Energy Optimized 360 Imaging System with Synchronized Light Source
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Solution Overview
Problem
Current imaging systems are inefficient in power consumption due to the constant operation of light sources and inefficient light blocking mechanisms, which limits their ability to capture high-quality images under controlled lighting conditions, especially in bright environments.
Innovation Solution
An energy-optimized imaging system that synchronizes directable beam light sources with active pixel selectable photosensors, using a scanning projector and rolling shutter sensor configuration to maximize energy efficiency and enable advanced imaging techniques like live structured-light video and 3D shape measurement in challenging lighting conditions.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Illumination intensity
If the light source is always turned on to ensure sufficient illumination, then the image quality is improved, but the power consumption increases significantly
Solution Approach 1:
The light source is activated periodically in synchronization with the sensor's exposure timing rather than remaining continuously on. The controller turns on the light source only during specific time intervals when the sensor is actively capturing images, creating a periodic illumination pattern that matches the imaging requirements while minimizing unnecessary energy consumption during non-imaging periods.
Solution Approach 2:
The controller pre-coordinates the light source activation timing with the sensor's exposure schedule before actual imaging begins. By establishing this preliminary synchronization, the system ensures that illumination is available exactly when needed for image capture without requiring continuous operation, thereby optimizing both image quality and energy efficiency.
2Measurement precision
If the controllable light-blocking mask is used to selectively illuminate the scene, then the imaging precision is improved, but the energy efficiency deteriorates due to blocked photons
Solution Approach 1:
Instead of using a light-blocking mask to selectively illuminate the scene (which blocks photons and wastes energy), the invention inverts the approach by using a light-modulating mask that actively controls light distribution. The mask modulates the light source's output pattern to match the sensor's active regions, ensuring photons are directed only where needed rather than being generated and then blocked, thereby improving energy efficiency while maintaining imaging precision.
Solution Approach 2:
The light-modulating mask creates spatially varying illumination patterns that match the local requirements of different sensor regions. By adjusting the light distribution to concentrate photons only in areas corresponding to active sensor pixels, the system achieves precise imaging control without wasting energy on illuminating regions that will not be captured, thus resolving the contradiction between imaging precision and energy efficiency.
3Area of stationary object
If conventional imaging systems are used in bright environments, then the field-of-view is limited, but the system complexity increases to achieve wide-angle coverage
Solution Approach 1:
The synchronized light source and sensor system serves multiple functions simultaneously: it provides illumination for imaging, defines the active sensing regions, and enables wide-angle or 360-degree field-of-view capture depending on the configuration. This multi-functionality allows the system to achieve extended field-of-view capabilities without requiring additional complex optical components or multiple separate systems, as the same core components adapt to different imaging configurations.
Data Source
AI summary
A system for creating a near-spherical point cloud of RGBD data includes one or more sensing units for providing depth data, each sensing unit having a stereo pair of sensors fitted with the wide-angle lens from which a one-dimensional line of pixels is read, and one or more lasers for illuminating the single line of pixels, the sensing units mounted on a spinning platform. The spinning platform is mounted on the base having a plurality of cameras mounted therein for providing 360-degree RGB data.