Smartphone Imager Mode Adjustment for Optical Communication Decoding
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing display devices face challenges in effectively capturing and processing images from light sources used in optical communication systems, particularly in managing imaging and display modes when the light source emits modulated information, leading to difficulties in decoding and displaying information efficiently.
Innovation Solution
A display device and method that includes an imager and a display with a mode changer, capable of adjusting imaging and display modes based on the presence of a light source with changes in brightness and color phase, allowing for adaptive image capture and display processing to enhance information retrieval from optical communication regions.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Measurement precision
If the imager captures images at high frame rates to track rapidly blinking light sources in optical communication, then the information decoding accuracy improves, but the device consumes more energy and generates heat
Solution Approach 1:
The patent dynamically adjusts the imaging frame rate based on the detected blinking frequency of the light source. When a rapidly blinking light source is detected for optical communication, the system increases the frame rate to capture the modulation pattern accurately. When optical communication is not active, the frame rate is reduced to conserve energy. This dynamic adaptation resolves the contradiction between capturing high-frequency blinking (requiring high frame rates) and energy conservation (requiring low frame rates).
Solution Approach 2:
The system changes the imaging parameter (frame rate) based on the operational state. By detecting whether the light source is blinking at communication frequencies, the system switches between high frame rate mode (for decoding optical communication) and low frame rate mode (for normal operation), thereby optimizing the balance between measurement precision and energy consumption.
2Speed
If the display device processes and displays images from optical communication regions in real-time, then the information retrieval speed improves, but the processing complexity and computational load increase
Solution Approach 1:
The patent extracts only the relevant portion of the captured image that contains the optical communication region. Instead of processing the entire image, the system identifies and processes only the specific area where the modulated light source is located. This extraction approach maintains fast information retrieval by focusing computational resources on the relevant data while significantly reducing overall processing complexity.
Solution Approach 2:
The image processing is segmented into distinct stages: first capturing the full image, then identifying the optical communication region, and finally processing only that specific segment for decoding. This segmentation allows the system to maintain real-time processing capability by dividing the complex task into manageable parts, reducing the computational burden on any single processing stage.
3Measurement precision
If the imager maintains high sensitivity to detect modulated light from information sources, then the decoding accuracy improves, but the device becomes more susceptible to noise and interference from ambient light
Solution Approach 1:
The patent utilizes the periodic nature of the modulated light signal from optical communication. By detecting light intensity variations at specific communication frequencies (periodic patterns), the system can distinguish the modulated signal from ambient light interference. The synchronous detection approach locks onto the periodic modulation frequency, allowing high-sensitivity detection while filtering out non-periodic ambient light variations.
Solution Approach 2:
The system employs feedback mechanisms where the detected light signal is continuously analyzed to identify periodic modulation patterns. When modulation at communication frequencies is detected, the system adjusts its detection parameters to enhance sensitivity at those specific frequencies. This feedback-driven adaptation allows the imager to maintain high sensitivity for detecting modulated light while automatically adjusting to reject ambient light interference that lacks the characteristic periodic pattern.
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 enables efficient image capture and display of information from optical communication regions by adjusting modes to improve visibility and decoding accuracy, even when the light source blinks at high frequencies, thereby facilitating effective optical communication.
Implementation Method 1
an outdoor lighting or the like that emits light modulated in accordance with information
Data Source
AI summary
In a smartphone, the imaging mode of an imager or the display mode of a display is changed from a normal mode when an image of an optical communication region is captured. More specifically, a process of lowering the contrast of the entire image (frame), a process of superimposing an icon image on the candidate region, a masking process for lowering the contrast of the candidate region, a process of reducing the count of display frames by image averaging or thinning, or a zoom limiting process of limiting the upper limit of the zoom ratio of the imager or the upper limit of the enlarged display magnification on the display is performed.