Image recording method having adaptive marking light emission and such an image recording device

Abstract

An image recording method is disclosed. The image recording device has a camera having an image sensor and an objective lens, wherein the camera defines an image recording region, and the image sensor has a capture area having a plurality of image pixels which can be activated and read out in pixel groups, and a marking unit having a light source. The emission of the marking light is performed such that a visually perceptible light marking is generated inside the image recording region, and is performed in a predetermined manner to generate light marking within a light incidence region, which forms a subregion of the image recording region and the image capture is performed using chronologically offset collection, pixel group by pixel group, of exposure information, wherein the emission of the marking light is interrupted for the collection of the exposure information for each pixel group.

Claims

1. An image recording method for image capture using an image recording device, comprising: wherein the image recording device has a camera having an image sensor and an objective lens, wherein the camera defines an image recording region, which can be captured in an image and can be set at least by means of the objective lens and the image sensor has a capture area having a plurality of image pixels for image capture and the image pixels can be activated and read out in pixel groups, and a marking unit having a light source for emitting marking light, wherein an emission of the marking light is performed such that a visually perceptible light marking is generated inside the image recording region, and an image capture of the image recording region is performed by means of the camera, wherein the emission of the marking light is performed in a predetermined manner, such that the light marking is generated within an initially known light incidence region, the light incidence region forming a subregion of the image recording region and being known based on a known configuration of the marking unit and a known arrangement of the marking unit in relation to the camera such that the light incidence region can be captured by a subset of initially known sub-image pixels from the plurality of image pixels, wherein the image capture is performed using chronologically offset collection, pixel group by pixel group, of exposure information, wherein the emission of the marking light is adapted for the collection of the exposure information of the subset of sub-image pixels capturing the light incidence region, which comprises at least one sub-image pixel, whereas generation of the light marking inside the image recording region is activated for the collection of the exposure information of the remaining image pixels, and wherein image information is progressively collected and read out, and an image is generated, which images the entire image recording region, wherein the marking light is not captured in the image.

2. The image recording method according to claim 1, wherein, for each pixel group, a specific exposure time is defined and the collection of the exposure information is performed in the scope of the respective exposure time, in particular wherein the collection of the exposure information is performed pixel group by pixel group, successively with chronologically successive exposure times and/or pixel group by pixel group, chronologically overlapping with overlapping exposure times.

3. The image recording method according to claim 1, wherein the collection of the exposure information and a readout of the exposure information collected in each case for respective pixel groups is performed within a shared time window, in particular simultaneously, in particular wherein the exposure information is collected during the readout, or is performed chronologically offset, in particular chronologically adapted to one another, in particular synchronized.

4. Image recording method according to claim 1, wherein the pixel groups each represent a sub-area of adjacent image pixels of the capture area.

5. The image recording method according to claim 1, wherein the pixel groups each represent a linear sequence of adjacent image pixels, in particular wherein each pixel group corresponds to at least one sensor line or at least one sensor column of the capture area.

6. The image recording method according to claim 1, wherein the light incidence region is defined such that the area of the light incidence region comprises between 5% and 60% of the area of the image recording region, wherein the sub-image pixels have between 5% and 60% of the image pixels of the capture area.

7. The image recording method according to claim 1, wherein the emission of the marking light is performed such that the light marking is generated as at least one light spot, in particular in the center of the image recording region, and/or as a light pattern.

8. The image recording method according to claim 1, wherein, during the capture of the image recording region, a distance is provided between the objective lens and an object to be captured of 0.3 m to 15 m, wherein a focusing of the marking light is automatically tracked in dependence on the distance and/or an emission direction of the marking light is adapted in dependence on the distance, such that the light marking is progressively generated at an intersection point of the optical axis of the camera with the image recording region.

9. The image recording method according to claim 1, wherein the capture of the image recording region is performed repeatedly at a specific frequency, wherein the collection of the exposure information for the respective pixel groups is performed in each case at the specific frequency, wherein the image recording region or the pixel groups are captured or read out 10-1000 times per second.

10. The image recording method according to claim 1, wherein the emission and/or the adaptation of the emission of the marking light is performed in a manner adapted to the collection of the exposure information for the pixel groups which comprise at least one sub-image pixel, in particular wherein the emission is performed in a pulsed manner, the light source is turned off sequentially, and/or the emission of the marking light is blocked or deflected.

