Systems and methods for zoom digital camera with automatic adjustable zoom field of view

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-12368960-B2
Application number	US-202318577259-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Aug 3, 2023
Priority date	Aug 5, 2022
Publication date	Jul 22, 2025
Grant date	Jul 22, 2025

Abstract

Mobile devices comprising a first camera having a first camera field-of-view (FOV 1 ) and including a first image sensor configured to operate a first segment of the first image sensor in a full resolution-mode for capturing full resolution image data and to operate a second segment of the first image sensor in a binning resolution mode for capturing binning resolution image data and a processor for analyzing image data of the first camera to select a region of interest (ROI) in a scene and for configuring the first image sensor so that the selected ROI is captured in full resolution. In some examples, a mobile device further comprises a second camera having a second FOV (FOV 2 ) and including a second image sensor configured to capture FOV 2 , wherein the analysis of image data to select a ROI is performed by analysing image data of the second camera.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A camera system, comprising:
a camera having an effective focal length EFL=3 mm-10 mm and a field-of-view FOV=60-100 deg and including an image sensor having an image sensor area, wherein the image sensor is configured to perform pixel binning to switch between a lowest pixel resolution mode and one or more higher pixel resolution modes (HRMs), wherein the image sensor is configurable to adjust a pixel binning arrangement to operate a first segment of the image sensor area in one of the one or more HRMs for capturing higher pixel resolution image data; and
a processor configurable to analyze image data of the camera, to select a region of interest (ROI) in a scene viewed by the FOV, and to configure the image sensor to selectively reduce or disable pixel binning within the selected ROI so that the selected ROI is included in the first segment of the image sensor area and is captured in the higher pixel resolution while maintaining or activating pixel binning in non-ROI areas.

2. The camera system of claim 1 , wherein the image sensor area includes a rectangular zoom area that is smaller than the image sensor area by 1.5× or more, wherein the first segment is included in the zoom area, wherein a center of the image sensor area is identical to a center of the zoom area.

3. The camera system of claim 1 , wherein the image sensor is configurable to not operate any segment of the image sensor area that is not included in the first segment.

4. The camera system of claim 1 , wherein the lowest pixel resolution mode corresponds to a full sensor pixel resolution in the range of 11 to 13 megapixel.

5. The camera system of claim 1 , wherein each of the one or more HRMs corresponds to a full sensor pixel resolution equal to or larger than 45 megapixel.

6. The camera system of claim 1 , wherein the one HRM corresponds to a full sensor pixel resolution in the range of 45 to 55 megapixel.

7. The camera system of claim 1 , wherein the one HRM corresponds to a full sensor pixel resolution in the range of 95 to 120 megapixel.

8. The camera system of claim 1 , wherein the one or more HRMs include two HRMs, and wherein the first segment is operated in a higher HRM of the two HRMs.

9. The camera system of claim 8 , wherein the higher HRM of the two HRMs corresponds to a full sensor pixel resolution in the range of 180 to 220 megapixel.

10. The camera system of claim 8 , wherein the image sensor is configurable to operate a second segment of the image sensor area in the lower HRM of the two HRMs for capturing lower HRM image data.

11. The camera system of claim 1 , wherein the one or more HRMs include two HRMs, and wherein the first segment is operated in a lower HRM of the two HRMs.

12. The camera system of claim 11 , wherein the lower HRM of the two HRMs corresponds to a full sensor pixel resolution in the range of 45 to 55 megapixel.

13. The camera system of claim 1 , wherein the one or more HRMs include three HRMs, and wherein the first segment is operated in a highest HRM of the three HRMs.

14. The camera system of claim 13 , wherein the highest HRM of the three HRMs corresponds to a full sensor pixel resolution in the range of 350 to 450 megapixel.

15. The camera system of claim 13 , wherein the image sensor is configurable to operate a second segment of the image sensor area in an intermediate of the three HRMs for capturing intermediate HRM image data or in a lower of the three HRMs for capturing lower HRM image data.

16. The camera system of claim 1 , wherein the one or more HRMs include three HRMs, and wherein the first segment is operated in an intermediate HRM of the three HRMs.

17. The camera system of claim 16 , wherein the intermediate HRM of the three HRMs corresponds to a full sensor pixel resolution in the range of 95 to 120 megapixel.

18. The camera system of claim 16 , wherein the image sensor is configurable to operate a second segment of the image sensor area in a lower of the three HRMs for capturing lower HRM image data.

19. The camera system of claim 1 , wherein the one or more HRMs include three HRMs, and wherein the first segment is operated in a lowest HRM of the three HRMs.

20. The camera system of claim 19 , wherein the lowest HRM of the three HRMs corresponds to a full sensor pixel resolution in the range of 45 to 55 megapixel.

21. The camera system of claim 1 , wherein the image sensor is configurable to operate a second segment of the image sensor area in the lowest pixel resolution mode for capturing lowest resolution image data.

22. The camera system of claim 1 , wherein the image sensor is configured to perform 4-binning.

23. The camera system of claim 1 , wherein the image sensor is configured to perform 9-binning.

24. The camera system of claim 1 , wherein the image sensor is configured to perform 16-binning.

25. The camera system of claim 1 , wherein the image sensor is configured to perform 36-binning.

26. The camera system of claim 1 , further comprising a second camera having a second FOV (FOV 2 ) and including a second image sensor configured to capture FOV 2 , wherein the configuration to select a ROI includes a configuration to analyze image data of the second camera.

27. The camera system of claim 26 , wherein FOV 2 ≥FOV.

28. The camera system of claim 26 , wherein the second camera has a second effective focal length EFL 2 =1.5 mm-7.5 mm and a second field-of-view FOV 2 =100-180 deg.

29. The camera system of claim 26 , wherein the camera system is operational to perform dual-camera maximum resolution capturing.

30. The camera system of claim 26 , wherein the camera system is configured to capture dual resolution images.

31. The camera system of claim 1 , wherein an image including the selected ROI captured in higher pixel resolution has a pixel count in the range of 2.5 to 55 megapixel.

32. The camera system of claim 1 , wherein an image including the selected ROI captured in higher pixel resolution has a pixel count in the range of 11 to 13 megapixel.

33. The camera system of claim 1 , wherein the image sensor is configurable to capture a video stream of the first segment of the image sensor area in higher pixel resolution.

34. The camera system of claim 33 , wherein the video stream is captured in 8k pixel count.

35. The camera system of claim 33 , wherein the video stream is captured in 4k pixel count.

36. The camera system of claim 33 , wherein the video stream is captured in 2k pixel count.

37. The camera system of claim 33 , wherein the video stream is captured at a frame rate in the range of 15 to 500 frames per second.

38. The camera system of claim 33 , wherein the video stream is captured at a frame rate in the range of 15 to 60 frames per second.

39. The camera system of claim 33 , wherein the camera system is configured to capture a dual resolution video stream.

40. The camera system of claim 1 , wherein the camera system is included in a smartphone.

41. The camera system of claim 1 , wherein the camera system is included in a tablet.

Assignees

• Corephotonics Ltd

Inventors

• Katz Ruthy
• Shabtay Gal
• Cohen Noy
• Adler Gal
• Teitel Adi
• Falik Adi
• Deutsch Dana
• Ofek Aviad

Classifications

• H04N23/611

  where the recognised objects include parts of the human body · CPC title

• H04N23/698

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

• H04N25/443 Primary

  by reading pixels from selected two-dimensional [2D] regions of the array, e.g. for windowing or digital zooming · CPC title

• H04N23/90

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

• H04N25/46 Primary

  by combining or binning pixels · CPC title