Spinning-Disk Compressive Imaging for Low-Data Image Acquisition
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Solution Overview
Problem
Conventional imaging and video acquisition methods require large amounts of raw data, which are expensive to acquire and computationally demanding to compress, especially at wavelengths where CMOS or CCD sensing technology is limited, and existing compressive sensing techniques are not universally applicable across the electromagnetic spectrum.
Innovation Solution
A multilayered modulator system that modulates incident light fields with pseudorandom patterns, optically computes inner products, and uses various algorithms for signal recovery, such as Greedy reconstruction or Basis Pursuit, to directly acquire a compressed digital representation of images or videos, reducing the need for extensive data sampling.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Measurement precision
If conventional digital imaging methods are used to acquire high-quality images, then image quality is improved, but the amount of raw data acquired increases significantly
Solution Approach 1:
The patent applies preliminary action by performing compressive sensing measurements during the data acquisition phase rather than acquiring full raw data and then compressing it. The multilayered modulator encodes the image information into fewer measurements before detection, directly acquiring a compressed representation that preserves essential image quality while reducing data volume.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent extracts only the essential information needed for image reconstruction by using random projection patterns through the multilayered modulator. Instead of capturing all pixel data, the system extracts sufficient statistical moments that can be computationally reconstructed into high-quality images, discarding redundant information at the acquisition stage.
2Measurement precision
If large amounts of raw image or video data are acquired, then measurement precision is improved, but acquisition cost increases
Solution Approach 1:
The system performs compression during the measurement acquisition process itself through the multilayered modulator, rather than acquiring full-resolution data and then compressing it. This preliminary compression action reduces the burden on expensive sensing hardware, allowing high-quality imaging with more affordable detectors that have fewer pixels.
Solution Approach 2:
The multilayered modulator structure with spinning disks and random patterns provides a universal approach that can be applied across different wavelengths and sensing technologies. This multi-functional design allows the same compression framework to work with various detector types, reducing overall system cost.
3Quantity of substance
If raw data compression is performed using conventional methods, then data volume is reduced, but computational demand increases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent inverts the conventional approach by performing compression during acquisition rather than after acquisition. Instead of compressing large datasets computationally, the system uses optical encoding with random patterns to directly generate compressed measurements, shifting the computational burden to a more manageable reconstruction phase.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent replaces computational compression with optical/mechanical encoding using spinning disks with random patterns. The physical modulation of light through multiple layers of random patterns performs the compression function optically, reducing the subsequent computational burden compared to digital compression algorithms.
4Productivity
If existing compressive sensing techniques are applied, then data acquisition efficiency is improved, but applicability across the electromagnetic spectrum is limited
Solution Approach 1:
The multilayered modulator design with spinning disks containing random patterns creates a universal compressive sensing platform that can operate across the entire electromagnetic spectrum. The same physical principle of random projection applies regardless of wavelength, making the system adaptable to optical, infrared, and other spectral regions with appropriate detector selection.
Solution Approach 2:
The system achieves spectral versatility by changing the optical parameters (wavelength, frequency) while maintaining the same compression framework. The random patterns and multilayered structure remain effective across different electromagnetic parameters, allowing the system to adapt to various spectral regions without fundamental redesign.
Data Source
AI summary
Compressive imaging apparatus employing multiple modulators in various optical schemes to generate the modulation patterns before the signal is recorded at a detector. The compressive imaging apparatus is equally valid when applying compressive imaging to structured light embodiments where the placement is shifted from the acquisition path between the subject and the detector into the illumination path between the source and the subject to be imaged.