11. An image recording device for capturing an image, comprising: a camera having an image sensor and an objective lens, wherein the camera defines an image recording region, which can be captured in an image and can be set at least by means of the objective lens and the image sensor has a capture area having a plurality of image pixels for image capture and the image pixels can be activated and read out in pixel groups, and a marking unit having a light source for generating a visually perceptible light marking inside the image recording region by means of emission of marking light, wherein the marking unit has a known configuration and a known arrangement in relation to the camera such that the light marking which can be generated is assigned to at least one initially known light incidence region in the recording region, and the light incidence region can be captured by a subset of initially known sub-image pixels from the plurality of image pixels, and wherein the image recording device provides a defined image capture mode and the image recording region can be captured in an image using a successive collection, pixel group by pixel group, of exposure information in a controlled manner such that for the collection of the exposure information of the subset of sub-image pixels capturing the light incidence region, which comprises at least one sub-image pixel, the light marking which can be generated can be interrupted, whereas generation of the light marking inside the image recording region is uninterrupted for the collection of the exposure information of the remaining image pixels, so that by executing the image capture mode, in a manner controlled by a control unit of the image recording device, exposure information is progressively collected and read out, wherein the read out image recording region is free of the light marking.

12. The image recording device according to claim 11, wherein the marking unit is implemented and arranged such that a propagation axis of the emitted marking light lies in a plane, which is defined by an axis, which is parallel, in particular coaxial to the optical axis of the camera, and intersects the light incidence region, and by a readout direction for the readout of the pixel groups, in particular by an extension direction of sensor lines or sensor columns of the capture area of the image sensor, or the marking unit and the camera are implemented and arranged such that the marking light which can be emitted is coupled into the beam path of the camera.

13. The image recording device according to claim 11, wherein the image recording device has multiple image sensors and in particular multiple objective lenses, wherein the image recording region can be captured by means of the multiple image sensors and one of the pixel groups is formed at least by one subregion of one of the multiple image sensors, in particular by at least one of the multiple image sensors.

14. The image recording device according to claim 11, wherein the marking unit has a settable beam-focusing optic for focusing the marking light and/or settable beam deflection means for adapting an emission direction of the marking light, in particular in dependence on a distance between the camera and an object to be captured, and/or the marking unit has at least one of the following components: a laser unit based on a microsystem (MEMS), a projection element having a DLP element (digital light processing) and/or a DMD element (digital micromirror device) and/or an LCOS element (liquid crystal on silicon), and/or a thin-film transistor (TFT) or a liquid crystal display (LCD), and/or the light source is implemented as a laser beam source, in particular a laser diode, in particular wherein the marking unit has two or more light sources.

15. A non-transitory machine-readable carrier for controlling or executing a method according to claim 1 when a computer program product stored on the non-transitory machine readable carrier is executed by means of a control unit of an image recording device.

Description

(1) The method according to the invention and the device according to the invention will be described in greater detail hereafter, solely as examples, on the basis of specific exemplary embodiments which are schematically illustrated in the drawings, wherein further advantages of the invention will also be discussed. In the specific figures:

(2) FIG. 1 shows a first embodiment of the image recording device according to the invention;

(3) FIG. 2 shows the principle according to the invention of the chronologically offset collection of image information with consideration of a light marking during the image capture on the basis of an image sensor which can be analyzed pixel group by pixel group;

(4) FIGS. 3a-c show an image sensor, a marking light generation, and the consideration of the light marking which can thus be generated during the image capture using the image sensor according to the invention;

(5) FIG. 4 shows the principle of the image recording method according to the invention using an image sensor;

(6) FIGS. 5a-e show respective image recording regions of specific embodiments of image recording devices according to the invention having respective light incidence regions; and

(7) FIG. 6 shows a device for visualizing an object using an image recording device according to the invention.

(8) FIG. 1 shows a first embodiment of an image recording device 10 according to the invention. The image recording device 10 has the form of an image recording device, known, inter alia, as a visualizer, having a housing 11, which can be mounted on a ceiling, for example.

(9) The image recording device 10 furthermore has a camera 14 having an objective lens 12, which is adjustable in its focal length, and an image sensor 13, for example, a CCD or CMOS sensor. The camera 14 (=optical system 14 having the image sensor 13 and the objective lens 12) defines an optical axis 14a and an image recording region 19, which is defined by the field of vision of the camera 14 or which can be set by means of the objective lens 12. Therefore, using the image recording device 10, images can be captured, which represent the image recording region 19, which is imaged by the objective lens 12 on the image sensor 13; in other words, the image recording region 19 can be captured in an image by means of the camera 14.

