Compressive Imaging Camera Using Random Projections
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Solution Overview
Problem
Conventional digital imaging and video acquisition methods require large amounts of raw data, which are expensive to acquire and computationally demanding to compress, and often result in power inefficiencies and delayed image capture in camera monitoring applications.
Innovation Solution
The development of a camera architecture that uses Compressive Imaging (CI) techniques to directly acquire random projections of images or videos, allowing for reconstruction with fewer measurements and enabling continuous low-power monitoring with the ability to increase data acquisition rate as needed, using a small number of detectors and adaptive measurement schemes.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Measurement precision
If conventional digital imaging methods are used to acquire images, then image quality is maintained, but large amounts of raw data are generated requiring expensive acquisition and computationally demanding compression
Solution Approach 1:
The patent extracts only the essential information from the image by using a single detector to measure random projections rather than capturing all pixel data. The compressive sensing algorithm then reconstructs the image from these minimal measurements, effectively extracting only the necessary information while discarding redundant data.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent changes the measurement parameter from capturing N pixel values to capturing M random projections where M << N. This parameter change in the measurement space allows reconstruction of the original image with far fewer measurements by exploiting the sparsity of the image in some transform domain.
2Productivity
If conventional camera architectures are used, then full-rate image capture is achieved, but power consumption increases and lag-time occurs in monitoring applications
Solution Approach 1:
The patent enables dynamic adaptation of the measurement rate. The system can operate at low measurement rates during normal monitoring conditions and switch to high measurement rates when events of interest occur, eliminating the need for continuous full-rate operation and reducing overall power consumption while maintaining productivity when needed.
Solution Approach 2:
The compressive sensing system allows the camera to self-adjust its operation mode based on the application requirements. By using a single detector with random projection measurements, the system can continuously monitor at low power and immediately increase capture rate when needed, without requiring external control or supplementary sensors.
Data Source
AI summary
A new digital image/video camera that directly acquires random projections of the incident light field without first collecting the pixels/voxels. In one preferred embodiment, the camera employs a digital micromirror array to perform optical calculations of linear projections of an image onto pseudorandom binary patterns. Its hallmarks include the ability to obtain an image with only a single detection element while measuring the image/video fewer times than the number of pixels or voxels—this can significantly reduce the computation required for image/video acquisition/encoding. Since the system features a single photon detector, it can also be adapted to image at wavelengths that are currently impossible with conventional CCD and CMOS imagers.