Imaging apparatus

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-11438568-B2
Application number	US-202117341807-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Jun 8, 2021
Priority date	Sep 15, 2017
Publication date	Sep 6, 2022
Grant date	Sep 6, 2022

Abstract

Methods and apparatus provide for: capturing an image of a subject from a position; capturing a plurality of images of the subject from a plurality of further positions around the position such that the plurality of captured images of the subject are at least one of different in image quality and view angles than the image of the subject from the position; generating data to be output on a basis of the image captured from the position and the plurality of images captured from the plurality of further positions; synthesizing the image captured from the position and the plurality of images captured from the plurality of further positions; and changing a synthesis ratio according to an image synthesis position.

First claim

The invention claimed is:

1. An imaging apparatus comprising:
a first imaging section adapted to capture an image of a subject;
a plurality of second imaging sections provided at positions around the first imaging section to capture images of the subject being at least one of different in image quality and view angles than the image of the subject captured by the first imaging section; and
an image processing section adapted to generate data to be output on a basis of the image captured by the first imaging section and the images captured by the plurality of second imaging sections,
wherein the image processing section synthesizes the image captured by the first imaging section and the images captured by the plurality of second imaging sections and changes a synthesis ratio according to an image synthesis position.

2. The imaging apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the image processing section generates at least one of two pieces of data, namely, data regarding parallax and data regarding a distance to the subject, on the basis of the image captured by the first imaging section and at least two of the images captured by the plurality of second imaging sections.

3. The imaging apparatus of claim 1 , wherein images of the subject captured by the second imaging section are smaller in optical size than the image of the subject captured by the first imaging section.

4. The imaging apparatus of claim 1 , further comprising:
a plurality of first imaging sections, wherein
the plurality of first imaging sections capture images of subjects located in different directions from each other, and
at least one of the second imaging sections is provided between the plurality of first imaging sections.

5. The imaging apparatus of claim 4 , wherein lens tip portions of the plurality of first imaging sections are provided closer to the subjects than lens tip portions of the plurality of second imaging sections.

6. The imaging apparatus of claim 1 , wherein while each of the first imaging section and the plurality of second imaging sections has a separate lens, imaging elements thereof are formed on a same substrate.

7. The imaging apparatus of claim 6 , wherein the imaging element includes the image processing section.

8. The imaging apparatus of claim 1 , wherein a polarizer for allowing, of light that has passed through the lens, passage of a polarization component in a given azimuth is provided in at least one of the first imaging section and the plurality of second imaging sections.

9. The imaging apparatus of claim 1 , wherein in at least one of the first imaging section and the plurality of second imaging sections, a photoelectric conversion section is provided in each of a plurality of partial regions obtained by dividing a pixel region corresponding to one of the lens in a pixel arrangement including the photoelectric conversion section, a unit for converting light that has passed through the lens into charge.

10. The imaging apparatus of claim 1 , wherein pixels capable of detecting four or more wavelength bands are provided in at least one of the first imaging section and the plurality of second imaging sections.

11. The imaging apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the image processing section generates data regarding a distance to the subject on the basis of the image captured by the first imaging section and at least two of the plurality of images captured by the plurality of second imaging sections and corrects the data regarding a distance on a basis of data acquired in advance by machine learning.

12. The imaging apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the image processing section corrects the image captured by the second imaging section on a basis of the image captured by the first imaging section and the data acquired in advance by machine learning.

13. The imaging apparatus of claim 1 , further comprising:
a storage section adapted to store data regarding a characteristic of the image captured by the first imaging section and data regarding a characteristic of the image captured by each of the plurality of second imaging sections,
wherein the image processing section makes adjustments in such a manner as to achieve a match between the characteristic of the image captured by the first imaging section and the characteristic of the image captured by each of the plurality of second imaging sections.

14. The imaging apparatus of claim 13 , wherein the image processing section corrects the image captured by each of the plurality of second imaging sections in such a manner as to achieve a match between the characteristic of the image captured by each of the plurality of second imaging sections and the characteristic of the image captured by the first imaging section.

15. The imaging apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the image processing section performs pixel addition on the image captured by each of the plurality of second imaging sections in accordance with a signal-to-noise ratio thereof.

16. The imaging apparatus of claim 1 , further comprising:
a plurality of first imaging sections adapted to perform image capture in a same direction,
wherein the plurality of second imaging sections are provided at positions around the plurality of first imaging section.

17. The imaging apparatus of claim 16 , wherein at least the two second imaging sections are provided at positions more than an inter-pupillary distance of a user apart.

18. The imaging apparatus of claim 16 , wherein the image processing section derives a distance to the subject in a region of the image captured by the first imaging section that is not visible in the image captured by another first imaging section on a basis of the image captured by the second imaging section provided around the first imaging section.

19. An imaging processing method, comprising:
capturing an image of a subject from a position;
capturing a plurality of images of the subject from a plurality of further positions around the position such that the plurality of captured images of the subject are at least one of different in image quality and view angles than the image of the subject from the position;
generating data to be output on a basis of the image captured from the position and the plurality of images captured from the plurality of further positions;
synthesizing the image captured from the position and the plurality of images captured from the plurality of further positions; and
changing a synthesis ratio according to an image synthesis position.

20. An imaging apparatus comprising:
a first imaging section adapted to capture an image of a subject;
a plurality of second imaging sections provided at positions around the first imaging section to capture images of the subject being at least one of different in image quality and view angles than the image of the subject captured by the first imaging section; and
an image processing section adapted to generate data to be output on a basis of the image captured by the first imaging section and the images captured by the plurality of second imaging sections,
wherein at least one of:
(a) a polarizer for allowing, of light that has passed through the lens, passage of a polarization component in a given azimuth is provided in at least one of the first imaging section and the plurality of second imaging sections,
(b) in at least one of the first imaging section and the plurality of second imaging sections, a photoelectric conversion section is provided in each of a plurality of partial regions obtained by dividing a pixel region corresponding to one

Assignees

• Sony Interactive Entertainment Inc

Inventors

• Nakata Masashi

Classifications

• H04N13/218 Primary

  using spatial multiplexing · CPC title

• H04N25/704

  Pixels specially adapted for focusing, e.g. phase difference pixel sets · CPC title

• H04N23/672

  based on the phase difference signals · CPC title

• H04N25/13

  characterised by the spectral characteristics of the filter elements · CPC title

• H04N23/55

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