JP2023517377A - Condensation prevention system and method - Google Patents

Abstract

The present disclosure provides a system for anti-condensation of a capture device. The system may include a heater disposed between the capture device lens assembly and the image sensor to prevent condensation associated with the capture device lens assembly. The system may also include a controller electrically coupled to the heater and configured to control the heater to adjust the heating temperature of the heater.

Description

<Cross reference to related applications>
This application is based on Chinese Patent Application No. 202010179952 filed on March 16, 2020. No. X, the entire contents of which are hereby incorporated by reference.

FIELD OF THE DISCLOSURE The present disclosure relates generally to the field of image capture and, more particularly, to systems and methods for anti-condensation of capture devices.

Image sensors of capture devices (eg, cameras) are typically cooled to reduce image sensor noise. After cooling the image sensor, the temperature of the environment surrounding the lens assembly of the capture device typically drops to several tens of degrees below zero. When the temperature drops to dew point or frost point temperatures, if the environment is humid, water vapor in the environment can form condensation on the surface of the lens assembly, which can affect the imaging of the capture device. be. Accordingly, it is desirable to provide systems and/or methods for decondensation of capture devices.

In one aspect of the present disclosure, the system may include a heater positioned between the lens assembly of the capture device and the image sensor to prevent condensation associated with the lens assembly of the capture device. The system may also include a controller electrically coupled to the heater and configured to control the heater to adjust the heating temperature of the heater.

In some embodiments, the heater may be located on the side of the lens assembly facing the image sensor.

In some embodiments, the controller may be configured to control the heater based on the temperature of the environment external to the capture device and the humidity of the environment external to the capture device.

In some embodiments, the system may further include a first temperature sensor electrically coupled to the controller and configured to detect the temperature of the environment external to the capture device. The system may further include a humidity sensor electrically coupled to the controller and configured to detect the humidity of the environment external to the capture device.

In some embodiments, the controller may be configured to control the heater further based on the temperature of the internal environment of the capture device.

In some embodiments, the system further includes a second temperature sensor disposed within the capture device and electrically coupled to the controller and configured to detect an internal temperature of the capture device. may contain.

In some embodiments, the heater may include a positive temperature coefficient (PTC) heating film.

In some embodiments, the controller is electrically coupled to the PTC heating film, detects a resistance value of the PTC heating film, and determines a temperature of the PTC heating film based on the resistance value. A configured detection unit may be included.

In some embodiments, the temperature of the PTC heating film may be determined as the temperature of the internal environment of the capture device.

In some embodiments, the system may include a cooling assembly positioned on a side of the image sensor away from the lens assembly. The cooling assembly may include a cooler configured to cool the image sensor. The cooling assembly may also include a heat transfer member configured to transfer heat between the image sensor and the cooler. The cooling assembly may also include an insulation member. A closed space may be formed by the cooler and the heat insulating member. The heat transfer member may be arranged within the closed space and between the image sensor and the cooler.

In some embodiments, the cooler may include a heat absorbing surface facing the image sensor and a heat generating surface facing away from the image sensor.

In some embodiments, the cooling assembly may include a cooling member in thermal contact with a heat generating surface of the cooler and configured to absorb heat emitted from the heat generating surface of the cooler. .

In some embodiments, the cooling assembly may include a fan configured to improve heat absorption of the cooling member.

In some embodiments, the system may include a third temperature sensor embedded within the heat transfer member and configured to detect the temperature of the image sensor.

In some embodiments, the lens assembly may include a filter configured to selectively transmit light in specific wavelength ranges. The filter may include a first surface and a second surface positioned opposite each other. The second surface faces the image sensor. The heater may be operably connected to at least a portion of the second surface of the filter to prevent condensation on the first surface of the filter.

In some embodiments, the heater may contact the second surface of the filter.

In some embodiments, the heater may be connected to at least one edge of the second surface.

In another aspect of the disclosure, a system may include one or more storage devices and one or more processors configured to communicate with the one or more storage devices. The one or more storage devices may contain an instruction set. When the one or more processors execute the instruction set, the one or more processors may be instructed to perform one or more of the following actions. The one or more processors may determine whether an image sensor of the capture device is operational. In response to determining that the image sensor is operational, the one or more processors cause the capture device lens assembly and the image sensor to prevent condensation associated with the capture device lens assembly. may control a heater disposed between

In some embodiments, the one or more processors may obtain the temperature of the environment external to the capture device to control the heater. The one or more processors may obtain the humidity of the environment external to the capture device. The one or more processors may determine the dew point temperature based on the temperature and humidity of the environment external to the capture device. The one or more processors may control the heater based on the dew point temperature such that the temperature of the internal environment of the capture device is higher than the dew point temperature.

In some embodiments, the one or more processors may obtain the temperature of the internal environment of the capture device to control the heater based on the dew point temperature. The one or more processors may determine whether the temperature of the internal environment of the capture device is above the dew point temperature. In response to determining that the temperature of the internal environment of the capture device is not above the dew point temperature, the one or more processors may turn on the heater.

In some embodiments, the one or more processors may turn off the heater in response to determining that the temperature of the internal environment of the capture device is above the dew point temperature.

According to yet another aspect of the disclosure, a method may include one or more of the following operations. One or more processors may determine whether the image sensor of the capture device is operational. In response to determining that the image sensor is operational, the one or more processors cause the capture device lens assembly and the image sensor to prevent condensation associated with the capture device lens assembly. may control a heater disposed between

According to yet another aspect of the present disclosure, the system may include a determination module configured to determine whether the image sensor of the capture device is operational. In response to determining that the image sensor is in operation, the system also controls the amount of water between the capture device lens assembly and the image sensor to prevent condensation associated with the capture device lens assembly. a control module configured to control the heater located in the .

According to yet another aspect of the disclosure, a non-transitory computer-readable medium may include at least one set of instructions. The at least one set of instructions may be executed by one or more processors of a computing device. The one or more processors may cause the scanner to scan the object one or more times. The one or more processors may determine whether an image sensor of the capture device is operational. In response to determining that the image sensor is operational, the one or more processors cause the capture device lens assembly and the image sensor to prevent condensation associated with the capture device lens assembly. may control a heater disposed between

Certain additional features will be set forth in the following description, and some of these features will become apparent to those skilled in the art from the following discussion and the accompanying drawings, or may be learned by the manufacture or operation of the embodiments. deaf. The features of the present disclosure will be realized and attained by practicing or using the various aspects of the methods, apparatus, and combinations described in the specific examples described below.

The present disclosure will be further described based on exemplary embodiments. These exemplary embodiments are described in detail with reference to the drawings. Drawings are not to scale. These embodiments are non-limiting exemplary embodiments, and like reference numerals indicate similar structures throughout the several views of the drawings.

1 is a schematic diagram of an exemplary capture device according to some embodiments of the present disclosure; FIG. 1 is a schematic diagram illustrating an exemplary anti-condensation device according to some embodiments of the present disclosure; FIG. 1 is a schematic diagram illustrating an exemplary anti-condensation device according to some embodiments of the present disclosure; FIG. 1 is a schematic diagram illustrating an exemplary cooling assembly according to some embodiments of the present disclosure; FIG. 1 is a schematic diagram illustrating an exemplary cooling assembly according to some embodiments of the present disclosure; FIG. 1 is a schematic diagram illustrating exemplary hardware and/or software components of a computing device according to some embodiments of the disclosure; FIG. FIG. 4 is a block diagram illustrating an exemplary first controller of the anti-condensation device according to some embodiments of the present disclosure; 4 is a flow chart illustrating an exemplary process for preventing condensation according to some embodiments of the present disclosure; 4 is a flow chart illustrating an exemplary process for preventing condensation according to some embodiments of the present disclosure; 4 is a flow chart illustrating an exemplary process for preventing condensation according to some embodiments of the present disclosure;

In the following detailed description, numerous specific details are set forth by way of example in order to provide a thorough understanding of the related disclosure. However, it will be apparent to those skilled in the art that the present disclosure may be practiced without such details. In other instances, well-known methods, procedures, systems, components, and/or circuits have been described at a relatively high level without detail to avoid unnecessarily obscuring aspects of the disclosure. It is Various modifications of the disclosed embodiments will be readily apparent to those skilled in the art, and the general principles defined herein may be applied to other embodiments and modifications without departing from the spirit and scope of this disclosure. It can also be applied to applications. Accordingly, the disclosure should not be limited to the illustrated embodiments, but should be accorded the broadest scope consistent with the appended claims.

