Head-Mounted Device Spatial Camera Exposure Prediction

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Solution Overview

Problem

Head-mounted devices experience time lag and flicker issues when adjusting camera exposure settings as the user turns their head between different lighting conditions, causing visual discomfort due to the delay in automatic exposure adjustments.

Innovation Solution

The device includes sensors to capture images, track motion, and model lighting information, predicting the direction it will face and adjusting settings such as exposure, white balance, and tone curve based on a lighting map and ambient/flicker sensor measurements, minimizing delay and flicker by proactively adjusting camera settings.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Adaptability or versatility

If automatic exposure mode is used to adjust camera settings based on current light levels, then the camera can adapt to changing illumination conditions, but time lag and flicker occur causing visual discomfort

Engineering Contradiction:

Improvecamera adaptation to lighting conditionsVSAvoidtime lag in exposure adjustment

Core Design Contradiction:

Adaptability or versatilityVSLoss of time

Solution Approach 1:

The system performs preliminary action by using motion sensors to predict the user's head turning direction and proactively adjusting camera exposure settings before the actual lighting change occurs. The device calculates predicted head pose based on current motion data and pre-adjusts exposure parameters, eliminating the reactive delay inherent in traditional automatic exposure modes that wait for lighting changes to be detected.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #10Preliminary action

2Manufacturing precision

If automatic exposure adjustments are made in response to lighting changes, then image quality is maintained, but flicker occurs causing visual discomfort

Engineering Contradiction:

Improveimage qualityVSAvoidflicker

Core Design Contradiction:

Manufacturing precisionVSObject-affected harmful factors

Solution Approach 1:

The system predicts lighting changes based on predicted head pose and proactively adjusts exposure settings before the user actually encounters the lighting change, preventing flicker artifacts from occurring in the first place rather than reacting after flicker has been detected.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #10Preliminary action

Solution Approach 2:

The system rushes through the exposure adjustment process by making proactive settings changes based on motion prediction, completing the adaptation before the lighting transition becomes visible to the user, thereby skipping the problematic period where flicker would normally occur during reactive adjustments.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #21Skipping (Rushing through)

Data Source

PatentUS20240089605A1Head-Mounted Device with Spatially Aware Camera Adjustments

Publication Date: 2024.03.14 APPLE INC

AI summary

A head-mounted device may include one or more sensors for capturing images of a real-world environment and for determining where the head-mounted device is facing in the real-world environment. The sensors can be used to capture images for creating a lighting map that indicates where one or more light sources are located within the environment and for creating a physical map representing a geometry of the environment. The sensors can be used to predict a direction in which the head-mounted device will be facing in the real-world environment. One of the sensors can include an image sensor for capturing images that are displayed to a user of the head-mounted device. One or more settings of the image sensor can be adjusted based on the lighting map and based on the predicted direction of where the head-mounted device will be facing when capturing a future frame.