Bionic pupil system, bionic pupil and bionic pupil control method

Abstract

A bionic pupil system (100), a bionic pupil and a bionic pupil control method. The bionic pupil system (100) comprises: a light-transmitting module (101), which has a first operating state and a second operating state, wherein the first operating state is a light-transmitting state, and the second operating state is an opaque state; an electrode module (102), which comprises a first electrode unit and a second electrode unit that are correspondingly disposed on two sides of the light-transmitting module (101), wherein the first electrode unit comprises a circular electrode (11) and at least one annular electrode (12, 13, 14), and the second electrode unit is grounded; a power supply module (103), which is electrically connected to the first electrode unit and is used for supplying power to the circular electrode (11) and / or the annular electrode (12, 13, 14); and a control module (104), which is used for controlling the power supply module (103) to supply power to the first electrode unit, such that a first region in the light-transmitting module (101) enters the first operating state, and a second region maintains the second operating state, wherein the first region is a region covered by the powered first electrode unit, and the second region is a region outside the first region.

Description

A bionic pupil system, a bionic pupil, and a method for controlling the bionic pupil.

[0001] This application claims priority to Chinese Patent Application No. 202411549165.4, filed on October 31, 2024, entitled "A Bionic Pupil System, a Bionic Pupil and a Method for Controlling a Bionic Pupil", the entire contents of which are incorporated herein by reference. Technical Field

[0002] This disclosure relates to the field of bionic eyes, and more specifically, to a bionic pupil system, a bionic pupil, and a method for controlling the bionic pupil. Background Technology

[0003] In the field of robotics, the application of bionic eyeballs has brought revolutionary improvements to machine vision. By mimicking the structure and function of the human eye, bionic eyeballs endow robots with visual capabilities that are closer to those of the human eye. This capability enables robots to more accurately capture and identify information in their environment, thereby improving the accuracy and efficiency of tasks such as autonomous navigation, object recognition, and target tracking. Furthermore, the spherical structure and wide spectral response range of bionic eyeballs provide a larger field of view and higher image quality when acquiring scene data. In the field of smart glasses testing, bionic eyeballs have also shown great potential. They can serve as a key component of testing equipment to simulate the visual experience of the human eye, helping developers evaluate and optimize the imaging effects, comfort, and interactive performance of smart glasses. Through testing with bionic eyeballs, developers can gain a more accurate understanding of the performance of smart glasses in real-world use, thus providing strong support for their improvement and optimization.

[0004] However, the current limitations in the pupil representation of bionic eyes have impacted their application in robotics and smart glasses testing. Because the pupils of bionic eyes lack sufficient realism, robots may encounter obstacles when simulating human vision. Similarly, in smart glasses testing, the unrealistic pupils of bionic eyes can lead to discrepancies between test results and real user experiences, thus affecting developers' accurate evaluation of smart glasses performance. Therefore, improving the realism and dynamic changes of bionic eye pupils is crucial for promoting their application in related fields. Summary of the Invention

[0005] One object of this disclosure is to provide a bionic pupil system, a bionic pupil, and a method for controlling the bionic pupil. This can make the bionic pupil more realistic.

[0006] According to a first aspect of this disclosure, a bionic pupil system is provided, the bionic pupil system comprising: a light-transmitting module having a first working state and a second working state, wherein the first working state is a light-transmitting state and the second state is an opaque state;

[0007] An electrode module, comprising a first electrode unit and a second electrode unit correspondingly disposed on both sides of the light-transmitting module, wherein the first electrode unit comprises a circular electrode and at least one annular electrode, and the second electrode unit is grounded;

[0008] A power module, electrically connected to the first electrode unit, is used to supply power to the circular electrode and / or the ring electrode;

[0009] The control module is used to control the power module to supply power to the first electrode unit, so that the first region in the light-transmitting module enters a first working state and the second region maintains a second working state, wherein the first region is the area covered by the first electrode unit after being powered, and the second region is the area outside the first region.

[0010] Optionally, the at least one annular electrode is concentrically arranged with the circular electrode, wherein the at least one annular electrode is sequentially sleeved on the outside of the circular electrode, and the electrodes are stacked without overlap.

