# US 2019/0174040 A1 · Systems and Methods for Transmitting and Receiving Array Camera Image Data

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- Number: US 2019/0174040 A1
- Document ID: US20190174040A1
- Status: Published application
- Kind: A1
- Application number: 16/271,709
- Filed: 2019-02-08
- Published: 2019-06-06
- Earliest claimed: 2011-05-11
- Assignees: FotoNation Limited
- Applicants: FotoNation Limited
- Inventors: Andrew Kenneth John McMahon
- Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US20190174040A1

## CPC

- H04N 21/235: Processing of additional data, e.g. scrambling of additional data or processing content descriptors
- H04N 23/45: for generating image signals from two or more image sensors being of different type or operating in different modes, e.g. with a CMOS sensor for moving images in combination with a charge-coupled device [CCD] for still images
- H04N 21/4223: Cameras (H04N23/00 takes precedence)
- H04N 21/435: Processing of additional data, e.g. decrypting of additional data, reconstructing software from modules extracted from the transport stream
- H04N 23/54: Mounting of pick-up tubes, electronic image sensors, deviation or focusing coils
- H04N 23/66: Remote control of cameras or camera parts, e.g. by remote control devices
- H04N 23/95: Computational photography systems, e.g. light-field imaging systems
- H04N 23/957: Light-field or plenoptic cameras or camera modules
- H04N: PICTORIAL COMMUNICATION, e.g. TELEVISION

## Abstract

Systems and methods for transmitting and receiving image data captured by an imager array including a plurality of focal planes are described. One embodiment of the invention includes capturing image data using a plurality of active focal planes in a camera module, where an image is formed on each active focal plane by a separate lens stack, generating lines of image data by interleaving the image data captured by the plurality of active focal planes, and transmitting the lines of image data and the additional data.

## Claims

### Claim 1

A method of transmitting image data, comprising:
capturing image data using a plurality of active focal planes in a camera module, where an image is formed on each active focal plane by a separate lens stack;
generating lines of image data by interleaving the image data captured by the plurality of active focal planes; and
transmitting the lines of image data and the additional data.

### Claim 2 (depends on 1)

The method of claim 1, further comprising generating additional data providing information for deinterleaving a plurality of images from the captured image data and transmitting the additional data with the lines of image data.

### Claim 3 (depends on 2)

The method of claim 2, wherein the additional data describes the imager array.

### Claim 4 (depends on 3)

The method of claim 3, wherein the additional data includes data selected from the group consisting of additional data describing:
the number of focal planes in the imager array;
the dimensions of the array of focal planes in the imager array;
the number of pixels in each dimension of the active focal planes;
the integration time of the pixels in each of the active focal planes; and
the gain of the pixels in each of the active focal planes.

### Claim 5 (depends on 4)

The method of claim 4, wherein the additional data describing the gain of pixels includes additional data describing the analog gain of the pixels in each of the active focal planes and additional data describing the digital gain of the pixels in each of the active focal planes.

### Claim 6 (depends on 2)

The method of claim 2, wherein generating the lines of image data further comprises combining captured image data from the plurality of active focal planes using a predetermined process.

### Claim 7 (depends on 6)

The method of claim 6, wherein:
the predetermined process is selected from a plurality of predetermined processes for combining captured image data; and
the additional data includes additional data indicating the predetermined process used to combine the captured image data.

### Claim 8 (depends on 7)

The method of claim 7, wherein:
each active focal plane comprises an array of pixels including a plurality of rows of pixels that also form a plurality of columns of pixels; and
the predetermined process for combining captured image data comprises interleaving image data from a row selected from each of the active focal planes.

### Claim 9 (depends on 7)

The method of claim 7, wherein the predetermined process for combining captured image data comprises using a modulo process, where the modulo process involves combining the image data captured by each of the pixels in the selected rows of the active focal planes by interleaving predetermined numbers of pixels from each of the selected rows.

### Claim 10 (depends on 2)

The method of claim 2, wherein the additional data describes at least one of the lines of image data.

### Claim 11 (depends on 10)

The method of claim 10, wherein the additional data includes data selected from the group consisting of additional data describing:
the time at which each active focal plane started capturing the image data; and
the row numbers of the rows in each of the active focal planes used to capture the image data used to generate the line of image data.

### Claim 12 (depends on 2)

The method of claim 2, further comprising:
packetizing the lines of image data and the additional data describing the captured image data to produce at least one packet of data; and
wherein transmitting the lines of image data and the additional data further comprises transmitting the at least one packet of data.

### Claim 13 (depends on 12)

The method of claim 12, wherein:
the packet of data comprises a packet header containing at least a portion of the additional data and a plurality of lines of image data; and
the additional data contained in the packet header describes the imager array.

### Claim 14 (depends on 12)

The method of claim 12, wherein the packet of data further comprises a packet footer indicating the end of the transmission of the plurality of lines of image data.

### Claim 15 (depends on 12)

The method of claim 12, wherein:
the packet of data comprises a plurality of lines of image data and a line header associated with each of the plurality of lines of image data; and
each line header includes additional data describing the line of image data with which the line header is associated.

### Claim 16 (depends on 15)

The method of claim 15, wherein the line head further comprises additional data describing the imager array.

### Claim 17 (depends on 16)

The method of claim 16, further comprising:
pausing transmission during frame blanking intervals;
transmitting the plurality of lines of image data and the additional data describing the captured image data between frame intervals; and
pausing during the transmission of the plurality of lines of image data and the additional data describing the captured image data during line blanking intervals.

### Claim 18 (depends on 2)

The method of claim 2, further comprising continuously transmitting the lines of image data and the additional data until all of the data is transmitted.

### Claim 19 (depends on 1)

The method of claim 1, wherein each lens stack in the camera module has a different field of view.

### Claim 20

A method of receiving image data captured by a camera module, where the camera module captures image data using pixels in a plurality of focal planes, the method comprising:
receiving image data from a camera module including a plurality of focal planes using interface circuitry, where the image data comprises lines of image data generated by interleaving pixels from a plurality of images captured using the plurality of focal planes; and
identifying the pixels in the image data that are part of at least one of the plurality of images using the interface circuitry.