Image Capture Apparatus Synchronization via Common Delay Time
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing synchronous shooting systems face increased processing loads when synchronizing multiple image capture apparatuses, as they require strict timing control for each camera, which becomes cumbersome with a larger number of clients.
Innovation Solution
An image capture apparatus with a communication interface and controller that acquires exposure and communication delay times from other apparatuses, determines a common delay time, and transmits a shooting command with this common timing to synchronize exposure across all apparatuses, reducing the processing load on the master device.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If strict timing control is performed for each camera in synchronous shooting, then exposure synchronization is achieved, but processing load of the master increases
Solution Approach 1:
The master performs preliminary measurement of communication delay times and exposure time lags for each client before synchronous shooting. These measurements are stored and reused for subsequent shooting operations, eliminating the need for real-time calculation and reducing processing load during actual shooting while maintaining synchronization accuracy.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent introduces an intermediary calculation approach where the master determines individualized shooting command transmission timings for each client based on pre-measured delay characteristics. This intermediary timing calculation acts as a mediator that simplifies the control mechanism compared to strict real-time timing control, reducing processing complexity while achieving synchronization.
2Reliability
If individual timing adjustment is performed for each client, then exposure synchronization is achieved, but number of control operations increases
Solution Approach 1:
The system performs preliminary measurement of communication delay times and exposure time lags for each client before synchronous shooting. These measurements are stored and reused for subsequent shooting operations, eliminating the need for real-time calculation and reducing processing load during actual shooting while maintaining synchronization accuracy.
Solution Approach 2:
Each client autonomously uses its pre-measured communication delay time and exposure time lag to determine its own shooting execution timing. This self-service approach reduces the control operations required by the master, as clients independently calculate their timing based on stored parameters rather than requiring continuous master intervention.
Data Source
AI summary
An image capture apparatus acquires exposure delay times and communication delay times of respective other image capture apparatuses, the exposure delay times being information of times from when the other image capture apparatuses receive a shooting command until when the other image capture apparatuses start exposure, the communication delay times being information of times required in communication with the other image capture apparatuses, and determines a common delay time based on the acquired communication delay times and exposure delay times of the respective other image capture apparatuses, the common delay time being delay time information that is common to all of the other image capture apparatuses, and upon accepting a shooting instruction, transmits the shooting command including a common timing obtained from the common delay time to the other image capture apparatuses.