Hybrid Camera Stabilization for Motion-Specific Compensation

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Solution Overview

Problem

Existing camera stabilization arrangements do not equally compensate for all disruptive influences on the camera's alignment, and can overcompensate in some cases, leading to undesirable interference.

Innovation Solution

A camera stabilization arrangement with a movable camera holder and electric drive, featuring a gimbal structure with translational and rotational degrees of freedom, utilizing motion sensors to control both holder-side and camera-side image stabilization, allowing for precise compensation of camera movements through electromechanical and electronic means.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Reliability

If a single image stabilization method (either mount-side or camera-side) is used, then the system structure is simpler, but the ability to compensate for various disturbances equally well is reduced

Engineering Contradiction:
Improveimage stabilization effectivenessVSAvoidstabilization system structure
Core Design Contradiction:
ReliabilityVSDevice complexity

Solution Approach 1:

The patent combines both mount-side image stabilization (through the movable camera holder with electric drive) and camera-side image stabilization (through the image acquisition device) into a unified system. The control unit coordinates both stabilization mechanisms to work together, allowing the system to compensate for various disturbances more effectively than either method could alone, while maintaining a manageable overall structure through integrated control.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #5Merging (Combining)

2Reliability

If the camera holder compensates for all detected movements, then image stabilization is improved, but overcompensation occurs leading to undesirable interference

Engineering Contradiction:
Improveimage stabilization effectivenessVSAvoidovercompensation interference
Core Design Contradiction:
ReliabilityVSObject-generated harmful factors

Solution Approach 1:

The system uses motion sensors to detect camera movements and feeds this information back to the control unit, which then adjusts the electric drive's compensatory actions. This feedback mechanism allows the system to monitor and fine-tune its compensation in real-time, preventing overcompensation by continuously comparing the actual camera position with the desired position and making incremental adjustments rather than aggressive corrections.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #23Feedback

Solution Approach 2:

The patent applies different compensation strategies for different types of movements. The control unit analyzes the nature and characteristics of detected movements and applies appropriate compensation only where needed, rather than uniformly compensating for all movements. This allows the system to distinguish between desirable and undesirable movements and apply stabilization selectively, avoiding overcompensation interference.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #3Local quality

Data Source

PatentEP4236339A1Camera stabilization arrangement
Publication Date: 2023.08.30 ARNOLD & RICHTER CINE TECHNIK GMBH & CO BETRIEBS KG
  • EP4236339A1 patent drawingFigure 1
  • EP4236339A1 patent drawingFigure 2
  • EP4236339A1 patent drawingFigure 3

AI summary

In a camera stabilization arrangement comprising a camera holder movable with respect to several degrees of freedom, an electric drive for the camera holder, an electronic camera attached to the camera holder, and a motion sensor, a control device is configured to control the electric drive in response to motion sensor signals from the motion sensor in order to perform holder-side image stabilization, and to control an image acquisition device of the camera in order to perform camera-side image stabilization.