Wearable Camera Image Enhancement for User-Caused Occlusions

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Solution Overview

Problem

Wearable devices often capture images with poor quality due to issues like blind framing and unintended occlusions, which existing methodologies fail to adequately address.

Innovation Solution

Implementing intelligent image enhancement techniques that detect and mitigate occlusions and blurring in wearable device images using artificial intelligence, including notifications and automatic image correction.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Productivity

If wearable devices capture images automatically, then image capture speed is improved, but image quality deteriorates due to blind framing and occlusions

Engineering Contradiction:

Improveimage capture speedVSAvoidimage quality

Core Design Contradiction:

ProductivityVSManufacturing precision

Solution Approach 1:

The system analyzes captured images to detect occlusions and framing issues, then provides feedback to the user through notifications. This feedback loop enables users to adjust their positioning or re-capture images, thereby improving image quality while maintaining automatic capture functionality

Inventive Principle:

Principle #23Feedback

Solution Approach 2:

The system performs preliminary analysis of the captured image to detect potential quality issues such as occlusions and blind framing before the user finalizes the image. This preliminary detection allows for early intervention through user notification and potential re-capture

Inventive Principle:

Principle #10Preliminary action

2Manufacturing precision

If the system notifies users of all occlusions, then image quality control is improved, but user experience deteriorates due to excessive notifications

Engineering Contradiction:

Improveimage quality controlVSAvoiduser experience

Core Design Contradiction:

Manufacturing precisionVSEase of operation

Solution Approach 1:

The system changes the notification parameter based on the occlusion threshold. When occlusion exceeds a predetermined threshold, a notification is triggered; otherwise, no notification is provided. This parameter-based approach balances quality control with user experience by filtering out minor issues

Inventive Principle:

Principle #35Parameter changes

3Manufacturing precision

If automatic image correction is implemented, then image quality is improved, but device complexity increases

Engineering Contradiction:

Improveimage qualityVSAvoidprocessing complexity

Core Design Contradiction:

Manufacturing precisionVSDevice complexity

Solution Approach 1:

The system extracts only the essential image quality assessment functionality from a full image editing suite. It focuses specifically on detecting occlusions and framing issues rather than implementing comprehensive automatic correction, thereby limiting complexity while maintaining quality improvement

Inventive Principle:

Principle #2Taking out (Extraction)

Data Source

PatentUS20250330694A1Techniques for providing image enhancement at a wearable device, and systems, devices, and methods of using such techniques

Publication Date: 2025.10.23 META PLATFORMS TECHNOLOGIES LLC

AI summary

A method is provided for detecting whether image data captured by a head-worn device is blocked by an occlusion. The method includes receiving image data captured by a camera of a head-worn device. The method includes determining the image data indicates an occlusion caused by the user is present in the camera's field of view. The method includes determining that the image data indicates that an occlusion caused by the user is present in a portion of a field of view of the camera. The method includes, when determining the occlusion satisfies a first occlusion threshold, notifying the user there is an occlusion to the field of view of the camera. And the method includes, when the occlusion satisfies a second occlusion threshold, (i) forgoing notifying the user there is an occlusion to the field of view, and (ii) modifying the image data to remove or minimize the occlusion.