Back to results
US 9,851,527 B2Granted
Methods and apparatus for capturing and/or combining images
AssigneeLight Labs Inc.
InventorRajiv Laroia
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
In various embodiments light redirection device positions of one or more optical chains are moved between image capture times while the position of the camera device including the multiple optical chains remains fixed. The sequentially captured images are combined to form a larger image than is captured during a single time period. Multiple optical chains are used in parallel, each with its own image sensor and light redirection device, in some embodiments. Depth information may and in some embodiments is generated and used to combine the images in a manner intended to minimize or avoid parallax distortions in the composite image which is produced.
Claims19
A method of generating a composite image, the method comprising;
- operating a first optical chain of a camera device including a first light redirection device set at a first angle to capture a first image including a first portion of a scene area;
- operating a second optical chain of the camera device including a second light redirection device to capture a second image including a second portion of the scene area that is horizontally adjacent said first portion of the scene area;
- operating a third optical chain of the camera device including a third light redirection device to capture a third image including a third portion of the scene area, said third portion of the scene area being horizontally adjacent said second portion of the scene area;
- changing the angle of said first light redirection device from said first angle to a second angle to alter a field of view of the first optical chain in a vertical direction;
- changing an angle of the second light redirection device to alter a field of view of the second optical chain in the vertical direction;
- changing an angle of the third light redirection device to alter a field of view of the third optical chain in the vertical direction;
- operating the first, second and third optical chains to capture fourth, fifth and sixth images, respectively;
- and
- generating a composite image from said first, second, third, fourth, fifth, and sixth images.
6 more elements
A camera device comprising:
- a first optical chain including a first light redirection device, said first light redirection device being movable to different angles to change a field of view of the first optical chain in a vertical direction;
- a second optical chain including a second light redirection device, said second light redirection device being movable to different angles to change a field of view of the second optical chain in a vertical direction;
- a third optical chain including a third light redirection device, said third light redirection device being movable to different angles to change a field of view of the third optical chain in a vertical direction;
- a light redirection device control module configured to determine i) a first set of light redirection device angles to be used to control the positions of the first, second and third light redirection devices during a first image capture time period and ii) a second different set of light redirection device angles to be used to control the positions of the first, second and third light redirection devices during a second image capture time period, and wherein said second different set of light redirection device angles correspond to fields of view of the first, second and third optical chains which are offset in the vertical direction from fields of view of the first, second and third optical chains, respectively, when the first set of light redirection device angles is used to control the positions of the first, second and third light redirection devices;
- an image capture control module configured to:
- operate the first optical chain to capture a first image including a first portion of a scene area during the first image capture time period, operate the second optical chain to capture a second image including a second portion of the scene area that is horizontally adjacent said first portion of the scene area, operate the third optical chain during the first image capture time period to capture a third image including a third portion of the scene area, said third portion of the scene area being horizontally adjacent said second portion of the scene area;
- and
- operate the first optical chain to capture a fourth image including a fourth portion of a scene area during a second image capture time period in which the second different set of light redirection device angles is used, operate the second optical chain during said second image capture time period to capture a fifth image including a fifth portion of the scene area that is horizontally adjacent said fourth portion of the scene area, and operate the third optical chain during the second image capture time period to capture a sixth image including a sixth portion of the scene area, said sixth portion of the scene area being horizontally adjacent said fifth portion of the scene area;
- and
- a composite image generation module configured to generate a composite image from said first, second, third, fourth, fifth and sixth images.
7 more elements
A non-transitory computer readable medium comprising processor executable instructions which when executed by a processor control a camera device to perform the steps of:
- operate a first optical chain of a camera device including a first light redirection device set at a first angle to capture a first image including a first portion of a scene area;
- operate a second optical chain of the camera device including a second light redirection device to capture a second image including a second portion of the scene area that is horizontally adjacent said first portion of the scene area;
- operate a third optical chain of the camera device including a third light redirection device to capture a third image including a third portion of the scene area, said third portion of the scene area being horizontally adjacent said second portion of the scene area;
- change the angle of said first light redirection device from said first angle to a second angle to alter a field of view of the first optical chain in a vertical direction;
- change an angle of the second light redirection device to alter a field of view of the second optical chain in the vertical direction;
- change an angle of the third light redirection device to alter a field of view of the third optical chain in the vertical direction;
- operate the first, second and third optical chains to capture fourth, fifth and sixth images, respectively;
- and
- generate a composite image from said first, second, third, fourth, fifth and sixth images.
6 more elements
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.