Infrared ray-based camera external light supplementing system

Abstract

The invention relates to the technical field of optical illumination, and provides an infrared ray-based camera external light supplementing system, which comprises an infrared lamp light supplementing circuit and a power supply, the power supply is connected with the infrared lamp light supplementing circuit and is used for supplying power; the number of the infrared lamps of the infrared lamp light supplementing circuit is one or more, if the number of the infrared lamps is more than one, the infrared lamps are of a dot matrix arrangement structure, and the infrared lamps are located near the camera. The scheme reduces power consumption and heat, and is high in safety performance, convenient to carry and suitable for application scenes in vehicles and computers.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present invention relates to the technical field of optical lighting processing, and in particular to an infrared-based camera external fill light system. Background Art

[0002] The current camera fill light technology is mainly used in security monitoring systems, night vision equipment and specific shooting scenes. High-power infrared fill light is usually used to provide infrared fill light for the camera in low-light or no-light environments to improve night vision capabilities and enhance imaging effects. However, the existing technology is mainly used for monitoring large fields of view. If it is used directly on a computer or in a car, the following problems will occur: First, the power is too high and the control is not precise. Infrared flash lamps are usually designed for high-power output to provide sufficient light in the monitoring scene. But for in-car cameras, this high power is prone to produce excessively high temperatures or unnecessary electromagnetic radiation, which may cause heat accumulation and have a negative impact on the comfort and health of drivers and passengers. Excessive infrared radiation may cause dry eyes or fatigue, especially in a closed space such as a car. Long-term use may have adverse effects on the human body.

[0003] Second, the light intensity is uncontrollable. The light intensity of infrared flash is usually fixed, lacking intelligent adjustment function, and cannot adjust the infrared light output in real time according to changes in ambient light. This uncontrollable light output can easily lead to excessive or insufficient fill light, affecting the imaging quality of the camera, especially in a car or computer environment with dynamic light changes, and cannot be flexibly adapted.

[0004] Third, it is large in size and inconvenient to install. Infrared flash lamps are usually designed to be fixedly installed on camera equipment. They are large in size and not suitable for desktop cameras or use in cars. The inconvenient installation problem limits the application of infrared flash lamps in small portable devices and cannot meet users' needs for flexibility and convenience.

[0005] Fourth, high power affects the battery life of the device. The high power of existing infrared flash lamps will accelerate the battery consumption of the device, especially in the application of in-vehicle cameras, which may put pressure on the battery system of the vehicle. For battery-powered portable computer cameras, this high energy consumption will also shorten the battery life of the device, which is not conducive to long-term use.

[0006] Fifth, it is easy to generate radiation and thermal effects; infrared flash lamps will generate a certain amount of heat when working, which may affect the normal operation of surrounding electronic equipment, especially in the closed car environment, where the thermal effect is particularly obvious; in-car cameras need to consider the health of passengers and drivers and avoid long-term radiation exposure. These are defects that existing infrared flash lamps cannot solve.

[0007] To sum up, if the existing infrared flash lamps are used in cars and computer cameras, there are problems such as too high power, lack of intelligent adjustment, large size, inconvenient installation, high power consumption and insufficient safety, which cannot meet the needs of cars and computer cameras for low-power, flexible and controllable infrared fill light.

[0008] In addition, the existing technology mostly uses infrared wavelength flash devices, which are powered by the camera, so the infrared fill light function cannot be used for a long time.

[0009] Therefore, there is an urgent need to develop an infrared-based camera external fill light system that reduces power consumption and heat, has high safety performance, is easy to carry, and is suitable for application scenarios in cars and computers.

[0010] The above information disclosed in the Background section is only for enhancement of understanding of the background of the present application and therefore it may contain information that does not constitute the prior art that is already known to a person of ordinary skill in the art. Summary of the invention

[0011] The main purpose of the present invention is to overcome the problems of existing infrared flash lamps when used in cars and computer cameras, such as excessive power, lack of intelligent adjustment, large size, inconvenient installation, high power consumption and insufficient safety. An infrared-based camera external fill light system is provided to reduce power consumption and heat, has high safety performance, is easy to carry, and is suitable for application scenarios in cars and computers.

[0012] As a first aspect of the present invention, the present invention provides an infrared-based camera external fill light system, including an infrared light fill light circuit and a power supply; The power supply is connected to the infrared lamp fill light circuit to provide power; The infrared lamp fill light circuit has one or more infrared lamps. If there are multiple infrared lamps, they are arranged in a dot matrix structure. The infrared lamp is located near the camera.

