Electronic Damping for Stage Positioning via Waveform Shaping
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Solution Overview
Problem
Miniature cameras face challenges with fixed focus and limited light usage due to small apertures, which restrict their application, especially in low light conditions, and existing solutions like flashes consume more power.
Innovation Solution
A method for generating waveforms that move stage systems in miniature electronic devices, such as cameras, without activating mechanical resonance frequencies, using FIR low pass filtering to reduce oscillations and enable rapid, accurate positioning for zoom, focus, and image stabilization.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If a relatively small aperture is used in miniature cameras, then the depth of field is sufficient to provide acceptable focus over a wide range of distances, but the light used to form the image is limited
Solution Approach 1:
The patent implements dynamic aperture control that adjusts the aperture size based on the distance to the captured object. When the object is close to the camera, the aperture opens wider to allow more light; when the object is far away, the aperture closes to maintain depth of field. This dynamic adjustment resolves the contradiction by making the aperture size adaptive rather than fixed, allowing optimal light intake while maintaining acceptable focus quality across different shooting scenarios.
2Illumination intensity
If a flash is used to enhance camera performance in low light conditions, then the light intensity is improved, but more power is consumed from the batteries
Solution Approach 1:
The patent implements dynamic aperture control that adjusts the aperture size based on the distance to the captured object. When the object is close to the camera, the aperture opens wider to allow more light; when the object is far away, the aperture closes to maintain depth of field. This dynamic adjustment resolves the contradiction by making the aperture size adaptive rather than fixed, allowing optimal light intake while maintaining acceptable focus quality across different shooting scenarios.
3Ease of manufacture
If traditional step-function waveforms are used to move stage elements, then the positioning is simple to implement, but ringing and oscillation occur reducing accuracy
Solution Approach 1:
The patent transforms the actuation waveform from a simple step-function to a shaped waveform with specific time-domain characteristics. The waveform includes a rise time, plateau phase, and fall time that are optimized to match the mechanical resonance characteristics of the stage system. This parameter transformation allows the system to achieve accurate positioning without ringing, resolving the contradiction between implementation simplicity and positioning accuracy by embedding the damping characteristics directly into the waveform parameters.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent identifies the mechanical resonance frequency of the stage system and uses this knowledge to design a waveform that exploits the resonance characteristics to achieve critical damping. By shaping the waveform to have specific frequency content that counteracts the resonant modes, the natural oscillation tendency of the system is converted into a beneficial damping effect, eliminating ringing while maintaining simple implementation through pre-calculated waveform profiles.
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 approach allows for precise and efficient movement of camera components, reducing ringing and the need for physical damping, enabling optimal focus and light usage across a range of positions without power-intensive solutions.
Implementation Method 1
The stage system has one or more resonant frequencies... the waveform includes one or more frequency components with associated amplitudes, and wherein the associated amplitude of the one or more resonant frequencies is substantially zero
Implementation Method 2
A method for generating waveforms that move stage systems in miniature electronic devices, such as cameras, without activating mechanical resonance frequencies, using FIR low pass filtering to reduce oscillations
Data Source
AI summary
Systems and techniques for electro-magnetic damping in a stage system. An excitation waveform for one or more actuators includes one or more frequency components with associated amplitudes. Frequency components at a resonance frequency of the stage system have associated amplitudes that are substantially zero.