Light Field Data Acquisition Devices, and Methods of Using and Manufacturing Same

A light field imaging device for acquiring light field image data of a subject in a scene, wherein the subject is in a focal plane, the device comprising:

• optics, wherein the optics includes an optical path, an optical depth of field and an autofocus mechanism, wherein the autofocus selects between a plurality of focuses including a first focus which is related to a focal plane of the subject;
• a light field sensor, located (i) in the optical path of the optics to acquire light field image data and (ii) at a predetermined location, relative to the optics, during acquisition of the light field data, wherein the predetermined location is at a substantially fixed separation relative to the focal plane corresponding to the subject, and wherein the focal plane of the subject is outside of the optical depth of field of the optics with respect to the light field sensor;
• and
• processing circuitry to generate an output image data which is representative of an image including the subject in the scene, the processing circuitry to:
• determine a virtual focus depth of the light field image data, wherein the virtual focus depth is different from the optical focus depth of the light field image data, and
• automatically generate data which is representative of the image of the scene using the light field image data and data which is representative of the virtual focus depth, wherein the image includes a focus which corresponds to the virtual focus depth.

A light field imaging device for acquiring light field image data of a subject in a scene, wherein the subject is in a focal plane, the device comprising:

• optics, wherein the optics includes an optical path, an optical depth of field and an autofocus mechanism, wherein the autofocus selects between a plurality of focuses including a first focus which is related to a focal plane of the subject;
• a light field sensor, located (i) in the optical path of the optics to acquire light field image data and (ii) at a predetermined separation, relative to the optics, during acquisition of the light field data, wherein the focal plane of the subject is outside of the optical depth of field of the optics with respect to the light field sensor;
• control circuitry to adjust the separation between the light field sensor and the optics between a plurality of discrete, fixed-focus separations, wherein each discrete separation provides a refocusing range of the light field image data;
• and
• processing circuitry to generate an output image data which is representative of an image including the subject in the scene, the processing circuitry to:
• determine a virtual focus depth of the light field image data, wherein the virtual focus depth is different from the optical focus depth of the light field image data, and
• automatically generate data which is representative of the image of the scene using the light field image data and data which is representative of the virtual focus depth, wherein the image includes a focus which corresponds to the virtual focus depth.

A light field imaging device for acquiring light field image data of a scene, wherein the light field image device includes a maximum output image resolution, the device comprising:

• optics, wherein the optics includes an optical path and a focal point;
• a light field sensor, located (i) in the optical path of the optics to acquire light field image data and (ii) at a substantially fixed location relative to the focal point of the optics, wherein the substantially fixed location:
• (a) is substantially independent of the scene and (b) creates an optical depth of field of the optics with respect to the light field sensor that extends to a depth that is closer than optical infinity;
• and
• processing circuitry to generate and output image data which is representative of an output image of the scene, the processing circuitry to:
• determine a virtual focus depth of the light field image data, wherein the virtual focus depth is different from the optical focus depth of the light field image data, and
• automatically generate data which is representative of the output image of the scene using the light field image data and data which is representative of the virtual focus depth, wherein the output image includes a focus which corresponds to the virtual focus depth;
• and
• wherein the light field sensor, which is located at the substantially fixed location relative to the focal point of the optics, acquires light field image data which corresponds to an output image of the scene which includes a virtual focus of optical infinity and a resolution in lines per picture height (LPH) that is at least 0.5 times the maximum output image resolution of the light field imaging device.