Vibratory Personal Care Device Image Stabilization
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Solution Overview
Problem
Personal care devices like toothbrushes with vibratory mechanisms face challenges in capturing clear images due to the distortion caused by the device's movement, which existing image stabilization techniques are not optimized to handle.
Innovation Solution
A method is proposed that involves mapping regions of the captured image to the position of the vibratory portion of the device, calculating the pixel shift based on this position, and shifting the pixel data to generate a corrected image that minimizes distortion.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Productivity
If a camera is integrated into a vibratory personal care device to capture images during use, then the device can regularly capture images of user features for oral care monitoring, but the images are distorted and blurred by the device's vibration and movement
Solution Approach 1:
The system performs preliminary actions by tracking the vibratory portion's position throughout the vibration cycle and using this information to guide subsequent image capture decisions. The processor identifies when the vibratory portion is at or near a reference position (minimum motion point) before triggering the camera capture, ensuring images are taken at the optimal moment when motion-induced distortion is minimized.
Solution Approach 2:
The system leverages the periodic nature of the vibratory motion by synchronizing image capture with specific phases of the vibration cycle. The processor monitors the periodic vibration and triggers captures at regular intervals when the vibratory portion returns to the reference position, converting the continuous vibration into a periodic capture rhythm that exploits the natural cycle of motion and rest positions.
2Reliability
If image stabilization techniques designed for low frequency handheld devices are applied to vibratory personal care devices, then some stabilization may be achieved, but the techniques are not optimized for high frequency vibrations and fail to adequately prevent image distortion
Solution Approach 1:
The system applies local quality by treating different temporal moments of the vibration cycle differently. Instead of applying uniform stabilization, the system identifies specific moments (when the vibratory portion is at reference position) as having superior capture quality potential, and concentrates capture resources at these localized optimal moments while ignoring or skipping suboptimal moments in the vibration cycle.
Solution Approach 2:
The system changes the timing parameter of image capture to adapt to the vibration frequency. By dynamically adjusting when captures occur based on real-time monitoring of the vibratory portion's position and velocity, the system transforms the capture timing parameter to match the vibration characteristics, achieving adaptability to different vibration frequencies without requiring physical stabilization mechanisms.
Data Source
AI summary
Proposed are schemes, solutions, concepts, designs, methods and systems pertaining to aiding and/or improving image acquisition from a vibratory personal care device having a camera. Embodiments propose mapping at least one region of the captured image to a position of the vibratory portion. Using the position of the vibratory portion the pixel shift for the at least one region can be calculated and pixel data then shifted to construct an image of improved quality. Thus, by compensating for the vibratory motion improved images (e.g. images exhibiting less distortion) may be constructed/generated.