Image Pickup Device Shutter Speed Control for Panning
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Solution Overview
Problem
Image pickup devices face issues with unseemly transitions between smooth and unsmooth images due to automatic shutter speed control during panning or tilting operations, especially when objects move at high rates, leading to unsatisfactory image quality.
Innovation Solution
An image pickup device and method that maintains a constant shutter speed when the object moves at a high rate, regardless of illuminance, and adjusts shutter speed based on illuminance when the object moves at a low rate, using an angular velocity sensor to determine panning rate and size, and a panning determination unit to control shutter speed accordingly.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Illumination intensity
If the shutter speed is automatically adjusted according to illuminance during panning or tilting operations, then the proper exposure amount is maintained, but the image quality deteriorates due to unseemly transitions between smooth and unsmooth images
Solution Approach 1:
The patent applies dynamics by making the shutter speed control adaptive to the panning rate. The control unit dynamically switches between two control modes: when the panning rate is high, the shutter speed is fixed to maintain smooth images; when the panning rate is low, the shutter speed is automatically adjusted according to illuminance to maintain proper exposure. This dynamic adaptation resolves the contradiction by selecting the appropriate control strategy based on real-time motion detection.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent changes the shutter speed parameter based on the detected panning rate. By monitoring the panning rate and switching between fixed shutter speed mode (for high panning rates) and automatic shutter speed adjustment mode (for low panning rates), the system optimizes both image smoothness and exposure quality. This parameter change strategy allows the system to maintain proper exposure without causing unseemly transitions during dynamic panning operations.
2Speed
If the shutter speed is shortened to less than one field period to increase frame rate, then the image smoothness is improved, but the light quantity received by the image pickup element is reduced
Solution Approach 1:
The system dynamically adjusts the shutter speed based on the panning rate. During high-speed panning, the shutter speed is fixed to maintain smooth images and adequate light quantity. During low-speed panning, the shutter speed is automatically shortened to increase frame rate while still maintaining sufficient light quantity through automatic exposure adjustment. This dynamic control allows the system to optimize both frame rate and light quantity according to actual operating conditions.
3Illumination intensity
If the shutter speed is lengthened to more than one field period to increase light quantity, then the exposure amount is improved, but the frame rate is reduced resulting in unsmooth images
Solution Approach 1:
The patent implements dynamic shutter speed control that adapts to the panning rate. When the panning rate is high, the system uses a fixed shutter speed that balances exposure and frame rate, avoiding unsmooth images. When the panning rate is low, the system automatically lengthens the shutter speed to increase light quantity and improve exposure, while the lower frame rate requirement during slow panning allows this without causing noticeable unsmoothness. This dynamic adaptation resolves the contradiction between exposure amount and frame rate.
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 approach prevents the mixing of unsmooth and smooth images, resulting in improved image quality by stabilizing the shutter speed during high panning rates and adjusting it flexibly during low panning rates, thus maintaining a consistent frame rate and reducing exposure inconsistencies.
Implementation Method 1
an angular velocity sensor to determine panning rate and size
Implementation Method 2
the optical charge corresponding to the strength of the light at the particular portion is generated in a photodiode
Data Source
AI summary
An image pickup device and image pickup method are disclosed, wherein an image is picked up by changing the shutter speed in accordance with the illuminance of an object in the case where the rate at which the object moves in the whole image is smaller than a predetermined value, and an image is picked up without changing the shutter speed regardless of the illuminance of the object in the case where the rate at which the object moves in the whole image is not smaller than the predetermined value.