The terminology used herein is for the purpose of describing particular example embodiments only and is not intended to be limiting of the invention. As used herein, the singular forms "a," "an," and "the" are intended to include plural forms as well, unless the context clearly indicates otherwise. can be intended. Further, as used herein, the terms "comprises/comprises/comprising, includes/includes/including" refer to the features, integers, steps, acts, elements, and/or Although the presence of elements is specified, it does not preclude the presence or addition of one or more other features, integers, steps, acts, elements, components, and/or groups thereof. be understood.

As used herein, the terms "system", "unit", "module", and/or "block" are used to distinguish different components, elements, parts, sections or assemblies at different levels in ascending order. It will be understood that the method However, the terms may be replaced by other expressions which serve the same purpose.

In general, the terms "module," "unit," or "block" as used herein refer to a collection of logic or software instructions embodied in hardware or firmware. The modules, units, or blocks described herein may be implemented as software and/or hardware and stored on any type of non-transitory computer-readable medium or other storage device. . In some embodiments, software modules/units/blocks may be compiled and linked into an executable program. It will be appreciated that software modules may be called from other modules/units/blocks or from themselves and/or may be activated in response to detected events or interrupts. A software module/unit/block configured to execute on a computing device (eg, processor 501 shown in FIG. 6) may be a compact disc, digital video disc, flash drive, magnetic disc, or any other tangible medium. or as a digital download (and may initially be stored in compressed or installable form, requiring installation, decompression, or decryption prior to execution). Such software code may be partially or fully stored in the memory of an executing computing device for execution by the computing device. The software instructions may be embedded in firmware such as EPROM. Further, it is understood that hardware modules/units/blocks may include connected logic components such as gates and flip-flops and/or may include programmable units such as programmable gate arrays or processors. would be The modules/units/blocks or computing device functionality described herein may be implemented as software modules/units/blocks, but may also be represented in hardware or firmware. In general, the modules/units/blocks described herein may be combined or combined with other modules/units/blocks or sub-modules/sub-units/ A logical module/unit/block that can be divided into sub-blocks.

When a unit, engine, module or block is described as being “overlying”, “connected to” or “coupled to” another unit, engine, module or block, Unless otherwise specified in context, it communicates directly with, whether directly on, directly connected to, or coupled to, another unit, engine, module, or block. or there may be intervention units, engines, modules or blocks. As used herein, the term "and/or" includes any and all combinations of one or more of the associated terms listed.

These and other features and characteristics of the present disclosure, method of operation, function of combination of relevant elements and parts of construction, and economics of manufacture may be understood by reference to the accompanying drawings, which form a part of this disclosure. It will become clearer from a consideration of the following description. It is expressly understood, however, that the drawings are for the purpose of illustration and description only and are not intended to limit the scope of the disclosure. It is understood that the drawings are not to scale.

The following description is provided with reference to systems and methods for automatic exposure. It is not intended to limit the scope of this disclosure. In addition, certain modifications, changes, and/or variations can be deduced by those of ordinary skill in the art upon reference to this disclosure. These modifications, changes and/or variations do not depart from the scope of this disclosure.

In some embodiments, the terms "brightness" and "luminance" may be used interchangeably in this disclosure. The terms "photograph", "image", "picture" and "frame" may be used interchangeably to refer to an image captured by a capture device such as a camera.

According to one aspect of the present disclosure, an anti-condensation device configured to prevent condensation on a capture device is provided. An anti-condensation device may include a heater and a controller. A heater may be positioned between the lens assembly of the capture device and the image sensor. A controller may be electrically coupled to the heater and configured to control the temperature of the heater. The controller may control the heater to heat the internal environment of the capture device to a temperature above the dew point temperature of the external environment of the capture device to prevent condensation on the surfaces of the optics of the lens assembly.

For example, a lens assembly may include a filter configured to selectively transmit light in a particular wavelength range. The filter may include a first surface and a second surface positioned opposite each other. The second surface may face the image sensor. The first surface may contact an internal environment surrounding the filter and in fluid communication with the external environment. A heater may be operably connected to the second surface of the filter to prevent condensation on the first surface of the filter. For example, the heater may contact the second surface of the filter.

The controller is configured to obtain the temperature and humidity of the external environment in real time, monitor the dew point temperature of the external environment in real time, and adjust the heating temperature of the heater based on the real time dew point temperature of the external environment. may be

The controller may be configured to obtain the temperature of the internal environment in real time and turn the heater on or off by comparing the real time temperature of the internal environment to the real time dew point temperature of the external environment, which to precisely control the heater, save power consumption of the heater and/or cool the image sensor to ensure the cooling effect of the image sensor.

According to another aspect of the disclosure, a cooling assembly configured to cool an image sensor of a capture device is provided. The cooling assembly may include an enclosed space that avoids fluid communication between the internal environment of the capture device and the cooling assembly, which encloses the anti-condensation device if said anti-condensation device is also used in the capture device. Because the cooling assembly and heater are separated from each other, heat and cold convection are in turn avoided. This can not only improve the cooling effect of the image sensor and the heating effect of the internal environment, but also save the energy consumption of the heater and the cooling assembly.

FIG. 1 is a schematic diagram illustrating an exemplary capture device according to some embodiments of the disclosure. Capture device 100 may include lens assembly 110 , exposure time controller 120 , sensor 130 , processing device 140 and storage device 150 .

Capture device 100 may be a device configured to capture one or more images. As used in this disclosure, an image may be a still image, a video, a streamed video, or a video frame derived from a video. The image may be a three-dimensional (3D) image or a two-dimensional (2D) image. In some embodiments, the capture device 100 is a digital camera, a video camera, a security camera, a webcam, a smartphone, a tablet, a laptop, a video game console with a webcam, a camera with multiple lenses, and a camcorder. and so on.

Lens assembly 110 may be an optical device that transmits light to image sensor 130 via optical means (eg, refraction, filtering, etc.). For example, lens assembly 110 may include at least one lens configured to focus or disperse a light beam through refraction to form an image. The position of one or more of the at least one lenses may be adjustable such that the focal length of lens assembly 110 is adjustable to adjust the coverage of capture device 100 . As another example, lens assembly 110 may include an aperture mechanism for adjusting the aperture of lens assembly 110 . The aperture of lens assembly 110 may refer to the size of the hole through which light passes to reach sensor 130 . The larger the aperture, the more light the lens assembly 110 captures and the brighter the image produced by the camera (or camcorder) (eg, capture device 100). The aperture may be adjustable to adjust the amount of light passing through lens assembly 110 . As yet another example, lens assembly 110 may include filters configured to selectively transmit light in a particular wavelength range (eg, color) and absorb the remaining light.

Exposure time controller 120 may be configured to control the exposure time. Exposure time may refer to the length of time for the sensor 130 in the capture device 100 to generate an electrical signal. In some embodiments, exposure time controller 120 is configured to open such that when an image is captured, light reaches sensor 130 through lens assembly 110 and sensor 130 generates an electrical signal. shutter device (eg a mechanical shutter). The shutter device may be manually or automatically controlled. The shutter time (eg, the interval between the open state and the closed state) of the shutter device for taking a picture of the scene may be the exposure time. In some embodiments, even if light reaches sensor 130, sensor 130 does not generate an electrical signal in the absence of electricity. Exposure time controller 120 may be an electronic shutter for controlling the length of time that sensor 130 is charged (also called exposure time). The longer the exposure time, the more electrical signals the sensor 130 produces, and the brighter the image produced by the camera (or camcorder) (eg, capture device 100).

Sensor 130 may be configured to detect a scene imaged by lens assembly 110 (eg, light transmitted from lens assembly 110) and communicate it as an electronic signal (eg, a digital image) of the image. Sensor 130 may include a charge coupled device (CCD) and a complementary metal oxide semiconductor (CMOS).

Processing device 140 may be configured to process data and/or information associated with capture device 100 in the present disclosure. Processor 140 may be electronically connected to and control the operation of one or more components within capture device 100 (eg, lens assembly 110, exposure time controller 120, and sensor 130). For example, processor 140 may automatically determine target values for exposure parameters of capture device 100, such as exposure time, exposure gain, and aperture.

