Inward Multiple-Lens Camera for Wide-Angle Imaging

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Solution Overview

Problem

Existing wide-angle imaging systems with outward multiple-lens cameras face issues of lens protrusion, making them inconvenient to carry and prone to abrasion.

Innovation Solution

An image processing system utilizing an inward multiple-lens camera with a compensation device and correspondence generator to generate wide-angle images by stitching and blending lens images, ensuring lenses are fully enclosed and protected.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Adaptability or versatility

If outward multiple-lens camera is used to capture wide-angle images, then wide-angle imaging capability is improved, but lens protrusion occurs making the device inconvenient to carry and lenses prone to abrasion

Engineering Contradiction:

Improvewide-angle imaging capabilityVSAvoidconvenience to carry

Core Design Contradiction:

Adaptability or versatilityVSEase of operation

Solution Approach 1:

The patent inverts the conventional outward-facing lens arrangement by positioning lenses inwardly within the housing. This inversion allows the optical axes to converge at a point outside the housing, achieving wide-angle imaging while keeping lenses protected inside, thus resolving the contradiction between wide-angle capability and portability

Inventive Principle:

Principle #13The other way round (Inversion)

2Adaptability or versatility

If outward multiple-lens camera is used to capture wide-angle images, then wide-angle imaging capability is improved, but lenses are subject to abrasion from use

Engineering Contradiction:

Improvewide-angle imaging capabilityVSAvoidlens durability

Core Design Contradiction:

Adaptability or versatilityVSReliability

Solution Approach 1:

By inverting the lens orientation from outward to inward, the lenses are positioned inside the housing where they are protected from direct contact and abrasion during use, while still achieving wide-angle imaging through the inverted optical configuration

Inventive Principle:

Principle #13The other way round (Inversion)

Solution Approach 2:

The lenses are nested within the housing structure rather than protruding outward. This nesting arrangement protects the lenses by embedding them inside the device, preventing direct exposure to external elements that cause abrasion

Inventive Principle:

Principle #7Nested doll (Nesting)

Data Source

PatentUS11595574B1Image processing system and method thereof for generating projection images based on inward or outward multiple-lens camera

Publication Date: 2023.02.28 CUPOLA360 INC

AI summary

An image processing system is disclosed, comprising: an M-lens camera, a compensation device and a correspondence generator. The M-lens camera generates M lens images. The compensation device generates a projection image according to a first vertex list and the M lens images. The correspondence generator is configured to conduct calibration for vertices to define vertex mappings, horizontally and vertically scan each lens image to determine texture coordinates of its image center, determine texture coordinates of control points according to the vertex mappings, and P1 control points in each overlap region in the projection image; and, determine two adjacent control points and a coefficient blending weight for each vertex in each lens image according to the texture coordinates of the control points and the image center in each lens image to generate the first vertex list, where M>=2.