Imaging apparatus and method for controlling imaging apparatus

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-10922787-B2
Application number	US-201916272751-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Feb 11, 2019
Priority date	Feb 15, 2018
Publication date	Feb 16, 2021
Grant date	Feb 16, 2021

Abstract

An imaging apparatus that starts connecting processing at a synthesizing position in an early stage is provided. The imaging apparatus includes: a first imaging element that images a first imaging range, a second imaging element that images a second imaging range of which one part overlaps with the first imaging range, and a synthesizing unit that synthesizes an image corresponding to an imaging range wider than the first imaging range or the second imaging range, based on pixel data groups output by the first imaging element and the second imaging element, wherein the first imaging element and the second imaging element output pixel data corresponding to a position at which the first imaging range and the second imaging range overlap each other, to a synthesizing unit prior to other pixel data.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. An imaging apparatus comprising:
a first imaging element configured to image a first imaging range;
a second imaging element configured to image a second imaging range; and
a synthesizing unit configured to synthesizes an image corresponding to a third imaging range wider than the first imaging range or the second imaging range based on pixel data groups output by the first imaging element and the second imaging element, wherein
the first imaging element and the second imaging element output pixel data corresponding to a position at which the first imaging range and the second imaging range overlap with each other, to the synthesizing unit prior to other pixel data,
the first imaging element has pixels in a matrix form and reads out pixels on a line-by-line basis in the first direction, and
the second imaging element has pixels in a matrix form, and reads out pixels on the line-by-line basis in a second direction which is opposite to the first direction.

2. The imaging apparatus according to claim 1 , wherein the synthesizing unit is further configured to adjust a synthesizing position, based on the pixel data corresponding the position at which the first imaging range and the second imaging range overlap each other, the synthesizing unit acquiring the pixel data from the first imaging element and the second imaging element at the position.

3. The imaging apparatus according to claim 1 , further comprising a third imaging element that images a third imaging range of which one part overlaps with the second imaging range, wherein
the second imaging element outputs pixel data corresponding to a position at which the second imaging range and the third imaging range overlap each other, to the synthesizing unit posterior to other pixel data, and
the synthesizing unit synthesizes an image corresponding to an imaging range wider than the first imaging range, the second imaging range or the third imaging range, based on pixel data groups output by the first imaging element, the second imaging element and the third imaging element.

4. The imaging apparatus according to claim 3 , further comprising a fourth imaging element that images a fourth imaging range of which one part overlaps with the third imaging range, wherein
the third imaging element outputs pixel data corresponding to a position at which the third imaging range and the fourth imaging range overlap each other, to the synthesizing unit prior to other pixel data, and outputs pixel data corresponding to a position at which the second imaging range and the third imaging range overlap each other, to the synthesizing unit posterior to other pixel data;
the fourth imaging element outputs pixel data corresponding to a position at which the third imaging range and the fourth imaging range overlap each other, to the synthesizing unit prior to other pixel data; and
the synthesizing unit synthesizes an image corresponding to an imaging range wider than the first imaging range, the second imaging range, the third imaging range or the fourth imaging range, based on pixel data groups output by the first imaging element, the second imaging element, the third imaging element and the fourth imaging element.

5. The imaging apparatus according to claim 1 , further comprising:
a third imaging element that images a third imaging range of which one part overlaps with the first imaging range, and
a fourth imaging element that images a fourth imaging range of which one part overlaps with the third imaging range and of which one part overlaps with the second imaging range, wherein
the third imaging element outputs pixel data corresponding to a position at which the third imaging range and the fourth imaging range overlap each other, to the synthesizing unit prior to other pixel data;
the fourth imaging element outputs pixel data corresponding to a position at which the third imaging range and the fourth imaging range overlap each other, to the synthesizing unit prior to other pixel data; and
the synthesizing unit synthesizes an image corresponding to an imaging range wider than the first imaging range, the second imaging range, the third imaging range or the fourth imaging range, based on pixel data groups output by the first imaging element, the second imaging element, the third imaging element and the fourth imaging element.

6. The imaging apparatus according to claim 1 , further comprising:
a third imaging element that images a third imaging range of which one part overlaps with the first imaging range, and
a fourth imaging element that images a fourth imaging range of which one part overlaps with the second imaging range and of which one part overlaps with the third imaging range, wherein
the first imaging element outputs pixel data corresponding to a position at which the first imaging range and the third imaging range overlap each other, to the synthesizing unit posterior to other pixel data;
the second imaging element outputs pixel data corresponding to a position at which the second imaging range and the fourth imaging range overlap each other, to the synthesizing unit posterior to other pixel data;
the third imaging element outputs pixel data corresponding to a position at which the third imaging range and the fourth imaging range overlap each other, to the synthesizing unit prior to other pixel data, and outputs pixel data corresponding to a position at which the first imaging range and the third imaging range overlap each other, to the synthesizing unit posterior to other pixel data;
the fourth imaging element outputs pixel data corresponding to a position at which the third imaging range and the fourth imaging range overlap each other, to the synthesizing unit prior to other pixel data, and outputs pixel data corresponding to a position at which the second imaging range and the fourth imaging range overlap each other, to the synthesizing unit posterior to other pixel data; and
the synthesizing unit synthesizes an image corresponding to an imaging range wider than the first imaging range, the second imaging range, the third imaging range or the fourth imaging range, based on pixel data groups output by the first imaging element, the second imaging element, the third imaging element and the fourth imaging element.

7. The imaging apparatus according to claim 1 , further comprising:
a third imaging element that images a third imaging range,
a fourth imaging element that images a fourth imaging range of which one part overlaps with the third imaging range,
a fifth imaging element that images a fifth imaging range, and
a sixth imaging element that images a sixth imaging range of which one part overlaps with the fifth imaging range, wherein
the synthesizing unit synthesizes an image corresponding to an imaging range wider than the first imaging range, the second imaging range, the third imaging range, the fourth imaging range, the fifth imaging range or the sixth imaging range, based on pixel data groups output by the first imaging element, the second imaging element, the third imaging element, the fourth imaging element, the fifth imaging element and the sixth imaging element.

8. A method for controlling an imaging apparatus having a first imaging element that images a first imaging range, and a second imaging element that images a second imaging range of which one part overlaps with the first imaging range, comprising:
the first imaging element and the second imaging element outputting pixel data corresponding to a position at which the first imaging range and the second imaging range overlap each other, prior to other pixel data; and
synthesizing an image corresponding to an imaging range wider than the first imaging range or the second imaging range, based on pixel data

Assignees

• Canon Kk

Inventors

• Ise Yasuaki

Classifications

• H04N23/90

  Arrangement of cameras or camera modules, e.g. multiple cameras in TV studios or sports stadiums · CPC title

• H04N23/80

  Camera processing pipelines; Components thereof · CPC title

• G06T3/4038 Primary

  Image mosaicing, e.g. composing plane images from plane sub-images · CPC title

• H04N5/265

  Mixing · CPC title

• G06T3/4007

  based on interpolation, e.g. bilinear interpolation (image demosaicing G06T3/4015; edge-driven or edge-based scaling G06T3/403) · CPC title