In some embodiments, processing unit 140 may be local or remote. For example, processing device 140 may communicate with capture device 100 via a wired or wireless connection. As another example, processing device 140 may be part of capture device 100 (as shown in FIG. 1).

Storage device 150 may store data, instructions, and/or any other information. In some embodiments, storage device 150 may store data obtained from processing device 140 . For example, storage device 150 may store captured images. In some embodiments, storage device 150 may store data and/or instructions that processing device 140 may execute or use to perform the example methods described in this disclosure. For example, storage device 150 may store data and/or instructions that processor 140 may execute or use to perform automatic exposure. In some embodiments, storage 150 may include mass storage, removable storage, volatile read/write memory, read-only memory (ROM), etc., or any combination thereof. Exemplary mass storage devices may include magnetic disks, optical disks, solid state drives, and the like. Exemplary removable storage devices may include flash drives, floppy disks, optical disks, memory cards, zip disks, magnetic tapes, and the like. Exemplary volatile read/write memory may include random access memory (RAM). Exemplary RAMs may include dynamic RAMs (DRAMs), double data rate synchronous dynamic RAMs (DDR SDRAMs), static RAMs (SRAMs), thyristor RAMs (T-RAMs), zero-capacitor RAMs (Z-RAMs), and the like. good. Exemplary ROMs include mask ROM (MROM), programmable ROM (PROM), erasable programmable ROM (EPROM), electrically erasable programmable ROM (EEPROM), compact disk ROM (CD-ROM), and digital versatile disk ROM. and so on.

In some embodiments, storage device 150 may be remote or local. For example, storage device 150 may be implemented in a cloud platform. Merely by way of example, cloud platforms may include private clouds, public clouds, hybrid clouds, community clouds, distributed clouds, interclouds, multiclouds, etc., or any combination thereof. As another example, storage device 150 may be connected to a network to communicate with one or more other components of capture device 100 (eg, processing device 140). One or more components of capture device 100 may access data or instructions stored in storage device 150 over a network. As yet another example, storage device 150 may be directly connected to and communicate with one or more other components of capture device 100 (eg, processing device 140). Storage device 150 may be part of capture device 100 .

In some embodiments, capture device 100 may further include amplifiers, analog-to-digital (A/D) converters, and power supplies (not shown in FIG. 1). The amplifier may be configured to amplify the electrical signal produced by sensor 130 . The magnification of the electrical signal produced by sensor 130 may be referred to as exposure gain. The higher the exposure gain, the brighter the image produced by the camera (eg, capture device 100) (with the side effect of higher gain being more noisy). The A/D converter may be configured to convert the amplified electrical signal from the amplifier to a digital signal. The digital signal may be sent to processor 140 to generate an image. The images may be stored in storage device 150 .

One aspect of the present disclosure provides anti-condensation devices and methods used to prevent condensation on components (eg, lens assemblies, etc.) of capture devices (eg, cameras). For the sake of brevity, anti-condensation of lens assemblies may be taken as an example. It should be noted that the image sensor and lens assembly anti-condensation described below are only some examples or implementations. For those skilled in the art, the anti-condensation devices and methods in the present disclosure may be applied to anti-condensation of other components of capture devices such as image sensors, processors, controllers, shutters, and the like.

FIG. 2A is a schematic diagram illustrating an exemplary anti-condensation device 200 according to some embodiments of the present disclosure. In some embodiments, anti-condensation device 200 may be used in a capture device (eg, capture device 100) to prevent condensation on the capture device (eg, lens assembly 110). As shown in FIG. 2A, the anti-condensation device 200 may include a heater 201 and a first controller 202 .

In some embodiments, capture device 100 may include an interior space 203 configured to house image sensor 130, as shown in FIG. 2A. In some embodiments, the capture device 100 may include a housing 205 surrounding the image sensor 130 and forming an interior space 203 . In some embodiments, interior space 203 may be an enclosed space. The enclosed space is separated from the external environment of the capture device 100 and filled with a water vapor-free gas (such as nitrogen, noble gases, and dry air) to protect the image sensor 130 and protect the internal space 203 from the external environment. to reduce or prevent water vapor from entering the image sensor 130 , thereby effectively preventing condensation on the surface of the image sensor 130 . As used herein, the external environment of capture device 100 may include the environment in which capture device 100 is located, for example, in the space surrounding the perimeter of housing 205 and/or lens assembly 110 .

In some embodiments, heater 201 may be positioned between lens assembly 110 and image sensor 130, as shown in FIG. 2A. In some embodiments, heater 201 may be positioned within interior space 203 .

In some embodiments, image sensor 130 may be cooled to reduce noise on image sensor 130 . After the image sensor 130 has cooled, the lens assembly 110, particularly the optical components (eg, filters) of the lens assembly 110 that are close to the image sensor 130 (eg, are in contact with the interior space 203 and/or connected to the housing 205). ) can drop, for example, to several tens of degrees below zero. When the temperature drops to the dew point temperature, if the environment is humid, the water vapor in the environment can form condensation on the surfaces of the optical components that come into contact with the environment (also called the target surface), which can affect the imaging of the capture device. can affect

The dew point temperature of the air in the environment refers to the temperature at which water vapor in the air becomes saturated and water droplets begin to form. Dew point temperature may vary with the temperature and humidity of the air in the environment. For example, if the temperature of the air is 30°C in a 90% humidity environment, the dew point temperature of the air in this environment may also be 30°C. In this case, when the temperature of the environment surrounding the target surface exceeds 30° C., dew condensation on the target surface can be effectively prevented.

In some embodiments, heater 201 targets optical components (eg, filters) of lens assembly 110 near image sensor 130 (eg, in contact with interior space 203 and/or connected to housing 205). It may be configured to heat the internal environment surrounding the optical components of the lens assembly 110 to prevent condensation on the surfaces. The internal environment surrounding the target surface may be in fluid communication with the external environment of capture device 100 . The internal environment of capture device 100 may include the environment within capture device 100 , eg, the environment within lens assembly 110 . In some embodiments, heater 201 may be located on the side of lens assembly 110 closer to image sensor 130 . In some embodiments, the heater 201 may be placed on the surface of the optical component (eg, filter) of the lens assembly 110 opposite the target surface to prevent condensation on the target surface.

Merely by way of example, as shown in FIG. 2A, lens assembly 110 may include optical component 207 (shaded rectangle in FIG. 2A) located near image sensor 130 . For example, optical component 207 may contact interior space 203 and/or housing 205 . Optical component 207 may include a first surface 208 and a second surface 209 positioned opposite each other. Second surface 209 faces image sensor 130 and may be closer to image sensor 130 than first surface 208 . Heater 201 may be operably connected to second surface 209 of optical component 207 to prevent condensation on first surface 208 (target surface) of optical component 207 . In some embodiments, heater 201 may contact at least a portion of second surface 209 . For example, heater 201 may contact at least one edge of surface 209 . First surface 208 may contact an internal environment that surrounds optic 207 and is in fluid communication with the external environment of capture device 100 .

In some embodiments, heater 201 may include a heater that can maintain a constant heating temperature after being activated (eg, turned on). Heater 201 may heat the internal environment surrounding the target surface (eg, second surface 209) to a constant heating temperature. The heating temperature of the heater 201 means the temperature at which the heater 201 is activated. If the constant heating temperature of the heater 201 is higher than the dew point temperature of the external environment, the condensation on the target surface of the lens assembly 110 can be effectively prevented.

In some embodiments, the dew point temperature of the external environment is not constant, so the heater 201 adjusts the heating temperature of the heater 201 based on the dew point temperature of the external environment, thereby increasing the temperature of the internal environment surrounding the target surface. A temperature adjustable heater may be included so that the temperature can be precisely controlled.

In some embodiments, first controller 202 may be electrically coupled to heater 201 and configured to control heater 201 . For example, the first controller 202 may be configured to turn the heater 201 on or off and adjust the heating temperature of the heater 201 . In some embodiments, first controller 202 may be located internal or external to capture device 100 . In some embodiments, the structure and/or type of first controller 202 may be similar to processing unit 140 described in FIG. In some embodiments, first controller 202 may be integrated into processor 140 . In some embodiments, first controller 202 may communicate with processing unit 140 and may operate independently of processing unit 140 .

