Astrophotography Imaging Area Tracking with Pre-calculated Movement Data
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing celestial-object auto-tracking photography methods require high-performance CPUs to set exposure times accurately, making them inefficient for low-powered CPUs and prone to exceeding the imaging area's movement range, which limits the duration of long exposure times.
Innovation Solution
A method that calculates theoretical linear and rotational movement amounts of the imaging area based on celestial object motion, compares these with actual movable amounts stored in a data table, and adjusts exposure times to ensure the imaging area remains within its movement range, allowing for longer exposure times even with low-powered CPUs.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Measurement precision
If a high-performance CPU is used to compute tracking information at practical speed, then exposure time setting precision is improved, but device cost and complexity increase
Solution Approach 1:
The patent pre-calculates and stores tracking information (movement amounts and rotational angle amounts) in a data table before actual photography. This allows the CPU to simply retrieve pre-computed values during exposure time setting, rather than performing complex real-time calculations, thereby reducing CPU performance requirements while maintaining precision
Solution Approach 2:
The patent creates a data table in advance that contains pre-computed tracking parameters for various exposure times. This preparatory data structure cushions the CPU from having to perform heavy calculations during actual photo capture, allowing low-powered CPUs to handle the task efficiently
2Duration of action of moving object
If the imaging area movement range is increased to allow longer exposure times, then the imaging area may exceed its mechanical movement limits
Solution Approach 1:
The patent pre-calculates the maximum exposure time by comparing required movement amounts with actual movement range limits stored in the data table. This preliminary calculation ensures that the determined exposure time will not exceed the imaging area's mechanical movement capabilities, preventing reliability issues
Solution Approach 2:
The patent uses feedback from the data table containing actual movement range information to adjust and determine the maximum exposure time. By continuously referencing the pre-stored movement limits, the system ensures that exposure time settings remain within reliable operational boundaries
3Speed
If the CPU computes tracking data beyond the operable exposure time range, then calculation speed is improved, but CPU load increases wastefully
Solution Approach 1:
The patent pre-determines the maximum operable exposure time based on the imaging area's movement range and stores this limit in the data table. The CPU uses this pre-established boundary to stop calculations, avoiding wasteful computation beyond the useful range while maintaining practical calculation speed
Solution Approach 2:
The patent performs calculations only up to the point where they become useful (within the operable exposure time range), rather than computing excessively beyond limits. This partial action approach optimizes CPU efficiency by eliminating redundant calculations while maintaining adequate calculation speed
Data Source
AI summary
A method of automatically tracking and photographing a celestial object, which moves due to diurnal motion, while moving an imaging area on an imaging surface of an image sensor so that an image of the celestial object becomes stationary, includes calculating theoretical linear movement amounts and a theoretical rotational angle amount of the imaging area per a specified time; obtaining a movable-amount data table which stores data on actual linearly-movable amounts and an actual rotatable amount of the imaging area; and setting an exposure time for completing a celestial-object autotracking photographing operation while moving the imaging area within the range of movement thereof by comparing the theoretical linear movement amounts and the theoretical rotational angle amount with the actual linearly-movable amounts and the actual rotatable amount of the imaging area stored in the movable-amount data table.