Loupe Camera Beam-Splitting Optical Path for Gemstone Imaging
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Solution Overview
Problem
There is a need for a portable, smartphone-integrated device that allows jewelers to view gemstones through a traditional optical loupe while capturing high-quality images, as existing solutions either require digital mediation or force users to hold the phone, leading to instability and lack of natural viewing habits.
Innovation Solution
A loupe camera design that combines an optical loupe with a digital camera, featuring a beam-splitting surface and adjustable optical components to ensure the user and sensor see the stone from the same direction, allowing for focused images and sequential illumination from multiple angles, enabling comfortable use and stable image capture.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Adaptability or versatility
If a digital camera is integrated with an optical loupe to enable image capture, then the ability to capture and communicate gemstone images is improved, but the device complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent merges a digital camera module with a traditional optical loupe into a single integrated device. The camera sensor, lens, and illumination sources are combined with the magnifying optics, allowing simultaneous optical viewing and digital image capture through a unified structure rather than separate devices
Solution Approach 2:
The integrated loupe camera serves multiple functions: optical magnification for direct viewing, digital image capture, illumination from multiple directions, and image processing. This multi-functional design eliminates the need for separate magnifying loupe, camera, and lighting equipment
2Ease of operation
If the smartphone is held in hand during capture, then portability is improved, but image stability deteriorates
Solution Approach 1:
The device separates the heavy camera body from the smartphone, placing only the essential optical components (lens, sensor, illumination) in a handheld unit while the smartphone remains stationary on a surface. This segmentation allows the camera portion to be portable while the imaging platform remains stable
3Measurement precision
If the gemstone is illuminated from multiple directions sequentially, then image quality is improved, but the time required for capture increases
Solution Approach 1:
The system uses sequential periodic illumination from multiple LED sources positioned at different angles. Each illumination cycle captures an image from a specific direction, and the process repeats for multiple directions. The periodic activation of different light sources enables comprehensive lighting coverage while maintaining efficient capture timing
Solution Approach 2:
The sequential illumination process is implemented continuously without interruption between frames. The system cycles through multiple illumination directions in rapid succession, capturing images continuously as each light source activates, thereby minimizing idle time and maintaining efficient capture workflow
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 jewelers to view gemstones optically while capturing images that are identical to their optical view, providing stability and natural usage, with the ability to adjust the device to any eye and create overlapping images for enhanced illumination and image quality.
Implementation Method 1
A loupe camera design that combines an optical loupe with a digital camera, featuring a beam-splitting surface and adjustable optical components
Data Source
AI summary
Disclosed herein is a sensor loupe where the user can look at a gemstone through a passive optical loupe and take a picture of the exact field of view that he sees.