Near-Infrared Camera Gain Map Adjustment for Illumination Uniformity
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Solution Overview
Problem
Near-infrared sensitive video cameras face challenges in achieving uniform image quality, particularly in night mode, due to non-even infrared illumination, which is exacerbated by varying zoom levels and IR-illuminator settings, requiring costly design and extensive testing to address these issues.
Innovation Solution
A method that dynamically detects the camera's settings, including zoom level, focus, and IR-illuminator settings, to acquire and adjust gain settings dynamically using a database of pre-existing gain maps, ensuring uniform light distribution and reducing the need for extensive testing and costly design considerations.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Manufacturing precision
If the IR-illuminator is specially designed to provide more even illumination, then image quality uniformity is improved, but device complexity and development cost increase due to vast simulations and testing requirements
Solution Approach 1:
The patent applies dynamics by transitioning from a static, pre-designed illumination system to a dynamic post-processing system. Instead of designing the IR-illuminator to provide perfectly even illumination, the system dynamically adjusts gain settings for different regions of the image sensor based on detected camera settings (zoom level, focus, illuminator position). This allows the system to adapt to varying illumination conditions without requiring complex hardware design changes.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent changes parameters by adjusting the gain settings of the image sensor dynamically based on detected camera settings. Different regions of the image sensor are assigned different gain values to compensate for non-uniform illumination patterns caused by varying zoom levels, focus settings, and IR-illuminator positions. This parameter adjustment approach resolves the contradiction by avoiding complex hardware design while achieving uniform image quality.
2Manufacturing precision
If the camera uses fixed gain settings, then device complexity is reduced, but image quality uniformity deteriorates due to non-even IR illumination at different zoom levels
Solution Approach 1:
The system dynamically adjusts gain settings based on detected camera settings such as zoom level, focus position, and IR-illuminator position. The control unit retrieves appropriate gain setting maps from memory based on the detected settings and applies them to different regions of the image sensor, enabling the system to adapt to varying illumination conditions without requiring complex hardware changes.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent implements feedback by detecting the actual camera settings (zoom level, focus, illuminator position) and using this information to adjust the gain settings accordingly. The control unit continuously monitors the camera settings and updates the gain setting maps to compensate for non-uniform illumination patterns, creating a closed-loop system that maintains image quality uniformity.
3Manufacturing precision
If extensive simulations and testing are performed to optimize the IR-illuminator, then illumination uniformity is improved, but development time and cost increase
Solution Approach 1:
The patent applies preliminary action by pre-calculating and storing gain setting maps for different camera settings in memory before actual use. The system includes a database of gain setting maps that correspond to different zoom levels, focus settings, and illuminator positions. During operation, the control unit simply retrieves the appropriate pre-computed gain settings based on detected camera settings, eliminating the need for extensive real-time simulations and testing.
Solution Approach 2:
The system uses copying by creating and storing multiple copies of gain setting maps for different camera settings in memory. Instead of physically optimizing the IR-illuminator through extensive testing, the patent creates virtual copies of corrected illumination patterns as gain setting maps. These copies are retrieved and applied as needed, significantly reducing development time and cost while maintaining illumination uniformity.
Data Source
AI summary
A near-infrared sensitive video camera comprises a control unit configured to: dynamically detect a setting of the camera, the setting being one or more of: a zoom level, a focus setting and a setting of an IR-illuminator of camera. The control unit dynamically acquires a gain setting map for an image sensor, the acquired gain setting map being associated with the dynamically detected setting of the camera and comprising individual gain settings of the image sensor. Dynamically acquiring the gain setting map comprises accessing a database of gain setting maps associated with specific settings of the camera and on the dynamically detected setting of the camera; and dynamically adjusting a gain setting of the image sensor based on the acquired gain setting map.