Digital Panning Image Sensor for Low-Vision Magnification
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Solution Overview
Problem
Conventional video magnifiers for low-vision individuals face difficulties in efficiently panning across images due to the need to physically move the camera and working area, making it cumbersome and inefficient.
Innovation Solution
A live panning system that uses an image sensor to acquire the entire working area and a processing unit to dynamically move a cropping window in real-time to maintain the region of interest within the image, allowing digital panning without mechanical displacement.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Measurement precision
If a camera with narrow field of view is used to acquire video stream, then magnification capability is improved, but panning efficiency deteriorates because the user must physically move the XY table to access different portions of the document
Solution Approach 1:
The patent replaces the mechanical XY translation table system with a digital panning system. The image sensor captures the entire working area at once, and electronic processing moves the cropping window across the captured image to simulate panning. This eliminates the need for mechanical movement of the table and document, substituting mechanical operations with electronic/image processing operations.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent changes the approach from one-dimensional mechanical table movement to two-dimensional electronic image processing. By capturing the entire working area in a single frame and then electronically moving the region of interest through software control, the system adds the dimension of electronic manipulation to the traditionally mechanical panning process.
2Adaptability or versatility
If an XY translation table is used to move the document, then access to different document portions is enabled, but ease of operation deteriorates because users must translate the table in counterintuitive directions
Solution Approach 1:
The patent inverts the traditional panning approach. Instead of moving the document/table to bring the region of interest into view, the system keeps the document stationary and moves the electronic cropping window in the opposite direction. When a user wants to view the left portion of the document, the cropping window moves left electronically, which is intuitive rather than counterintuitive as with the mechanical table.
3Measurement precision
If the camera field of view is narrowed to provide magnification, then viewing detail is improved, but the working area coverage deteriorates requiring mechanical table movement
Solution Approach 1:
The patent performs preliminary action by capturing the entire working area in a single image frame before any panning operation. The image sensor acquires the full working area at once, storing it in memory. Subsequent panning operations then electronically select and display different portions of this pre-captured image, eliminating the need for mechanical table movement to access different areas.
Data Source
AI summary
A live panning system and method for providing a live representation of a portion of a working area are provided. The system includes an image sensor acquiring an image of the entire working area and a processing unit. The image sensor includes an array of pixels, each providing pixel data of the image, and reads out the pixel data of a number of output pixels from the array to generate a sensor video stream, the output pixels corresponding to a cropping window within the image. The image sensor also includes a windowing module configured to move, in real-time, the cropping window within the image. The processing unit monitors viewing instructions from a user selecting a region of interest within the image corresponding to the portion of the working area, and dynamically communicates the viewing instructions to the windowing module such that the cropping window always encompasses the region of interest.