Imaging Control Device Dark Signal Acquisition via Movable Lens
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing imaging methods struggle to accurately obtain a dark image signal due to limitations in setting a lower limit value for light transmittance and deviations in light exposure ratios during multiple imaging processes, especially when the subject or imaging apparatus is in motion.
Innovation Solution
An imaging control device and method that utilize a movable lens and a variable optical element to perform multiple exposures with varying light conditions, allowing for accurate dark image signal acquisition by controlling the lens and optical element to maintain distinct imaging conditions between first and second imaging states.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Measurement precision
If a light reduction filter is controlled to a non-transmission state to obtain a dark image signal, then the dark image signal can be obtained, but it is difficult to set a lower limit value of transmittance of the light reduction filter to 0, thus the dark image signal cannot be accurately obtained
Solution Approach 1:
The patent introduces a stop as an intermediary optical element between the light reduction filter and the imager. By controlling the stop to have a lower limit aperture value (e.g., F22), it prevents the light reduction filter from needing to achieve complete blackout (0% transmittance). The stop acts as a mediator that blocks sufficient light to obtain an accurate dark image signal while avoiding the operational difficulty of setting the filter's lower limit to exactly 0.
2Measurement precision
If imaging is performed twice with different quantities of light incident on the imager by controlling a stop, then a dark image signal can be obtained by comparing captured image signals, but in a case where a subject is in motion or an imaging apparatus is in motion during imaging, deviation occurs in a relationship between a ratio of the stop and the difference between the captured image signals, thus the dark image signal cannot be accurately canceled
Solution Approach 1:
The patent performs preliminary actions by controlling the movable lens to different imaging conditions (first imaging condition value different from second imaging condition value) before acquiring the dark image signal. This ensures that when multiple images are captured with different stop ratios, the lens positioning is already optimized for each condition, preventing motion-induced deviations and ensuring accurate dark image signal cancellation even when the subject or imaging apparatus is in motion.
3Measurement precision
If multiple imaging is performed by changing the stop to obtain a dark image signal, then the dark image signal can be obtained, but deviation occurs when the subject or imaging apparatus is in motion, thus accurate cancellation cannot be achieved
Solution Approach 1:
The patent applies dynamics by making the lens position adaptive to different imaging conditions. Instead of keeping the lens fixed, it is controlled to different imaging condition values corresponding to different stop ratios. This dynamic adjustment ensures that the optical system remains optimized throughout the multiple imaging process, maintaining reliability and accuracy even when motion occurs between captures.
Data Source
AI summary
An imaging control device includes: a controller that causes an imager to perform first imaging and further perform second imaging a plurality of times; and a dark image signal acquirer, the controller causes the imager to perform the second imaging in each of a plurality of exposure states where a quantity of light incident on the imager is greater than 0 and is different for each of the exposure states, by controlling the optical element, and the controller obtains, by controlling the movable lens at a time of the second imaging, a state where a first imaging condition value determined by a control state of the movable lens at the time of the second imaging is different from a second imaging condition value determined by a control state of the movable lens at a time of the first imaging.