[0011] Optionally, adjacent annular electrodes in the first electrode unit are connected without overlap by annular insulating material.

[0012] Optionally, the power module includes multiple power supplies, each of which corresponds to an electrode in the first electrode unit.

[0013] Optionally, controlling the power module to supply power to the first electrode unit, so that the first region in the light-transmitting module enters a first working state and the second region maintains a second working state, includes:

[0014] Determine the target diameter of the bionic pupil;

[0015] The electrodes that need to be energized in the first motor unit are determined based on the target diameter;

[0016] The power supply corresponding to the electrode that needs to be energized is controlled among the multiple power supplies to supply power, so that the first area in the light-transmitting module enters the first working state, and the second area remains in the second working state.

[0017] Optionally, the light-transmitting module includes a liquid crystal light-transmitting film, wherein the light transmittance of the liquid crystal light-transmitting film is greater than a first threshold in a first working state and less than a second threshold in a second working state, wherein the first threshold is greater than the second threshold.

[0018] Optionally, the system further includes a light acquisition module for acquiring the intensity of ambient light;

[0019] The processing module is further configured to determine the target diameter of the bionic pupil based on the intensity of the ambient light and a pre-stored first correspondence, wherein the first correspondence is the correspondence between the intensity of the ambient light and the diameter of the human eye pupil.

[0020] According to a second aspect of this disclosure, a method for controlling a bionic pupil is provided. The bionic pupil includes a light-transmitting module and a first electrode unit and a second electrode unit disposed on both sides of the light-transmitting module. The light-transmitting module has a first working state and a second working state, wherein the first working state is a light-transmitting state and the second state is an opaque state. The first electrode unit includes a circular electrode with a diameter smaller than a first threshold and a plurality of annular electrodes concentrically disposed with respect to the circular electrode. The plurality of annular electrodes are sequentially sleeved outside the circular electrode, and the electrodes are stacked without overlap. The second electrode unit is grounded. The method includes:

[0021] Determine the target diameter of the bionic pupil;

[0022] The electrodes that need to be energized in the first motor unit are determined based on the target diameter;

[0023] Power is supplied to the electrode that needs to be energized from among multiple power sources, so that the first region in the light-transmitting module enters a first working state and the second region remains in a second working state. The multiple power sources correspond one-to-one with the electrodes in the first electrode unit. The first region is the area covered by the first electrode unit after being powered, and the second region is the area outside the first region.

[0024] Optionally, determining the target diameter of the bionic pupil includes:

[0025] Collect the intensity of ambient light;

[0026] The target diameter of the bionic pupil is determined based on the intensity of the ambient light and a pre-stored first correspondence, wherein the first correspondence is the correspondence between the intensity of the ambient light and the diameter of the human eye pupil.

[0027] According to a third aspect of this disclosure, a bionic eyeball is provided, comprising a bionic pupil system as described in any of the first aspects, or a processor and a memory, wherein the memory stores computer instructions that, when executed by the processor, implement the steps of the method of the second aspect.

[0028] One technical advantage of this disclosure is that it provides a bionic pupil system in which the control module can control the power module to supply power to the circular electrode in the first electrode unit and selectively supply power to the ring electrode, thereby adjusting the size of the light-transmitting area of ​​the light-transmitting module and realizing the function of adjusting the size of the pupil, making the bionic pupil more realistic and flexible.

[0029] Other features and advantages of the embodiments of this disclosure will become clear from the following detailed description of exemplary embodiments with reference to the accompanying drawings. Attached Figure Description

[0030] The accompanying drawings, which form part of this specification, illustrate embodiments of the present disclosure and, together with the specification, serve to explain the principles of the embodiments of the present disclosure.

