Simulating Natural Lighting on Displayed Objects
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Solution Overview
Problem
Computing devices struggle to display images of objects in a way that simulates the natural lighting conditions at the user's location, as the images are rendered based on the original capture and not the current lighting environment.
Innovation Solution
The computing device captures an image using an image sensor to determine light source objects within the scene, applies image analysis techniques to generate a light source image, and processes this image through a rendering network to create an adjusted image that simulates the lighting effects, which is then overlayed on the original image for display.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Illumination intensity
If images are rendered based on original capture and digital storage, then the image processing is simple and fast, but the displayed images do not reflect natural lighting conditions at the user's location
Solution Approach 1:
The system performs preliminary actions by capturing the ambient lighting environment using image sensors before displaying the image. The lighting conditions are analyzed and stored as light source images, which are then applied to the displayed image to simulate natural lighting effects. This preliminary capture and analysis of lighting conditions enables the display to reflect accurate natural lighting without adding complexity to the core image rendering process.
2Reliability
If light source images are applied to simulate natural lighting conditions, then the viewing experience becomes more realistic, but the processing time and computational resources increase
Solution Approach 1:
The system applies partial action by selectively processing only the lighting aspects of the image rather than the entire image data. The light source image is generated from ambient environment capture and applied specifically to simulate lighting effects, while the core image content remains unchanged. This partial processing approach maintains lighting simulation accuracy while minimizing the additional processing time required.
3Adaptability or versatility
If the system captures and analyzes ambient lighting environment, then the lighting simulation becomes accurate, but the device requires additional sensors and processing capabilities
Solution Approach 1:
The system achieves universality by utilizing the existing image sensor and display components of the computing device for multiple functions. The image sensor is used both for capturing the displayed image content and for analyzing the ambient lighting environment. The display then serves to show both the original image and the simulated lighting effects. This multi-functional use of existing components enables environmental adaptation without requiring additional specialized sensors or processing hardware.
Data Source
AI summary
A computing device is described that includes one or more processors, an image sensor that captures an image at a location of the computing device, and at least one module. The at least one module is operable by the one or more processors to capture, by the image sensor of the computing device, an image frame, determine, based on the image frame, one or more characteristics of light produced by one or more light sources, apply a light source image, generated with the one or more characteristics of light associated with the one or more light sources, to an image of an object, to generate an adjusted image to simulate effects of the one or more light sources on the object; and output, for display by the computing device, the adjusted image.