Document Imaging Calibration for Stray Light and Reflective Glare
Find Innovative SolutionsGenerate Solutions
Solution Overview
Problem
Existing gaming terminals face issues with imperfect image acquisition of game-related documents due to ambient interference and reflective document coatings, which can cause saturation and degrade image quality.
Innovation Solution
A document imaging process and device that includes a camera, internal lighting source, and control module to adjust camera and lighting parameters to mitigate lighting disturbances, ensuring optimal image capture by estimating lighting disturbance levels and adjusting parameters to meet predefined rendering criteria.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Ease of manufacture
If a camera acquires images in a cavity with ambient lighting, then the imaging process is simple, but stray lighting causes saturation and degrades image quality
Solution Approach 1:
The system performs preliminary characterization of the support's rendering properties by acquiring images of the empty cavity before document imaging. This preliminary action establishes a baseline that is later used to compensate for stray lighting effects during actual document acquisition, resolving the contradiction by preparing correction data in advance without complicating the main imaging process
Solution Approach 2:
The system converts the harmful effect of stray lighting into a useful signal by using the rendered support images to characterize and quantify the stray light distribution. This characterization is then applied to correct subsequent document images, transforming the previously harmful ambient lighting into a measurable and compensable parameter that improves overall image quality
2Manufacturing precision
If lighting parameters are adjusted to compensate for stray lighting, then image quality improves, but the imaging process becomes more complex
Solution Approach 1:
The system implements feedback by using the characterized support rendering properties to dynamically adjust lighting parameters and camera settings for subsequent document imaging. The preliminary characterization creates a feedback loop where information from empty cavity images informs and optimizes the actual document acquisition process, improving image quality through data-driven parameter adjustment
Solution Approach 2:
The system changes imaging parameters (lighting intensity, exposure time, gain) based on the characterized stray lighting conditions. By adjusting these parameters according to the measured environmental conditions, the system optimizes image quality without requiring complex hardware modifications, resolving the contradiction through software-controlled parameter adaptation
3Ease of manufacture
If documents with highly reflective coatings are imaged in ambient light, then the imaging setup remains simple, but saturation occurs reducing measurement precision
Solution Approach 1:
The system takes preliminary anti-action by characterizing the stray lighting conditions and document rendering properties before actual imaging occurs. This advance characterization enables the system to pre-calculate compensation strategies that prevent saturation from occurring in the first place, rather than attempting to correct it after the fact, thereby maintaining measurement precision without complicating the imaging setup
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
Enhances image quality by effectively reducing the impact of stray lighting and reflective surfaces, allowing accurate analysis of game-related documents.
Implementation Method 1
illumination of the document by the lighting source
Implementation Method 2
acquisition by the camera of a snapshot showing the document
Data Source
Figure 1
Figure 2
Figure 3
AI summary
Method for imaging a document, comprising the following steps: capturing (100) with a camera a video showing a support member while no object creates a barrier between the support member and the camera, adjusting (206) a first parameter of the camera so as to mitigate a disturbance to the depiction of the support member in the video caused by spurious lighting originating from a spurious source, the first parameter reaching a modified value at the end of the adjustment, from the modified value, estimating (208) a lighting disturbance level, from the estimated lighting disturbance level, determining (402) at least one second parameter, namely a lighting parameter of a lighting source and/or a snapshot acquisition parameter of the camera, while a document is placed on the support member, lighting of the document by the lighting source and capturing by the camera of a snapshot showing the document (502), by means of the determined second parameter.