Integrated IMU Camera Module Alignment
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Solution Overview
Problem
Modern electronic devices, especially wearable ones, face challenges in accurately monitoring and maintaining the alignment of sensors due to environmental and handling stresses, leading to reduced tracking precision and accuracy, as traditional methods either increase complexity or require significant internal volume and power.
Innovation Solution
Integrating inertial measurement units (IMUs) directly onto camera modules within electronic devices, such as head-mountable devices, to detect motion and maintain alignment, reducing the likelihood of IMU shift and simplifying interconnects by sharing physical pathways with camera signals.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Measurement precision
If separate IMUs are used to monitor sensor alignment, then measurement precision is improved, but device complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent combines the IMU with the camera module into a single integrated unit. The IMU is positioned adjacent to the camera sensor within the same module housing, allowing motion detection to be performed directly at the camera location without requiring separate IMU components. This integration maintains alignment monitoring precision while reducing overall device complexity by eliminating redundant components and interconnects.
2Measurement precision
If separate IMUs are used to detect motion, then measurement precision is improved, but the device requires significant internal volume
Solution Approach 1:
The IMU is nested within the camera module structure, positioned in a cavity or recess of the module housing adjacent to the camera sensor. This nesting arrangement allows the IMU to occupy space that would otherwise be unused or minimally utilized within the camera module, thereby maintaining motion detection precision without requiring additional internal volume in the overall device.
3Measurement precision
If multiple separate components are used for motion sensing, then measurement precision is improved, but manufacturing precision requirements increase
Solution Approach 1:
By integrating the IMU and camera sensor into a single modular unit with a fixed internal geometry, the patent eliminates the need for high-precision alignment between separate components during assembly. The IMU and camera sensor are positioned at predetermined locations within the module housing, reducing manufacturing precision requirements compared to assembling multiple separate components that would require precise alignment.
4Measurement precision
If separate IMUs are used for each camera module, then measurement precision is improved, but device complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
Each camera module is self-contained with its own integrated IMU, allowing independent motion detection without requiring complex interconnects between separate IMUs and camera modules. The integration within each module simplifies the overall system architecture by eliminating the need for additional wiring, communication interfaces, and synchronization mechanisms that would be required if separate IMUs were used.
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 integration enhances the accuracy and precision of camera pose knowledge, reduces the risk of misalignment, and conserves space within the device by eliminating the need for separate IMUs, while minimizing joints and power consumption.
Implementation Method 1
integrating inertial measurement units (IMUs) directly onto camera modules within electronic devices to detect motion
Implementation Method 2
The motion sensor can include at least one of a gyroscope, an accelerometer, or a magnetometer
Implementation Method 3
The motion sensor can include at least one of a gyroscope, an accelerometer, or a magnetometer
Implementation Method 4
The motion sensor can include at least one of a gyroscope, an accelerometer, or a magnetometer
Data Source
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AI summary
A head-mountable device can include a display, a housing, a processor, and a camera module. The camera module can include a lens assembly, an optical sensor, a substrate, and a motion sensor attached to the camera module to determine a motion of the camera module. The processor can be communicatively coupled to the motion sensor, and can generate a signal based on the motion.