Shared-Mirror Hyper Camera for Low-Vignetting Aerial Scanning
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Solution Overview
Problem
Aerial camera systems face challenges in capturing high-quality orthomosaics and textured 3D models due to difficulties in fitting long focal length lenses and matched aperture mirrors in constrained spaces, leading to inefficiencies and low-quality images such as blurriness and vignetting.
Innovation Solution
The system employs a scanning mirror structure with a drive mechanism that rotates based on a scan angle, dynamically tunes the aperture to remain within the projected geometry of the mirror surface and a region not occluded by the constrained space, and samples the imaging beam at specific angles to reduce vignetting by cropping affected portions and stitching images.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Manufacturing precision
If long focal length lenses and matched aperture mirrors are used to capture high-quality aerial imagery, then image quality improves, but device complexity and space requirements increase
Solution Approach 1:
The patent implements a dynamically adjustable aperture that changes size based on the scan angle. As the scanning mirror rotates to different angles, the aperture dynamically tunes its opening to remain within the projected geometry of the mirror surface. This dynamic adjustment allows the system to maintain high image quality across the entire scan range without requiring oversized fixed components, thereby reducing device complexity while preserving manufacturing precision.
Solution Approach 2:
The system changes the aperture parameter (opening size) as a function of the scan angle. By mathematically modeling the projected geometry of the scanning mirror at different angles and adjusting the aperture accordingly, the system optimizes light transmission for each scan position. This parameter change approach enables high-quality imaging without requiring the maximum aperture size to be maintained at all times, reducing overall device complexity.
2Illumination intensity
If the aperture is enlarged to capture more light across all scan angles, then image illumination improves, but vignetting increases due to occlusion by constrained space
Solution Approach 1:
The aperture dynamically adjusts its opening size based on the scan angle to optimize the balance between illumination and vignetting. At scan angles where the projected mirror geometry allows, the aperture opens wider to capture more light. At angles where occlusion by constrained space would cause severe vignetting, the aperture closes to avoid the harmful effect. This dynamic tuning maintains adequate illumination while minimizing vignetting throughout the scan range.
Solution Approach 2:
The system uses a mathematical model of the constrained space occlusion and the scanning mirror projected geometry to determine the optimal aperture opening at each scan angle. This feedback mechanism continuously adjusts the aperture parameter based on the current scan position, ensuring that illumination is maximized while vignetting is kept to a minimum. The feedback loop prevents the aperture from opening too wide at angles where occlusion would cause harmful vignetting.
3Productivity
If the scan angle range is increased to capture more area, then productivity improves, but image quality deteriorates due to vignetting and blurriness
Solution Approach 1:
The dynamically adjustable aperture enables the system to operate across a wider scan angle range while maintaining image quality. As the scan angle increases, the aperture automatically adjusts its opening to remain within the projected geometry of the scanning mirror. This dynamic adaptation prevents vignetting and maintains adequate illumination even at extreme scan angles, allowing the system to capture more area without sacrificing image quality, thereby improving productivity.
Solution Approach 2:
By changing the aperture parameter as a function of scan angle, the system extends its effective operating range. The aperture closes at high scan angles where the projected mirror geometry would otherwise cause severe vignetting, maintaining image quality. This parameter change enables the system to safely operate at wider scan angles, increasing the captured area per unit time and improving productivity while preserving manufacturing precision.
4Adaptability or versatility
If multiple separate mirrors are used for different cameras, then adaptability improves, but device complexity and space requirements increase
Solution Approach 1:
The patent implements a single shared scanning mirror that serves multiple cameras simultaneously. The mirror is positioned and oriented such that it can reflect light from different scan angles to different camera sensors. This universal mirror replaces what would otherwise require multiple separate mirrors, reducing device complexity and space requirements while maintaining the adaptability to capture vertical and oblique imagery for multiple cameras.
Solution Approach 2:
The system merges the function of multiple mirrors into a single shared scanning mirror. By carefully positioning the mirror and cameras in three-dimensional space, the system combines what would be separate optical paths into a shared optical element. This merging reduces the number of moving parts, simplifies the mechanical structure, and decreases the overall space required in the constrained aerial vehicle environment, while still providing adaptability for multiple cameras.
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 image quality by minimizing vignetting and blurriness, allowing for more efficient capture of high-quality images in constrained aerial vehicle spaces, thereby improving the creation of orthomosaics and 3D models.
Implementation Method 1
reflecting an imaging beam from an object area using a scanning mirror structure having at least one mirror surface to an image sensor of a camera
Implementation Method 2
the camera includes a lens to focus an imaging beam reflected from the scanning mirror structure to an image sensor of the camera
Data Source
AI summary
The present disclosure is related to improving image quality in a scanning camera system via scan angle selection to obtain images having overlap for performing image stitching, dynamically tuning an aperture of a camera in the scanning camera system, updating pixel values of an image using vignetting data, or a combination thereof.