Image Display Using Stored Bright-Place Views for Dark Environments
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing augmented reality technologies struggle to provide effective visual recognition in dark places, such as construction sites or building interiors without illumination, due to poor camera performance in low-light conditions.
Innovation Solution
An image display apparatus equipped with a camera, distance measurement sensor, illuminance sensor, and a processor that generates and manages distance images to enhance visibility by retrieving and displaying stored bright place images when in a dark environment, using a combination of sensors and image processing to improve visibility.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Illumination intensity
If camera imaging is used in dark places, then visual recognition can be achieved, but imaging quality deteriorates due to insufficient light
Solution Approach 1:
The system performs preliminary imaging in bright places before entering dark environments. Camera images and distance images are captured and stored in advance when illumination is sufficient, creating a reference dataset that can be retrieved and used later in dark places where new imaging would be poor quality
Solution Approach 2:
The system creates a copy of the visual environment by storing camera images and distance images captured in bright places. These stored images serve as virtual copies of the real-world scene, allowing the system to display pre-captured high-quality images instead of attempting to capture new images in dark conditions
2Loss of information
If distance measurement sensor is used to obtain distance data, then depth information can be acquired, but system complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The distance measurement sensor serves multiple functions: it captures real-time depth data for current environment mapping, provides distance information for matching stored images with current position, and contributes to generating distance images that enhance the displayed visual information. This multi-functionality justifies the added complexity by extracting maximum value from the sensor
3Adaptability or versatility
If illuminance sensor is added to detect brightness, then environmental condition recognition improves, but device complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The illuminance sensor provides continuous feedback about the current lighting conditions to the control unit. Based on this feedback, the system automatically switches between capturing new images in bright conditions and retrieving stored images in dark conditions, enabling adaptive behavior that responds to environmental changes
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
Enhances user visibility in dark environments by utilizing stored bright place images, allowing effective augmented reality usage even in low-light conditions.
Implementation Method 1
a distance measurement sensor configured to obtain data representing a distance from the user to each position in a real object included in a visual field region of the camera
Implementation Method 2
a distance measurement sensor (LiDAR: Light Detection and Ranging) configured to obtain data representing a distance to an object in the front direction by scanning laser light and measuring an arrival time or a phase difference of reflected light
Implementation Method 3
an illuminance sensor configured to obtain data representing brightness of a place in which the user is present
Data Source
AI summary
An image display apparatus includes a camera, a distance measurement sensor, an illuminance sensor, a brightness/darkness determinator, an image generator, an image storage, an image retriever, a visual image decider, and a display. The camera captures an image of a real object in front of a user to obtain a camera image. The image generator generates a distance image which corresponds to the camera image and represents a distance to each position of the real object based on data of the distance measurement sensor. The brightness/darkness determinator determines whether a place in which the user is present is a bright place or a dark place based on data of the illuminance sensor. The image storage stores the camera image and the distance image obtained in the bright place as a set.