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US 9,204,041 B1Granted
Rolling shutter synchronization
AssigneeGoPro, Inc.
InventorScott Patrick Campbell
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
A camera system configuration generates 2D or 3D images capable of being stitched together to create panoramic images. The configuration detects a communication coupling of at least two cameras for capturing a sequence of images. The cameras themselves are configured such that their rolling shutters mitigate field of view artifacts from adjacent cameras (2D panoramas) and adjacent 3D camera pairs (3D panoramas) by allowing for the substantially temporally-aligned capture of light in overlap regions between adjacent cameras.
Claims21
A multi-camera system for mitigating field of view (FOV) artifacts in 360-degree imaging, the multi-camera system comprising:
- a plurality of cameras, each camera having a rolling shutter for enabling the capture of panoramic image data from a field of view of the camera;
- a first camera pair comprising a first camera positioned opposite a second camera, the first camera and the second camera oriented to face outwards in substantially opposite directions;
- a second camera pair comprising a third camera positioned opposite a fourth camera, the third camera and the fourth camera oriented to face outwards in substantially opposite directions, wherein the first camera pair and the second camera pair are oriented to face outwards in substantially perpendicular directions where at least a portion of the field of view of the third camera overlaps a portion of the field of view of the first camera to form an overlap region;
- a first rolling shutter and a second rolling shutter of the first camera pair configured to roll in substantially opposite directions;
- and
- a third rolling shutter and a fourth rolling shutter of the second camera pair configured to roll in substantially opposite directions;
- wherein the first camera is configured to configure the first camera, the second camera, the third camera, and the fourth camera to capture image data at temporally proximate times, and to configure the rolling directions of the first rolling shutter, the second rolling shutter, the third rolling shutter, and the fourth rolling shutter such that:
- the rolling direction of the second rolling shutter is substantially opposite the rolling direction of the first rolling shutter, the rolling direction of the third rolling shutter is substantially opposite the rolling direction of the second rolling shutter, and the rolling direction of the fourth rolling shutter is substantially opposite the rolling direction of the third rolling shutter.
5 more elements
A camera system for mitigating field of view artifacts, the camera system comprising:
- a first camera in a first orientation corresponding to a first field of view;
- a second camera in a second orientation corresponding to a second field of view adjacent to the first field of view, wherein the second field of view and first field of view have an overlap region to facilitate stitching of panoramic image data;
- a first rolling shutter of the first camera for enabling the capture of first panoramic image data from the first field of view, the first rolling shutter configured to roll towards or away from the overlap region;
- and
- a second rolling shutter of the second camera for enabling the capture of second panoramic image data from the second field of view, the second rolling shutter configured to roll towards or away from the overlap region, wherein the second rolling shutter and first rolling shutter both roll towards or away from the overlap region;
- wherein the first camera is configured to capture the first panoramic image data by configuring the first rolling shutter to roll in a first direction, to configure the second camera to capture the second panoramic image data at a time temporally proximate to the capture of the first panoramic image data by the first camera, and to configure the second rolling shutter to roll in a second direction opposite the first direction.
3 more elements
A camera system for mitigating field of view artifacts, the camera system comprising:
- a first rolling shutter of a first camera having a first roll direction, the first rolling shutter for exposing a first image sensor to a first field of view;
- and
- a second rolling shutter of a second camera having a second roll direction, the second rolling shutter for exposing a second image sensor to a second field of view, the second and first field of view having an overlap region;
- wherein the first camera is configured to configure the second rolling shutter such that the second roll direction is substantially opposite the first roll direction, and to configure the second camera to capture a second image at a time temporally proximate to the capture of a first image by the first image such that the first rolling shutter and the second rolling shutter expose the first image sensor and the second image sensor, respectively, to light at temporally proximate times.
1 more element
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.