[0031] Figure 1 is a schematic diagram of a bionic pupil system according to an embodiment;

[0032] Figure 2 is a cross-sectional view of the light-transmitting module of a bionic pupil system according to one embodiment;

[0033] Figure 3 is a top view of the first electrode unit of a bionic pupil system according to one embodiment;

[0034] Figure 4 is a cross-sectional view of the light-transmitting module of a bionic pupil system according to one embodiment;

[0035] Figure 5 is a flowchart of a bionic pupil control method according to one embodiment. Detailed Implementation

[0036] Various exemplary embodiments of the present disclosure will now be described in detail with reference to the accompanying drawings. It should be noted that, unless otherwise specifically stated, the relative arrangement, numerical expressions, and values ​​of the components and steps set forth in these embodiments do not limit the scope of the invention.

[0037] The following description of at least one exemplary embodiment is merely illustrative and is in no way intended to limit the invention or its application or use.

[0038] Technologies and equipment known to those skilled in the art may not be discussed in detail, but where appropriate, such technologies and equipment should be considered part of the specification.

[0039] In all the examples shown and discussed herein, any specific values ​​should be interpreted as merely exemplary and not as limitations. Therefore, other examples of exemplary embodiments may have different values.

[0040] It should be noted that similar labels and letters in the following figures indicate similar items; therefore, once an item is defined in one figure, it does not need to be discussed further in subsequent figures.

[0041] This application provides a bionic pupil system 100, as shown in FIG1, comprising: a light-transmitting module 101 having a first working state and a second working state, wherein the first working state is a light-transmitting state and the second state is an opaque state; an electrode module 102 including a first electrode unit and a second electrode unit correspondingly disposed on both sides of the light-transmitting module, wherein the first electrode unit includes a circular electrode and at least one annular electrode, and the second electrode unit is grounded; a power supply module 103 electrically connected to the first electrode unit for supplying power to the circular electrode and / or the annular electrode; and a control module 104 for controlling the power supply module to supply power to the first electrode unit, so that a first region in the light-transmitting module enters the first working state and a second region maintains the second working state, wherein the first region is the area covered by the first electrode unit after being powered, and the second region is the area outside the first region.

[0042] In this embodiment, the light-transmitting module in the bionic pupil system may include a light-transmitting film with two operating states, such as a light-transmitting state and an opaque state. This film can transmit light under the influence of an electric field. In this example, the material of the light-transmitting film may be a special resin material or composite material, such as a liquid crystal light-transmitting film. Liquid crystal molecules can be deflected under the influence of an electric field, thereby changing the light transmittance.

[0043] In one example of this embodiment, the light-transmitting module includes a liquid crystal light-transmitting film. The liquid crystal light-transmitting film has a light transmittance greater than a first threshold in a first operating state and a light transmittance less than a second threshold in a second operating state. The first threshold is greater than the second threshold.

[0044] In this example, the light-transmitting module may include a liquid crystal light-transmitting film. The liquid crystal molecules in the film can shift under the influence of an electric field, thereby changing its light transmittance. In this embodiment, the first threshold can be a large value, allowing its light transmittance to reach the level of the human eye pupil. The second threshold can be a low value, causing parts of the liquid crystal light-transmitting film not under the influence of an electric field to be opaque. In one example, the first threshold is 80%, and the second threshold is 20%.

[0045] In one example of this embodiment, the electrode module may include a first electrode power supply and a second electrode unit disposed on both sides of the light-transmitting module, as shown in Figures 2 and 3. Figure 2 is a cross-sectional view of the light-transmitting module of the bionic pupil system, and Figure 3 is a top view of the first electrode unit. The first electrode unit and the second electrode unit are located on opposite sides of the liquid crystal light-transmitting film. The second electrode unit can completely cover one side of the light-transmitting module and be grounded. The first electrode power supply may include a circular electrode 11 and at least one annular electrode, such as electrode 12, 13, or 14. In this embodiment, when the first electrode unit is energized, an electric field is generated between the energized first electrode unit and the second electrode unit, causing the light-transmitting module covered by the energized first electrode power supply to enter a light-transmitting state.

[0046] In one example of this embodiment, at least one annular electrode is concentrically arranged with a circular electrode, wherein at least one annular electrode is sequentially sleeved on the outside of the circular electrode, and the electrodes are stacked without overlap.

