Differential Camera Object Tracking With Pulsed Brightness Sampling
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Solution Overview
Problem
Conventional object tracking systems require high bandwidth and power budgets, making them unsuitable for devices with small form factors and low power budgets.
Innovation Solution
A differential camera system that uses off-axis and co-aligned light sources to asynchronously output data samples based on changes in brightness, reducing the need for continuous image processing and lowering energy and computational requirements.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If conventional object tracking systems use cameras to image entire scenes, then object tracking capability is achieved, but bandwidth requirements and power budgets become excessively high
Solution Approach 1:
The system extracts only the essential information needed for tracking by using differential imaging to capture only changes in the scene rather than transmitting or processing complete images. This removes unnecessary data (the static background) while retaining the critical moving object information, significantly reducing bandwidth and power requirements
Solution Approach 2:
The tracking system segments the scene into static background and dynamic foreground elements. By separating these components through differential imaging between consecutive frames, the system processes only the segmented dynamic portions rather than the entire scene, reducing computational and energy demands while maintaining tracking reliability
2Measurement precision
If conventional object tracking systems process entire images continuously, then tracking accuracy is maintained, but device form factor must be large and power consumption high
Solution Approach 1:
The system extracts only the differential information (changes between frames) rather than processing complete images. This extraction approach maintains tracking precision by focusing on motion dynamics while eliminating the need for large processing hardware, enabling compact device form factors
Solution Approach 2:
The system uses periodic differential imaging between consecutive frames to track objects. This periodic comparison approach maintains tracking accuracy by continuously monitoring changes while requiring minimal processing resources, allowing the device to maintain small form factor with low power consumption
3Loss of information
If conventional systems transmit and process complete image data, then comprehensive scene information is available, but bandwidth requirements become prohibitively high
Solution Approach 1:
The system extracts only the differential data representing scene changes rather than transmitting complete images. This extraction maintains essential tracking information while removing redundant static background data, achieving high bandwidth efficiency without significant loss of tracking-relevant information
Solution Approach 2:
The differential imaging process segments the image data into static and dynamic components, transmitting or processing only the dynamic segment. This segmentation preserves all necessary tracking information while dramatically reducing data volume, improving bandwidth efficiency while maintaining scene information completeness for tracking purposes
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 system operates at lower energy and computational power while improving latency by asynchronously outputting data samples, enabling efficient object tracking in devices with limited resources.
Implementation Method 1
The differential camera may be configured to detect a change in brightness of the object caused in part by one or more of the pulses of light
Data Source
AI summary
A tracking system for object detection and tracking. The system may include a plurality of light sources, a differential camera, and a controller. The plurality of light sources is positioned at different locations on a device and are configured to emit pulses of light that illuminate an object. The differential camera has an optical axis, and at least some of the plurality of light sources are off-axis relative to the optical axis. The differential camera is configured to detect a change in brightness of the object caused in part by one or more of the pulses of light, and asynchronously output data samples corresponding to the detected change in brightness. The controller is configured to track the object based in part on the data samples output by the differential camera.