(10) The focal length of the objective lens 12 can be set in a controlled manner, manually or by a motor, in particular over a range from f:4 to f:220. Furthermore, according to special embodiments, an image resolution between 1920*1080 and 3840*2160 pixels is achievable by the camera 14.

(11) In addition, a control unit 15 is provided, which is connected both to the optical system 14 and also to a marking unit 16 for controlling or adapting these two components.

(12) The marking unit 16 is implemented for emitting a marking light 17, by means of which an optical light marking 18, for example, a light spot, can be generated on a surface within the image recording region 19. For this purpose, the marking unit has a light source, for example, a laser beam source, in particular a laser diode, and preferably an optic which guides and/or shapes the marking light. By means of this optic, the light can be focused, for example, and the focusing can also be set in an automatically controlled manner. The optical light marking 18 which can be generated can be assigned a defined light incidence region as a subregion of the image recording region 19, whereby also a specific number and grouping of image pixels of the image sensor 13 is known, by means of which this light incidence region is imaged during capture of an image (sub-image pixels).

(13) In particular, the arrangement of the marking unit 16 in relation to the camera 14 and the configuration of the marking unit 16 are known for this purpose, so that the location of a propagation axis of the marking light 17 in relation to the optical axis 14a is also known.

(14) The capture of one or multiple images using the camera 14 is controlled by means of the control unit 15. To capture an image, for this purpose image information is generated and read out using the image sensor 13 offset in time, sequentially, and segmentedi.e., pixel by pixel or pixel group by pixel group (wherein a pixel group only comprises one image pixel, for example). Thus, individual pixel groups are exposed offset in time and the exposure information collected in this case is read out subsequently to the exposure or during the exposure. Actual physical exposure (i.e., not solely incidence of light on the sensor) is not to be understood in this case as the exposure of the pixel group, but rather collection of light (information) for a specific time interval, wherein this collection is performed by a corresponding electronic activation of the image sensor 13 by the sensor 13 itself. After the readout of the exposure information, it is erased on the sensor side, whereby renewed collection of new exposure information using the respective pixel groups is enabled.

(15) According to the invention, a consideration of the emitted marking radiation 17 is performed in the scope of the described image capture, so that in a resulting image, which represents the image recording region 19, the light marking 18 generated by the marking radiation 17 is not captured and is not visible. This is achieved by an activation of the marking unit 16 by means of the control unit 15 such that the emission of the marking light 17 is changed or interrupted for the collection of such exposure information, which is to be assigned to at least one part of the light incidence region.

(16) The image pixels of the image sensor 13, which are assigned to at least one light incidence region for the marking light 17 (=sub-image pixels) are known because of the knowledge about the type and location of the generation of the light marking 18. If such a pixel group, of which at least one image pixel corresponds to a sub-image pixel, is reached or activated accordingly for image capture during the chronologically offset collection pixel group by pixel group of the exposure information, the change or interruption of the marking light emission is thus performed adapted thereto, in particular immediately before the collection of the light information using this pixel group and in particular the readout of this pixel group.

(17) The changing, adaptation, or interruption of the emission of the marking light 17 can be implemented, for example, by turning off the light source for a specific time interval (for example, pulsed laser beam source), by deflecting the marking light 17, so that the light marking 18 does not result within the image recording region 19 (during the collection of the exposure information), and/or by attenuating, blanking out, or blocking the marking light 17 (for example, by means of a physical aperture which can be pivoted in a controlled manner into the beam path or by means of an electronically controllable filter unit).

(18) According to the invention, image information is thus progressively collected and read out over the entire capture area of the image sensor 13. Based on these items of information, an image can be generated, which images the entire image recording region 19, wherein the light marking 18 is not captured in the image.

(19) In the exemplary embodiment shown, the optical system and the marking unit 16 are implemented and positioned in relation to one another such that the marking light 17, if a specific distance d is provided between object 20 and image recording device 10, intersects the object 20 with the optical axis 14a and a light spot is generated in this intersection point. The invention is in no way restricted to such an embodiment, however, but rather also comprises embodiments which have an alternative relationship of marking light and optical axis, but preferably such that the light marking 18 which can be generated arises inside the image capture region 19.