[0013] As an exemplary embodiment of the present invention, an infrared lamp fill light circuit includes: a power converter, a switch, an inductor, an infrared lamp, a second capacitor, a first resistor, a second resistor, a third resistor, a first transistor and a second transistor; The power converter includes an EN interface, a GND interface, a SW interface, a VIN interface, and a FB interface; The first resistor includes a first end and a second end, the second resistor includes a first end and a second end, the third resistor includes a first end and a second end, the second capacitor includes a first end and a second end, the inductor includes a first end and a second end, the infrared lamp includes a first end and a second end, the first transistor includes a base, a collector and an emitter, and the second transistor includes a collector and an emitter; the switch includes a first end and a second end; The EN interface of the power converter is connected to the first end of the switch and the emitter of the first transistor; The GND interface of the power converter is connected to the ground and the collector of the second transistor; The SW interface of the power converter is connected to the first end of the inductor; The VIN interface of the power converter is connected to the power supply, the second end of the switch, the first end of the first resistor, and the collector of the first transistor; The FB interface of the power converter is connected to the second end of the second resistor and the first end of the third resistor; The second end of the inductor is connected to the first end of the second resistor, the first end of the second capacitor, and the first end of the infrared lamp; The second end of the third resistor is connected to the second end of the second capacitor and the ground; The second end of the infrared lamp is connected to the ground.

[0014] As an exemplary embodiment of the present invention, the infrared lamp fill light circuit further includes a first capacitor; the first capacitor includes a first end and a second end, the first end of the first capacitor is connected to the power supply, and the second end is connected to the ground.

[0015] As an exemplary embodiment of the present invention, the first capacitor is 22uF.

[0016] As an exemplary embodiment of the present invention, the power supply is greater than or equal to 3.2V.

[0017] As an exemplary embodiment of the present invention, the infrared lamp is an LED diode, the infrared lamp comprises a cathode and an anode, the first end of the infrared lamp is the anode, and the second end is the cathode.

[0018] As an exemplary embodiment of the present invention, the first resistor is an adjustable resistor with a maximum resistance of 1 kΩ, the resistance of the second resistor is 43 kΩ, and the resistance of the third resistor is 10 kΩ.

[0019] As an exemplary embodiment of the present invention, the second capacitor is 22uF.

[0020] As an exemplary embodiment of the present invention, the inductor is 2.2uH.

[0021] As an exemplary embodiment of the present invention, the infrared-based camera external fill light system also includes a USB interface, and the USB interface is connected to a power supply and an infrared light fill light circuit.

[0022] The advantages of the present invention are: The present invention uses multiple infrared LED lamps for supplementary lighting, has low power, low energy consumption, low heat generation, high safety performance, and is suitable for application scenarios in cars and computers. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0023] The above and other objects, features and advantages of the present application will become more apparent by describing in detail the exemplary embodiments thereof with reference to the accompanying drawings. The accompanying drawings described below are only some embodiments of the present application, and it is clear to a person skilled in the art that other accompanying drawings can be obtained from these accompanying drawings without creative effort.

[0024] Figure 1 The structure of the infrared-based camera external fill light system for a vehicle is schematically shown.

[0025] Figure 2 The circuit diagram of the infrared lamp fill light circuit is schematically shown. DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0026] Example embodiments will now be described more fully with reference to the accompanying drawings. However, example embodiments can be implemented in many forms and should not be construed as limited to the embodiments set forth herein; rather, these embodiments are provided so that this application will be comprehensive and complete and will fully convey the concepts of the example embodiments to those skilled in the art. The same reference numerals in the figures represent the same or similar parts, and thus their repeated description will be omitted.

[0027] In addition, described feature, structure or characteristic can be combined in one or more embodiments in any suitable manner. In the following description, many specific details are provided to provide a full understanding of the embodiments of the present application. However, those skilled in the art will appreciate that the technical scheme of the present application can be put into practice without one or more of the specific details, or other methods, components, devices, steps, etc. can be adopted. In other cases, known methods, devices, realizations or operations are not shown or described in detail to avoid blurring the various aspects of the application.

[0028] The block diagrams shown in the accompanying drawings are merely functional entities and do not necessarily correspond to physically independent entities. That is, these functional entities may be implemented in software form, or in one or more hardware modules or integrated circuits, or in different networks and / or processor devices and / or microcontroller devices.

