Hyper Camera Shared Mirror Aperture Vignetting Control
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing aerial camera systems face challenges such as difficulty in fitting long focal length lenses, inefficiencies in spacing due to circular yaw correction requirements, and issues with low quality images like blurriness and vignetting.
Innovation Solution
The proposed imaging system includes a camera with a scanning mirror structure and a drive that rotates the mirror about a scan axis based on a scan angle, allowing for efficient capture of images with varying elevation and azimuth angles. The system dynamically tunes the aperture to mitigate vignetting and partial occlusion, using a model to optimize illumination.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Adaptability or versatility
If a scanning mirror structure is used to capture images with varying elevation and azimuth angles, then the coverage area and imaging versatility are improved, but the device complexity increases due to the additional mirror and drive components
Solution Approach 1:
The patent combines the scanning mirror structure with the camera system into an integrated imaging device. The mirror assembly is positioned within the camera housing, and the drive mechanism is coupled to the mirror structure, creating a unified system that achieves wide coverage without requiring separate complex subsystems. This merging approach reduces overall device complexity while maintaining high adaptability.
Solution Approach 2:
The scanning mirror structure serves multiple functions: it steers the imaging beam across the field of view, enables varying elevation and azimuth angles, and works in conjunction with the camera sensor to capture images from different orientations. This multi-functionality reduces the need for additional separate components, thereby managing device complexity while enhancing imaging versatility.
2Manufacturing precision
If the aperture is fixed, then the device complexity is reduced, but image quality deteriorates due to vignetting and partial occlusion at extreme scan angles
Solution Approach 1:
The patent implements a dynamically adjustable aperture that changes its opening size based on the scan angle. At extreme scan angles where vignetting and partial occlusion occur, the aperture dynamically closes to block unwanted light paths. This dynamic adjustment maintains image quality without requiring complex mechanical structures, as the aperture control can be achieved through electronic actuation synchronized with the mirror position.
Solution Approach 2:
The system uses feedback from the scan angle position to control the aperture opening. The drive mechanism that positions the mirror also provides positional information to the aperture control system, enabling the aperture to adjust automatically based on the current scanning state. This feedback loop ensures optimal image quality across all scan angles while keeping the control system relatively simple.
3Ease of manufacture
If the camera hole is made rectangular to match the sensor shape, then the ease of manufacture is improved, but the yaw correction gimbal space requirements are not met due to circular space needs
Solution Approach 1:
The patent resolves the geometric conflict by utilizing the third dimension (depth/thickness) of the camera housing. Instead of trying to make the camera hole shape match both the rectangular sensor and circular gimbal requirements in a single plane, the design creates an elongated opening that accommodates the gimbal's circular motion path in one dimension while maintaining rectangular sensor mounting capabilities in another dimension. This multi-dimensional approach satisfies both geometric constraints.
Solution Approach 2:
The camera opening is segmented into functional zones: a central region for the rectangular sensor mounting and peripheral regions that accommodate the circular gimbal motion path. This segmentation allows the opening to have an overall elongated shape for manufacturing ease while containing the circular gimbal space requirements in specific zones, thereby satisfying both constraints simultaneously.
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 solution enables the capture of high-quality images with reduced vignetting, improving the efficiency and effectiveness of aerial photography and the creation of orthomosaics and 3D models.
Implementation Method 1
reflecting an imaging beam from an object area using a scanning mirror structure having at least one mirror surface to an image sensor of a camera
Implementation Method 2
the camera includes a lens to focus an imaging beam reflected from the scanning mirror structure to an image sensor of the camera
Data Source
AI summary
The present disclosure is related to improving image quality in a scanning camera system via scan angle selection to obtain images having overlap for performing image stitching, dynamically tuning an aperture of a camera in the scanning camera system, updating pixel values of an image using vignetting data, or a combination thereof.