(20) Furthermore, according to an alternative embodiment according to the invention (not shown), the marking unit 16 has a beam deflection unit, by means of which the propagation direction of the marking light 17 (optical axis for the marking light) can be set. In particular, an alignment of a marking laser can thus be set in dependence on the distance d, in particular automatically.

(21) FIG. 2 shows the principle according to the invention of the chronologically offset collection of image information with consideration of a light marking during the image capture on the basis of an image sensor 13 which can be analyzed pixel (group) by pixel (group). The image sensor 13 is implemented as a CMOS sensor.

(22) The capture of an image corresponding to the entire capture area of the sensor 13 is performed in this case by line by line capture and readout of image information. The capture area has n.sub.m sensor lines, wherein each sensor line n.sub.1-n.sub.m corresponds to one pixel group. The pixel group 31 which corresponds to the sensor line n.sub.1 is shown as an example. For the image capture, the sensor lines n.sub.1-n.sub.m are analyzed chronologically offset (for example, successively), i.e., firstly exposure information (image information in the form of light incident on the pixel group or on the line), for example, is first collected in an electronically controlled manner for the line n.sub.1 for a specific first exposure time and, beginning chronologically offset thereafter, exposure information for the line n.sub.2 is also collected for a specific second exposure time. The exposure times are identical in this case in particular with regard to the respective duration and can chronologically overlap, wherein the beginning of the first exposure time is chronologically before the beginning of the second. The collection of the image information is continued accordingly up to the line n.sub.m and subsequently started again with line n.sub.1.

(23) Therefore, image information can be progressively generated by an overlap of the respective exposure times, wherein no chronological gap arises with regard to the image capture.

(24) For the image sensor 13 and its image pixels, a sub-sensor region 32 (corresponding to the light incidence region) having a group of specific sub-image pixels is previously known, by means of which imaging of the light incidence region, which is provided in dependence on the marking light, in the image recording region is performed in the scope of an image capture. The sub-sensor region 32 or the light incidence region is selected or provided such that the light spot 18, which is generated by the light marking 18 and can be captured using the image sensor 13, lies inside this region 32. The sub-sensor region 32 or the light incidence region can be provided in this case so it is dimensioned in particular such that a specific spatial tolerance is provided for the incidence of the light marking 18 or the light spot 18, i.e., the region is then dimensioned larger than the beam cross section of the marking light upon incidence on the object to be imaged.

(25) In the scope of the invention, the image capture using the image sensor 13 is carried out in consideration of the marking light 17 and the light marking 18 thus generated or the light spot 18 which can be captured by the sensor 13. During the line by line image captureas shown herefor the collection of exposure information for the lines n.sub.i-n.sub.j, which each comprise a part of the sub-sensor region 32 or the sub-image pixels and using which the light spot 18 (with a specific tolerance range) would be captured during emission of the marking light 17, the marking light emission is therefore adapted (in particular interrupted) such that the light spot is not generated inside the image recording region or is not generated at least partially in a capture region to be assigned to the respective line for the respective exposure time of the lines n.sub.1-n.sub.j.

(26) In particular, the emission of the marking light 17 is interrupted for the capture of the lines n.sub.i-n.sub.j (for example, by adapted pulsing of the marking light emitted as laser light). In particular, the interruption begins immediately before the beginning of the collection of the exposure information of the line n.sub.i and ends after the completion of the collection of the exposure information of the line n.sub.j.

(27) A control of the marking unit with respect to the emission of the marking light and a control of the image sensor 13 for the chronologically offset collection and readout of image data is implemented in particular by a control unit integrated in the image recording device.

(28) By way of a specific dimensioning of the sub-sensor region 32, furthermore an offset of the light marking 18 in relation to the optical axis 14a, which occurs, for example, during a distance change between object 20 and image recording device 10, can be taken into consideration such that the light marking 18 is not captured in the image in spite of such an offset (see FIG. 3a).

(29) FIG. 3a will be described together with FIG. 3b and shows a CMOS sensor 43, which enables line by line capture of exposure information similarly to the image sensor 13 according to FIG. 2. The collection of the exposure information and in particular readout of the collected information is performed chronologically offset line by line (for the sensor lines n.sub.1-n.sub.m), wherein each sensor line is formed by a pixel group extending in the x direction made of linearly adjacent image pixels. The lines are gradually analyzed with a chronological overlap of respective times for the collection of the light information (one line in the y direction in each case).

