Structured Illumination Imaging With Fewer Measurements
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Solution Overview
Problem
Conventional digital image acquisition systems require a large number of measurements to produce an image, which can be time-consuming due to the need for separate intensity measurements for each pixel, and lens-less cameras face slow aperture changes limiting acquisition speed.
Innovation Solution
The system uses compressive sensing techniques by selectively illuminating a scene with different subsets of lighting elements at high frequencies to reduce the number of measurements needed, allowing for image reconstruction from fewer intensities measured by sensors, and synchronizing lighting elements and sensors to integrate light intensities during specific time intervals.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Measurement precision
If conventional digital image acquisition uses an array of detectors to measure intensity for each pixel, then complete image information is obtained, but the number of measurements required equals the number of pixels making acquisition time-consuming
Solution Approach 1:
The patent extracts only the essential information needed to reconstruct the image by using structured illumination patterns. Instead of measuring all pixel intensities, the system extracts compressed measurements that contain sufficient information for image reconstruction through sparse sampling and compressive sensing algorithms.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent performs partial measurements by illuminating only specific regions of the scene with structured light patterns at different time intervals. This partial action approach collects enough information for reconstruction without requiring complete measurement of all pixels simultaneously, thereby reducing acquisition time.
2Reliability
If lens-less cameras use aperture changes to control light, then image formation is achieved, but aperture changes are slow limiting acquisition speed
Solution Approach 1:
The patent replaces the mechanical aperture system with a static lens-less imaging system that uses structured illumination and spatial light modulation. This substitution eliminates the need for moving mechanical parts, thereby achieving fast image acquisition while maintaining reliable image formation through computational methods.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent introduces temporal dynamics by using time-varying structured illumination patterns instead of static mechanical aperture adjustments. The illumination patterns change over time to encode different spatial information, enabling fast acquisition without mechanical movement while maintaining image formation capability.
3Productivity
If compressive sensing reduces the number of measurements, then acquisition time decreases, but the system requires structured illumination and synchronized control adding device complexity
Solution Approach 1:
The patent uses a spatial light modulator that serves multiple functions: it creates structured illumination patterns, encodes temporal information, and enables compressed sensing measurements. This multi-functional component reduces the need for separate systems for illumination and measurement, thereby managing complexity while achieving fast acquisition.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent introduces a spatial light modulator as an intermediary between the light source and the scene. This intermediary device simplifies the control architecture by centralizing the pattern generation and synchronization functions in a single component, making the complex compressive sensing system more manageable.
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 significantly reduces the number of measurements required to represent an image, enabling faster acquisition times and efficient image reconstruction with minimal perceptible fluctuation in lighting levels, thus overcoming the limitations of conventional systems and lens-less cameras.
Implementation Method 1
The lighting elements may be light emitting diodes (LEDs)
Implementation Method 2
sensors to measure intensities of light reflected from the scene
Data Source
AI summary
A plurality of lighting elements is configured to selectively illuminate a scene during a plurality of time intervals. The plurality of lighting elements forms a different illumination pattern in each of the plurality of time intervals. One or more sensors are configured to measure a plurality of intensities of light received from the scene during the plurality of time intervals. A processor is configured to generate an image of the scene based on the plurality of intensities. In some cases, the plurality of lighting elements are switched on or off to produce different illumination patterns during a plurality of time intervals that too short to be perceptible to the human eye.