Scouting Camera Illumination Assembly Power Management
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Solution Overview
Problem
Scouting cameras, particularly those used by hunters, face challenges with battery voltage limitations and high current requirements for illumination, leading to reduced battery life due to spikes in current demand for flash photography and video illumination.
Innovation Solution
A camera assembly that includes a battery, a super capacitor, and a dual converter system (DC/DC SEPIC and boost converters) controlled by a controller to manage power distribution between the battery and super capacitor, allowing high-power flash photography and low-power video illumination without draining the battery.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Duration of action of moving object
If batteries are used to power the illumination assembly, then the camera can operate in remote locations, but the battery life is reduced due to high current spikes required for flash photography
Solution Approach 1:
The power source is segmented into two distinct components: a battery for sustained low-power operation and a supercapacitor for high-power bursts. This segmentation allows each component to operate in its optimal performance range, with the battery providing steady power and the supercapacitor handling current spikes during flash photography.
Solution Approach 2:
The supercapacitor acts as an intermediary between the battery and the illumination assembly. It receives charge from the battery and delivers high current to the illumination elements during flash operations, protecting the battery from direct exposure to high current demands that would otherwise reduce its lifespan.
2Illumination intensity
If high power flash is provided for quality photographs, then illumination intensity is sufficient, but the current spikes reduce battery life
Solution Approach 1:
The supercapacitor is pre-charged from the battery before flash photography occurs. This preliminary charging action stores energy in advance, allowing the system to deliver high-power flash illumination without drawing high current from the battery at the moment of capture, thereby preserving battery life.
Solution Approach 2:
The system changes the electrical parameters by using a supercapacitor with low equivalent series resistance (ESR) to deliver high current pulses. This parameter change enables the illumination assembly to receive the high current needed for intense flash while the battery operates at lower, more sustainable current levels.
3Illumination intensity
If sustained illumination is provided for video recording, then video quality is maintained, but continuous battery power consumption increases
Solution Approach 1:
The power delivery system is made dynamic by using the supercapacitor to supplement battery power during video recording when higher illumination is needed. The controller dynamically switches between battery-only operation and combined battery-supercapacitor operation, optimizing energy usage based on the illumination requirements.
4Duration of action of moving object
If a dual power source system with converters is implemented, then battery life is extended, but device complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The DC/DC converters are designed to perform multiple functions: charging the supercapacitor from the battery, and potentially managing power flow in various operational modes (still image, video, standby). This multi-functionality reduces the need for separate dedicated circuits for each function, thereby limiting the increase in overall system 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
This solution extends battery life by using the super capacitor for high-power flashes and the battery for low-power video illumination, optimizing energy usage and maintaining camera performance in remote locations.
Implementation Method 1
a power source including a battery and a super capacitor
Implementation Method 2
A first converter (e.g., a DC/DC SEPIC converter) is operable to charge the super capacitor from the battery
Implementation Method 3
A second converter (e.g., a DC/DC boost converter) has a voltage input connected to the power source and a voltage output connected to the illumination element
Implementation Method 4
an illumination element (e.g., an LED) powered by the power source
Data Source
AI summary
This document discloses a camera assembly and a method for driving an illumination assembly of the camera assembly. The camera assembly comprises a digital camera, a power source including a battery and a super capacitor, and an illumination element powered by the power source. A first converter (e.g., a DC/DC SEPIC converter) charges the super capacitor from the battery and a second converter (e.g., a DC/DC boost converter) has a voltage input connected to the power source and a voltage output connected to the illumination element. A controller is programmed to control whether the illumination element is powered by the battery, the super capacitor, or both. The super capacitor is used to drive the illumination assembly at a high power level (e.g., when taking a still image), and the battery is used to drive the illumination assembly at a low power level (e.g., when taking a video).