(30) For the sensor 43 and its image pixels, a sub-sensor region 42 (corresponding to the light incidence region 49) having a group of specific sub-image pixels is in turn defined. The sub-sensor region 42 extends in the x direction over the entire capture area of the sensor 43 and in the y direction over a region between the lines n.sub.i-n.sub.j. A light spot 48 due to the light marking 48, which can be captured by the image sensor 43, would be located inside this region 42 and is shown for illustration.

(31) The image capture using the sensor 43 is performed according to the invention by chronologically offset line by line collection of exposure information for each line, wherein the emission of the marking light 47 is controlled such that for the collection of exposure information for the lines n.sub.i-n.sub.j (during the exposure of these lines), the emission is changed or interrupted so that the light marking 48 is not generated, is generated in a strongly attenuated manner, or is generated at another position.

(32) The sensor 43 is adapted for the use in an embodiment according to the invention of the image recording device 40 having camera 44 and marking unit 46 according to FIG. 3b. The camera 44 defines an image recording region 49, which is imaged by means of the objective lens of the camera 44 on the sensor 43. The marking unit 46 is implemented for emitting a marking beam 47, wherein the beam 47 can be emitted such that it lies in a plane E, in which an axis parallel or coaxial to the optical axis 44a of the camera 44 (the optical axis 44a itself here) also lies, i.e., the optical axis 44a and an axis defined by the marking beam 17 intersect.

(33) The marking beam 47 and the laser marking 48 which can thus be generated are assigned a light incidence region 49 as a subregion of the image recording region 49. An intersecting straight line of the plane E and the image recording region 49 extends in this light incidence region 49. At a specific distance d.sub.1 between an object and the image recording device 40, the laser marking 48 arises at a provided position in relation to the recording region 49, in particular at an intersection point of optical axis 44a and image recording region 49.

(34) If the distance between the surface of the object to be recorded and image recording device 40 is changed, for example, because of the object thickness, the position of the laser marking 48 thus changes within the light incidence region 49, in particular along the intersection straight line. This is shown as an example in FIG. 3c, wherein a greater distance d.sub.2 is present between object and image recording device 40 and the laser marking 48 is thus generated offset in the x direction.

(35) The image sensor 43 is arranged and aligned in the camera 44 of the image recording device 40 so that the x direction of the image recording region 49 corresponds to the x direction of the capture area of the image sensor 43 (this applies similarly for the y direction) and thus image pixels of the sensor 43 can be assigned which correspond to the possible light incidence region 49 and precisely capture this region 49. The sub-sensor region 42 can therefore be defined corresponding to the light incidence region 49.

(36) According to an alternative embodiment (not shown here), the marking unit 46 can have a beam deflection unit, by means of which a change of the emission direction of the marking light 47 can be carried out and therefore the position of the light marking 48 can be changed or set. This can be performed depending on the distance to the object. The beam deflection unit can have for this purpose optical elements of the type in question, for example, mirrors or prisms.

(37) FIG. 4 shows a principle of an image recording method according to the invention for an image recording device having an image sensor 53 according to the invention.

(38) The capture area of the sensor 53 again has a plurality of image pixels for capturing an image. Within this capture area, marking light capture areas 52-52 are additionally defined as subareas, to each of which a specific group of sub-image pixels from the plurality of the image pixels is assigned. The light markings, which can be generated by a marking unit on an object to be recorded or on a support surface, can be generated, inside an image capture region defined by the image recording device, so that they would be captured during operation of the image recording device (and therefore the marking unit) having the image sensor 53 inside the marking light capture regions 52-52 as corresponding light spots 58-58. The light markings are used by a user of the image recording device as orientation aids for the placement of an object to be recorded, so that it can be recorded as an image in the desired manner.

(39) The light markings can be generated for this purpose, for example, by a single beam source and splitting of the emitted light, in particular by means of a beam splitter, into three (or more) partial light beams or, for example, by means of three beam sources, in particular laser diodes.

(40) Image capture according to the invention is performed using the sensor 53 by segmented and chronologically offset collection of image information by different pixel groups m.sub.1-m.sub.k. The collection of the exposure information is performed in this case, in contrast to the sensors according to FIGS. 2 and 3a, not line by line (the individual pixel groups do not correspond to the image pixels of one sensor line in each case), but rather correspond to the defined pixel groups m.sub.1-m.sub.k regionally (pixel group by pixel group). The pixel groups m.sub.1-m.sub.k each comprise image pixels in this case, which each form a subarea of the overall capture area.

