Masked Compressive Imaging for Low-Data Sensor Capture
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Solution Overview
Problem
Traditional image sensors produce large amounts of data for each image captured, which can be cumbersome and inefficient, often requiring unnecessary resource-intensive mathematical reduction processes.
Innovation Solution
A novel compressive-sensing image capture device that integrates physical masks with sensors to block electromagnetic radiation, reducing data capture to essential coefficients, combined with a machine-trained network to process these coefficients directly, thereby minimizing data processing needs.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Loss of information
If traditional image sensors capture all light reaching each pixel, then complete image data is obtained, but large amounts of unnecessary data are produced requiring resource-intensive processing
Solution Approach 1:
The patent applies preliminary action by performing compression directly at the sensor level through physical masks before data is even captured. The masks pre-determine which light paths reach which sensors, encoding compression information into the physical measurement process itself, thereby eliminating the need for subsequent computational compression and reducing overall processing requirements
Solution Approach 2:
The patent replaces the mechanical/computational compression system with a physical optical system. Instead of using software algorithms to compress image data after capture, the invention uses physical masks with specific transmission patterns that optically encode the compressed representation directly at the sensor level, substituting computational complexity with physical design
2Quantity of substance
If mathematical compression is applied to reduce data size, then data processing requirements decrease, but processing resources are wasted during the reduction process
Solution Approach 1:
The compression action is performed preliminarily through the physical mask design before data reaches the digital processing stage. The mask patterns pre-encode the essential image information while blocking unnecessary light paths, so that the sensor only generates compressed data from the start, eliminating the energy-intensive mathematical compression process that would otherwise be required
3Productivity
If physical masks are integrated with sensors, then data capture is reduced to essential coefficients, but device complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent applies merging by integrating the compression masks directly with the sensor array in a unified structure. The masks and sensors are combined into a single device component, allowing the complex function of both compression and sensing to be achieved through one integrated system rather than separate components, thereby managing device complexity while maintaining high data capture efficiency
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 reduces data processing requirements, conserving power and resources while maintaining image quality, making it suitable for devices with limited capabilities.
Implementation Method 1
Each sensor in the sensor array has an associated mask that blocks electromagnetic radiation from portions of the sensor
Implementation Method 2
The lenses are condensing lenses that focus the ambient light onto the sensor
Implementation Method 3
In some embodiments, the sensors are photodiodes for detecting visible light
Data Source
AI summary
Some embodiments provide a novel compressive-sensing image capture device and a method of using data captured by the compressive-sensing image capture device. The novel compressive-sensing image capture device includes an array of sensors for detecting electromagnetic radiation. Each sensor in the sensor array has an associated mask that blocks electromagnetic radiation from portions of the sensor. In some embodiments, an array of passive masks is used to block a particular set of areas of each sensor in the sensor array. In some embodiments, the image capture device also includes an array of lenses corresponding to the sensors of the sensor array such that each sensor receives light that passes through a different lens. Some embodiments of the invention provide a dynamic mask array. In some embodiments, a novel machine trained network is provided that processes image capture data captured by the compressive-sensing image capture device to predict solutions to problems.