[0029] The flowcharts shown in the accompanying drawings are only exemplary and do not necessarily include all the contents and operations / steps, nor must they be executed in the order described. For example, some operations / steps can be decomposed, and some operations / steps can be combined or partially combined, so the actual execution order may change according to actual conditions.

[0030] It should be understood that although the terms first, second, third, etc. may be used herein to describe various components, these components should not be limited by these terms. These terms are used to distinguish one component from another component. Therefore, the first component discussed below can be referred to as the second component without departing from the teachings of the concepts of the present application. As used herein, the term "and / or" includes any one of the associated listed items and all combinations of one or more.

[0031] Those skilled in the art will appreciate that the drawings are merely schematic diagrams of example embodiments, and the modules or processes in the drawings are not necessarily necessary for implementing the present application, and therefore cannot be used to limit the scope of protection of the present application.

[0032] According to a first specific embodiment of the present invention, the present invention provides an infrared-based camera external fill light system, including an infrared light fill light circuit, a power supply and a mounting interface.

[0033] like Figure 1 As shown, Figure 1 The figure is the in-car environment. The circle on the left represents the steering wheel, and the one on the right is an infrared-based camera external fill light system. 1 is the second transistor, 2 is the infrared light of the infrared light fill light circuit, 3 is the USB / USB-C interface, i.e., the power supply, and the rectangle on the right is the screen of the onboard computer, which can provide power for the infrared light fill light circuit. As a preferred embodiment, the power supply of this solution is a DC power supply, and the power supply can also be provided by the computer USB interface, so that the infrared fill light function can be used for a long time. As a preferred embodiment, the infrared-based camera external fill light system also includes a USB interface, which connects the power supply to the infrared light fill light circuit.

[0034] The power supply is connected to the infrared light fill circuit to provide power. The power supply is an external power supply, using a rechargeable lithium battery to provide a DC voltage greater than or equal to 3.2V (preferably 5V to 32V) to ensure the safety and stability of the device during use. The power supply is designed to be miniaturized and easy to carry and replace. The infrared light LED3 can be started above 3.2V. There is no boost device, only step-down, so 3.2V is the minimum limit. It can support lithium-ion batteries (3.7V), lithium iron phosphate batteries (3.2V), etc.

[0035] There are one or more infrared light fill-in circuits, each of which includes an infrared light. If there are multiple infrared lights, the multiple infrared lights form a rectangular dot matrix arrangement structure, and the infrared light is located near the camera. The infrared light is mainly used where it needs to be illuminated. For example, in a car, the camera (DMS, Driver Monitor System) tracks the changes in a person's eyes, and the infrared light only needs to illuminate the face of the person.

[0036] like Figure 2As shown, the infrared light fill light circuit includes: a power converter U4, a switch KEY2, an inductor L1, an infrared light LED3, a first capacitor C1, a second capacitor C3, a first resistor R1, a second resistor R2, a third resistor R5, a first transistor Q1 and a second transistor U8.

[0037] The power converter U4 includes an EN interface, a GND interface, a SW interface, a VIN interface, and a FB interface. As a preferred embodiment, the power converter U4 uses TLV62568DBVR, which is a DC-DC switching buck regulator.

[0038] The first resistor R1 includes a first end and a second end, the second resistor R2 includes a first end and a second end, the third resistor R5 includes a first end and a second end, the first capacitor C1 includes a first end and a second end, the second capacitor C3 includes a first end and a second end, the inductor L1 includes a first end and a second end, the infrared light LED3 includes a first end and a second end, the first transistor Q1 includes a base, a collector and an emitter, the second transistor U8 includes a collector and an emitter; the switch KRY2 includes a first end and a second end.

[0039] As a preferred embodiment, the power supply is greater than or equal to 3.2V, preferably 5V to 32V, preferably the power supply is the USB-PD (USB power delivery) DC power supply standard, as a preferred embodiment, it can be selected as 5V, 9V, 12V, 15V or 20V. The maximum resistance of the first resistor R1 is 1kΩ. As a preferred embodiment, the first resistor R1 is an adjustable resistor, which can control how dark the infrared light LED3 will light up. The resistance of the second resistor R2 is 43kΩ, and the resistance of the third resistor R5 is 10kΩ; the first capacitor C1 is 22uF, the second capacitor C3 is 22uF, and the inductor L1 is 2.2uH. The infrared light LED3 is an LED diode, and the infrared light LED3 includes a cathode and an anode. The first end of the infrared light LED3 is the anode, and the second end is the cathode. Preferably, the infrared light LED3 adopts JNJ-LTJID0114T140 / 42MIL / 845-860NM. The first transistor Q1 adopts 2SC4083T106N, and the second transistor U8 adopts PT26-61B / TR8.