(41) Therefore, the pixel groups m.sub.1-m.sub.k are successively activated to collect the exposure information. For example, firstly the pixel group m.sub.1 is activated such that this group of pixels m.sub.1 is exposed (the exposure is performed by an electronic activation of the respective image pixels and is not to be understood of in this context as actual illumination of the pixelsthe illumination of the pixels can already begin earlier chronologically, for example, and last longer or also take place continuously). The pixel groups m.sub.2-m.sub.8 are then accordingly exposed chronologically offset to the group m.sub.1 and chronologically offset among one another in each case.

(42) For the times of the exposure of the groups m.sub.9-m.sub.10, an activation of the marking unit is performed such that the light marking is not captured by the marking light capture region 52. The light marking is, for example, turned off or deflected for the duration of the exposure of the groups m.sub.9-m.sub.10. For the exposure of the subsequent pixel group m.sub.11, the light marking can be activated again. In general, this means that the respective light marking is adapted, i.e., in particular interrupted, for the collection of exposure information using those pixel groups m.sub.9-m.sub.10, m.sub.19-m.sub.20 which have at least one pixel of a marking light capture region 52-52. In contrast, the light marking can be activated for the exposure of the remaining groups.

(43) It is obvious that the invention is not restricted to an embodiment of the pixel groups as shown (FIGS. 2, 3a, and 4), but rather comprises embodiments having alternatively defined pixel groups, for example, pixel groups which correspond to respective sensor columns and are exposed column by column, or pixel groups which only comprise a single image pixel (which corresponds to a pixel by pixel collection of exposure information).

(44) In addition, pixel groups of different size, i.e., with respect to the respective number and/or configuration of image pixels, can be defined in the scope of the invention. For example, the pixel groups m.sub.1-m.sub.8 or m.sub.1-m.sub.8 and m.sub.11-m.sub.18 can be activated according to FIG. 4 as a first group and the groups m.sub.9-m.sub.10 or m.sub.9-m.sub.10 and m.sub.19-m.sub.20 can form a second group.

(45) Furthermore, it is apparent that chronologically offset exposure of the pixel groups, i.e., the collection of the exposure information using the individual pixel groups, can be performed repeatedly, so that the exposure of the first pixel group (m.sub.1, n.sub.1) follows the exposure of the last pixel group (m.sub.k, n.sub.m) of the capture region in a chronologically offset manner. A progressive image capture and image generation is thus possible corresponding to the overall capture region. In particular, this is performed at a frequency of at least 30-60 FPS (frames per second).

(46) FIGS. 5a-e show respective image recording regions 69 of specific embodiments of image recording devices according to the invention having respective light incidence regions 69-69, wherein the respective light markings 68, which can be generated by provided marking units, are generated inside the assigned light incidence regions 69-69.

(47) The light incidence regions 69-69 are each defined so that efficient image capture can be carried out using the respective image sensor, which can be exposed and read out pixel by pixel. Especially, the regions 69-69 of FIGS. 5a and 5b are therefore provided for a line by line exposure and readout, the regions 69-69 of FIG. 5c are provided for a region by region (in subareas) exposure and read out, and the regions 69-69 of FIGS. 5d and 5e are provided for a column by column exposure and readout.

(48) According to alternative embodiments according to the invention (not shown), the light marking can be generated, for example, in the form of a line or a desired pattern.

(49) FIG. 6 shows a device 1 according to the invention for visualizing an object 20 having an image recording device 10 having an essentially flat, horizontal support surface 2, on which the object 20, in the form of a flat image plate here, can be placed. An articulated arm 3 extends above the support surface 2, which connects the support surface 2 to an image recording device 10 and by means of which the image recording device 10 can be aligned in relation to the support surface 2.

(50) By means of such a device 1, the part of the object 20, which lies inside the image recording region 19 defined by the image recording device 10, can be imaged in an image. The image recording region 19 can be set in particular by a zoom objective lens of the image recording device 10 or a change of the distance between the image recording device 10 and the support surface 2.

(51) It is obvious that these illustrated figures only schematically illustrate possible exemplary embodiments. The various approaches can also be combined according to the invention with one another and with methods for visualizing (image capture) objects and with image recording devices, such as a visualizer, of the prior art.