[0047] As shown in Figure 3, in this embodiment, when multiple annular electrodes are present, the diameters of these annular electrodes can increase sequentially, and they are sequentially nested around the circular electrode without overlapping. In this embodiment, the diameter of the circular electrode can be smaller than a preset diameter threshold, which can be the minimum diameter of the human pupil. In one example, the preset diameter threshold can be 1.5 mm. In this embodiment, the difference between the inner and outer diameters of each annular electrode is set as needed, for example, 20 μm or 0.1 mm. By setting this difference, the step size of the bionic pupil change can be adjusted under the control of the control module.

[0048] In this embodiment, the electrodes in the first electrode unit and the second electrode unit can be ITO (Indium Tin Oxide) electrodes or electrodes made of other highly transparent materials.

[0049] In one example of this embodiment, adjacent annular electrodes in the first electrode unit are connected without overlap by annular insulating material.

[0050] In this embodiment, an annular insulating material can be provided between each electrode of the first electrode unit. The annular insulating material can be a high-resistivity insulating material. In this embodiment, the difference between the inner diameter and the outer diameter of the annular insulating material can be minimized while still satisfying the isolation function; that is, the annular insulating material should be as thin as possible. As shown in Figure 2, in the first electrode unit, an annular insulating material is provided between electrodes 11, 12, 13, and 14, i.e., the black part in the figure, and this part isolates each electrode from the others.

[0051] In another example, instead of using a ring-shaped insulating material, the electrodes can be spaced apart, meaning they are not tightly fitted together, to avoid interference between them.

[0052] In this embodiment, the power supply module is electrically connected to the first electrode unit and can supply power to any one of the electrodes in the first electrode unit. In this example, the power supply module may include a power source connected in parallel to multiple electrodes, and multiple control switches are set in the parallel circuit. The control module can control the opening and closing of the switches to control whether the electrode unit is energized.

[0053] In another example, the power module includes multiple power supplies, each corresponding to an electrode in the first electrode unit.

[0054] In this example, as shown in Figure 2, each electrode in the first electrode unit can correspond to an independent power source. In this example, circular electrode 11 corresponds to power source U1, ring electrode 12 corresponds to U2, ring electrode 13 corresponds to U3, and ring electrode 14 corresponds to U4. The control module can control whether power sources U1-U4 are powered. When U1 and U4 are powered, an electric field is generated between the first and second electrode units, causing light to pass through the corresponding areas of the light-transmitting module, creating an effect similar to a pupil. In one example, the control module can control only the circular electrode to be powered.

[0055] In this example, through the aforementioned bionic pupil system, the control module can control the power module to supply power to the circular electrode in the first electrode unit, and selectively supply power to the ring electrode, thereby adjusting the size of the light-transmitting area of ​​the light-transmitting module, realizing the function of adjusting the pupil size, making the bionic pupil more realistic and flexible.

[0056] In one example of this embodiment, the control power module supplies power to the first electrode unit, so that the first region in the light-transmitting module enters a first working state and the second region maintains a second working state. This includes: determining the target diameter of the bionic pupil; determining the electrode in the first motor unit that needs to be energized based on the target diameter; and controlling the power supply corresponding to the electrode that needs to be energized from among multiple power supplies to supply power, so that the first region in the light-transmitting module enters the first working state and the second region maintains the second working state.

[0057] In this embodiment, the control module can determine the target diameter of the bionic pupil based on user input or other methods. After determining the target diameter of the bionic pupil, the electrodes in the power supply that need to be energized can be determined based on the target diameter. For example, as shown in Figure 2, if the target diameter is 2mm, and the diameter of the circular electrode 11 in the first electrode unit is 2mm, then the power supply of the circular electrode in the multiple power supplies can be determined, while the other power supplies are not powered. This causes the liquid crystal molecules in the circular region of the light-transmitting module corresponding to the circular electrode 11 to deflect and enter a light-transmitting state. For example, if the target diameter is 3mm, the diameter of the circular electrode 11 is 2mm, the outer diameter of the first annular electrode 12 fitted outside the circular electrode is 3mm, the outer diameter of the second annular electrode 13 is 4mm, and the outer diameter of the third annular electrode 13 is 5mm, as shown in Figure 4, then it can be determined that among the multiple power sources, the power source corresponding to the circular electrode 11 and the first annular electrode 12 is powered, while the other power sources are not powered. This causes the liquid crystal molecules in the regions corresponding to all electrodes within the first annular electrode 12 to deflect and enter a light-transmitting state, while the light-transmitting modules corresponding to the annular electrodes 13 and 14 are in an opaque state, thus realizing the function of a bionic pupil with a diameter of 3mm.

