Industrial Image Recapture Control for Unclear Regions

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Solution Overview

Problem

Existing image-capturing systems struggle to automatically identify and address image clarity issues due to environmental and operational factors, leading to incomplete or unclear captured images, which can hinder effective data acquisition in industrial settings.

Innovation Solution

An image-capturing control apparatus that includes units for image acquisition, environment information acquisition, determination of image clarity, and instruction for re-capturing based on unclear regions or environmental conditions, allowing for adaptive image recapture to ensure clear images are obtained.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Reliability

If automatic image clarity determination and recapture instruction are implemented, then image data acquisition reliability is improved, but device complexity increases

Engineering Contradiction:
Improveimage data acquisition reliabilityVSAvoidsystem complexity
Core Design Contradiction:
ReliabilityVSDevice complexity

Solution Approach 1:

The system divides the image quality assessment into multiple independent modules: an image determination unit that analyzes image clarity, an environment information acquisition unit that gathers environmental data, and an image-capturing instruction unit that triggers recapture. This segmentation allows each module to perform its specific function independently, improving overall reliability while managing complexity through modular design.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #1Segmentation

Solution Approach 2:

The system implements a feedback mechanism where the image determination unit continuously evaluates captured images and provides feedback to the image-capturing instruction unit. When images are determined to be unclear, the system automatically triggers recapture instructions, creating a closed-loop control system that improves image data reliability without requiring constant manual intervention.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #23Feedback

2Manufacturing precision

If multiple recapture strategies are implemented based on different conditions, then image capture quality is improved, but control complexity increases

Engineering Contradiction:
Improveimage capture qualityVSAvoidcontrol complexity
Core Design Contradiction:
Manufacturing precisionVSDevice complexity

Solution Approach 1:

The system applies different recapture control strategies based on local conditions: when only specific regions are unclear, it triggers partial recapture of those regions; when the entire image is unclear or environmental conditions are abnormal, it triggers full recapture. This localized approach to quality control improves image capture precision while managing control complexity through conditional logic.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #3Local quality

Solution Approach 2:

The system implements partial recapture action by instructing the image-capturing apparatus to recapture only the unclear regions rather than the entire image, when the image determination unit identifies that only specific areas are problematic. This reduces unnecessary recapture operations and optimizes the balance between image quality and control complexity.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #16Partial or excessive action

3Reliability

If environment information is integrated into recapture decisions, then image clarity reliability is improved, but information processing complexity increases

Engineering Contradiction:
Improveimage clarity reliabilityVSAvoidinformation processing complexity
Core Design Contradiction:
ReliabilityVSDevice complexity

Solution Approach 1:

The environment information acquisition unit serves multiple functions: it monitors environmental conditions, determines whether recapture is necessary, and influences the type of recapture instruction issued. By making this unit multi-functional, the system improves image clarity reliability through comprehensive environmental assessment while avoiding the need for separate dedicated components, thus managing information processing complexity.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #6Universality (Multi-functionality)

Data Source

PatentEP4618576A1Image-capturing control apparatus, image-capturing control method, and image-capturing control program
Publication Date: 2025.09.17 YOKOGAWA ELECTRIC CORP
  • EP4618576A1 patent drawingFigure 1
  • EP4618576A1 patent drawingFigure 2
  • EP4618576A1 patent drawingFigure 3

AI summary

Provided is an image-capturing control apparatus comprising an image acquisition unit that acquires an image captured in a plant, an environment information acquisition unit that acquires environment information in the plant, an image determination unit that determines whether the image captured is clear, and an image-capturing instruction unit that instructs an image-capturing apparatus to recapture the image based on at least one of an unclear region in the image or the environment information when it is determined that the image is unclear. In the above-described image-capturing control apparatus, the image-capturing instruction unit may perform, on the image-capturing apparatus, an instruction of re-capturing, at least a part thereof being different in a case where it is determined that a subject region corresponding to a subject is unclear but regions other than the subject region are clear in the image and in a case where it is determined that an entirety of the image is unclear. Selected drawing: Fig. 1