Infrared Sensor Attachment for Portable Thermal Imaging
Find Innovative SolutionsGenerate Solutions
Solution Overview
Problem
Portable electronic devices, such as smartphones, lack true infrared imaging capabilities due to the absence of integrated infrared image sensors, limiting their use in applications requiring thermal imaging.
Innovation Solution
A device attachment with an infrared sensor assembly and processing module is designed to be releasably attached to portable devices, capturing and processing thermal infrared image data for transmission to the user device, enabling infrared imaging functionality.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Adaptability or versatility
If portable electronic devices integrate true infrared imaging sensors, then infrared imaging capability is improved, but device complexity and manufacturing cost increase
Solution Approach 1:
The infrared imaging function is segmented from the main portable device and placed in a separate attachment unit. This allows the main device to remain simple while gaining infrared imaging capability through the attachable module that contains the specialized sensor and processing components.
Solution Approach 2:
The attachment unit is designed to be universally compatible with multiple types of portable devices (smartphones, tablets, laptops) through standardized connection interfaces. This single attachment provides infrared imaging functionality across different device platforms, eliminating the need for each device to have built-in infrared capabilities.
2Adaptability or versatility
If portable electronic devices integrate true infrared imaging sensors, then infrared imaging capability is improved, but manufacturing cost increases
Solution Approach 1:
By segmenting the infrared imaging functionality into a separate attachment unit, the main device manufacturer avoids the high cost of integrating specialized infrared sensors. The attachment unit can be manufactured independently and only by companies that need the functionality, reducing overall manufacturing costs for the majority of devices.
Solution Approach 2:
Instead of each device having its own expensive infrared sensor, the same attachment unit with the infrared sensor can be attached to multiple different portable devices. This copying approach allows one expensive sensor to serve multiple devices, reducing the per-device cost.
3Measurement precision
If dedicated infrared imaging hardware is used, then imaging quality is improved, but device portability and accessibility decrease
Solution Approach 1:
The system separates the high-quality infrared imaging hardware into a portable attachment unit that can be attached to and removed from various devices. This maintains the imaging quality of dedicated hardware while restoring portability, as users can attach the unit only when infrared imaging is needed.
Solution Approach 2:
The attachment unit transitions between attached and detached states, allowing the system to dynamically adapt between having full infrared imaging capabilities and being in a portable, compact form factor. Users can attach the unit for specialized imaging tasks and remove it for general portable use.
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 provides portable devices with infrared imaging capabilities, enhancing their utility in applications like temperature anomaly detection, gas inspection, and structural analysis without the need for dedicated infrared imaging hardware.
Implementation Method 1
an infrared sensor assembly within the housing and configured to capture thermal infrared image data
Data Source
AI summary
Various techniques are disclosed for providing a device attachment configured to releasably attach to and provide infrared imaging functionality to mobile phones or other portable electronic devices. For example, a device attachment may include a housing with a tub on a rear surface thereof shaped to at least partially receive a user device, an infrared sensor assembly disposed within the housing and configured to capture thermal infrared image data, and a processing module communicatively coupled to the infrared sensor assembly and configured to transmit the thermal infrared image data to the user device. Thermal infrared image data may be captured by the infrared sensor assembly and transmitted to the user device by the processing module in response to a request transmitted by an application program or other software/hardware routines running on the user device.