Gating Camera Range Control for Depth and Sign Text Capture
Find Innovative SolutionsGenerate Solutions
Solution Overview
Problem
Current gating cameras face challenges in reducing data amount, preserving information detail, and minimizing power consumption while generating distance images, particularly in scenarios where objects at different distances overlap, leading to loss of information like characters on signs.
Innovation Solution
A gating camera that divides its field of view into multiple ranges, using a controller to synchronize light emission and image capture timing, and an image processing device to combine slice images with different colors based on pixel values, allowing for more detailed distance image generation and reduced power consumption.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Measurement precision
If a TOF imaging camera is used to acquire depth information, then distance information can be obtained, but information such as characters and figures on signs is lost
Solution Approach 1:
The camera divides the field of view into multiple depth ranges and captures slice images for each range separately. This segmentation allows the system to process different depth information and color information independently, then combine them to preserve both depth measurement and text details.
Solution Approach 2:
The system merges multiple slice images corresponding to different depth ranges into a combined image. By integrating information from multiple ranges, the system recovers text information that would be lost in a single TOF distance image while maintaining depth information.
2Measurement precision
If multiple slice images are captured for multiple depth ranges, then depth information is improved, but data amount increases
Solution Approach 1:
The system extracts only the necessary depth range information for each slice image rather than capturing complete images for all ranges. By taking out and processing only relevant depth segments, the data amount is reduced while maintaining depth measurement precision.
Solution Approach 2:
The system captures images for multiple depth ranges but processes and combines only the essential portions. This partial action approach avoids processing unnecessary data while still achieving comprehensive depth information coverage.
3Adaptability or versatility
If the effective image capture range is increased to capture more objects, then detection coverage is improved, but power consumption increases
Solution Approach 1:
The system dynamically adjusts the effective image capture range based on vehicle speed. At high speeds, the capture range is reduced to lower power consumption, while at low speeds, the range is expanded to improve detection coverage. This dynamic adaptation resolves the contradiction between coverage and energy use.
Solution Approach 2:
The system changes the image capture range parameter according to driving conditions. By modifying this parameter dynamically, the system optimizes the balance between detection coverage and power consumption for different operational scenarios.
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 reduces data volume, enhances information retention in distance images, and decreases power usage by dynamically adjusting the effective image capture range and light emission according to vehicle speed and driving situations.
Implementation Method 1
measure the time of flight until the reflected light returns to the image sensor, and to obtain an image obtained by converting the time of flight into distance information
Implementation Method 2
an image sensor configured to be capable of controlling an exposure timing
Data Source
AI summary
The gating camera 20 divides the field of view in the depth-direction into multiple ranges RNG1 through RNGN, and generates multiple slice images IMGs1 through IMGsN that correspond to the multiple ranges RNG1 through RNGN. The illumination apparatus 22 is capable of controlling the light emission timing, and emits probe light L1 in synchronization with the light emission timing signal S1. The image sensor 24 is capable of exposure in synchronization with the exposure timing signal S2. The camera controller 26 controls the light emission timing of the illumination apparatus 22 and the image capture timing of the image sensor 24 for each range, and controls the effective image capture range of the image sensor 24 according to the vehicle speed.