Optoelectronic Module With Modulated Illumination for Blur Reduction
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Solution Overview
Problem
Conventional cameras face a trade-off between minimizing noise and gathering sufficient photons, leading to issues with image blurring and reduced object distance range, especially when imaging moving objects or scenes.
Innovation Solution
An optoelectronic module with a modulated illuminator, comprising a mask layer and a processor to control light sources, which modulates illumination to reduce blurring and enhance signal-to-noise ratio (SNR), enabling improved imaging of moving objects and scenes.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If integration time is reduced to minimize noise, then noise is reduced, but sufficient photon collection is compromised
Solution Approach 1:
The patent applies periodic action by modulating the illumination light source at a known frequency during the exposure period. This allows the detector to distinguish signal photons from noise photons through synchronous detection, enabling effective noise reduction without compromising photon collection. The periodic modulation creates a temporal code that separates signal from noise, resolving the contradiction between short exposure time and sufficient photon gathering.
Solution Approach 2:
The system implements feedback through the processor that receives detected light signals and compares them against the expected modulation pattern. By feedback the detected signal to the processor, which then adjusts the reconstruction based on the known modulation scheme, the system can effectively separate signal from noise, allowing reduced integration time while maintaining signal quality.
2Quantity of substance
If integration time is increased to gather sufficient photons, then photon collection is improved, but image blurring increases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent uses periodic action by modulating the illumination at a frequency higher than the motion frequency of objects in the scene. This allows the system to gather sufficient photons during extended exposure while the high-frequency modulation creates temporal codes that remain distinguishable even when spatial information is blurred by motion, enabling sharp image reconstruction from longer exposure data.
Solution Approach 2:
The system applies dynamics by making the illumination temporal rather than static. The modulated illumination creates time-varying patterns that encode spatial information, allowing the system to dynamically distinguish between stationary and moving objects during extended exposure, thereby maintaining image sharpness while collecting sufficient photons.
3Length of stationary object
If light source intensity is reduced to extend object distance range, then distance range is extended, but signal strength is reduced
Solution Approach 1:
The patent applies periodic action by modulating the light source intensity at a known frequency. This allows the system to use lower average intensity levels to extend distance range while the periodic modulation creates detectable temporal patterns that maintain signal strength through synchronous detection, effectively separating weak signals from noise.
Solution Approach 2:
The system implements parameter changes by transitioning from static intensity to time-varying intensity through periodic modulation. This allows the average intensity to be reduced for extended range while the temporal frequency parameter provides an additional dimension for signal detection, maintaining effective signal strength through frequency-domain analysis.
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
The modulated illumination effectively reduces blurring and enhances SNR, allowing for higher resolution and 3D imaging, suitable for portable devices with thinner form factors and angle-insensitive applications like gesture sensing.
Implementation Method 1
a detector layer configured to detect light having the illumination wavelength reflected by the scene
Implementation Method 2
a mask layer disposed over the detector layer, the mask layer being configured to interact with light having the illumination wavelength
Data Source
AI summary
An optoelectronic module (100) and a method of manufacturing an optoelectronic module the optoelectronic module comprising: an illuminator (102) comprising a plurality of light sources (104) configured to emit light towards a scene at an illumination wavelength; a detector layer (106) configured to detect light having the illumination wavelength reflected by the scene; a mask layer (108) disposed over the detector layer, the mask layer being configured to interact with light having the illumination wavelength; and a processor (110), the processor configured to: modulate the plurality of light sources; and reconstruct an image of the scene.