In some embodiments, the first controller 202 may obtain the dew point temperature of the external environment and control the heater 201 to adjust the heating temperature of the heater 201 based on the dew point temperature of the external environment. good. The first controller 202 may adjust the heating temperature of the heater 201 to a dew condensation prevention temperature higher than the dew point temperature. For example, when the dew point temperature is 29°C, the heating temperature of the heater 201 is slightly higher than 29°C (eg, 0.5°C, 1°C, 2°C, 3°C, 4°C, and 5°C above 29°C). °C higher) may be adjusted to prevent condensation. Details regarding adjusting the heating temperature of the heater 201 based on the dew point temperature of the external environment may be found elsewhere in this disclosure (eg, the discussion relating to FIG. 8).

In some embodiments, the first controller 202 may obtain the temperature and humidity of the environment in which the capture device is located, such as the external environment. The first controller 202 may determine the dew point temperature of the external environment based on the temperature and humidity of the external environment.

In some embodiments, the anti-condensation device 200 may include a first temperature sensor 210 and a humidity sensor 211 . A first temperature sensor 210 may be electrically coupled to the first controller 202 and configured to detect the temperature of the external environment. A humidity sensor 211 may be electrically coupled to the first controller 202 and configured to detect the humidity of the external environment. In some embodiments, the first temperature sensor 210 and humidity sensor 211 may be two devices or integrated into a single device capable of detecting both temperature and humidity. In some embodiments, the first temperature sensor 210 and humidity sensor 211 may be placed in the external environment (as shown in FIG. 2A). In some embodiments, first temperature sensor 210 and/or humidity sensor 211 may be integrated into first controller 202 .

In some embodiments, the temperature and humidity of the external environment may be detected by a third party device (eg, a Japan Meteorological Agency platform or satellite platform) that communicates with the first controller 202 over a network. The first controller 202 may obtain the temperature and humidity of the external environment from a third party device over the network. In some embodiments, the first controller 202 may obtain the dew point temperature of the external environment directly from a third party device.

In some embodiments, by obtaining the dew point temperature of the external environment in real time, the first controller 202 can adjust the heating temperature of the heater 201 in real time based on the dew point temperature of the external environment. . For example, by detecting the temperature and humidity of the external environment in real time, the first controller 202 can monitor the dew point temperature of the external environment in real time and, based on the real time dew point temperature of the external environment, Heating temperature can be adjusted.

In some embodiments, the first controller 202 may control the heater 201 to operate continuously to maintain the temperature of the internal environment above the dew point temperature of the external environment. In some embodiments, the image sensor 130 typically needs to be cooled, so continuous operation of the heater 201 may affect the cooling effect and/or significantly increase the cooling power consumption. . Accordingly, the first controller 202 controls the heater 201 to operate intermittently to conserve power consumption of the cooling assembly used to cool the heater 201 and/or the image sensor 130 . may In this case, in addition to the dew point temperature of the external environment, the first controller 202 may be configured to control the heater 201 further based on the temperature of the internal environment.

In some embodiments, the first controller 202 may obtain the temperature of the internal environment. The first controller 202 compares the temperature of the internal environment of the capture device 100 with the dew point temperature of the external environment of the capture device 100 to turn the heater 201 off or on, thereby increasing the temperature of the internal environment to that of the external environment. may be maintained above the dew point temperature of Merely by way of example, in response to determining that the temperature of the internal environment is higher than the dew point temperature of the external environment, the first controller 202 may turn off the heater 201 so that the temperature of the internal environment is equal to that of the external environment. In response to determining that the temperature is below the dew point temperature, the first controller 202 turns on the heater 201 and adjusts the heating temperature of the heater 201 to an anti-condensation temperature that is above the dew point temperature. good. Details regarding controlling the heater 201 based on the temperature of the internal environment may be found elsewhere in this disclosure (eg, the discussion associated with FIG. 9).

In some embodiments, by obtaining the temperature of the internal environment in real time, the first controller 202 turns the heater 201 on or off based on the real-time temperature of the internal environment, can be precisely controlled to save the power consumption of the heater 201 and/or the cooling assembly used to cool the image sensor 130 and ensure the cooling effect of the image sensor 130 .

In some embodiments, components controlling heater 201 in first controller 202 may include switch tubes (eg, metal oxide semiconductor (MOS) tubes). Compared to using a relay to control the heater 201, the switch tube can extend the useful life of the anti-condensation device.

In some embodiments, the anti-condensation device 200 may include a second temperature sensor (not shown). A second temperature sensor may be located inside the capture device 100 and electrically coupled to the first controller 202 . A second temperature sensor may be configured to detect the temperature of the internal environment surrounding the target surface of lens assembly 110 . For example, a second temperature sensor may be placed near the target surface.

In some embodiments, heater 201 may include a heating film with high light transmission. In some embodiments, heater 201 may include a positive temperature coefficient (PTC) heating film. A PTC heating film means a heating film whose resistance value increases as the temperature increases. In some embodiments, the first controller 202 may determine the temperature of the PTC heating film by sensing the resistance of the PTC heating film. The temperature of the PTC heating film may be determined as the temperature of the internal environment surrounding the target surface. The temperature of the heater 201 (eg, PTC heating film) means the temperature that the heater 201 has. For example, if the heater 201 is operating at the heating temperature, the temperature of the heater 201 may equal the heating temperature. When the heater 201 is turned off, the temperature of the heater 201 may be lower than the heating temperature over time.

In some embodiments, the PTC heating film provides a larger heat exchange area to improve the heat transfer efficiency between the PTC heating film and the internal environment, thereby improving the heating effect of the internal environment. can be done.

In some embodiments, first controller 202 may include detection unit 213 . The detection unit 213 may be electrically coupled with the PTC heating film and configured to detect the resistance value of the PTC heating film. In some embodiments, the sensing unit 213 may be configured to determine the temperature of the PTC heating film based on the resistance of the PTC heating film. For example, the detection unit 213 may store a table showing the correspondence between the temperature and resistance of the PTC heating film. The detection unit 213 may determine the temperature of the PTC heating film by looking up a table to find the temperature corresponding to the detected resistance value of the PTC heating film. As another example, the detection unit 213 may determine the temperature of the PTC heating film based on an algorithm, function, or model showing the correspondence between the temperature and resistance of the PTC heating film.

It should be noted that the above description of anti-condensation device 200 is provided for illustrative purposes only and is not intended to limit the scope of the present disclosure. Numerous modifications and variations may be made by those skilled in the art based on the teachings of the invention. However, these modifications and variations do not depart from the scope of this disclosure.

FIG. 2B is a schematic diagram illustrating an exemplary anti-condensation device 200' according to some embodiments of the present disclosure. As shown in FIG. 2B, the lens assembly 110 selectively transmits at least one lens (not shown) and light passing through the at least one lens in a particular wavelength range (eg, color) and the remaining and a filter 207' configured to absorb light. Capture device 100 may include an interior space 203 configured to house image sensor 130 . In some embodiments, capture device 100 may include housing 205 that encloses image sensor 130 . Filter 207 ′ and housing 205 may form an enclosed interior space 203 . Light passing through filter 207 ′ may be detected by image sensor 130 .

In some embodiments, at least one lens may be removably or non-removably connected to housing 205 . Accordingly, at least one lens may be removably or non-removably connected to filter 207'. The internal environment between filter 207 ′ and at least one lens may be in fluid communication with the external environment of capture device 100 .

In some embodiments, filter 207' may include a first surface 208' and a second surface 209' positioned opposite each other. The second surface 209' may be closer to the image sensor 130 than the first surface 208'. A second surface 209 ′ may contact the interior space 203 . The first surface 208' may contact the internal environment between the at least one lens and the filter 207'.

In some embodiments, image sensor 130 may be cooled to reduce noise on image sensor 130 . After the image sensor 130 cools down, the air surrounding the filter 207' can drop, for example, to several tens of degrees below zero because the filter 207' is close to the image sensor 130. Because the environment surrounding the first surface 208' of the filter 207' is in fluid communication with the external environment, if the external environment is humid, water vapor can form condensation on the first surface 208', which can cause the capture device to 100 imaging can be affected.

In some embodiments, anti-condensation device 200' is configured to heat the internal environment surrounding first surface 208' of filter 207' to prevent condensation on first surface 208' of filter 207'. A heater 201' may also be included. In some embodiments, heater 201 ′ may be positioned between lens assembly 110 and image sensor 130 . In some embodiments, heater 201 ′ may be positioned within interior space 203 . In some embodiments, heater 201' may be operably connected to second surface 209' to prevent condensation on first surface 208'. In some embodiments, heater 201' may be attached to second surface 209', as shown in FIG. 2B. For example, heater 201' may be attached to at least one edge of second surface 209'.

