Composite Flash for Mobile Devices
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Solution Overview
Problem
Mobile devices equipped with flashes face color balance issues when capturing images under varying ambient lighting conditions, as their single light source color spectrum often fails to match the diverse ambient light sources, leading to color discrepancies in recorded images.
Innovation Solution
Incorporating a dual light source system comprising a white light source and a red light source, with a processor module that determines the intensity of each light to combine their spectra and match the ambient light spectrum, ensuring accurate color representation in images.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Device complexity
If a single light source flash is used, then the device complexity is reduced, but the color balance accuracy deteriorates under varying ambient lighting conditions
Solution Approach 1:
The flash is segmented into multiple independent light sources with different color temperatures (e.g., warm white LED and cool white LED, or white LED and yellow LED). Each light source can be independently controlled to emit light with specific intensity, allowing the combined spectrum to match various ambient lighting conditions and achieve accurate color balance.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent uses composite light sources combining different types of LEDs (e.g., white LED with yellow LED, or warm white LED with cool white LED) to create a composite flash system. This composite approach allows the combination of different spectral characteristics to match the ambient light spectrum, resolving the color balance issue while maintaining reasonable device complexity.
2Adaptability or versatility
If a dual light source system is implemented, then the color spectrum matching capability is improved, but the device complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The flash control system dynamically adjusts the intensity ratio of different light sources based on detected ambient lighting conditions. The processor analyzes the ambient light spectrum and automatically determines the optimal combination of light source intensities, making the flash adaptable to various lighting environments without requiring manual intervention or complex mechanical adjustments.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent changes the operational parameters (intensity ratios) of different light sources to match the spectral characteristics of ambient light. By varying the intensity parameters of each LED type based on ambient conditions, the system achieves versatile adaptation to different lighting environments while using a fixed dual-light-source hardware configuration.
3Measurement precision
If multiple light sources with different intensities are used, then the color balance accuracy is improved, but the energy consumption increases
Solution Approach 1:
The system uses partial action by selectively activating only the necessary light sources and adjusting their intensities to the minimum required levels to achieve adequate color balance. Rather than operating all light sources at maximum intensity, the processor calculates the optimal partial activation levels based on ambient lighting conditions, reducing energy consumption while maintaining color accuracy.
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
The dual light source system effectively adjusts the flash's color spectrum to match ambient lighting, reducing color discrepancies and enhancing the realism of captured images by providing a more accurate color balance, regardless of the ambient light type.
Implementation Method 1
a white light source and a red light source, wherein the processor module is configured to determine an intensity of the red light such that when combined with an associated intensity of the white light
Data Source
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AI summary
An apparatus and method for capturing an image on a mobile device (100) having a flash module (200) comprising a red light source (204) and a white light source (202) is presented herein. A detection of a color spectrum of ambient light (160) is made using image data sensed by an image sensor (210). Additionally, a determination of an intensity of red light when combined with an associated intensity of white light results in a color spectrum that substantially matches the color spectrum of the ambient light (160). The flash module (200) emits white light from the white light source (202) of the flash and red light from the red light source (204) of the flash module (200). An image from a camera module (220) is recorded during the emission of the white and red light.