[0040] The EN interface of the power converter U4 is connected to the first end of the switch KEY2 and the emitter of the first transistor Q1. The first transistor Q1 is mainly responsible for controlling the switch infrared light LED3. The transistor is responsible for powering the switch LED, that is, for switching the infrared light LED3.

[0041] The GND interface of the power converter U4 is connected to the ground GND and the collector of the second transistor U8. When there is no light, the resistance of the second transistor U8 will increase, so that the current will flow into the first transistor Q1 to form a light-sensing circuit. The second transistor U8 is a light sensor (light-sensing resistor). The second transistor U8 is connected in parallel to the power converter U4 and connected through the first transistor Q1. When there is light, electricity will pass through the second transistor U8 and the first resistor R1; the first transistor will not be activated. When the light becomes dark, the light-sensing resistor (the resistance of the second transistor U8) will increase, and then the first transistor Q1 will be activated and turned on, the switch KEY2 will be turned on, and the infrared light LED3 will be turned on. The second transistor U8 will be behind the infrared light LED3 and will not be affected by the lighting of the infrared light LED3, but will only feel the ambient light. The second transistor U8 is used to detect the ambient light intensity in real time. When insufficient light is detected, the system will automatically start the infrared light to fill in the light, so as to adapt to the fill-in light requirements in different lighting environments, save energy to the maximum extent and extend the service life of the equipment. The second transistor U8 is set near the camera. When the ambient light of the camera is lower than the set threshold, the second transistor U8 detects insufficient light and immediately starts the infrared light to fill in the light. The second transistor U8 automatically adjusts the number of lights according to the ambient light intensity to avoid excessive exposure.

[0042] The SW interface of the power converter U4 is connected to the first end of the inductor L1 .

[0043] The VIN interface of the power converter U4 is connected to the power supply, the second end of the switch KEY2, the first end of the first resistor R1, and the collector of the first transistor Q1. If the switch KEY2 is turned on, the first transistor Q1 is bypassed, thereby turning on the infrared light LED3, so that the infrared light LED3 is forced to be turned on for supplementary light regardless of whether it is dark, so that the image is clear and the human eye will not be affected in any way.

[0044] The FB interface of the power converter U4 is connected to the second end of the second resistor R2 and the first end of the third resistor R5. The power converter U4 is a chip responsible for reducing voltage, which can reduce voltage from 5V to 32V to 3.2V.

[0045] The second end of the inductor L1 is connected to the first end of the second resistor, the first end of the second capacitor, and the first end of the infrared lamp. The inductor L1 is used in combination with the power converter U4.

[0046] The second end of the third resistor R5 is connected to the second end of the second capacitor C3 and the ground GND. The second resistor R2 and the third resistor R5 adjust the output voltage by their resistance ratio, in response to the configuration of the power converter U4.

[0047] The second end of the infrared light LED3 is connected to the ground GND. The power of the infrared light LED3 is 0.1-3W, and it can emit infrared light with a wavelength of 850nm or 940nm. The infrared light LED3 is not integrated with the camera to reduce the size and weight of the camera. The arrangement and emission angle of the lamp beads are optimized to ensure that the light is evenly distributed and covers the field of view of the camera. The lamp beads are focused at 60 degrees. If the lamp beads are too diffuse, the fill light effect will not be obvious. The voltage of the infrared light LED3 is 3.2V, and the proportion of the voltage drop is adjusted by the second resistor R2 and the third resistor R5. Since the maximum power of the infrared light LED3 is only 3 watts, and it will only be turned on when it is dark enough, the infrared light LED3 will not cause too much heat, so it is not necessary to use a heat dissipation device, nor will it increase the temperature in the car or on the face of the person, and will not cause interference (now many technologies will interfere through infrared heat dissipation).

[0048] The installation interface is used to place the fill light system and is compatible with a variety of camera equipment, including a standard hot shoe interface, a universal bracket and an adjustable clamp, which allows users to quickly install and remove the fill light system in different occasions. The installation method is flexible and users can adjust the position and angle of the infrared light as needed.

