Location via proxy:   [ UP ]  
[Report a bug]   [Manage cookies]                
Scribd
Upload
66 views

Computer Graphics: Lecture#3 - Image Sensing and Acquisition

The document discusses image sensing and acquisition, which is the first step of image processing. It involves detecting information that constitutes an image using sensors, and converting analog images into digital form. There are two main methods of image acquisition: using a line sensor strip or using a 2D sensor array, as seen in digital cameras. The sensor detects illumination energy reflected from objects and converts it to a digital signal through analog-to-digital conversion, allowing the image to be processed on a computer.

Uploaded by

Hira Yousaf
Copyright
© © All Rights Reserved
Available Formats
Download as PDF, TXT or read online on Scribd
66 views

Computer Graphics: Lecture#3 - Image Sensing and Acquisition

The document discusses image sensing and acquisition, which is the first step of image processing. It involves detecting information that constitutes an image using sensors, and converting analog images into digital form. There are two main methods of image acquisition: using a line sensor strip or using a 2D sensor array, as seen in digital cameras. The sensor detects illumination energy reflected from objects and converts it to a digital signal through analog-to-digital conversion, allowing the image to be processed on a computer.

Uploaded by

Hira Yousaf
Copyright
© © All Rights Reserved
Available Formats
Download as PDF, TXT or read online on Scribd
You are on page 1/ 3

1

Computer Graphics
Lecture#3 – Image Sensing and Acquisition

What is The Goal of Image Processing?


Digital image processing focuses on two major tasks:

 Improvement of pictorial information for human interpretation


 Processing of image data for storage, transmission and representation for autonomous machine
perception.

Key Stages of Image Processing

Image sensing and acquisition is the first step of the image processing. Without an image we can’t
process it. It is used for processing the analog images of physical scenes or the interior structure of an
object, and converting it into digital.

Image Sensing
An image sensing is a process to detects or sense the information that constitutes an image. As per
nature of the object, the images can be generated in two ways.
2

 The illumination generated by the object


 With the combination of an illumination source and the reflection or absorption of energy from
the source by the object

Sensor arrangement is used to sense the illumination energy from the analog scene of object.

Most of the images are generated by the combination of an illumination source and the reflection or
absorption of energy from that source by the elements of the scene being imaged. The illumination may
originate from a source of EM energy such as radar, infrared, X-ray system or from less traditional
sources, such as ultrasound or computer generated illumination pattern.

Depending on the nature of the source, illumination energy is reflected from, or transmitted through,
objects. – As an example we can say light reflected from planer surface and X ray transmitted through
the human body to construct the images. • In some applications, the reflected or transmitted energy is
focused on to a photo converter, which converts the energy into a visible light. – Electron microscopy
and some applications on Gamma imaging use this approach.

Image Acquisition:
Image acquisition can be defined as the action of retrieving an image from some source, usually it may
be hardware based source.

Images are typically generated by illuminating a scene and absorbing the energy reflected by the objects
in that scene. Typical notions of illumination and scene can be way off:

 X-rays of a skeleton
 Ultrasound of an unborn baby
 Electro-microscopic images of molecules

Performing image acquisition is the first step of image processing workflow sequence. Photo diode is
mostly used as sensor in this category for image acquisition. There are various methods of image
acquisition. Two most common methods are:

 Using line sensor strip


 Using sensor arrays, etc.

Image acquisition using a single sensor

The most common sensor of this type is the photodiode, which is constructed of silicon materials and
whose output voltage waveform is proportional to light. The usage of a filter in front of a sensor
improves selectivity. For example, a green (pass) filter in front of a light sensor favors light in the green
band of the color spectrum. As a consequence, the sensor output will be stronger for green light than
for other components in the visible spectrum.

Image acquisition using sensor strips

It consists of an arrangement of sensors in one line to form a sensor strip. The strip provides imaging
elements in one direction. Motion perpendicular to the strip provides imaging in the other direction.
This type of arrangement is used in most flatbed scanners.
3

Sensor strips mounted in a ring configuration are used in medical and industrial imaging to obtain cross
sectional images of 3D objects. – CAT, MRI and PET imaging are used this concept to produce images. –
Images are not obtained directly from the sensors by motion alone, they require extensive processing. –
A 3D digital volume consisting of stacked images is generated as the object is moved in a direction
perpendicular to the sensor ring.

Image acquisition using an array of sensors

Numerous electromagnetic and some ultrasonic sensing devices frequently are arranged in array format.
– This is also found in digital cameras. – The response of each sensor is proportional to the integral of
the light energy projected on to the surface of the sensor, – The key advantage of 2D sensor array is it
can be obtained the complete image by focusing the energy pattern onto the surface of the array. –
Motion is not necessary in this method.

Sensors are arranged in the form of arrays called pixels and light energy is focused on the pixels and
converted into analog voltage .This analog voltage is converted into digital format by an ADC Converter
and fed to the PC Host. Some of the sensors which use this technique are Charge coupled device (CCD)
sensors and CMOS (Complementary Metal Oxide semiconductor) image sensors.

In CCD image sensor, the light (charge) that falls on the pixels of the sensor is transferred from the chip
through one output node, or only a few output nodes. The charges are converted to voltage levels,
buffered, and sent out as an analog signal. This signal is then amplified and converted to numbers using
an A/D-converter. Better light sensitivity, low sensor complexity, moderate to fast speed, high fill factor,
electron pixel signal and less noise are some of the characteristics of CCD. Higher power consumption
and complex analog circuitry pose barriers to the usage of CCD image sensors.

You might also like