Surround Camera Light-Pulse Capture for Plane-Specific Imaging
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing camera systems struggle to specifically capture and illuminate individual objects in an environment while avoiding interference effects from multiple objects at different depths, leading to overexposure and unreliable image representations.
Innovation Solution
The camera apparatus employs holographic-optical elements and a control device to switch the illumination and image capture devices in a predetermined pattern, providing defined illumination pulses and recording intervals offset in time, allowing only one object in a specific plane to be illuminated and captured while masking out others, using diffractive optical elements and a light guiding medium for bidirectional light redirection.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Illumination intensity
If continuous illumination is provided to the environment, then all objects are illuminated and visible, but multiple objects at different depths cause interference effects and overexposure in the image representation
Solution Approach 1:
The patent applies periodic action by switching the illumination device and image capture device in alternating intervals. The illumination device provides illumination light in defined intervals, followed by pause intervals where no illumination is provided. The image capture device captures reflected light only during pause intervals. This periodic switching eliminates continuous illumination, allowing selective capture of light from specific object planes while preventing overexposure and interference effects from multiple objects at different depths.
2Adaptability or versatility
If illumination light is provided to multiple object planes simultaneously, then all objects are visible, but it becomes impossible to specifically capture individual objects in a desired plane
Solution Approach 1:
The periodic switching between illumination and capture intervals enables the system to selectively illuminate and capture specific object planes. By controlling the timing and duration of illumination intervals, the system can target light to specific depth planes, and by capturing only during pause intervals, it records light reflected from the currently illuminated plane, achieving precise plane-specific capture while maintaining adaptability to different object planes through temporal control.
Solution Approach 2:
The system performs preliminary action by providing illumination light to a specific object plane before capturing the image. The illumination device is activated in defined intervals to illuminate a specific plane, and after the illumination interval ends and during the pause interval, the image capture device captures the reflected light. This preliminary illumination followed by capture during the pause ensures that only light from the specifically illuminated plane is recorded, achieving precise plane selection.
3Productivity
If the illumination device and image capture device operate simultaneously, then continuous imaging is possible, but reflected illumination light from multiple planes causes overexposure
Solution Approach 1:
The patent resolves the contradiction between continuous imaging and exposure control by implementing periodic operation. The illumination device and image capture device do not operate simultaneously but alternate in defined intervals. The illumination device provides light during illumination intervals, followed by pause intervals where the image capture device captures reflected light. This periodic alternation ensures that during capture intervals, no new illumination is provided, preventing overexposure from multiple planes while maintaining productive continuous imaging through repeated cycles of illumination and capture.
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 enables precise capture and illumination of individual objects, reducing interference effects and allowing for the creation of a highlighted image representation of the desired object, while also enabling the determination of object distances and layered recording for three-dimensional image generation.
Implementation Method 1
The deflection function or light directing function of the camera apparatus is provided by the first and the second deflection element. Therefore, the first and the second deflection element are realized as diffractive optical elements and/or the above mentioned holographic-optical elements
Implementation Method 2
The light guiding medium is configured to transfer or forward light, which has been coupled into the light guiding medium at a corresponding angle by the first and/or second deflection element, between the first and the second deflection element by internal reflection, in particular total reflection
Implementation Method 3
holographic-optical elements (HOE) are used to transfer the illumination light provided by the illumination device to the desired object on the one hand and to redirect the illumination light reflected on the object to the image capture device on the other hand
Data Source
AI summary
A camera apparatus records only those objects in a surround which are situated in a predetermined object plane at a distance from the camera apparatus. To this end, the camera apparatus includes an illumination device for illuminating the desired object with an illumination light and an image capture device (for capturing the illumination light reflected by the object. For recording that is dependent on the object plane, the camera apparatus additionally comprises a control device for driving the illumination device to provide the illumination light in the form of light pulses and for controlling the image capture device to capture the reflected illumination light within recording intervals assigned to the light pulses. To avoid interference effects on a resultant image representation, provision is additionally made for a deflection unit for deflecting the respective illumination light between the surround and the illumination device and the image capture device.