It should be noted that the above description of anti-condensation device 200 is provided for illustrative purposes only and is not intended to limit the scope of the present disclosure. Numerous modifications and variations may be made by those skilled in the art based on the teachings of the invention. However, these modifications and variations do not depart from the scope of this disclosure.

Another aspect of the present disclosure provides a cooling assembly configured to cool an image sensor (eg, image sensor 130) of a capture device (eg, capture device 100).

FIG. 3 is a schematic diagram illustrating an exemplary cooling assembly 300 according to some embodiments of the disclosure. As shown in FIG. 3, cooling assembly 300 may include cooler 304 , heat transfer member 302 , and insulation member 301 . In some embodiments, cooling assembly 300 may be located on a side of image sensor 130 away from lens assembly 110 . In some embodiments, cooling assembly 300 may be positioned outside interior space 203 . For example, as shown in FIG. 3, the cooling assembly 300 may be located outside the housing 205 of the capture device 100 and within the environment external to the capture device 100 .

In some embodiments, cooler 304 may be configured to cool image sensor 130 . Cooler 304 may include a heat absorbing surface facing image sensor 130 and a heat generating surface away from image sensor 130 . In some embodiments, heat transfer member 302 may be configured to transfer heat between image sensor 130 and cooler 304 . By way of example only, the heat transfer member 302 may transfer heat from the image sensor 130 to the cooler 304 when the cooler 304 operates to provide refrigeration. The heat absorbing surface of the cooler 304 facing the image sensor 130 absorbs the heat transferred by the heat transfer member 302, and the heat generating surface of the cooler 304 away from the image sensor 130 releases the absorbed heat, thereby The image sensor 130 can be cooled.

In some embodiments, the enclosed space may be formed by cooler 304 and insulating member 301 . In some embodiments, the enclosed space may also be formed by housing 205 or image sensor 130 . The heat transfer member 302 may be positioned between the image sensor 130 and the cooler 304 within the enclosed space. In some embodiments, the enclosed space can improve cooling efficiency of the cooling assembly 300 by avoiding airflow and heat transfer between the cooling assembly 300 and the environment outside the capture device 100 . In some embodiments, the enclosed space can avoid fluid communication between the internal environment of the capture device 100 and the cooling assembly 300, so that if the anti-condensation device 200 is also used with the capture device 100. , the cooling assembly 300 and the heater 201 are separated from each other, thereby avoiding thermal and cold convection in turn. This can not only improve the cooling effect of the image sensor 130 and the heating effect of the internal environment, but also save the energy consumption of the heater 201 and the cooling assembly 300 .

In some embodiments, cooling assembly 300 may include a third temperature sensor 303 . In some embodiments, the third temperature sensor 303 may be embedded within the heat transfer member 302 and configured to detect the temperature of the image sensor 130 .

In some embodiments, cooler 304 and third temperature sensor 303 may be electrically coupled to a second controller (not shown). In some embodiments, the second controller continuously operates the cooler 304 to cool the image sensor 130 to a cooling temperature (eg, a temperature at which the image sensor 130 operates with less noise). can be controlled to In some embodiments, the second controller may control the cooler 304 to operate intermittently to cool the image sensor 130 to a cooling temperature. For example, in response to determining that the third temperature sensor 303 detects a temperature above the cooling temperature, the second controller turns on the cooler 304 to cool the image sensor 130 to the cooling temperature. Alternatively, the second controller may turn off the cooler 304 in response to determining that the third temperature sensor 303 detects a temperature below the cooling temperature.

In some embodiments, the second controller may be integrated with the first controller 202 or processor 140 . In some embodiments, the second controller may be located on the driver board of cooler 304 . In some embodiments, the second controller may communicate with the processing unit 140 and/or the first controller 202 and may operate independently of the processing unit 140 and the first controller 202. .

In some embodiments, cooler 304 may be a Peltier effect cooler that can efficiently cool image sensor 130 . In some embodiments, the heat insulation member 301 can be plastic products with good heat insulation performance to avoid heat transfer from the heat transfer member 302 to the external environment and ensure the cooling efficiency of the cooling assembly. good.

In some embodiments, the first temperature sensor 210, the second temperature sensor, the third temperature sensor 303, and/or the humidity sensor 211 accurately detect temperature or humidity and It may be a high precision digital sensor capable of accurately controlling the temperature of 300.

It should be noted that the above description of cooling assembly 300 is provided for illustrative purposes only and is not intended to limit the scope of the present disclosure. Numerous modifications and variations may be made by those skilled in the art based on the teachings of the invention. However, these modifications and variations do not depart from the scope of this disclosure.

FIG. 4 is a schematic diagram illustrating an exemplary cooling assembly 400 according to some embodiments of the present disclosure. As shown in FIG. 4 , based on the cooling assembly 300 shown in FIG. 3 , the cooling assembly 400 may further include a cooling member 401 and a fan 402 . In some embodiments, the cooling member 401 is in thermal contact with the heat generating surface of the cooler 304 and may be configured to absorb heat released from the heat generating surface of the cooler 304 . Fan 402 may be configured to improve heat absorption of cooling member 401 .

In some embodiments, cooling member 401 may comprise a metal radiator, such as a silver radiator, a copper radiator, an aluminum radiator. In some embodiments, cooling member 401 may include an alloy radiator, such as an aluminum alloy radiator. In some embodiments, cooling member 401 may include a combination of a metal radiator and an alloy radiator formed, for example, by embedding a copper plate into the base of an aluminum alloy radiator. In some embodiments, fan 402 may be electrically coupled with a second controller.

It should be noted that the above description of anti-condensation device 400 is provided for illustrative purposes only and is not intended to limit the scope of the present disclosure. Numerous modifications and variations may be made by those skilled in the art based on the teachings of the invention. However, these modifications and variations do not depart from the scope of this disclosure.

FIG. 5 is a schematic diagram illustrating exemplary hardware and/or software components of a computing device 500 upon which the first controller 202 may be implemented, according to some embodiments of the present disclosure. As shown in FIG. 5, computing device 500 may include processor 501 , storage 503 , input/output (I/O) 505 , and communication port 507 .

Processor 501 may execute computer instructions (program code) and perform the functions of a processing unit in accordance with the techniques described herein. Computer instructions may include routines, programs, objects, components, signals, data structures, procedures, modules, and functions that perform the functions described herein. For example, the first controller 202 may be implemented in the processor 501 and the processor 501 may control the heater 201 to regulate the temperature of the heater 201 . In some embodiments, processor 501 is a microcontroller, microprocessor, reduced instruction set computer (RISC), application specific integrated circuit (ASIC), application specific instruction set processor (ASIP), central processing unit (CPU) , Image Processing Unit (GPU), Physical Processing Unit (PPU), Microcontroller Unit, Digital Signal Processor (DSP), Field Programmable Gate Array (FPGA), Advanced RISC Machine (ARM), Programmable Logic Device (PLD), 1 It may include any circuit or processor, etc., capable of performing the above functions, or any combination thereof.

Only one processor is shown in computing device 500 for illustrative purposes only. However, because computing device 500 in this disclosure may include multiple processors, operations and/or method steps performed by one processor as described in this disclosure may be performed by multiple processors, jointly or separately. Note that the For example, in the present disclosure, if a processor of computing device 500 performs both steps A and B, then steps A and B are performed together or separately by two different processors within computing device 500. (e.g., a first processor performs step A and a second processor performs step B, or a first and second processor perform steps A and B together). be understood.

Storage 503 may store data/information obtained from any other component of computing device 500 (eg, processor 501). In some embodiments, storage 503 may include mass storage, removable storage, volatile read/write memory, read-only memory (ROM), etc., or any combination thereof. For example, mass storage devices may include magnetic disks, optical disks, solid state drives, and the like. Removable storage devices may include flash drives, floppy disks, optical disks, memory cards, zip disks, magnetic tapes, and the like. Volatile read/write memory may include random access memory (RAM). The RAM may include dynamic RAM (DRAM), double data rate synchronous dynamic RAM (DDR SDRAM), static RAM (SRAM), thyristor RAM (T-RAM), zero capacitor RAM (Z-RAM), and the like. ROM includes mask ROM (MROM), programmable ROM (PROM), erasable programmable ROM (EPROM), electrically erasable programmable ROM (EEPROM), compact disk ROM (CD-ROM), digital versatile disk ROM, and the like. It's okay. In some embodiments, storage 503 may store one or more programs and/or instructions for performing example methods described in this disclosure. For example, storage 503 may store a program for controlling heater 201 to adjust the temperature of heater 201 .

