Camera Sensor Tracking for Celestial Object Imaging
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing methods for long exposure astrophotography require expensive and cumbersome equatorial mounts with complex adjustments, and digital cameras used for image synthesis have inferior image registration accuracy and slow processing speeds, making it impractical to capture still images of celestial objects without these systems.
Innovation Solution
A method and camera system that automatically tracks celestial objects by performing preliminary photography to calculate their movement direction and speed, allowing the image sensor to move and rotate accordingly to maintain a stationary image on the sensor during long exposure, eliminating the need for an equatorial mount and enabling still image capture with a fixed camera.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Measurement precision
If an equatorial mount with auto tracking system is used to capture still images of celestial objects in long exposure astrophotography, then the celestial object appears stationary in the captured image, but the device becomes expensive, heavy, and difficult to handle requiring complicated polar alignment procedures
Solution Approach 1:
The patent extracts the tracking function from the complex equatorial mount system and implements it through software processing of multiple fixed-camera images. By taking out the mechanical tracking component and replacing it with computational methods, the system achieves stationary celestial object imaging without requiring expensive equatorial mounts and complex polar alignment procedures.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent replaces the mechanical equatorial mount system with a digital image processing system. Instead of using mechanical tracking to keep celestial objects stationary during long exposure, the system captures multiple images with a fixed camera and uses computational algorithms to correct the positions of celestial objects, substituting mechanical complexity with software-based solutions.
2Ease of operation
If a fixed digital camera is used to photograph celestial objects multiple times and then synthesize the images, then the device becomes simpler and easier to handle, but the image registration accuracy becomes inferior and processing speed becomes slow
Solution Approach 1:
The patent applies preliminary action by capturing multiple images at predetermined time intervals before the actual long exposure photographing. These preliminary images are used to calculate the movement trajectory of celestial objects in advance, which then guides the image synthesis process. This preliminary calculation enables efficient and accurate position correction during the actual photographing operation.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent implements feedback by using the preliminary images to calculate celestial object movement and then applying this information to correct positions during image synthesis. The system continuously references the calculated trajectories to maintain accurate registration, creating a feedback loop that improves both accuracy and processing efficiency.
3Reliability
If multiple images are synthesized to obtain still images of celestial objects, then the ability to capture stationary celestial objects improves, but the image registration accuracy becomes inferior and processing becomes slow
Solution Approach 1:
The patent performs preliminary photographing to calculate celestial object movement trajectories before the actual image synthesis. By pre-calculating the movement paths based on preliminary images, the system establishes accurate reference data that guides the subsequent image registration process, ensuring high precision when synthesizing multiple images into still images.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent applies dynamics by calculating the movement trajectories of celestial objects based on their apparent motion across the sky during the observation period. The system dynamically adjusts the position correction for each image based on the calculated trajectories, enabling accurate registration that accounts for the changing positions of celestial objects throughout the observation sequence.
Applied Scientific Principles
This section explains which scientific principles are used to turn an abstract innovation direction into a practical engineering solution.
Function Achieved in This Case
Enables the capture of still images of celestial objects without an equatorial mount, improving image registration accuracy and processing speed, making long exposure astrophotography more accessible and practical with a fixed camera setup.
Implementation Method 1
a celestial object image, which is formed on an imaging surface of an image sensor via a photographing optical system
Implementation Method 2
moves relative to a photographic apparatus due to diurnal motion so that a celestial object image, which is formed on an imaging surface of an image sensor via a photographing optical system, becomes stationary relative to a predetermined imaging area of the imaging surface
Data Source
AI summary
A method of automatically tracking and photographing a celestial object so that the celestial object image, which is formed on an imaging surface of an image sensor via a photographing optical system, becomes stationary relative to a predetermined imaging area of the imaging surface of the image sensor during a tracking and photographing operation. The method includes performing a preliminary photographing operation at a predetermined preliminary-photographing exposure time with the photographic apparatus directed toward the celestial object and with a celestial-body auto tracking action suspended to obtain a preliminary image before automatically tracking and photographing the celestial object, calculating a moving direction and a moving speed of the celestial object image from the preliminary image that is obtained by the preliminary photographing operation, and automatically tracking and photographing the celestial object based on the moving direction and the moving speed of the celestial object image.