Panoramic camera system

A camera system comprising:

• an enclosure;
• a first imaging sensor having a first imaging surface with a first diagonal length in a first direction between two opposing corners of the first imaging surface;
• a first lens arranged to guide a first image formation light flux toward the first imaging surface, wherein a first width of the first image formation light flux at the first imaging surface is equal to or greater than the first diagonal length of the first imaging sensor in the first direction of the first diagonal length;
• a second imaging sensor, different than the first imaging sensor, having a second imaging surface with a second diagonal length in a second direction between two opposing corners of the second imaging surface;
• a second lens arranged to guide a second image formation light flux toward the second imaging surface, wherein a second width of the second image formation light flux at the second imaging surface, is equal to or greater than the second diagonal length of the second imaging sensor in the second direction of the second diagonal length;
• a first reflector arranged to reflect light passing through the first lens;
• and
• a second reflector arranged to reflect light passing through the second lens,
• wherein:
• the first imaging sensor, the first lens, the second imaging sensor, and the second lens are each mounted at least partially within the enclosure,
• the first lens and the second lens are oriented in opposing directions,
• the first lens has a first entrance pupil for an incoming ray at 90 degrees from a first optical axis of the first lens;
• the second lens has a second entrance pupil for an incoming ray at 90 degrees from a second optical axis of the second lens;
• and
• a distance between the first entrance pupil and the second entrance pupil is less than or equal to 25 millimeters.

A camera system comprising:

• an enclosure;
• a first imaging sensor having a first imaging surface with a first diagonal length in a first direction between two opposing corners of the first imaging surface;
• a first lens arranged to guide a first image formation light flux toward the first imaging surface, wherein a first width of the first image formation light flux at the first imaging surface is equal to or greater than the first diagonal length of the first imaging sensor in the first direction of the first diagonal length;
• a second imaging sensor, different than the first imaging sensor, having a second imaging surface with a second diagonal length in a second direction between two opposing corners of the second imaging surface;
• a second lens arranged to guide a second image formation light flux toward the second imaging surface, wherein a second width of the second image formation light flux at the second imaging surface, is equal to or greater than the second diagonal length of the second imaging sensor in the second direction of the second diagonal length;
• a first reflector arranged to reflect light passing through the first lens;
• a second reflector arranged to reflect light passing through the second lens, and
• an image processor configured to:
• receive first image data for a first image frame captured by the first imaging sensor at a first time;
• receive second image data for a second image frame captured by the second imaging sensor at approximately the first time;
• and
• generate composite image data for a composite image frame having a 360 degree horizontal field of view based on the first image data for the first image frame and the second image data for the second image frame,
• wherein:
• the first imaging sensor, the first lens, the second imaging sensor, and the second lens are each mounted at least partially within the enclosure,
• the first lens and the second lens are oriented in opposing directions,
• the generation of the composite image data includes:
• obtaining a current temperature of the camera system;
• obtaining temperature-based image remapping parameters corresponding to the current temperature;
• and
• remapping the first image data for the first image frame and the second image data for the second image frame based on the obtained temperature-based image remapping parameters.

A method of obtaining a 360-degree composite image frame, the method comprising:

• receiving first image data for a first image frame captured by a first imaging sensor having a first imaging surface with a first diagonal length in a first direction between two opposing corners of the first imaging surface, wherein a first lens is arranged to guide a first image formation light flux toward the first imaging surface, wherein a first width of the first image formation light flux, at the first imaging surface is equal to or greater than the first diagonal length of the first imaging sensor in the first direction of the first diagonal length;
• receiving second image data for a second image frame captured by a second imaging sensor, different than the first imaging sensor, having a second imaging surface with a second diagonal length in a second direction between two opposing corners of the second imaging surface, wherein a second lens is arranged to guide a second image formation light flux toward the second imaging surface, wherein a second width of the second image formation light flux, at the second imaging surface is equal to or greater than the second diagonal length of the second imaging sensor in the second direction of the second diagonal length;
• and
• generating the 360-degree composite image frame based on the first image data for the first image frame and the second image data for the second image frame,
• wherein:
• the first imaging sensor, the first lens, the second imaging sensor, and the second lens are each mounted at least partially within an enclosure,
• the first lens and the second lens are oriented in opposing directions,
• the 360-degree composite image frame has a 360 degree horizontal field of view,
• the first lens includes a front lens group arranged to receive light from a scene,
• the front lens group has a first optical axis, and
• an upper extent of a first vertical field of view of the front lens group is at a greater angle from the first optical axis than a lower extent of the first vertical field of view of the front lens group.