Aperture Simulation via Sensor Pixel Weighting
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Solution Overview
Problem
Digital cameras without mechanically adjustable apertures struggle to provide users with control over depth of field, as they rely solely on fixed aperture settings, limiting creative flexibility in capturing images with varying depth of field effects.
Innovation Solution
A mobile device with an image sensor panel comprising first and second sensor pixels of different color-filter-independent-photosensitivity, allowing processors to assign greater weights to first sensor pixels and lesser weights to second sensor pixels based on the received aperture level, simulating the effects of different aperture settings to produce images with varying depth of field.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Device complexity
If a fixed aperture setting is used in digital cameras without mechanically adjustable apertures, then device complexity is reduced, but adaptability deteriorates because users cannot control depth of field
Solution Approach 1:
The patent replaces the mechanical aperture adjustment system with a computational approach. The image processing system uses software algorithms to simulate different aperture effects by processing images from sensor pixels with different photosensitivity characteristics, eliminating the need for mechanical moving parts while achieving the same functional outcome of depth of field control
Solution Approach 2:
The patent creates multiple virtual copies of the aperture function through software. By processing images from sensor pixels with different photosensitivity as if they were captured through different physical apertures, the system generates multiple aperture-level versions of the same scene, allowing users to select the desired depth of field effect without physical aperture mechanisms
2Adaptability or versatility
If multiple sensor pixels with different photosensitivity are used, then adaptability improves for simulating different aperture levels, but device complexity increases due to additional processing requirements
Solution Approach 1:
The patent segments the image processing task by dividing the sensor panel into different types of sensor pixels with distinct photosensitivity characteristics. Each type of sensor pixel is processed separately through specific algorithms, allowing the system to handle different aperture level simulations in an organized, modular manner that manages complexity through structured division of processing tasks
Solution Approach 2:
The patent changes the photosensitivity parameter of sensor pixels to create different response characteristics. By varying the photosensitivity of different sensor pixels and applying corresponding processing parameters, the system can simulate multiple aperture levels from a single captured image, achieving adaptability through parameter variation rather than physical aperture changes
3Adaptability or versatility
If aperture simulation processing is performed, then adaptability improves for creative control, but loss of time increases due to additional image processing steps
Solution Approach 1:
The patent performs preliminary action by capturing the scene with sensor pixels of different photosensitivity simultaneously during the initial image capture. This pre-processing approach stores multiple aperture-level information in a single capture, allowing rapid generation of different depth of field effects later without requiring additional capture time or extensive processing of multiple separate images
Data Source
AI summary
Image processing can include receiving an aperture level and producing a full-color image. The full-color image can be produced by assigning a greater weight to first sensor pixels and assigning a lesser weight to second sensor pixels based on the received aperture level. The greater weight can exceed the lesser weight. An image sensor panel can include the first sensor pixels and the second sensor pixels. Each of the first sensor pixels can have a first color-filter-independent-photosensitivity (CFIP) and each of the second sensor pixels having a second CFIP. The first CFIP can be larger or smaller than the second CFIP.