[0058] In one example of this embodiment, the system further includes a light acquisition module for acquiring the intensity of ambient light; the processing module is also used to determine the target diameter of the bionic pupil based on the intensity of ambient light and a pre-stored first correspondence, wherein the first correspondence is the correspondence between the intensity of ambient light and the diameter of the human eye pupil.

[0059] In one embodiment, a high-sensitivity light intensity sensor can be used in the light acquisition module to accurately acquire the intensity of ambient light. The sensor converts the acquired light intensity signal into an electrical signal and transmits it to the processing module. In another example, an image can be acquired via a camera, and the ambient light intensity can be acquired based on the image. The first correspondence can be obtained in advance through experiments or simulations, describing the true correspondence between ambient light intensity and the diameter of the human pupil. The control module can determine the size of the target diameter that needs to be transmitted through the bionic pupil based on this correspondence, and then subsequently control the bionic pupil to transmit light according to this diameter.

[0060] This application also provides a method for controlling a bionic pupil, as shown in Figure 5. The method includes:

[0061] Step S11: Determine the target diameter of the bionic pupil;

[0062] Step S12: Determine the electrodes in the first motor unit that need to be energized based on the target diameter;

[0063] Step S13: Control the power supply corresponding to the electrode that needs to be energized from among the multiple power supplies to supply power, so that the first area in the light-transmitting module enters the first working state and the second area remains in the second working state. The multiple power supplies correspond one-to-one with the electrodes in the first electrode unit. The first area is the area covered by the first electrode unit after being energized, and the second area is the area outside the first area.

[0064] Optionally, determining the target diameter of the bionic pupil includes: acquiring the intensity of ambient light; and determining the target diameter of the bionic pupil based on the intensity of ambient light and a pre-stored first correspondence, wherein the first correspondence is the correspondence between the intensity of ambient light and the diameter of the human eye pupil.

[0065] This application also provides a bionic eyeball, including any of the bionic pupil systems in the bionic pupil system embodiments; or, including a processor and a memory, wherein the memory stores computer instructions, and when the computer instructions are executed by the processor, they implement the steps of any of the methods in the bionic pupil control method.

[0066] The various embodiments in this specification are described in parallel or progressive manner. Each embodiment focuses on its differences from other embodiments, and the same or similar parts between the embodiments can be referred to mutually. For the apparatus disclosed in the embodiments, since it corresponds to the method disclosed in the embodiments, the description is relatively simple; relevant parts can be found in the method section.

[0067] Those skilled in the art will also understand that the units and algorithm steps of the various examples described in conjunction with the embodiments disclosed herein can be implemented in electronic hardware, computer software, or a combination of both. To clearly illustrate the interchangeability of hardware and software, the components and steps of each example have been generally described in terms of functionality in the foregoing description. Whether these functions are implemented in hardware or software depends on the specific application and design constraints of the technical solution. Those skilled in the art can use different methods to implement the described functions for each specific application, but such implementation should not be considered beyond the scope of this application.

[0068] The steps of the methods or algorithms described in conjunction with the embodiments disclosed herein can be implemented directly by hardware, a software module executed by a processor, or a combination of both. The software module can be located in random access memory (RAM), main memory, read-only memory (ROM), electrically programmable ROM, electrically erasable programmable ROM, registers, hard disk, removable disk, CD-ROM, or any other form of storage medium known in the art.

[0069] It should also be noted that, in this document, relational terms such as "first" and "second" are used only to distinguish one entity or operation from another, and do not necessarily require or imply any such actual relationship or order between these entities or operations. Furthermore, the terms "comprising," "including," or any other variations thereof are intended to cover non-exclusive inclusion, such that a process, method, article, or apparatus that comprises a list of elements includes not only those elements but also other elements not expressly listed, or elements inherent to such a process, method, article, or apparatus. Without further limitations, an element defined by the phrase "comprising one..." does not exclude the presence of other identical elements in the process, method, article, or apparatus that includes said element.

