Dual Sensor Imaging System for High-Contrast Scenes
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Solution Overview
Problem
Current camera systems face challenges in capturing high-quality images in high-contrast scenes due to uniform exposure conditions across all pixels, leading to noise or overexposure in certain areas, which existing technologies fail to address effectively.
Innovation Solution
A dual sensor imaging system comprising independently configured color and infrared sensors that capture images under different exposure conditions, allowing for the adaptive selection and fusion of color and IR images to enhance image quality by complementing texture details.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Measurement precision
If a single image sensor with interleaved IR pixels is used, then brightness detection is improved, but the exposure conditions cannot be independently optimized for color and IR pixels
Solution Approach 1:
The patent divides the imaging system into separate color sensor and IR sensor components, allowing independent exposure control for each sensor type. This segmentation enables the color sensor to capture color information with one exposure setting while the IR sensor captures brightness information with a different exposure setting, resolving the contradiction between brightness detection and exposure optimization.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent introduces an image processing unit as an intermediary that fuses images from the color sensor and IR sensor. This intermediary component combines the separately captured color and brightness information into a final image, enabling independent exposure optimization while maintaining effective brightness detection.
2Device complexity
If uniform exposure conditions are applied to all pixels, then device complexity is reduced, but image quality deteriorates in high-contrast scenes
Solution Approach 1:
The patent segments the imaging system into color and IR sensors with independent exposure controls. This allows different exposure conditions to be applied to different sensor types, improving image quality in high-contrast scenes while maintaining manageable system complexity through modular architecture.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent applies local quality by allowing different exposure conditions for different sensor types (color vs. IR) based on their specific characteristics and the imaging requirements. Each sensor can be optimized for its specific function, with the color sensor for color accuracy and the IR sensor for brightness detection in varying light conditions.
3Manufacturing precision
If exposure conditions are optimized for color pixels, then color image quality is improved, but IR pixel performance deteriorates in high-contrast scenes
Solution Approach 1:
The patent separates the imaging functions into dedicated color sensor and IR sensor components. This segmentation allows the color sensor to be optimized for color image quality with appropriate exposure settings while the IR sensor is independently optimized for brightness detection and maintains reliable performance in high-contrast scenes.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent applies local quality by optimizing exposure conditions specifically for each sensor type based on its characteristics. The color sensor receives exposure settings optimized for color accuracy, while the IR sensor receives exposure settings optimized for brightness detection, ensuring both maintain their respective performance levels without compromising one for the other.
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 generates images with improved color and texture details by selectively using exposure conditions suitable for each sensor type, effectively addressing the limitations of single sensor architectures in high-contrast scenes.
Implementation Method 1
at least one color sensor... to respectively capture multiple color images
Implementation Method 2
at least one IR sensor... to respectively capture multiple IR images
Data Source
AI summary
A dual sensor imaging system and an imaging method thereof are provided. The dual sensor imaging system includes at least one color sensor, at least one infrared ray (IR) sensor, a storage device, and a processor. The processor is configured to load and execute a computer program stored in the storage device to: identify an imaging scene of the dual sensor imaging system; control the color sensor and the IR sensor to respectively capture multiple color images and multiple IR images by adopting multiple exposure conditions suitable for the imaging scene; adaptively select a combination of the color image and the IR image that can reveal details of the imaging scene; and fuse the selected color image and IR image to generate a scene image with details of the imaging scene.