Surround Camera Gated Imaging for Object Plane Isolation
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing camera devices struggle to capture specific objects in an environment due to continuous illumination causing reflections from multiple depth levels, leading to unwanted images of objects in different planes, and disruptive effects like overexposure from stray lights.
Innovation Solution
A camera device with a control device that operates the lighting and image capture in a switching mode, using holographic-optical elements to direct illumination light and reflected light through a light-guiding medium, and implementing a 'gated imaging' technique with defined illumination and recording intervals to isolate the desired object plane.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Productivity
If continuous illumination is used to capture objects in the environment, then the image capture device can continuously record, but reflections from multiple depth levels cause unwanted images of objects in different planes and disruptive effects like overexposure
Solution Approach 1:
The patent applies periodic action by switching between illumination and recording modes in defined intervals. The illumination device emits light in periodic pulses, and the image capture device records in synchronized periodic intervals. This temporal separation ensures that only objects reflecting light during the illumination phase are captured, eliminating continuous overexposure and unwanted reflections from multiple depth levels while maintaining continuous recording capability over time.
2Adaptability or versatility
If illumination light is provided to illuminate objects at different depth levels, then comprehensive environmental coverage is achieved, but objects in different cutting planes are all captured causing image confusion
Solution Approach 1:
The patent applies preliminary action by pre-defining specific cutting planes through the geometric arrangement of the illumination device, image capture device, and light-guiding medium. The illumination light is directed at predetermined angles to illuminate only specific depth levels (cutting planes) before capture. This preliminary spatial configuration ensures that only objects at the intended depth level are illuminated and captured, achieving precise object plane separation while maintaining comprehensive environmental coverage through multiple defined planes.
3Device complexity
If the illumination device and image capture device are positioned offset from each other, then a compact arrangement is achieved, but shadows and disruptive effects occur in the captured images
Solution Approach 1:
The patent applies the intermediary principle by introducing a light-guiding medium (such as a light guide plate or optical waveguide) as a mediator between the illumination device and the environment. The illumination device couples light into this intermediary medium, which then distributes and redirects the light to illuminate objects at the target cutting plane. The reflected light is similarly guided back through the intermediary medium to the image capture device. This intermediary structure enables compact offset positioning while eliminating shadows and disruptive effects by providing uniform, controlled illumination and precise light path management.
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 solution ensures only the object in the predetermined cutting plane is highlighted with appropriate brightness, hiding objects in other planes and minimizing disruptive effects, allowing for precise object capture and avoidance of overexposure.
Implementation Method 1
The light-guiding medium is designed to transmit or forward light, which has been coupled into the light-guiding medium at a corresponding angle by means of the first and/or second deflection element, between the first and second deflection elements by means of internal reflection, in particular total reflection.
Implementation Method 2
The first and second deflection elements provide the deflection function or light-guiding function of the camera device. This means that the first and second deflection elements are preferably implemented as diffractive optical elements and/or the aforementioned holographic-optical elements
Implementation Method 3
holographic optical elements (HOEs) are used to transmit the illumination light provided by the illumination device to the desired object, and to redirect the illumination light reflected from the object to the image capture device
Data Source
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AI summary
The invention relates to a camera apparatus (10) which is intended to be used to record only those objects (O1, O2) in a surround (U) which are situated in a predetermined object plane (E1, E2) at a distance from the camera apparatus (10). To this end, the camera apparatus (10) comprises an illumination device (30) for illuminating the desired object (O1, O2) with an illumination light (31) and an image capture device (40) for capturing the illumination light (41) that is reflected at the object (O1, O2). For recording that is dependent on the object plane, the camera apparatus additionally comprises a control device (50) for driving the illumination device (30) to provide the illumination light (31) in the form of light pulses and for controlling the image capture device (40) to capture the reflected illumination light (41) within recording intervals assigned to the light pulses. To avoid interference effects on a resultant image representation, provision is additionally made of a deflection unit (20) for deflecting the respective illumination light (31, 41) between the surround and the illumination device (30) and the image capture device (40).