Portable Magnifier with Sliding Camera for Low Vision
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Solution Overview
Problem
Conventional magnifiers for people with low vision are either heavy and cumbersome or require adjustment in height for different magnification levels, lacking a portable solution with a constant low profile.
Innovation Solution
A portable magnifier with a low-profile design featuring a top wall with an LCD display, slideable sidewalls, a light source, light guide, diffuser, mirror, and camera lens that allows for adjustable magnification without height adjustments by sliding the camera horizontally, enabling easy movement over objects and maintaining a fixed profile.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Weight of moving object
If conventional magnifiers are designed to be portable, then weight is reduced, but they become cumbersome and difficult to use
Solution Approach 1:
The patent combines multiple functions into a single integrated device: magnification, illumination, display, and camera functionality are merged into one portable unit. This consolidation reduces the need for multiple separate devices, making the system more manageable and easier to operate despite incorporating complex features.
2Weight of moving object
If conventional magnifiers are designed for portability, then they are easier to carry, but they require height adjustment for different magnification levels
Solution Approach 1:
The patent transitions from vertical adjustment (height changes) to horizontal adjustment (camera movement along the optical axis). The camera can be moved horizontally within the device housing to change magnification, eliminating the need for vertical height adjustments and maintaining a constant low profile.
3Shape
If conventional magnifiers maintain a fixed low profile, then they are portable, but they cannot be adjusted for different magnification levels
Solution Approach 1:
The patent introduces dynamic adjustment capability within a fixed external profile. The camera's horizontal movement mechanism allows magnification to be changed without altering the device's external dimensions or profile, enabling adaptability while maintaining portability.
4Adaptability or versatility
If conventional magnifiers allow height adjustment for magnification, then magnification is achievable, but the profile changes and becomes cumbersome
Solution Approach 1:
The patent resolves the profile issue by moving the adjustment mechanism from the vertical dimension to the horizontal dimension. The camera slides horizontally along the optical axis within the fixed housing, allowing magnification changes without any change in the device's external profile or height.
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
The solution provides a lightweight, easy-to-use magnifier with adjustable magnification that maintains a constant low profile, enhancing usability for individuals with low vision by allowing greater magnification through horizontal camera movement and reducing the need for height adjustments.
Implementation Method 1
The light guide is adapted to guide light from the light source along a path of travel where the light travels substantially parallel to the diffuser
Implementation Method 2
The uneven surface of the diffuser bends the light so that it passes through the diffuser a first time and impinges upon an object
Implementation Method 3
The angle of the mirror changes the path of travel of the light from a vertical, upward path of travel to a horizontal path of travel
Implementation Method 4
A camera lens is mounted in light-capturing relation to light reflected by the mirror. A sensor is mounted behind the camera lens to receive light that is captured by the camera lens
Data Source
Figure 1~2
Figure 3~4
AI summary
A magnifier for use by people with low vision includes a large LCD display upon which an enlarged image appears. Light from an LED is directed in a first direction onto a deflection wall where it is deflected into a direction substantially orthogonal to the first direction. The deflected light impinges upon a diffuser that bends it so that it illuminates an object upon which the magnifier is placed. The light is then reflected by the object, through the diffuser, and onto a mirror positioned at an angle relative to the object. The mirror directs the light onto a camera lens and the lens focuses the light onto a sensor that drives the LCD display so that the image appears on the LCD screen. The camera is slideably mounted so the user can make the image larger or smaller by sliding the camera toward or away from the mirror, respectively.