Imaging Device Polarization Rotation for Motion Blur Reduction
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Solution Overview
Problem
Imaging devices face challenges in capturing high-resolution images with wide dynamic range without motion blurring, especially when objects or devices move, as existing methods either result in motion blurring or fail to achieve high resolution due to sensitivity differences between polarization and non-polarization pixels.
Innovation Solution
An imaging device with a polarization rotating section that adjusts the polarization direction of incident light, allowing for variable sensitivity of polarization pixels and enabling gain adjustments to combine image signals, thereby reducing motion blurring and maintaining high resolution.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Loss of information
If images with different exposure times are combined to generate a wide dynamic range image, then the dynamic range is enlarged, but motion blurring becomes more conspicuous
Solution Approach 1:
The patent changes the sensitivity parameter of polarization pixels by rotating the polarization direction of incident light. This allows the same pixel to effectively capture different luminance ranges by adjusting its polarization sensitivity, enabling wide dynamic range imaging without requiring multiple exposures at different times, thus avoiding motion blurring.
2Loss of information
If a pixel is equipped with a polarizing filter to enlarge dynamic range, then the dynamic range is increased, but the pixel resolution is reduced due to two types of sensitivity
Solution Approach 1:
The patent introduces a rotatable polarizing element that can dynamically change the polarization direction. This allows the polarization pixels to adapt their sensitivity according to the incident light conditions, effectively capturing a full-resolution image where each pixel's sensitivity is optimized for the current lighting scenario, thus maintaining both dynamic range and resolution.
3Loss of information
If the sensitivity of polarization pixels is increased to capture more light, then the dynamic range is enlarged, but the pixels saturate more easily causing loss of detail in bright areas
Solution Approach 1:
The patent dynamically adjusts the polarization sensitivity parameter by rotating the polarizing element. When incident light is bright, the polarization direction is adjusted to reduce sensitivity and prevent saturation; when light is dim, the polarization direction is adjusted to increase sensitivity and capture more light. This adaptive parameter change enables the same pixels to reliably capture details across a wide dynamic range without saturation.
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
The solution enables the capture of wide dynamic range images with reduced motion blurring and high resolution by rotating the polarization direction of incident light, allowing for effective gain adjustments and image combinations based on pixel sensitivity.
Implementation Method 1
a polarization rotating section provided on an incidence plane side of the imaging section, and configured to rotate a polarization direction of the incident light
Implementation Method 2
The imaging device includes a solid-state image sensor such as a complementary metal oxide semiconductor (CMOS) image sensor or a charge coupled device (CCD) image sensor. Such a solid-state image sensor accumulates the electric charge corresponding to the amount of incident light, and performs photoelectric conversion to output the electrical signal corresponding to the electric charge.
Data Source
AI summary
There is provided an imaging device including: an imaging section including pixels that generate pixel signals on the basis of incident light, the pixels including a polarization pixel having a predetermined polarization direction and a non-polarization pixel; and a polarization rotating section provided on an incidence plane side of the imaging section, and configured to rotate a polarization direction of the incident light.