I/O 505 may input or output signals, data, or information. In some embodiments, I/O 505 may allow user interaction with a processing device. For example, captured images may be displayed via I/O 505 . In some embodiments, I/O 505 may include input and output devices. Exemplary input devices may include keyboards, mice, touch screens, microphones, etc., or combinations thereof. Exemplary output devices may include displays, loudspeakers, printers, projectors, etc., or combinations thereof. Exemplary display devices may include liquid crystal displays (LCDs), light emitting diode (LED) based displays, flat panel displays, curved screens, televisions, cathode ray tubes (CRTs), etc., or combinations thereof.

Communication port 507 may be connected to a network to facilitate data communication. Communication port 507 may establish a connection between computing device 500 and a device such as heater 201, first temperature sensor 210, humidity sensor 211, or a second temperature sensor. Connections may be wired connections, wireless connections, or a combination of both that allow data to be sent and received. Wired connections may include electrical cables, optical cables, telephone lines, etc., or any combination thereof. Wireless connectivity may include Bluetooth®, Wi-Fi, WiMax, WLAN, ZigBee, mobile networks (eg, 3G, 4G, 5G, etc.), etc., or combinations thereof. In some embodiments, communication port 507 may be a standardized communication port such as RS232 and RS485.

FIG. 6 is a block diagram illustrating an exemplary first controller 202 according to some embodiments of the disclosure. First controller 202 may include acquisition module 602 , determination module 604 , and control module 606 .

The determination module 604 may determine whether the image sensor 130 of the capture device 100 is operational.

In response to determining that image sensor 130 is operational, control module 606 performs an anti-condensation operation to cool capture device 100 to prevent condensation associated with lens assembly 110 of capture device 100 . A heater 201 positioned between the lens assembly 110 and the image sensor 130 may be controlled.

Acquisition module 602 may acquire the temperature of the environment external to capture device 100 . The temperature of the external environment may be detected by the first temperature sensor 210 .

Acquisition module 602 may acquire the humidity of the external environment. The humidity of the external environment may be detected by humidity sensor 211 . In some embodiments, the temperature and humidity of the external environment may be detected by a third party device that communicates with acquisition module 602 over a network.

The determination module 604 may determine the dew point temperature of the external environment based on the temperature and humidity of the external environment.

Control module 606 may control heater 201 based on the dew point temperature such that the temperature of the internal environment is higher than the dew point temperature.

Acquisition module 602 may acquire the temperature of the internal environment of capture device 100 . In some embodiments, the temperature of the internal environment may be detected by a second temperature sensor, and the temperature of the heater 201 (eg, PTC heating film) may be determined as the temperature of the internal environment.

A determination module 604 may determine whether the temperature of the internal environment is higher than the dew point temperature of the external environment. In response to determining that the temperature of the internal environment is higher than the dew point temperature of the external environment, control module 606 may turn off heater 201 . In response to determining that the temperature of the internal environment is not above the dew point temperature (e.g., below the dew point temperature), control module 606 turns on heater 201 to increase the heating temperature of heater 201 to The dew condensation prevention temperature may be adjusted to be higher than the dew point temperature.

The modules within the first controller 202 may be connected to each other and may communicate via wired or wireless connections. Wired connections may include metallic cables, optical cables, hybrid cables, etc., or any combination thereof. A wireless connection may include a local area network (LAN), a wide area network (WAN), Bluetooth, ZigBee, Near Field Communication (NFC), etc., or any combination thereof. Two or more modules may be combined as a single module, or any one of the modules may be split into two or more units.

It should be noted that the above description is provided for illustrative purposes only and is not intended to limit the scope of the present disclosure. Numerous modifications and variations may be made by those skilled in the art based on the teachings of the invention. However, these modifications and variations do not depart from the scope of this disclosure. For example, first controller 202 may further include a storage module (not shown in FIG. 6). A storage module may be configured to store data generated in any process executed by any component of the first controller 202 . As another example, each of the components of first controller 202 may include a storage device. Additionally or alternatively, components of the first controller 202 may share a common storage device.

FIG. 7 is a flowchart illustrating an exemplary process for preventing condensation according to some embodiments of the disclosure. In some embodiments, process 700 may be implemented in first controller 202 shown in FIG. 2A. For example, process 700 may be stored in the form of instructions in storage 503 and/or storage device 150 and implemented by first controller 202 (eg, processor 501 shown in FIG. 5 and/or one or more modules shown in FIG. 6). ) may be invoked and/or executed by The operations of the illustrated process 700 presented below are exemplary. In some embodiments, process 700 may be accomplished with one or more additional acts not described and/or without one or more acts discussed. Further, the order of operations of process 700 illustrated in FIG. 7 and described below is not intended to be limiting.

In some embodiments, process 700 is a process for preventing condensation on a capture device (capture device 100) using the condensation prevention device shown in this disclosure (eg, condensation prevention device 200 of FIG. 2A). can be shown.

At 702, the first controller 202 (eg, the determination module 604) may determine whether the image sensor 130 of the capture device 100 is operational.

At 704 , in response to determining that image sensor 130 is operational, first controller 202 (eg, control module 606 ) performs an anti-condensation operation to provide lens assembly 110 of capture device 100 with A heater 201 positioned between the lens assembly 110 and the image sensor 130 of the capture device 100 may be controlled to prevent associated condensation. In some embodiments, in response to determining that the image sensor 130 is not operational, the first controller 202 (eg, control module 606) controls the image sensor 130 until it determines that the image sensor 130 is operational. , the execution of the anti-condensation operation may be stopped and, for example, the heater 201 may be turned off. In some embodiments, anti-condensation operation may include controlling the heater 201 to maintain the temperature of the internal environment above the dew point temperature of the external environment. More discussion of anti-condensation operation may be found elsewhere in this disclosure (eg, FIGS. 8 and 9 and their descriptions).

It should be noted that the above description of process 700 is provided for illustrative purposes only and is not intended to limit the scope of the present disclosure. Numerous modifications and variations may be made by those skilled in the art based on the teachings of the present disclosure. However, these modifications and variations do not depart from the scope of this disclosure. In some embodiments, process 700 may be accomplished with one or more additional acts not described and/or without one or more of the acts previously discussed.

FIG. 8 is a flowchart illustrating an exemplary process for preventing condensation according to some embodiments of the disclosure. In some embodiments, process 800 may be implemented in first controller 202 shown in FIG. 2A. For example, process 800 may be stored in the form of instructions in storage 503 and/or storage device 150 and implemented by first controller 202 (eg, processor 501 shown in FIG. 5 and/or one or more modules shown in FIG. 6). ) may be invoked and/or executed by The operations of the illustrated process 800 presented below are exemplary. In some embodiments, process 800 may be accomplished with one or more additional acts not described and/or without one or more acts discussed. Further, the order of operations of process 800 illustrated in FIG. 8 and described below is not intended to be limiting. In some embodiments, one or more operations of process 800 may be performed to accomplish at least a portion of operation 704 of process 700 shown in FIG.

At 802 , the first controller 202 (eg, acquisition module 602 ) may acquire the temperature of the environment external to the capture device 100 . In some embodiments, the temperature of the external environment may be detected by a first temperature sensor 210, as shown in FIG. 2A.

At 804, the first controller 202 (eg, acquisition module 602) may acquire the humidity of the external environment. In some embodiments, the humidity of the external environment may be detected by a humidity sensor 211, as shown in FIG. 2A. In some embodiments, the temperature and humidity of the external environment may be detected by a third party device communicating with the first controller 202 over a network, as shown in FIG. 2A.

At 806, the first controller 202 (eg, determination module 604) may determine the dew point temperature of the external environment based on the temperature and humidity of the external environment.

In some embodiments, the “humidity-temperature-dew point temperature” mapping relationship table may be stored in a storage (eg, storage 503). The mapping relationship table means a table showing correspondence relationships among humidity, temperature, and dew point temperature. In some embodiments, the first controller 202 may determine the dew point temperature of the external environment by looking up a mapping relationship table to find the dew point temperature corresponding to the temperature and humidity of the external environment. .

