated amplitude information are used to indicate the intensity of the reflected light beam from the object to be measured.

3. The automatic exposure time calculation method according to claim 2, wherein the step (a) further comprises the steps of:

4. The automatic exposure time calculation method of claim 3, wherein in the above method, the calculated amplitude information is an average or median of the sampled raw amplitude information.

5. The automatic exposure time calculation method of claim 3, wherein in the method, the sampled original amplitude information is sequentially arranged in a preset order, and the calculated amplitude information is selected from a preset standard ratio of the sampled original amplitudes in the preset order.

6. The automatic exposure time calculation method according to any one of claims 1 to 5, wherein in the above method, the reference amplitude information is stored in the comparison submodule, wherein the reference amplitude information is the intensity of the emission beam in the case of normal exposure.

7. The automatic exposure time calculation method according to any one of claims 1 to 5, wherein in the above method, the automatic gain value is determined based on a proportional value of the calculated amplitude information to the reference amplitude information.

8. The automatic exposure time calculation method of any one of claims 1 to 5, wherein the reference exposure time is registered in a register from which the calculation submodule is capable of retrieving the reference exposure time.

9. The automatic exposure time calculation method of claim 8, wherein the reference exposure time is a raw exposure time of the TOF imaging system; or, the reference exposure time is a preset exposure time manually.

10. An automatic exposure method based on a TOF imaging system, which is characterized by comprising the following steps:

(B) obtaining at least one initial image data about the object to be measured in a mode that an image processing module processes the image information of the object to be measured, wherein the initial image data comprises phase information and gray scale information of the object to be measured;

(C) calculating the TOF depth of the initial image data by a depth information submodule to obtain at least one piece of original amplitude information, wherein the original amplitude information is used for representing the intensity of a reflected light beam;

(D) the image processing module calculates a suggested exposure time based on the raw amplitude information, wherein step (D) further comprises the steps of: (D.1) the data processing sub-module processes the original amplitude information to obtain at least one piece of calculated amplitude information; (D.2) obtaining an automatic gain value in a manner that a comparison submodule compares the calculated amplitude information with a reference amplitude information; and (d.3) obtaining at least one proposed exposure time by a calculation sub-module based on a reference exposure time and the automatic gain value; and

11. The automatic exposure method according to claim 10, wherein in the above method, the original amplitude information and the calculated amplitude information are used to represent the intensity of the reflected light beam.

12. The automatic exposure method according to claim 11, wherein in the step (d.1), further comprising the steps of:

13. The automatic exposure method according to claim 12, wherein in the above method, the calculated amplitude information is an average value or a median value of the adopted original amplitude information.

14. The automatic exposure method according to claim 12, wherein in the method, the sampled original amplitude information is arranged in a predetermined order, and the calculated amplitude information is selected from a predetermined standard ratio of the sampled original amplitudes in the predetermined order.

15. The automatic exposure method according to any one of claims 10 to 14, wherein in the above method, the reference amplitude information is stored in the comparison submodule, wherein the reference amplitude information is the intensity of the emission beam in the case of normal exposure.

16. The automatic exposure method according to any one of claims 10 to 14, wherein in the above method, the automatic gain value is a proportional value of the calculated amplitude information to the reference amplitude information.

17. The automatic exposure method according to any one of claims 10 to 14, wherein the reference exposure time is registered in a register from which the calculation submodule is able to retrieve the reference exposure time.

18. The automatic exposure method of claim 17, wherein the reference exposure time is a raw exposure time of the TOF imaging system; or, the reference exposure time is a preset exposure time manually.

19. A TOF camera, characterized in that the TOF camera is exposed according to the automatic exposure method of any one of claims 10 to 18 for obtaining a three-dimensional image about an object to be measured.