Patent ID: 11936973
Assignee: LUMILEDS, LLC
Field: Audio-visual technology (Electrical engineering)
Classification: CPC G  H | IPC G  H

Claim 13:
14. A camera comprising:
an infrared imaging assembly comprising:
an infrared-sensitive image sensor;
an irradiator comprising an array of individually addressable infrared-emitting LEDs, each infrared-emitting LED arranged to illuminate at least one image region of a plurality of image regions of a scene;
a driver configured to actuate the irradiator by applying a switching pulse train to each infrared-emitting LED;
an image analyzer configured to analyze, during a current frame, a preliminary image of the scene irradiated by the irradiator during a previous frame to determine exposure levels for each of the plurality of image regions, the driver configured to use pulses of a preliminary switching pulse train to drive each infrared-emitting LED during a scan sequence in which the preliminary image is captured; and
an adjusting unit configured to adjust driving during the current frame of each infrared-emitting LED based on the exposure levels to obtain a final image, the preliminary switching pulse train having a shorter duration than a final switching pulse train used to drive the infrared-emitting LED to obtain the final image, the pulses of the preliminary switching pulse train having a shorter pulse width than pulses of the final switching pulse train.