Electroactive Lens Camera System for High-Resolution Wide Field of View
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Solution Overview
Problem
Current camera systems face challenges in maintaining high resolution while simultaneously providing a wide field of view, particularly in applications requiring rapid movement and adjustment of the camera's focus and magnification, such as gaming and security, due to limitations in technology regarding speed, cost, size, and complexity when using multiple cameras.
Innovation Solution
A system utilizing a single light gathering lens with adjustable magnification and field of view, achieved through the use of electroactive lenses, fluidic lenses, and light modulators, allowing for rapid adjustment of the camera's gaze direction by moving the light beam or optical surface, enabling high-speed spatial adjustment without the need for multiple cameras.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Measurement precision
If multiple cameras are used to achieve high resolution and wide field of view simultaneously, then imaging quality is improved, but device complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent combines multiple camera functions into a single camera system by integrating a beam splitter with multiple sensors. The beam splitter divides the light path from a single lens into multiple sensors, allowing one camera to capture multiple fields of view simultaneously, thereby achieving high resolution and wide field of view without using multiple separate cameras.
Solution Approach 2:
The single camera system is designed to perform multiple functions: capturing a first field of view with a first sensor and a second field of view with a second sensor simultaneously. This multi-functional design allows the system to achieve both high resolution and wide field of view capabilities that would traditionally require multiple specialized cameras.
2Measurement precision
If multiple cameras are used to achieve high resolution and wide field of view simultaneously, then imaging quality is improved, but system size increases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent merges multiple camera systems into a single integrated unit by using a beam splitter to divide the light path from one lens to multiple sensors. This consolidation reduces the overall system size by eliminating the need for multiple separate camera assemblies, while still providing multiple fields of view and high imaging quality.
3Measurement precision
If traditional camera systems are used to maintain focus during rapid movement, then image quality is preserved, but speed of adjustment is limited
Solution Approach 1:
The patent replaces traditional mechanical focusing mechanisms with an electroactive lens that can change its focal length electrically. This substitution eliminates the need for mechanical movement of lens elements, enabling much faster focusing adjustments that can keep up with rapid camera or subject movement while maintaining image quality.
Solution Approach 2:
The electroactive lens provides dynamic focusing capability, allowing the focal length to be adjusted in real-time based on movement detection. This dynamic adjustment ensures that the first sensor maintains focus on the first field of view even during rapid movement, preserving image quality without the speed limitations of mechanical systems.
4Speed
If electroactive lenses and light modulators are used for rapid adjustment, then speed of adjustment is improved, but device complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent combines the electroactive lens, light modulator, and beam splitter with sensors into a single integrated camera system. This merging of components achieves rapid adjustment speed through electro-optic control while avoiding the complexity of multiple separate systems by consolidating functions into one unified device.
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
This solution allows for high-resolution imaging of specific regions of interest while maintaining a wide field of view, enabling rapid movement analysis and reducing system complexity, size, and cost, while minimizing image distortion and registration issues.
Implementation Method 1
A camera system includes an electroactive lens that changes a focal length of the camera system in response to an electrical signal
Implementation Method 2
A light modulator laterally shifts the light beam in response to an electrical signal
Data Source
AI summary
Certain exemplary embodiments can provide a system, machine, device, manufacture, circuit, composition of matter, and/or user interface adapted for and/or resulting from, and/or a method and/or machine-readable medium comprising machine-implementable instructions for, activities that can comprise and/or relate to, managing one or more images, such as those related to an optical system.