Multi-Lens Camera Exposure Timing Manipulation
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Solution Overview
Problem
Multi-lens camera systems face issues with spatial discrepancies and color artifacts in images of objects in motion due to electronic rolling shutter exposure, which existing technologies have not adequately addressed, leading to increased system complexity and cost.
Innovation Solution
A multi-lens camera system that manipulates exposure timing of image sensor pixel rows, allowing each lens to capture initial images with varying light intensities and F-numbers, and combines these images to form a final image with higher dynamic range, reducing memory requirements and color artifacts.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Manufacturing precision
If multi-lens systems are implemented to reduce color artifacts, then image quality is improved, but system cost and complexity increase
Solution Approach 1:
The image sensor is divided into multiple regions, each corresponding to a specific lens. Each region captures images with different exposure timings, allowing the system to process and combine multiple exposures to reduce color artifacts and improve image quality without requiring complex multi-lens assemblies with multiple image sensors.
Solution Approach 2:
The system performs preliminary exposure timing manipulation by capturing multiple images with different exposure timings in sequence. These preliminary images are then combined through image processing to produce a final image with reduced color artifacts, avoiding the need for complex real-time optical systems.
2Device complexity
If electronic rolling shutter exposure is used, then device complexity is reduced, but spatial discrepancies and color artifacts occur in images of moving objects
Solution Approach 1:
The system dynamically adjusts exposure timing for different regions of the image sensor corresponding to different lenses. By manipulating the timing at which each region is exposed, the system captures moving objects at consistent time points across all lens regions, eliminating spatial discrepancies and color artifacts while maintaining the simplicity of electronic rolling shutter exposure.
3Reliability
If multiple images with varying light intensities are captured and combined, then dynamic range is improved, but memory requirements increase
Solution Approach 1:
Different regions of the image sensor capture images with different exposure timings and light intensities, creating local variations in image data. This allows the system to combine images to expand dynamic range, as each region contributes optimally exposed data for specific brightness levels without requiring uniform high-dynamic-range capture across the entire sensor.
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 system achieves high-quality imaging with reduced spatial discrepancies and color artifacts, enabling a more compact camera design while maintaining the same field of view, and improving dynamic range and signal-to-noise performance.
Implementation Method 1
An image sensor is a photosensitive device that converts light incident upon the image sensor during an image capture to an electronic signal representative of the captured light
Data Source
AI summary
The exposure of pixel lines in one or more image sensor regions is substantially synchronized. Each image sensor region is associated with a different lens in a multi-lens camera system. For a first pixel line in a first image sensor region and a second pixel line in a second image sensor region corresponding to the same portion of a field of view, the first pixel line and the second pixel line are sequentially or substantially simultaneously exposed. After exposing the first pixel line and the second pixel line, image information associated with the exposures is combined and output on the same readout line.