Claims

1. A biomimetic pupil system, characterized in that, include: A light-transmitting module, which has a first working state and a second working state, wherein the first working state is a light-transmitting state and the second state is an opaque state; An electrode module, comprising a first electrode unit and a second electrode unit correspondingly disposed on both sides of the light-transmitting module, wherein the first electrode unit comprises a circular electrode and at least one annular electrode, and the second electrode unit is grounded; A power module, electrically connected to the first electrode unit, is used to supply power to the circular electrode and / or the ring electrode; The control module is used to control the power module to supply power to the first electrode unit, so that the first region in the light-transmitting module enters a first working state and the second region maintains a second working state, wherein the first region is the area covered by the first electrode unit after being powered, and the second region is the area outside the first region.

2. The system of claim 1, wherein, The at least one annular electrode is concentrically arranged with the circular electrode, wherein the at least one annular electrode is sequentially sleeved on the outside of the circular electrode, and the electrodes are stacked without overlap.

3. The system of claim 2, wherein, In the first electrode unit, adjacent annular electrodes are connected to each other and to the central circular electrode without overlap by annular insulating material.

4. The system of claim 3, wherein, The power module includes multiple power supplies, each of which corresponds to an electrode in the first electrode unit.

5. The system of claim 4, wherein, The control of the power module to supply power to the first electrode unit, so that the first region in the light-transmitting module enters a first working state and the second region maintains a second working state, includes: Determine the target diameter of the bionic pupil; The electrodes that need to be energized in the first motor unit are determined based on the target diameter; The power supply corresponding to the electrode that needs to be energized is controlled among the multiple power supplies to supply power, so that the first area in the light-transmitting module enters the first working state, and the second area remains in the second working state.

6. The system of claim 1, wherein, The light-transmitting module includes a liquid crystal light-transmitting film. The light transmittance of the liquid crystal light-transmitting film is greater than a first threshold in a first working state and less than a second threshold in a second working state, wherein the first threshold is greater than the second threshold.

7. The system of claim 5, wherein, The system also includes a light acquisition module for acquiring the intensity of ambient light; The processing module is further configured to determine the target diameter of the bionic pupil based on the intensity of the ambient light and a pre-stored first correspondence, wherein the first correspondence is the correspondence between the intensity of the ambient light and the diameter of the human eye pupil.

8. A control method of a bionic pupil, characterized in that, The bionic pupil includes a light-transmitting module and a first electrode unit and a second electrode unit disposed on both sides of the light-transmitting module. The light-transmitting module has a first working state and a second working state, wherein the first working state is a light-transmitting state and the second state is an opaque state. The first electrode unit includes a circular electrode with a diameter smaller than a first threshold and a plurality of annular electrodes concentrically disposed with respect to the circular electrode. The plurality of annular electrodes are sequentially sleeved outside the circular electrode, and the electrodes are stacked without overlap. The second electrode unit is grounded. The method includes: Determine the target diameter of the bionic pupil; The electrodes that need to be energized in the first motor unit are determined based on the target diameter; Power is supplied to the electrode that needs to be energized from among multiple power sources, so that the first region in the light-transmitting module enters a first working state and the second region remains in a second working state. The multiple power sources correspond one-to-one with the electrodes in the first electrode unit. The first region is the area covered by the first electrode unit after being powered, and the second region is the area outside the first region.

9. The control method according to claim 8, characterized in that, Determining the target diameter of the bionic pupil includes: Collect the intensity of ambient light; The target diameter of the bionic pupil is determined based on the intensity of the ambient light and a pre-stored first correspondence, wherein the first correspondence is the correspondence between the intensity of the ambient light and the diameter of the human eye pupil.

10. A bionic eyeball, characterized in that, Includes the bionic pupil system according to any one of claims 1-7; or includes a processor and a memory, wherein the memory stores computer instructions that, when executed by the processor, implement the steps of the method according to claim 8 or 9.

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