[0049] It can be seen from the above scheme that this scheme uses multiple infrared LED lights for fill light, which has low power, low energy consumption, low heat generation, high safety performance, and is suitable for application scenarios in cars and computers. Specifically, compared with traditional fill light equipment, this scheme adopts an intelligent adjustment function to optimize power consumption and avoid unnecessary energy waste. When the brightness is high, the infrared light LED3 is turned off. Even if the LED is very power-saving and the infrared rays are invisible, it will still be more economical. Since this scheme is not integrated with the camera, it avoids affecting the size and portability of the camera, and at the same time increases the user's freedom to choose whether to install it or not. The second transistor is used to switch the infrared light on and off in real time to adjust the light brightness, ensuring the best imaging effect of the camera under various light conditions (for infrared rays, turning on the infrared light imaging effect is much better than not), and at the same time extending the use time of the device. The use of low-power infrared light will not irritate the human eye, and also avoids the potential impact of the high temperature environment in the car on the health of users. The power supply interface of this scheme can use USB or USB-C interface, which is convenient for quick installation and disassembly, and is suitable for use in different scenarios such as in front of a computer and in a car.

[0050] The exemplary embodiments of the present invention are specifically shown and described above. It should be understood that the present invention is not limited to the detailed structure, configuration or implementation method described herein; on the contrary, the present invention is intended to cover various modifications and equivalent configurations included in the spirit and scope of the appended claims.

Claims

1. A camera external fill light system based on infrared rays, It is characterized in that Including infrared light fill light circuit and power supply; The power supply is connected to the infrared lamp fill light circuit to provide power; The infrared lamp fill light circuit has one or more infrared lamps. If there are multiple infrared lamps, they are arranged in a dot matrix structure. The infrared lamp is located near the camera.

2. The camera external fill light system according to claim 1, It is characterized in that The infrared light supplementary light circuit includes: a power converter, a switch, an inductor, an infrared light, a second capacitor, a first resistor, a second resistor, a third resistor, a first transistor and a second transistor; The power converter includes an EN interface, a GND interface, a SW interface, a VIN interface, and a FB interface; The first resistor includes a first end and a second end, the second resistor includes a first end and a second end, the third resistor includes a first end and a second end, the second capacitor includes a first end and a second end, the inductor includes a first end and a second end, the infrared lamp includes a first end and a second end, the first transistor includes a base, a collector and an emitter, and the second transistor includes a collector and an emitter; the switch includes a first end and a second end; The EN interface of the power converter is connected to the first end of the switch and the emitter of the first transistor; The GND interface of the power converter is connected to the ground and the collector of the second transistor; The SW interface of the power converter is connected to the first end of the inductor; The VIN interface of the power converter is connected to the power supply, the second end of the switch, the first end of the first resistor, and the collector of the first transistor; The FB interface of the power converter is connected to the second end of the second resistor and the first end of the third resistor; The second end of the first resistor is connected to the base of the first transistor and the emitter of the second transistor; The second end of the inductor is connected to the first end of the second resistor, the first end of the second capacitor, and the first end of the infrared lamp; The second end of the third resistor is connected to the second end of the second capacitor and the ground; The second end of the infrared lamp is connected to the ground.

3. The camera external fill light system according to claim 2, It is characterized in that It also includes a first capacitor; the first capacitor includes a first end and a second end, the first end of the first capacitor is connected to the power supply, and the second end is connected to the ground.

4. The camera external fill light system according to claim 3, It is characterized in that The first capacitor is 22uF.

5. The camera external fill light system according to claim 2, It is characterized in that The power supply is greater than or equal to 3.2V.

6. The camera external fill light system according to claim 2, It is characterized in that The infrared lamp is an LED diode, and the infrared lamp comprises a cathode and an anode. The first end of the infrared lamp is the anode, and the second end is the cathode.

7. The camera external fill light system according to claim 2, It is characterized in that The first resistor is an adjustable resistor with a maximum resistance of 1 kΩ, the second resistor has a resistance of 43 kΩ, and the third resistor has a resistance of 10 kΩ.

8. The camera external fill light system according to claim 2, It is characterized in that The second capacitor is 22uF.

9. The camera external fill light system according to claim 2, It is characterized in that The inductance is 2.2uH.

10. The camera external fill light system according to claim 1, It is characterized in that It also includes a USB interface, which is connected to a power supply and an infrared light supplementary lighting circuit.

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