Liquid Lens Image Sensor Wait Period Control
Find Innovative SolutionsGenerate Solutions
Solution Overview
Problem
Image sensors with liquid lenses face delays in achieving focus due to varying responsiveness to voltage changes, leading to blurred images when using a uniform wait period across different lens and imaging module combinations, resulting in either premature or excessive waiting before capturing images.
Innovation Solution
An image sensor with a controller that adjusts the wait period based on specific combinations of lens and imaging modules by using a wait period table to ensure the blur circle diameter matches the pixel pitch, allowing for precise timing of image capture.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Ease of operation
If a uniform wait period is used for all lens and imaging module combinations, then the system operation is simplified, but image focus quality deteriorates due to mismatched wait times
Solution Approach 1:
The patent applies local quality by assigning different wait period values to different lens and imaging module combinations. Each combination has its own optimized wait period stored in a table, allowing the system to match the specific response characteristics of each module pair rather than using a uniform wait period for all combinations.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent changes the parameter of wait period based on the specific combination of lens module and imaging module. The controller selects different wait period values from a table depending on which modules are attached, thereby adapting the timing parameter to match the responsiveness characteristics of each module combination.
2Manufacturing precision
If a longer wait period is used to ensure focus for all combinations, then image quality is maintained, but system productivity decreases due to excessive waiting
Solution Approach 1:
The patent uses local quality by providing different wait period values for different module combinations. Combinations with faster response (more responsive liquid lenses) use shorter wait periods, while combinations with slower response use longer wait periods, ensuring each operates at its optimal timing without unnecessary delays.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent implements dynamics by making the wait period variable rather than fixed. The controller dynamically selects the appropriate wait period from a table based on the detected lens and imaging module combination, allowing the system to adapt its timing characteristics to match the actual hardware configuration.
3Productivity
If a shorter wait period is used to improve productivity, then image capturing speed increases, but image quality deteriorates due to premature capture before focus is achieved
Solution Approach 1:
The patent applies local quality by assigning specific wait period values to specific lens and imaging module combinations. This ensures that each combination receives the minimum necessary wait time to achieve proper focus, preventing premature image capture while avoiding excessive waiting for any particular combination.
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 approach ensures that images are captured in focus by adjusting the wait period according to the unique response characteristics of each lens and imaging module combination, preventing both blurriness and excessive waiting.
Implementation Method 1
A liquid lens is an optical component containing a conductive water solution and a nonconductive oil sealed in a lens holder, with the oil-water interface deforming to change the refractive power in response to a voltage applied
Data Source
Figure 1
Figure 2~3
Figure 4~5
AI summary
An image sensor includes a body module including a refractive power controller that adjusts an application voltage applicable to a liquid lens in a lens module to control a refractive power of the liquid lens, a recognition processor that analyzes, after a preset period elapses from when the refractive power controller changes the application voltage to the liquid lens, image data from an imaging device in an imaging module, and an adjuster that reads first information from a memory in the lens module and second information from a memory in the imaging module and adjusts, based on the first and second information, the preset period to a period corresponding to a combination of the lens module and the imaging device. The first information indicates a specification for or a type of the lens module. The second information indicates a specification for or a type of the imaging device.