Image Sequence Reproduction With Motion Compensation for LED Flicker

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Solution Overview

Problem

Existing image processing systems in vehicles fail to reliably incorporate flickering light information from LED sources without synchronization, leading to incomplete or incorrect image reproduction and increased safety risks.

Innovation Solution

A method involving motion estimation and compensation to blend input images, using mean and median values for luminance and average for chrominance pixels, and bidirectional motion estimation to generate output images that mitigate flickering light information.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Device complexity

If image recording is performed without synchronization with LED light sources, then the image recording system can operate independently without complex synchronization mechanisms, but the captured images will contain flickering light information that is incomplete or incorrect

Engineering Contradiction:
Improvesynchronization mechanism complexityVSAvoidimage reproduction reliability
Core Design Contradiction:
Device complexityVSReliability

Solution Approach 1:

The patent applies preliminary action by performing motion estimation and compensation before the final image reproduction step. By estimating motion vectors from consecutive frames and compensating for motion effects in advance, the system prepares corrected image data that accounts for LED flickering, ensuring reliable reproduction without requiring synchronization with the light source timing

Inventive Principle:
Principle #10Preliminary action

Solution Approach 2:

The patent introduces motion compensation as an intermediary process between raw image capture and final display. This intermediary step processes the flickering light information by estimating motion and generating compensated images, thereby mediating the unreliable captured data into reliable output without requiring direct synchronization

Inventive Principle:
Principle #24Intermediary (Mediator)

2Reliability

If motion estimation and compensation methods are applied to process image sequences, then flickering light information can be reduced and image quality improved, but computational complexity and processing time increase

Engineering Contradiction:
Improveimage reproduction reliabilityVSAvoidimage processing complexity
Core Design Contradiction:
ReliabilityVSDevice complexity

Solution Approach 1:

The patent segments the image processing task into distinct stages: motion estimation, motion compensation, and image blending. By dividing the complex processing into manageable segments with specific functions, the system achieves reliable flicker reduction while organizing computational complexity into modular, manageable components

Inventive Principle:
Principle #1Segmentation

Solution Approach 2:

The patent applies partial action by focusing motion estimation and compensation only on regions affected by LED flickering, rather than processing the entire image uniformly. This selective approach reduces unnecessary computational complexity while maintaining reliability in critical areas

Inventive Principle:
Principle #16Partial or excessive action

Data Source

PatentEP4033445B1Method for reproducing sequences of images and image processing unit and computer programme for the same
Publication Date: 2025.07.23 DREAM CHIP TECH
  • EP4033445B1 patent drawingFigure 1
  • EP4033445B1 patent drawingFigure 2
  • EP4033445B1 patent drawingFigure 3

AI summary

A method for reproducing image sequences with flickering light information (L) is described. An image sequence comprises a series of images (Ei) of a temporally sequentially captured image scene. The method has the following steps: - Estimating (ME) motion vectors for image data of an image (Ei) to describe the spatial displacement of an image datum in a first image (Ei) to the same image datum in a temporally offset second image (Ei+1), - Generating (MIX) a temporally offset third image (Ai) by mixing the image data of the first image (Ei), for which motion vectors were estimated, with image data of the second image (Ei+1), with a spatial offset defined by a motion vector.