Automated Product Imaging System with Segmented Lighting
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Solution Overview
Problem
Current methods for generating high-quality product images are time-consuming and costly, requiring manual manipulation and specialized expertise, which limits the efficiency and affordability of creating a library of images for online advertising and shopping, compromising image quality and consumer experience.
Innovation Solution
An automated image formation and processing system that uses uniform diffuse lighting and advanced image processing techniques to separate products from backgrounds, allowing for the rapid generation of high-quality, background-free images, and an interactive user interface for enhanced product display and customer engagement.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Manufacturing precision
If manual manipulation and specialized expertise are used to generate high-quality product images, then image quality is improved, but time consumption and cost increase
Solution Approach 1:
The patent replaces manual mechanical manipulation with an automated optical system. A turntable rotates the product while synchronized flash photography captures images at multiple angles automatically. This mechanical automation eliminates the need for manual positioning and manipulation, significantly reducing time consumption while maintaining image quality through precise mechanical control and synchronization.
Solution Approach 2:
The system performs preliminary actions by pre-positioning the product on the turntable and pre-configuring the lighting and camera settings before image capture begins. The synchronized flash and turntable rotation are pre-programmed to capture all necessary angles in a single continuous sequence, eliminating the need for repeated manual setup and adjustments between shots.
2Manufacturing precision
If manual manipulation and specialized expertise are used to generate high-quality product images, then image quality is improved, but cost increases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent replaces expensive manual specialist operations with an automated optical-mechanical system. The synchronized flash photography and turntable rotation eliminate the need for skilled manual manipulation, reducing labor costs while maintaining consistent image quality through automated control and precise mechanical synchronization.
Solution Approach 2:
The system creates multiple copies of the product from different angles in a single automated sequence. By capturing all necessary views simultaneously through the turntable rotation and synchronized flashing, the system eliminates the need for repeated manual setup and specialist intervention for each angle, significantly reducing overall production cost.
3Manufacturing precision
If lighting is optimized for high-quality imaging, then image quality is improved, but the ability to separate object from background deteriorates
Solution Approach 1:
The patent segments the lighting system into two independent components: continuous lighting for high-quality product imaging and a pulsed flash for background separation. The main lights provide optimal illumination for detailed product photography, while the synchronized flash creates a dark background that automatically separates the product. This segmentation allows both functions to operate at peak performance simultaneously.
Solution Approach 2:
The system uses periodic pulsed lighting (synchronized flash) superimposed on continuous lighting. The flash occurs at precise intervals synchronized with the turntable rotation, creating brief moments of high-contrast illumination that separate the product from the background. This periodic action enables background separation without compromising the overall image quality provided by continuous lighting.
4Productivity
If a single image is captured for both high quality and background separation, then process efficiency is improved, but neither image quality nor separation quality is optimized
Solution Approach 1:
The patent segments the lighting function within a single capture sequence. Different lighting systems operate simultaneously: continuous lights optimized for product detail and a pulsed flash optimized for background separation. This segmentation allows both image quality and separation quality to be optimized within the same efficient process, rather than requiring separate shooting sessions.
Solution Approach 2:
The system merges two previously separate functions (high-quality imaging and background separation) into a single synchronized capture process. The turntable rotation and flash timing are coordinated so that both functions are accomplished in one continuous sequence, maintaining high productivity while achieving both image quality and separation quality optimizations simultaneously.
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 system significantly reduces the cost and time required to produce high-quality product images, enabling a wider range of product views and interactive displays, improving the online shopping experience and sales efficiency by providing detailed product information and support.
Implementation Method 1
an illuminated backdrop and a horizontal support wherein the backdrop and the support are oriented to provide a field of substantially uniform, diffuse light when viewed from at least one perspective
Data Source
AI summary
In embodiments of the present invention improved capabilities are described for producing background separated product images for print and on-line display. An image formation system provides controllable background and foreground lighting of an item to facilitate acquiring images that appear to have no background, a platform for supporting items, cameras configured to acquire both high contrast and high quality images of the item, and automated image processing algorithms for creating item-only images that can be stored in an image library and presented to a user.