Methods and apparatus for synchronized image capture in a device including optical chains with different orientations
AssigneeLight Labs Inc.
InventorRajiv Laroia
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
Camera device including multiple optical chains, e.g., camera modules, some of which have different orientations relative to the base of the camera device and methods of using such a camera device are described. The orientation of the camera modules within the camera device is taken into consideration when determining the direction in which lines of the sensors of the individual camera modules are read out. Information with regard to the read out direction to be used with particular camera modules is stored in some embodiments and used to control the readout of sensors, e.g., sensors which use a rolling shutter to capture images of a scene area. The sensors may have the same field of view or overlapping fields of view.
Claims20
A method of operating a camera device including a plurality of optical chains, the method comprising:
- controlling a first sensor of a first optical chain having a first orientation in the camera device to read out lines of a first image of a scene area captured by said first sensor in a first order, said first order being an order proceeding from a top of the first sensor to the bottom of the first sensor;
- controlling a second sensor of a second optical chain having a second orientation in the camera device to read out lines of a second image of the scene area captured by said second sensor in a second order, said second order being an order proceeding from a bottom of the second sensor to the top of the second sensor;
- and
- storing the first and second images in memory.
A camera device including a plurality of optical chains, comprising:
- a first optical chain having a first orientation in the camera device;
- a second optical chain having a second orientation in the camera device;
- a controller controlling reading out of pixel values from a first sensor of said first optical chain and a second sensor of said second optical chain, the controller being configured to:
- control said first sensor to read out lines of a first image of a scene area captured by said first sensor in a first order, said first order being an order proceeding from a top of the first sensor to the bottom of the first sensor;
- and
- control said second sensor to read out lines of a second image of the scene area captured by said second sensor in a second order, said second order being an order proceeding from a bottom of the second sensor to the top of the second sensor;
- and
- memory including the first and second images.
A non-transitory machine readable medium for use in a camera device including a plurality of optical chains, the non-transitory machine readable medium including processor executable instructions which when executed by a processor cause said processor to:
- control a first sensor of a first optical chain having a first orientation in the camera device to read out lines of a first image of a scene area captured by said first sensor in a first order, said first order being an order proceeding from a top of the first sensor to the bottom of the first sensor;
- control a second sensor of a second optical chain having a second orientation in the camera device to read out lines of a second image of the scene area captured by said second sensor in a second order, said second order being an order proceeding from a bottom of the second sensor to the top of the second sensor;
- and
- store the first and second images in memory.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.