Optical Camera Orientation Guidance for Atmospheric Refraction
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Solution Overview
Problem
Atmospheric refraction causes pixel shift and deformation in captured images due to density differences in the atmosphere, leading to image distortions.
Innovation Solution
An electronic device determines regions affected by distortion in an image frame, generates a pixel disparity map with refraction coefficients, estimates an optimal orientation to minimize distortion, and displays an indication for correcting the orientation.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Productivity
If the camera captures images in atmospheric conditions with refraction, then the capture speed and productivity are maintained, but image distortion occurs due to pixel shift and deformation
Solution Approach 1:
The system performs preliminary analysis of the captured image to detect distortion patterns caused by atmospheric refraction. By identifying the nature and extent of distortion before final processing, the system can prepare correction parameters in advance, enabling fast capture rates while maintaining image quality through pre-computed correction transforms.
Solution Approach 2:
The system incorporates feedback mechanisms where the detected distortion characteristics are fed back into the processing pipeline to automatically adjust correction parameters. This closed-loop approach allows the system to maintain high productivity while continuously optimizing image quality based on the actual distortion observed in each captured image.
2Manufacturing precision
If image distortion correction is applied to compensate for atmospheric refraction, then image quality is improved, but processing time increases
Solution Approach 1:
The correction process is segmented into distinct stages: distortion detection, distortion modeling, and correction application. Each stage operates independently and can be optimized separately, allowing the system to process only the necessary portions of the image and apply corrections efficiently, thereby reducing overall processing time while maintaining quality.
Solution Approach 2:
The system changes processing parameters dynamically based on the detected distortion severity and type. By adjusting correction intensity, processing resolution, and computation complexity according to actual image conditions, the system achieves high image quality when needed while maintaining fast processing times for less severe distortion cases.
3Measurement precision
If the system analyzes distortion regions to generate pixel disparity maps, then distortion correction accuracy is improved, but device complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The system applies local quality analysis by focusing distortion measurement and correction resources only on specific regions of the image where atmospheric refraction effects are most pronounced. By identifying and prioritizing these critical regions rather than uniformly processing the entire image, the system achieves high measurement accuracy for distortion while reducing overall processing complexity.
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 solution effectively reduces image distortions by minimizing the impact of atmospheric refraction, enabling faster auto focus and capture rates with improved image quality.
Implementation Method 1
The presence of mediums in the atmosphere, such as hot air, fog, water droplets, and so on, causes the atmospheric refraction. The atmospheric refraction enables a light wave to bend while travelling through the mediums, where the bending of the light wave is caused due to differences in density of the mediums in the atmosphere.
Data Source
AI summary
A method for optical camera quality enhancement is provided. The method includes receiving, by an electronic device, an image frame of a scene including at least one object from a preview field of a camera of the electronic device, determining, by the electronic device, at least one region of the image frame affected by distortion, generating, by the electronic device, a pixel disparity map comprising a refraction coefficient associated with each pixel of the image frame based on the at least one region affected by the distortion, determining, by the electronic device, a plurality of regions on the pixel disparity map, each of the plurality of regions including pixels that have a similar pixel disparity, estimating, by the electronic device, an optimal orientation of the electronic device to minimize the distortion in the image frame based on the plurality of regions on the pixel disparity map, and displaying, by the electronic device, an indication indicating the optimal orientation of the electronic device.