Infrared Image Capture Noise Elimination Without Shutter

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Solution Overview

Problem

Existing infrared image capture devices struggle to eliminate noise when a subject does not change state, as methods like SbNUC cannot be applied in such scenarios.

Innovation Solution

An image capture device with an optical path changing unit, a state change determining unit, a correction value calculating unit, and a correction executing unit that adjusts the optical path and calculates correction values to eliminate noise from captured images, regardless of subject state changes.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Reliability

If a shutter is used to enable noise elimination, then noise elimination capability is improved, but device complexity and size increase

Engineering Contradiction:

Improvenoise elimination capabilityVSAvoiddevice structure

Core Design Contradiction:

ReliabilityVSDevice complexity

Solution Approach 1:

The patent extracts and removes the shutter component from the system entirely. Instead of using a shutter to create temporal variations for noise elimination, the invention processes images captured without a shutter, using computational methods to achieve noise elimination while maintaining a simpler device structure.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #2Taking out (Extraction)

Solution Approach 2:

The patent replaces the mechanical shutter system with a computational image processing system. The mechanical action of the shutter is substituted by digital signal processing techniques that analyze temporal variations in captured images to eliminate noise, thereby reducing mechanical complexity.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #28Mechanics substitution (Replace mechanical system)

2Reliability

If a shutter is used to enable noise elimination, then noise elimination capability is improved, but device size increases

Engineering Contradiction:

Improvenoise elimination capabilityVSAvoiddevice size

Core Design Contradiction:

ReliabilityVSVolume of moving object

Solution Approach 1:

Inventive Principle:

Principle #2Taking out (Extraction)

3Reliability

If Scene-based Nonuniformity Correction is used to eliminate noise, then noise elimination is achieved, but it cannot be applied when subject does not change state

Engineering Contradiction:

Improvenoise eliminationVSAvoidapplicability to static subjects

Core Design Contradiction:

ReliabilityVSAdaptability or versatility

Solution Approach 1:

The patent creates a universal noise elimination method that works for both static and dynamic subjects. By using temporal variation analysis on captured images without requiring actual subject movement, the system achieves adaptability across different subject states, making the noise elimination capability universally applicable.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #6Universality (Multi-functionality)

Solution Approach 2:

The patent performs preliminary analysis of temporal variations in captured images to determine whether subject movement exists. This preliminary detection enables the system to adaptively select appropriate noise elimination processing, ensuring effectiveness whether the subject is static or dynamic.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #10Preliminary action

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

Enables effective noise elimination and high-quality image capture regardless of subject state changes, without the need for a shutter, allowing for a downsized image capture device.

Implementation Method 1

an image capture element and acquires a subject image by photo-electrically converting infrared rays emitted from a subject with the image capture element

Methodology Applied

Scientific EffectPhoto-electric conversion: Photoelectric Effect

Data Source

PatentUS9641765B2Image capture device, image correction method, and image correction program

Publication Date: 2017.05.02 NEC CORP

AI summary

The image capture device includes an image capture element which is formed of a plurality of pixels and acquires a captured image by detecting light from a subject and converting the light into an electric signal, an optical path changing unit which changes an optical path of light incident on an image capture element and displaces a position of light incident on the image capture element, a state change determining unit which obtains a deviation of a brightness value per pixel in a captured image, determines whether or not a subject temporally changes its state based on the deviation, and outputs an optical path change instruction to an optical path changing unit when it is determined that the subject does not change its state, a correction value calculating unit which performs a predetermined correction value calculating process on captured images of the same subject before and after a state change by an image capture element and calculates a noise image contained in the captured image as a correction value, and a correction executing unit which eliminates noise from a captured image by use of a correction value.