Actuator Camera Jitter Mitigation via Dynamic Image Cropping

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Solution Overview

Problem

Mechanical limitations in actuator-driven camera systems result in unpleasant jitter in video imagery due to discontinuities in camera orientation, affecting user experience and automated system performance.

Innovation Solution

A system that combines mechanical motion of a moveable camera portion with dynamic image cropping, using sensors to determine offset data and adjust the cropped image boundary to mitigate jitter, ensuring the camera maintains its intended orientation and reduces frame-to-frame inconsistencies.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Adaptability or versatility

If actuators are used to move the camera to different orientations, then the camera can change its viewing direction, but mechanical limitations cause jitter in the video imagery

Engineering Contradiction:

Improvecamera orientation changeVSAvoidvideo imagery stability

Core Design Contradiction:

Adaptability or versatilityVSReliability

Solution Approach 1:

The patent replaces mechanical stabilization with electronic image processing. Instead of using additional mechanical components to physically stabilize the camera, the system captures raw images and uses electronic cropping and coordinate transformation to eliminate jitter artifacts, substituting mechanical complexity with computational methods

Inventive Principle:

Principle #28Mechanics substitution (Replace mechanical system)

Solution Approach 2:

The patent introduces an intermediary processing step between image capture and output. A coordinate transformation module acts as an intermediary that maps pixels from the raw image to a stabilized output image, mediating the effect of mechanical jitter on the final video imagery

Inventive Principle:

Principle #24Intermediary (Mediator)

2Productivity

If the actuator operates to change camera orientation, then the camera can follow moving subjects, but discontinuities in actuator operation create frame-to-frame inconsistencies

Engineering Contradiction:

Improvesubject tracking capabilityVSAvoidframe-to-frame consistency

Core Design Contradiction:

ProductivityVSManufacturing precision

Solution Approach 1:

The patent implements feedback by using sensors to detect the actual camera orientation and comparing it with the intended orientation. This feedback information is used to calculate compensation parameters that correct for discrepancies between commanded and actual camera positions, improving frame-to-frame consistency

Inventive Principle:

Principle #23Feedback

Solution Approach 2:

The patent performs preliminary coordinate transformation and image cropping before final image output. By pre-calculating the stabilization parameters based on detected camera orientation and applying transformations in advance, the system prepares compensated images that maintain consistency across frames

Inventive Principle:

Principle #10Preliminary action

Data Source

PatentUS11265469B1System to mitigate image jitter by an actuator driven camera

Publication Date: 2022.03.01 AMAZON TECH INC

AI summary

A device has a camera that is moveable by one or more actuators. During operation the camera moves. For example, the camera may move to follow a user as they move within the physical space. Mechanical limitations result in the camera movement exhibiting discontinuities, such as small jerks or steps from one orientation to another while panning. If the camera is acquiring video data while moving, the resulting video data may appear jittery and be unpleasant for a user to view. An offset is determined between an intended orientation of the camera at a specified time and an actual orientation of the camera at that time. A portion of raw image data acquired at the specified time is cropped using the offset to produce cropped image data that is free from jitter due to the movement discontinuities.