Image Sensor Capacitor Discharge for Laser Burnout Protection
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Solution Overview
Problem
High-intensity lasers emitted by vehicles can cause over-charging and burnout of photodiodes in imaging sensors, leading to degraded camera performance over time.
Innovation Solution
An image sensor capacitor discharge system that uses a controller to analyze image frames, determine signal level variance and saturation, and send a discharge signal to identified capacitors to prevent burnout, employing techniques like bit plane segmentation, luminance and noise level calculation, and tone mapping to identify pixels for discharge.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If high-intensity lasers are emitted continuously from vehicles for LIDAR and active safety technologies, then active safety performance is improved, but image sensor photodiodes are at risk of over-charging and burnout
Solution Approach 1:
The system performs preliminary discharge of image sensor capacitors before they become overcharged from exposure to high-intensity lasers. The controller monitors image data for signs of capacitor charging and proactively triggers discharge operations to prevent burnout, rather than waiting for damage to occur.
Solution Approach 2:
The system continuously monitors image data from the image sensor and uses this feedback to determine when capacitors need discharge. By analyzing signal level variance and saturation levels in the image data, the controller receives real-time feedback on capacitor charge states and adjusts discharge operations accordingly to prevent photodiode damage while maintaining safety functionality.
2Reliability
If image sensor capacitors are continuously monitored and discharged to prevent burnout, then photodiode protection is improved, but system complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The image sensor system monitors its own capacitor charge states through analysis of its generated image data. The controller uses the image data already being captured for other purposes to detect capacitor charging conditions and triggers discharge operations autonomously without requiring external monitoring systems or additional hardware sensors.
Solution Approach 2:
The controller performs multiple functions: it processes image data for normal imaging operations, analyzes the same data to detect capacitor charge states, and triggers discharge operations when needed. This multi-functionality eliminates the need for separate monitoring hardware and reduces overall system complexity while maintaining effective photodiode protection.
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
Effectively prevents image sensor burnout by actively discharging capacitors, protecting the photodiodes from over-charging and maintaining camera performance.
Implementation Method 1
send a capacitor discharge signal to an image sensor to discharge the identified image sensor capacitors
Data Source
AI summary
Systems, methods, and apparatus are provided for real-time adjustment of image quality parameters. The system includes a controller configured to: acquire an image frame, having a fixed-pixel region that defines a region-of-interest, from one or more imaging devices; apply image processing techniques to determine a modified fixed-pixel region that excludes non-relevant object pixels; alter one or more image quality parameters based on statistics of pixels in the modified fixed-pixel region; and provide the altered one or more image quality parameters to the one or more imaging devices for use with subsequent image frames; wherein the one or more imaging devices produce an image that is tuned, based on the altered one or more image quality parameters, to the portions of the image in the region-of-interest that does not include the non-relevant object pixels.