Image Sensor Active Area Adjustment for Constant Field of View
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Solution Overview
Problem
Image capture devices face challenges in maintaining a constant field of view when the optical lens moves relative to the image sensor, leading to unexpected changes in the captured scene or preview, which can result in blurry images or videos and a poor user experience.
Innovation Solution
The method involves determining the distance between the lens and the image sensor and adjusting the portion of the image sensor used to maintain a constant field of view, either by cropping the image sensor area or adjusting the focal length, to ensure that the field of view remains consistent during lens movement, autofocus, or zoom operations.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Measurement precision
If the optical lens moves relative to the image sensor to perform autofocus or capture images at different distances, then the focusing capability is improved, but the field of view changes unexpectedly causing the captured scene to differ from the intended scene
Solution Approach 1:
The patent applies dynamics by making the image sensor's active area dynamically adjustable. The controller changes the active area size based on the lens position to compensate for field of view changes. This allows the system to adapt the sensor's effective dimensions in real-time as the lens moves, maintaining constant field of view while preserving autofocus capability.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent changes the parameter of the active area size of the image sensor based on the lens position. By adjusting the active area dimensions dynamically, the system compensates for the field of view changes that occur during lens movement. This parameter change allows the captured image to maintain consistent field of view despite changes in lens-to-sensor distance.
2Adaptability or versatility
If the lens position is changed to focus on different distances, then the ability to capture images at various depths is improved, but the preview on the screen changes unexpectedly causing user confusion
Solution Approach 1:
The system dynamically adjusts the active area of the image sensor based on the lens position during video capture or preview. This dynamic adjustment ensures that the preview displayed on the screen maintains a consistent field of view even as the lens moves to focus on objects at different distances, preventing unexpected changes and improving user experience.
3Manufacturing precision
If the entire image sensor area is used to maximize image resolution, then the image quality is improved, but the field of view changes when the lens moves causing the captured scene to differ from the intended scene
Solution Approach 1:
The patent makes the active area size dynamic rather than fixed. The controller adjusts the active area dimensions based on the lens position to maintain constant field of view. This allows the system to optimize between using the full sensor area and maintaining field of view consistency, adapting the active area size as needed during lens movement.
Data Source
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AI summary
Devices and methods for capturing images are described herein. A processor may be configured to capture a first image. The processor may further be configured to determine a distance between a lens and an image sensor of the image capture device for capturing the first image. The processor may further be configured to determine a portion of the image sensor to use for the first image based on the determined distance in order to maintain a constant field of view for one or more images captured by the image capture device. The processor may further be configured to adjust the portion of the image sensor used for the first image based on the determined portion of the image sensor to generate an adjusted first image.