It should be noted that the above discussion of determining dew point temperature is provided for illustrative purposes only and is not intended to limit the scope of the present disclosure. Other suitable methods may be used to determine the dew point temperature. For example, the first controller 202 may determine the dew point temperature of the external environment based on an algorithm, function, or model showing the correspondence between humidity, temperature, and dew point temperature. As another example, the first controller 202 may obtain the dew point temperature directly from a third party device, eg, the Japan Meteorological Agency's platform or a satellite platform. In this case, operations 802 and 804 may be omitted.

At 808, the first controller 202 (eg, control module 606) may control the heater 201 based on the dew point temperature such that the temperature of the internal environment is above the dew point temperature.

In some embodiments, the first controller 202 may control the heater 201 to adjust the heating temperature of the heater 201 to an anti-condensation temperature above the dew point temperature. In some embodiments, to prevent condensation on capture device 100 and reduce power consumption of heater 201 and/or cooling assembly, the difference between the dew point temperature and the anti-condensation temperature is the dew point temperature, heater 201 and/or based on the power consumption of the cooling assembly, the hermeticity and/or thermal conductivity of the capture device 100 (eg, interior space 203 and/or second interior space 204), etc., or any combination thereof. may For example, when the dew point temperature is 29°C, the heating temperature of the heater 201 is slightly higher than 29°C (eg, 0.5°C, 1°C, 2°C, 3°C, 4°C, and 5°C above 29°C). °C) may be adjusted.

In some embodiments, the difference between the dew point temperature and the anti-condensation temperature may be manually set by a user (eg, a technician). In some embodiments, the difference between the dew point temperature and the anti-condensation temperature may be set based on the default settings of the anti-condensation device. In some embodiments, the difference between the dew point temperature and the anti-condensation temperature may be determined online by the first controller 202 .

In some embodiments, first controller 202 may operate heater 201 continuously to maintain the temperature of the internal environment above the dew point temperature. In some embodiments, the first controller 202 determines the temperature of the heater by comparing the temperature of the internal environment of the capture device 100 (eg, the internal environment surrounding the target surface) to the dew point temperature of the external environment of the capture device 100 . Intermittent operation of 201 (eg, turning heater 201 off or on at anti-condensing temperatures) may maintain the temperature of the internal environment above the dew point temperature. More discussion of intermittently operating the heater 201 may be found elsewhere in this disclosure (eg, FIG. 9 and discussion thereof). In some embodiments, the first controller 202 may adjust the heating temperature of the heater 201 based on the real-time dew point temperature of the external environment.

It should be noted that the above description of process 900 is provided for illustrative purposes only and is not intended to limit the scope of the present disclosure. Numerous modifications and variations may be made by those skilled in the art based on the teachings of the present disclosure. However, these modifications and variations do not depart from the scope of this disclosure.

FIG. 9 is a flowchart illustrating an exemplary process for preventing condensation according to some embodiments of the disclosure. In some embodiments, process 900 may be implemented in first controller 202 shown in FIG. 2A. For example, process 900 may be stored in the form of instructions in storage 503 and/or storage device 150 and implemented by first controller 202 (eg, processor 501 shown in FIG. 5 and/or one or more modules shown in FIG. 6). ) may be invoked and/or executed by The operations of the illustrated process 900 presented below are exemplary. In some embodiments, process 900 may be accomplished with one or more additional acts not described and/or without one or more acts discussed. Further, the order of operations of process 900 illustrated in FIG. 9 and described below is not intended to be limiting. In some embodiments, one or more operations of process 900 may be performed to implement at least a portion of operation 808 as described with respect to FIG.

At 902 , the first controller 202 (eg, acquisition module 602 ) may acquire the temperature of the internal environment of the capture device 100 . In some embodiments, as shown in FIG. 2A, the temperature of the internal environment may be detected by a second temperature sensor, and the temperature of the heater 201 (eg, PTC heating film) is may be determined as

At 904, the first controller 202 (eg, determination module 604) may determine whether the temperature of the internal environment is higher than the dew point temperature of the external environment. In response to determining that the temperature of the internal environment is higher than the dew point temperature of the external environment, the process 900 may cause the first controller 202 (eg, control module 606) to turn off the heater 201, operation 906. You may proceed to In response to determining that the temperature of the internal environment is not above the dew point temperature (eg, below the dew point temperature), process 900 causes first controller 202 (eg, control module 606) to cause heater 201 to is turned on to adjust the heating temperature of the heater 201 to an anti-condensation temperature that is higher than the dew point temperature.

It should be noted that the above description of process 1000 is provided for illustrative purposes only and is not intended to limit the scope of the present disclosure. Numerous modifications and variations may be made by those skilled in the art based on the teachings of the present disclosure. However, these modifications and variations do not depart from the scope of this disclosure.

According to some embodiments of the present disclosure, an image capture system is provided. In some embodiments, the image capture system may include a capture device 100 and an anti-condensation device 200 or 200' configured to prevent condensation on the capture device 100. In some embodiments, the image capture system may further include cooling assembly 300 or cooling assembly 400 for cooling image sensor 130 .

A computer hardware platform may be used as the hardware platform for one or more of the elements described herein to implement the various modules, units, and their functionality described in this disclosure. . A computer with user interface elements may be used to implement a personal computer (PC) or any other type of workstation or terminal. The computer, when properly programmed, may function as a server.

Having thus described the basic concepts, one of ordinary skill in the art, after reading this detailed disclosure, will recognize that the foregoing detailed disclosure is intended to be presented by way of example only, and not by way of limitation. Clearly not. Various alterations, modifications, and variations will occur and are intended to those skilled in the art, although not expressly described herein. These alterations, modifications and variations are intended to be suggested by this disclosure and are within the spirit and scope of the exemplary embodiments of this disclosure.

Also, certain terminology is used to describe the embodiments of the present disclosure. For example, the terms "one embodiment," "one embodiment," and/or "some embodiments" may be used to indicate that a particular feature, structure, or characteristic described in connection with an embodiment may be part of this disclosure. Meant to be included in at least one embodiment. Thus, references to "one embodiment" or "an embodiment" or "alternative embodiment" in various parts of this specification are not necessarily all referring to the same embodiment. should be emphasized and understood. Moreover, the specific features, structures and characteristics may be combined in any suitable combination in one or more embodiments of the present disclosure.

Also, as will be appreciated by those of ordinary skill in the art, aspects of the present disclosure may include any new and useful process, machine, manufacturing process, or composition of matter, or any new and useful improvement thereof. It may be shown and described herein in any of its patentable types or contexts. Accordingly, aspects of the present disclosure may be implemented entirely by hardware or software (including firmware, resident software, microcode, etc.), or by a combination of software and hardware, all of which , may be generally referred to herein as a "unit," "module," or "system." Furthermore, aspects of the present disclosure may take the form of a computer program product embodied in one or more computer-readable media having computer-readable program code embodied therein.

A computer readable signal medium may include a propagated data signal with computer readable program code embodied therein, for example, in baseband or as part of a carrier wave. Such propagating signals can take any of a variety of forms including electromagnetic, optical, etc., or any suitable combination thereof. A computer-readable signal medium is not a computer-readable storage medium, but any capable of communicating, propagating, or transmitting a program for use by or in connection with an instruction execution system, apparatus, or device. It may be a computer readable medium. Program code embodied in a computer readable signal medium may be transmitted using any suitable medium including wireless, wireline, fiber optic cable, RF, etc. or any suitable combination thereof.

Computer program code for performing operations in aspects of the present disclosure may be in Java, Scala, SmallTalk, Eiffel, JADE, Emerald, C++, C#, VB. NET, Python, the "C" programming language, traditional procedural programming languages such as Visual Basic, Fortran 2003, Perl, COBOL 2002, PHP, ABAP, and dynamic programming languages such as Python, Ruby, Groovy. , or any combination of one or more programming languages, including other programming languages. The program code may be wholly executed on the user computer, part of it may be executed on the user computer as a stand-alone software package, part of it may be executed on the user computer It may be run on a computer, partly on a remote computer, or it may run entirely on a remote computer or server. In the latter case, the remote computer may be connected to the user computer via any type of network, including a local area network (LAN) or wide area network (WAN), and this connection may be provided by (e.g., Internet service provider or in a cloud computing environment, or provided as a service, such as software as a service (SaaS).

