MEMS Scanning Mirror Spatial Capture With One Rear Sensor
Find Innovative SolutionsGenerate Solutions
Solution Overview
Problem
Existing mobile devices with multiple rear-facing sensors for capturing spatial photos and videos face issues such as limited picture quality, increased hardware requirements, power consumption, and redundancies due to differences in sensor capabilities and close sensor spacing, leading to suboptimal depth perception and battery drain.
Innovation Solution
Employing a micro-electromechanical systems (MEMS) scanning mirror to alternate the optical path of a single rear-facing sensor, enabling time-multiplexed image capture from different apertures, thus eliminating the need for duplicate sensors and associated circuitry, and optimizing resource utilization.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Measurement precision
If multiple rear-facing sensors are used to capture spatial photos and videos, then depth perception and field of view are improved, but hardware complexity and power consumption increase
Solution Approach 1:
The patent combines the functions of multiple sensors into a single sensor system. The wide-angle and ultra-wide sensors are merged into one sensor that can capture both fields of view by alternating between different aperture configurations, eliminating the need for separate physical sensors while maintaining spatial capture capabilities
Solution Approach 2:
The single sensor is designed to perform multiple functions by switching between different aperture modes. The same sensor can capture wide-angle views, ultra-wide views, and spatial photos by adjusting which aperture is active, making one component universal rather than requiring specialized sensors for each function
2Productivity
If multiple sensors operate simultaneously to capture spatial images, then capture speed is improved, but power consumption increases
Solution Approach 1:
The sensor alternates between capturing wide-angle and ultra-wide images in periodic succession rather than simultaneously. The aperture switches between configurations at high speed, creating the appearance of simultaneous capture while actually using sequential periodic action, which reduces power consumption by keeping only one sensor active at a time
Solution Approach 2:
The system dynamically switches the aperture configuration of the sensor based on which image is needed at any given moment. This dynamic reconfiguration allows the same sensor to adapt its field of view for different spatial capture requirements without requiring multiple static sensors operating simultaneously
3Area of moving object
If wide-angle and ultra-wide sensors are used together, then field of view coverage is improved, but image quality is limited by the lower-quality sensor
Solution Approach 1:
The system applies local quality by using the appropriate aperture for each specific capture requirement. When wide-angle coverage is needed, the wide-angle aperture is activated; when ultra-wide coverage is needed, that aperture is activated. Each local capture operation uses the optimal aperture for that specific need, ensuring high image quality for the intended field of view
4Volume of moving object
If sensors are placed close together to fit in mobile device, then device compactness is improved, but depth perception capability deteriorates
Solution Approach 1:
Instead of increasing the physical distance between sensors in the horizontal dimension, the patent uses the temporal dimension to alternate between different aperture configurations. The same physical sensor location is used, but the aperture switches between wide and ultra-wide modes, creating virtual separation in the temporal dimension rather than requiring spatial separation
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 allows for high-quality spatial photos and videos without quality restrictions, reduces power consumption, and extends battery life by simplifying hardware and processing requirements, while maintaining depth perception.
Implementation Method 1
a first mirroring element disposed within the enclosure and configured to reflect light traveling through the first light-permeable element of the panel, and a second mirroring element disposed within the enclosure and configured to reflect light traveling through the second light-permeable element of the panel
Data Source
AI summary
The claims generally describe an apparatus for spatial image and video capture comprising a micro-electromechanical Systems (MEMS) scanning mirror. The apparatus comprises an image sensor with a MEMS scanning mirror positioned centrally in front of the sensor that rapidly alternate the optical pass. The MEMS mirror directs light received through a first light-permeable element and reflected by a first mirror to the sensor while it is oriented in a first position, and a first image is captured based on light reflected by the first mirror and directed to the sensor. The MEMS mirror directs light received by a second light-permeable element and reflected by the second mirror to the sensor while it is oriented in a second position, and a second image is captured based on light reflected by the second mirror and directed to the sensor. A spatial video is generated based on at least the first and second captured images.