Periodic Light Source Switching for High Contrast Imaging
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Solution Overview
Problem
Current image recording systems in motor vehicles face challenges in reliably identifying objects due to insufficient contrast ratios, especially in poor lighting conditions, where either overexposure or underexposure occurs, leading to inadequate object detection.
Innovation Solution
A method involving a light source that can switch between two states with different luminous flux levels, paired with an image recording system, where images are captured with varying exposure times to create images with different contrast ranges, which are then superimposed to produce a high-contrast image composition, without increasing total energy consumption.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If the light source increases luminous flux to improve image contrast, then object detection reliability is improved, but energy consumption increases
Solution Approach 1:
The light source operates periodically by switching between first and second states with different luminous flux during the exposure period. This periodic switching enables capture of images with different contrast ranges without requiring continuous high luminous flux, thus improving object detection reliability while controlling energy consumption.
Solution Approach 2:
The system dynamically adjusts the luminous flux of the light source during the exposure period by switching between different states. This dynamic adjustment allows the image sensor to capture images with varying contrast ranges, improving detection reliability without maintaining constantly high energy consumption.
2Device complexity
If the image sensor uses fixed exposure time, then device complexity is reduced, but image contrast range is insufficient
Solution Approach 1:
Instead of using multiple image sensors with different fixed exposure times, the system uses a single image sensor with periodic light source switching during a single exposure period. This approach achieves multiple contrast ranges without increasing device complexity.
Solution Approach 2:
The light source acts as an intermediary that modulates the illumination during the exposure period. By switching the light source between different states, the system creates images with different contrast ranges using a single image sensor, avoiding the need for multiple sensors with different exposure settings.
3Reliability
If multiple images with different contrast ranges are captured, then object detection reliability is improved, but processing time increases
Solution Approach 1:
The system captures images with different contrast ranges by periodically switching the light source during a single exposure period, rather than taking multiple separate photographs. This temporal multiplexing approach reduces processing time while maintaining detection reliability.
Solution Approach 2:
The system merges multiple image captures with different contrast ranges into a single exposure period. By combining the acquisition of images with varying luminous flux conditions in one continuous exposure period, the system reduces the total time required compared to capturing separate images sequentially.
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
This approach enhances the contrast range of images, enabling earlier object detection and improved safety by increasing the light output, thus facilitating better object recognition under various lighting conditions.
Implementation Method 1
a light source (500) which can assume at least a first and a second state with different luminous flux
Implementation Method 2
an image acquisition system with at least one light-sensitive image sensor (110)
Data Source
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AI summary
A method for creating high-contrast images of an environment, comprising the following steps: a) providing a light source (500) having at least a first and a second state with different luminous flux, a processing unit (700), and an image acquisition system (100) with at least one light-sensitive image sensor (110); b) creating image acquisitions (300, 400) using the image acquisition system (100), wherein the at least one first image sensor (110) is exposed in a predefinable exposure period (200), wherein within an exposure period (200) at least one first and one second image acquisition (300, 400) are created, each with a definable exposure time (310, 410); wherein the light source (500) is switched to the first and then to the second state in a predefinable illumination period (600, 610), wherein the illumination period (600,610) of the light source (500) is longer or shorter than the exposure period (200) of the image acquisition system (100), c) creating at least one image composition (800) using the processing unit (700), wherein the at least one image composition (800) has a greater contrast range compared to the at least one first and second image acquisition (300, 400).