Multi-Sensor Night Vision Camera Size Reduction
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Solution Overview
Problem
Conventional video camera systems are limited in size reduction due to the need for large lenses to provide sufficient luminous intensity, which restricts the miniaturization of night vision cameras that rely on infrared radiation.
Innovation Solution
A video camera system utilizing multiple image sensors mounted on a carrier substrate with smaller lenses and an image processing circuit that combines raw images from these sensors, enabling hardware compression and reducing processing requirements, thus achieving a smaller size with comparable performance.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Illumination intensity
If a single large lens is used to provide sufficient luminous intensity for infrared imaging, then the imaging performance is maintained, but the physical size of the camera system increases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent divides the imaging function into multiple segments by using multiple image sensors (e.g., four sensors) with smaller lenses instead of one sensor with a large lens. Each sensor captures a portion of the infrared radiation, and the images are combined to achieve the required luminous intensity and resolution while reducing the size of individual lenses and the overall system volume.
2Volume of moving object
If multiple image sensors are used to reduce physical size, then the device complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent merges the output signals from multiple image sensors through an image processing circuit that combines the individual images into a single reconstructed image. This combining process integrates the data from multiple sensors to produce a unified output, effectively managing the complexity by consolidating the multiple inputs into a single coherent image stream.
3Use of energy by moving object
If hardware compression is implemented to reduce processing requirements, then power consumption decreases, but processing complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent applies hardware compression as a preliminary action before full image processing. By compressing the image data in the hardware domain prior to further processing, the system reduces the amount of data that needs to be processed subsequently, thereby lowering power consumption while managing processing complexity through the use of dedicated hardware compression circuits.
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 a compact size with comparable output resolution by using multiple image sensors and hardware compression, reducing power and weight requirements, while maintaining sufficient luminous intensity for infrared imaging.
Implementation Method 1
Night vision cameras make use of infrared radiation emanating from objects within a lens's field of view in order to generate a viewable raster image
Implementation Method 2
One example of an image sensor is a device for converting various forms of light energy into an electrical signal representative of an image
Implementation Method 3
the image sensor may be configured proximate the focal point of a lens in order to focus light within the lens's field of view
Data Source
AI summary
According to one embodiment of the present disclosure, a system for generating a reconstructed image generally includes a carrier substrate, a number of image sensors, and an image processing circuit. The image sensors are mounted on a surface of the carrier substrate. The image processing circuit is coupled to each of the image sensors and operable to receive a raw image from each of a plurality of image sensors and combine the raw image of each of the image sensors into the reconstructed image.