Monochrome-Color Mapping Using Monochromatic Imager and Color Map Sensor
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Solution Overview
Problem
Conventional camera designs face a trade-off between image quality and thickness due to the constraint of smaller pixel sizes and reduced pixel counts, leading to decreased low-light image quality and lower detail, with existing multi-aperture array cameras requiring computationally expensive techniques that often result in noticeable artifacts.
Innovation Solution
The use of a monochromatic imager and a color map sensor for monochrome-color mapping, which allows for higher resolution and signal-to-noise ratio without interpolation, enabling improved image quality and reduced computational costs by mapping colors to a monochromatic image rather than pixel-by-pixel fusion.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Use of energy by moving object
If multiple imagers are used to capture additional light without increasing height, then camera sensitivity is improved, but computational complexity increases and artifacts are introduced
Solution Approach 1:
The imaging system is segmented into two specialized components: a monochromatic imager for high-resolution structural capture and a color map sensor for color information. This segmentation allows each component to be optimized for its specific function, avoiding the need for complex fusion algorithms while reducing computational complexity.
Solution Approach 2:
A grayscale image derived from the monochromatic imager serves as an intermediary that bridges the structural information from the monochromatic sensor and the color information from the color map sensor. This intermediary simplifies the combination process by providing a unified structural framework that avoids direct pixel-by-pixel fusion complexities.
2Length of moving object
If pixel size is reduced to maintain thin form factor, then camera thickness is reduced, but image quality and signal-to-noise ratio deteriorate
Solution Approach 1:
The imaging function is segmented between a monochromatic imager optimized for high-resolution structural capture and a color map sensor for color information. The monochromatic imager can achieve higher effective resolution by capturing luminance information without the color filter array overhead, maintaining image quality in a thin form factor.
Solution Approach 2:
The system transitions from a traditional color sensor approach (capturing RGB at each pixel location) to a dimensional separation approach where the monochromatic imager captures high-resolution luminance structure and the color map sensor captures color information, combining them in a different dimensional space to achieve both thinness and high quality.
3Length of moving object
If pixel count is reduced to maintain thin form factor, then camera thickness is reduced, but resolution and detail capture deteriorate
Solution Approach 1:
The imaging system is segmented into a monochromatic imager with higher pixel count for structural detail and a color map sensor with fewer pixels for color information. This segmentation allows the monochromatic imager to provide high resolution while keeping the overall sensor stack thin, as the color information requires fewer sampling points.
Solution Approach 2:
The grayscale image from the monochromatic imager serves as an intermediary that preserves high-resolution structural information, which is then combined with color information from the color map sensor. This intermediary maintains resolution by keeping the full structural detail from the monochromatic sensor separate from the lower-resolution color data.
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 enhances image quality, reduces computational costs, and maintains a low Z-height by leveraging the higher resolution and sensitivity of monochromatic sensors, while capturing accurate color representation and improved low-light performance without the need for complex interpolation processes.
Implementation Method 1
a high-resolution monochromatic image of a scene is received from a monochromatic imager
Implementation Method 2
colors of the scene are received from a color map sensor
Data Source
AI summary
This document describes techniques and apparatuses for implementing monochrome-color mapping using a monochromatic imager and a color map sensor. These techniques and apparatuses enable better resolution, depth of color, or low-light sensitivity than many conventional sensor arrays.