Imaging apparatus

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-11039120-B2
Application number	US-201816482162-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Jan 31, 2018
Priority date	Jan 31, 2017
Publication date	Jun 15, 2021
Grant date	Jun 15, 2021

Abstract

An imaging apparatus includes a plurality of imaging bodies and an imaging control unit. Each of the imaging bodies includes a first optical element capable of imaging a range including a hemisphere that is centered at an optical axis and oriented in a first direction of the optical axis, and a second optical element capable of imaging a range including a hemisphere that is centered at the optical axis and oriented in a second direction opposite to the first direction. The imaging bodies are arrayed in a direction perpendicular to the optical axis. The imaging control unit causes the plurality of imaging bodies to perform imaging in a synchronous manner, and acquires a captured image from each of the imaging bodies.

First claim

The invention claimed is:

1. An imaging apparatus, comprising:
a plurality of imaging bodies, each of the imaging bodies including:
a first optical element configured to image a first range including a hemisphere that is centered at an optical axis and oriented in a first direction of the optical axis; and
a second optical element configured to image a second range including a hemisphere that is centered at the optical axis and oriented in a second direction opposite to the first direction, and
the imaging bodies being arranged in a single common housing and being arrayed in a line in a direction perpendicular to the optical axis; and

imaging control circuitry configured to cause the plurality of imaging bodies to perform imaging in a synchronous manner, and acquire a captured image from each of the imaging bodies,
wherein the imaging control circuitry is further configured to arbitrarily select, from among the imaging bodies, a plurality of imaging bodies, and generate a three-dimensional reconstruction model using only those captured images captured by the selected plurality of imaging bodies during the imaging.

2. The imaging apparatus according to claim 1 , wherein at least one of the imaging bodies is arranged such that an interval from an adjacent imaging body on one side and an interval from an adjacent imaging body on the other side are different.

3. The imaging apparatus according to claim 1 , further comprising a power supply that supplies electrical power to at least the plurality of imaging bodies, the power supply being arranged on an extended line of a line on which the plurality of imaging bodies are aligned.

4. The imaging apparatus according to claim 1 , wherein the imaging control circuitry is further configured to cause one of the imaging bodies to perform imaging in a predetermined cycle, and output each of the captured images captured in the predetermined cycle.

5. The imaging apparatus according to claim 1 , wherein each of the imaging bodies includes:
a lens on which light is incident such that a direction of the optical axis serves as a center;
a light-receiving element that receives light incident from a direction of a line on which the plurality of imaging bodies are aligned; and
an optical path converter that causes the light-receiving element to receive light emitted from the lens.

6. The imaging apparatus according to claim 1 , wherein the imaging control circuitry is further configured to cause the plurality of imaging bodies and a plurality of imaging bodies included in another imaging apparatus to perform imaging in a synchronous manner, the other imaging apparatus being arranged in the direction of the line on which the plurality of imaging bodies are arrayed.

7. The imaging apparatus according to claim 6 , further comprising a connector provided at an end of the line on which the plurality of imaging bodies are aligned, the end being opposite to an end at which an operating region is provided, the operating region including a shutter button configured to receive an operation by a user instruct the imaging control circuitry to cause the plurality of imaging bodies to perform imaging, the connector being configured to perform communication with the other imaging apparatus and to fix a positional relation with the other imaging apparatus.

8. The imaging apparatus according to claim 1 , wherein a length of an operating region is longer than a length of an imaging region including the plurality of imaging bodies, the operating region including a shutter button configured to receive an operation by a user to instruct the imaging control circuitry to cause the plurality of imaging bodies to perform imaging.

9. The imaging apparatus according to claim 1 , wherein a length of an operating region is shorter than a length of an imaging region including the plurality of imaging bodies, the operating region including a shutter button configured to receiving an operation by a user to instruct the imaging control circuitry to cause the plurality of imaging bodies to perform imaging.

10. The imaging apparatus according to claim 1 , wherein a shutter button is arranged away, by at least a predetermined distance, from an extended line of the line on which the plurality of imaging bodies are aligned, the shutter button being configured to receive an operation by a user to instruct the imaging control circuitry to cause the plurality of imaging bodies to perform imaging.

11. The imaging apparatus according to claim 1 , wherein each of the imaging bodies includes an optical lens with an angle of view of 180 degrees or more.

12. The imaging apparatus according to claim 1 , wherein the image control circuitry is further configured to generate a full-spherical image as a finder image using image data captured by a certain imaging body arranged at an endmost position, among the plurality of imaging bodies, and output the finder image.

13. An imaging apparatus, comprising:
a plurality of imaging bodies, each of the imaging bodies including
a first optical element configured to image a first range including a hemisphere that is centered at an optical axis and oriented in a first direction of the optical axis; and
a second optical element configured to image a second range including a hemisphere that is centered at the optical axis and oriented in a second direction opposite to the first direction, and
the imaging bodies being arranged in a single common housing and being arrayed in a line in a direction perpendicular to the optical axis; and

imaging control circuitry configured to cause the plurality of imaging bodies to perform imaging in a synchronous manner, and acquire a captured image from each of the imaging bodies,
wherein the plurality of imaging bodies are arrayed on the line, and
wherein an operating region is provided to both ends of the line on which the plurality of imaging bodies are aliened, the operating region including a shutter button configured to receive an operation by a user to instruct the imagine control circuitry to cause the plurality of imaging bodies to perform imaging.

14. An imaging apparatus, comprising:
a plurality of imaging bodies, each of the imaging bodies including
a first optical element configured to image a first range including a hemisphere that is centered at an optical axis and oriented in a first direction of the optical axis; and
a second optical element configured to image a second range including a hemisphere that is centered at the optical axis and oriented in a second direction opposite to the first direction, and
the imaging bodies being arranged in a single common housing and being arrayed in a line in a direction perpendicular to the optical axis; and

imaging control circuitry configured to cause the plurality of imaging bodies to perform imaging in a synchronous manner, and acquire a captured image from each of the imaging bodies,
wherein the imagine control circuitry is further configured to cause the plurality of imaging bodies included in the housing and a plurality of imaging bodies included in a second housing to perform imaging in a synchronous manner, the second housing being physically connected to the housing and arranged in the direction of the line on which the plurality of imaging bodies are arrayed, and the second housing being different from the housing including the plurality of imaging bodies.

15. The imaging apparatus according to claim 14 , further comprising circuitry configured to generate a plurality of full-spherical images at different viewpoints corresponding to locations of the at least three imaging bodies, calcu

Assignees

• Yokota Soichiro
• Takenaka Hirokazu
• Sadasue Tamon
• Ricoh Co Ltd

Inventors

• Yokota Soichiro
• Takenaka Hirokazu
• Sadasue Tamon

Classifications

• H04N23/45

  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 · CPC title

• H04N23/55

  Optical parts specially adapted for electronic image sensors; Mounting thereof · CPC title

• H04N23/698

  for achieving an enlarged field of view, e.g. panoramic image capture · CPC title

• G02B30/34

  Stereoscopes providing a stereoscopic pair of separated images corresponding to parallactically displaced views of the same object, e.g. three-dimensional [3D] slide viewers · CPC title

• G03B37/04

  with cameras or projectors providing touching or overlapping fields of view · CPC title