Device for imaging partial fields of view, multi-aperture imaging device and method of providing same

A multi-aperture imaging device comprising:

• an image sensor;
• and
• an array of optical channels, each optical channel comprising an optic for projecting at least one partial field of view of a total field of view onto an image sensor area of the image sensor;
• a first optical channel of the array being configured to image a first partial field of view of the total field of view, a second optical channel of the array being configured to image a second partial field of view of the total field of view, and a third optical channel being configured to fully image the total field of view;
• wherein the device comprises a calculating unit configured to acquire image information of the first and second partial fields of view on the basis of the imaged partial fields of view, and to acquire image information of the total field of view on the basis of the imaged total field of view, and to combine the image information of the partial fields of view with the image information of the total field of view so as to generate combined image information of the total field of view;
• and the calculating unit is configured to subdivide the image information of the total field of view and the image information of the partial fields of view into image blocks and to associate, block by block, image information, which is comprised by a first image block of the total field of view, with matching image information of a second image block of the first or second partial fields of view so as to increase, by combining the first and second image blocks, a degree of scanning of the image information of the total field of view in the combined image information;
• or
• wherein the device is configured to acquire image information of the total field of view comprising a first degree of scanning from the sensor, to acquire the image information of the first or second partial field of view comprising a second degree of scanning, which is larger than the first degree of scanning, from the sensor, and to provide the combined image information of the total field of view comprising a third degree of scanning larger than the first degree of scanning;
• the multi-aperture imaging device comprising a beam-deflecting device for jointly deflecting an optical path of the first and second optical channels, while an optical path of the third optical channel is directed directly toward the total field of view.

A method of providing a device, comprising:

• providing an image sensor;
• arranging an array of optical channels, so that each optical channel comprises an optic for projecting at least one partial field of view of a total field of view onto an image sensor area of the image sensor, so that a first optical channel of the array is configured to image a first partial field of view of the total field of view, and so that a second optical channel of the array is configured to image a second partial field of view of the total field of view;
• and
• arranging a calculating unit such that same is configured to acquire image information of the first and second partial fields of view on the basis of the imaged partial fields of view and to acquire image information of the total field of view and to combine the image information of the partial fields of view with the image information of the total field of view so as to generate combined image information of the total field of view;
• and
• such that the device is configured to acquire the image information of the total field of view comprising a first degree of scanning, to acquire the image information of the first or second partial field of view comprising a second degree of scanning, which is larger than the first degree of scanning, and to provide the combined image information of the total field of view comprising a third degree of scanning larger than the first degree of scanning;
• or
• such that the calculating unit is configured to subdivide the image information of the total field of view and the image information of the partial fields of view into image blocks and to associate, block by block, image information, which is comprised by a first image block of the total field of view, with matching image information of a second image block of the first or second partial fields of view so as to increase, by combining the first and second image blocks, a degree of scanning of the image information of the total field of view in the combined image information;
• such that a first partial image and a second partial image, which represent the image information of the first and second partial fields of view, comprise, along a first image direction, a same dimension as a total image representing the image information of the total field of view, and comprise, along a second image direction, a different dimension as compared to the total image.

A method of providing a multi-aperture imaging device, comprising:

