Image capturing apparatus and mobile cleaning robot
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Solution Overview
Problem
Conventional image capturing apparatuses with active light sources suffer from overexposure issues when photographing targets near the light source, resulting in unusable images due to varying light intensity across the field of view.
Innovation Solution
An image capturing apparatus equipped with a filter that adjusts the gradient transmission rate of the light emitter or image sensor, or configures a neutral density filter on the optical path, to transform invisible light into non-uniform light, ensuring uniform brightness across the image.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Illumination intensity
If an active light source is used to illuminate the target, then the image capturing apparatus can capture images in low light conditions, but the near-end field of view becomes overexposed when the target is near the light source
Solution Approach 1:
The patent applies local quality by making different parts of the optical path have different light transmission properties. Specifically, a first optical path has a first light transmission rate while a second optical path has a second light transmission rate that is lower than the first, allowing differential exposure control for different spatial regions of the captured image.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent segments the optical path into multiple distinct paths (first optical path and second optical path) with different light transmission rates. This segmentation allows independent control of light transmission for different regions, resolving the overexposure issue in the near-end field of view while maintaining proper exposure in the far-end field of view.
2Area of stationary object
If the field of view covers both near and far areas of the target, then the image capturing apparatus can capture the entire target area, but the brightness becomes non-uniform with near-end overexposure and far-end underexposure
Solution Approach 1:
The patent implements local quality by assigning different light transmission rates to different optical paths. The first optical path (with higher transmission rate) serves the far-end field of view requiring more light, while the second optical path (with lower transmission rate) serves the near-end field of view to prevent overexposure, thereby achieving uniform brightness across the entire captured area.
Solution Approach 2:
The optical system is segmented into multiple optical paths with differentiated light transmission characteristics. This segmentation enables the system to simultaneously capture both near and far areas with appropriate exposure levels for each region, solving the brightness uniformity problem while maintaining comprehensive field of view coverage.
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
The solution effectively addresses overexposure by adjusting light intensity gradients, allowing for accurate imaging of targets near the light source without darkening distant areas, thus enabling clear identification of near-end image details.
Implementation Method 1
The filter is configured to filter the invisible light to transform the invisible light into a non-uniform invisible light
Implementation Method 2
the filter is a neutral density filter (ND filter) having a gradient transmission rate, which is configured on the optical path from the invisible light emitted by the light emitter to the target
Implementation Method 3
The light emitter is configured to emit an invisible light to a target
Implementation Method 4
The image sensor includes a field of view (FOV) covering an area of the target from near to far and is configured to sense the invisible light reflected from the area of the target and generate an image of the area of the target
Data Source
AI summary
An image capturing apparatus and a mobile cleaning robot are provided. The image capturing apparatus includes a light emitter, an image sensor, and a filter. The light emitter is configured to emit an invisible light to a target. The image sensor includes a field of view (FOV) covering an area of the target from near to far and is configured to sense the invisible light reflected from the area of the target and generate an image of the area of the target. The filter is configured to filter the invisible light to transform the invisible light into a non-uniform invisible light.