Night Vision Device Synchronization with Lighting Systems
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Solution Overview
Problem
Night vision devices (NVS) suffer from image degradation when used with artificial lighting due to sensitivity to the visible light spectrum, leading to reduced performance as compatibility filters attenuate non-visible light sources, resulting in wasted sensitivity.
Innovation Solution
Implementing a synchronization method between the NVS and lighting systems using fast-switching circuitry to ensure the lighting system is inactive during NVS operation, thereby eliminating the need for filters and maintaining sensitivity by aligning the NVS activation with lighting system inactivity.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Object-affected harmful factors
If compatibility filters are used to mitigate artificial lighting effects, then image quality is improved, but sensitivity to non-visible light sources is reduced
Solution Approach 1:
The patent applies periodic action by synchronizing the night vision device with artificial lighting systems through gating control. The device alternates between active and inactive states in sync with the lighting cycle, allowing the NVS to capture images during lighting off-periods when artificial lighting interference is minimized, thereby maintaining both image quality and sensitivity without requiring filters
Solution Approach 2:
The patent extracts the harmful artificial lighting interference from the detection process by using gating to exclude the time period when artificial lighting is active. This allows the NVS to operate independently from the lighting system's interference, capturing images only when artificial lighting is inactive, thus eliminating the need for compatibility filters and preserving full sensitivity
2Object-affected harmful factors
If compatibility filters are used to reduce artificial lighting interference, then image quality improves, but 30-50% of NVS sensitivity is wasted
Solution Approach 1:
The gating mechanism implements periodic action by synchronizing with the artificial lighting cycle. The NVS is activated only during the off-periods of the lighting system, ensuring that no sensitivity is wasted on detecting artificial lighting. This temporal separation eliminates the need for filters and preserves 100% of the NVS sensitivity for detecting non-visible light sources
Solution Approach 2:
The patent extracts the artificial lighting interference from the detection timeline by using gating to exclude the active lighting periods. This temporal extraction allows the NVS to operate without filters, maintaining full sensitivity while eliminating the 30-50% sensitivity loss that would occur with filter-based approaches
3Measurement precision
If fast-switching circuitry is used to synchronize NVS with lighting systems, then sensitivity is maintained, but device complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The gating circuit is designed with multi-functionality, serving both as a synchronization mechanism with the artificial lighting system and as a protective filter against artificial lighting interference. This single component performs multiple functions (synchronization, interference rejection, and sensitivity maintenance), reducing the need for additional separate components and minimizing overall device complexity
Data Source
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AI summary
A system comprises a night vision device and a switching circuitry. The switching circuitry is configured to switch the night vision device at a first period and a first duty cycle to synchronise the switching of the night vision device with a second period of a lighting system. The lighting system is in the vicinity of the night vision device. The night vision device and lighting system are configured to be synchronised such that the lighting system is inactive at the time when the night vision device is active.