• providing an image sensor;
• and
• arranging an array of optical channels, so that each optical channel comprises an optic for projecting at least one partial field of view of a total field of view onto an image sensor area of the image sensor, and so that a first optical channel of the array is configured to image a first partial field of view of the total field of view, so that a second optical channel of the array is configured to image a second partial field of view of the total field of view, and so that a third optical channel is configured to fully image the total field of view;
• such that the device comprises a calculating unit configured to acquire image information of the first and second partial fields of view on the basis of the imaged partial fields of view, and to acquire image information of the total field of view on the basis of the imaged total field of view, and to combine the image information of the partial fields of view with the image information of the total field of view so as to generate combined image information of the total field of view;
• and the calculating unit is configured to subdivide the image information of the total field of view and the image information of the partial fields of view into image blocks and to associate, block by block, image information, which is comprised by a first image block of the total field of view, with matching image information of a second image block of the first or second partial fields of view so as to increase, by combining the first and second image blocks, a degree of scanning of the image information of the total field of view in the combined image information;
• or
• such that the device is configured to acquire image information of the total field of view comprising a first degree of scanning from the sensor, to acquire the image information of the first or second partial field of view comprising a second degree of scanning, which is larger than the first degree of scanning, from the sensor, and to provide the combined image information of the total field of view comprising a third degree of scanning larger than the first degree of scanning;
• such that the device comprises a beam-deflecting device for jointly deflecting an optical path of the first and second optical channels, while an optical path of the third optical channel is directed directly toward the total field of view.

A supplementation device comprising a device, the device comprising:

• an image sensor;
• an array of optical channels, each optical channel comprising an optic for projecting a partial field of view of a total field of view onto an image sensor area of the image sensor, a first optical channel of the array being configured to image a first partial field of view of the total field of view, and a second optical channel of the array being configured to image a second partial field of view of the total field of view;
• and
• a calculating unit configured to acquire image information of the first and second partial fields of view on the basis of the imaged partial fields of view, and to acquire image information of the total field of view, and to combine the image information of the partial fields of view with the image information of the total field of view so as to generate combined image information of the total field of view;
• wherein the device is configured to acquire the image information of the total field of view comprising a first degree of scanning, to acquire the image information of the first or second partial field of view comprising a second degree of scanning, which is larger than the first degree of scanning, and to provide the combined image information of the total field of view comprising a third degree of scanning larger than the first degree of scanning;
• or
• wherein the calculating unit is configured to subdivide the image information of the total field of view and the image information of the partial fields of view into image blocks and to associate, block by block, image information, which is comprised by a first image block of the total field of view, with matching image information of a second image block of the first or second partial fields of view so as to increase, by combining the first and second image blocks, a degree of scanning of the image information of the total field of view in the combined image information;
• wherein the supplementation device is configured to be coupled to a camera, the camera being an apparatus different from the supplementation device so as to acquire therefrom the image information of the total field of view.

A multi-aperture imaging device comprising:

• an image sensor;
• and
• an array of optical channels, each optical channel comprising an optic for projecting at least one partial field of view of a total field of view onto an image sensor area of the image sensor;
• a first optical channel of the array being configured to image a first partial field of view of the total field of view, a second optical channel of the array being configured to image a second partial field of view of the total field of view, and a third optical channel being configured to fully image the total field of view;
• wherein the device comprises a calculating unit configured to acquire image information of the first and second partial fields of view on the basis of the imaged partial fields of view, and to acquire image information of the total field of view on the basis of the imaged total field of view, and to combine the image information of the partial fields of view with the image information of the total field of view so as to generate combined image information of the total field of view;
• and the calculating unit is configured to subdivide the image information of the total field of view and the image information of the partial fields of view into image blocks and to associate, block by block, image information, which is comprised by a first image block of the total field of view, with matching image information of a second image block of the first or second partial fields of view so as to increase, by combining the first and second image blocks, a degree of scanning of the image information of the total field of view in the combined image information;
• or
• wherein the device is configured to acquire image information of the total field of view comprising a first degree of scanning from the sensor, to acquire the image information of the first or second partial field of view comprising a second degree of scanning, which is larger than the first degree of scanning, from the sensor, and to provide the combined image information of the total field of view comprising a third degree of scanning larger than the first degree of scanning;
• the multi-aperture imaging device comprising a beam-deflecting device for shared deflecting of an optical path of the optical channels, and comprising an optical image stabilizer for image stabilization along a first image axis by generating a first relative movement between the image sensor, the array and the beam-deflecting device, and for image stabilization along a second image axis by generating a second relative movement between the image sensor, the array and the beam-deflecting device.