Further, the described order of processing elements or sequences, or the use of numbers, letters, or other designations, does not imply that the claimed processes and methods are in any order, except as specified in the claims. It is not intended to be limiting. While the above disclosure has been discussed through various specific examples that are presently considered to be various useful embodiments of the present disclosure, such details are for the purpose of illustration only and the claims that follow. It should be understood that the scope of is not limited to the disclosed embodiments, but rather is intended to encompass variations and equivalent arrangements within the spirit and scope of the disclosed embodiments. For example, the implementation of each component described above may be embodied in a hardware device, but may also be implemented as a software-only solution, eg, as an installation on an existing server or mobile device.

Similarly, in the foregoing description of embodiments of the present disclosure, various features are referred to as a single embodiment, drawing, or single embodiment to simplify the comprehensible disclosure of one or more of the various embodiments. It should be understood that it may be summarized in that description. This method of disclosure, however, is not to be interpreted as reflecting an intention that the claimed subject matter requires more features than are expressly recited in each claim. Rather, claimed subject matter may include less than all features of a single foregoing disclosed embodiment.

100 capture device 110 lens assembly 120 exposure time controller 130 image sensor 140 processing device 150 storage device 200 anti-condensation device 201 heater 202 first controller 203 interior space 204 second interior space 205 housing 207 optics 208 first surface 209 second surface 210 first temperature sensor 211 humidity sensor 213 detection unit 200' anti-condensation device 207' filter 208' first surface 209' second surface 300 cooling assembly 301 insulation member 302 heat transfer member 303 third 304 cooler 400 cooling assembly 401 cooling member 402 fan 500 computing device 503 storage 505 I/O
507 communication port 602 acquisition module 604 decision module 606 control module 700 process

Claims (30)

a heater positioned between the capture device lens assembly and the image sensor to prevent condensation associated with the capture device lens assembly;
a controller electrically coupled to the heater and configured to control the heater to adjust a heating temperature of the heater. 2. The system of claim 1, wherein the heater is located on the side of the lens assembly facing the image sensor. 3. The system of claim 1 or claim 2, wherein the controller is configured to control the heater based on the temperature of the environment outside the capture device and the humidity of the environment outside the capture device. a first temperature sensor electrically coupled to the controller and configured to detect the temperature of the environment external to the capture device;
4. The system of claim 3, further comprising a humidity sensor electrically coupled with the controller and configured to detect the humidity of the environment external to the capture device. 5. The system of Claim 3 or Claim 4, wherein the controller is configured to control the heater further based on the temperature of the internal environment of the capture device. 6. The system of claim 5, further comprising a second temperature sensor disposed within said capture device, electrically coupled to said controller, and configured to detect an internal temperature of said capture device. 6. The system of claim 5, wherein the heater comprises a positive temperature coefficient (PTC) heating film. The controller includes a detection unit electrically coupled with the PTC heating film and configured to detect a resistance value of the PTC heating film and determine a temperature of the PTC heating film based on the resistance value. 8. The system of claim 7. 9. The system of claim 8, wherein the temperature of the PTC heating film is determined as the temperature of the internal environment of the capture device. further comprising a cooling assembly positioned on a side of the image sensor away from the lens assembly, the cooling assembly comprising:
a cooler configured to cool the image sensor;
a heat transfer member configured to transfer heat between the image sensor and the cooler;
a heat insulating member, wherein a closed space is formed by the cooler and the heat insulating member, and the heat transfer member is disposed within the closed space and between the image sensor and the cooler. A system according to any one of claims 1-9. 11. The system of claim 10, wherein the cooler includes a heat absorbing surface facing the image sensor and a heat generating surface facing away from the image sensor. The cooling assembly is
12. The system of claim 11, comprising a cooling member in thermal contact with a heat generating surface of the cooler and configured to absorb heat emitted from the heat generating surface of the cooler. 13. The system of Claim 12, wherein the cooling assembly includes a fan configured to improve heat absorption of the cooling member. The system of any one of claims 10-13, further comprising a third temperature sensor embedded within the heat transfer member and configured to detect the temperature of the image sensor. The lens assembly includes a filter configured to selectively transmit light in a particular wavelength range, the filter including first and second surfaces positioned opposite each other, and a second surface faces the image sensor;
15. Any one of claims 1 to 14, wherein the heater is operatively connected to at least part of the second surface of the filter to prevent condensation on the first surface of the filter. System as described. 16. The system of Claim 15, wherein the heater is in contact with the second surface of the filter. 17. The system of claim 15 or 16, wherein the heater is connected to at least one edge of the second surface. 1. A machine-implemented method comprising one or more processors and one or more storage devices, comprising:
determining whether an image sensor of the capture device is operational;
Heating disposed between the capture device lens assembly and the image sensor to prevent condensation associated with the capture device lens assembly in response to determining that the image sensor is operational. A method comprising: controlling a device. Controlling the heater includes:
obtaining the temperature of the environment external to the capture device;
obtaining the humidity of the environment outside the capture device;
determining a dew point temperature based on the temperature and humidity of the environment external to the capture device;
19. The method of claim 18, comprising controlling the heater based on the dew point temperature such that the temperature of the internal environment of the capture device is higher than the dew point temperature. Controlling the heater based on the dew point temperature includes:
obtaining the temperature of the internal environment of the capture device;
determining whether the temperature of the internal environment of the capture device is higher than the dew point temperature;
20. The method of claim 19, comprising turning on the heater in response to determining that the temperature of the internal environment of the capture device is not above the dew point temperature. Controlling the temperature of the heater based on the dew point temperature includes:
21. The method of Claim 20, further comprising turning off the heater in response to determining that the temperature of the internal environment of the capture device is above the dew point temperature. at least one storage device containing an instruction set;
at least one processor configured to communicate with the at least one storage device,
When executing the set of instructions, the at least one processor:
determining whether an image sensor of the capture device is operational;
Heating disposed between the capture device lens assembly and the image sensor to prevent condensation associated with the capture device lens assembly in response to determining that the image sensor is operational. controlling a device, and directing said system to perform an action comprising: Controlling the heater includes:
obtaining the temperature of the environment external to the capture device;
obtaining the humidity of the environment outside the capture device;
determining a dew point temperature based on the temperature and humidity of the environment external to the capture device;
23. The system of claim 22, comprising controlling the heater based on the dew point temperature such that the temperature of the internal environment of the capture device is higher than the dew point temperature. Controlling the heater based on the dew point temperature includes:
obtaining the temperature of the internal environment of the capture device;
determining whether the temperature of the internal environment of the capture device is higher than the dew point temperature;
24. The system of claim 23, comprising turning on the heater in response to determining that the temperature of the internal environment of the capture device is not above the dew point temperature. Controlling the temperature of the heater based on the dew point temperature includes:
25. The system of Claim 24, further comprising turning off the heater in response to determining that the temperature of the internal environment of the capture device is above the dew point temperature. a determination module configured to determine whether an image sensor of the capture device is operational;
Heating disposed between the capture device lens assembly and the image sensor to prevent condensation associated with the capture device lens assembly in response to determining that the image sensor is operational. a control module configured to control a device. Controlling the heater includes:
obtaining the temperature of the environment external to the capture device;
obtaining the humidity of the environment outside the capture device;
determining a dew point temperature based on the temperature and humidity of the environment external to the capture device;
27. The system of claim 26, comprising controlling the heater based on the dew point temperature such that the internal environment of the capture device is at a temperature above the dew point temperature. Controlling the heater based on the dew point temperature includes:
obtaining the temperature of the internal environment of the capture device;
determining whether the temperature of the internal environment of the capture device is higher than the dew point temperature;
28. The system of claim 27, comprising turning on the heater in response to determining that the temperature of the internal environment of the capture device is not above the dew point temperature. Controlling the temperature of the heater based on the dew point temperature includes:
29. The system of Claim 28, further comprising turning off the heater in response to determining that the temperature of the internal environment of the capture device is above the dew point temperature. comprising at least one set of instructions, said at least one set of instructions, when executed by one or more processors of a computing device, causing said computing device to perform a method, said method comprising:
determining whether an image sensor of the capture device is operational;
Heating disposed between the capture device lens assembly and the image sensor to prevent condensation associated with the capture device lens assembly in response to determining that the image sensor is operational. and controlling a device.

Images