Imaging apparatus

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-12439015-B2
Application number	US-202217875981-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Jul 28, 2022
Priority date	Sep 15, 2017
Publication date	Oct 7, 2025
Grant date	Oct 7, 2025

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 different in image quality or view angles than the image of the subject from the position; and 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, where at least one of: the capturing the image or the plurality of images includes pixels capable of detecting light in an infrared wavelength band, and the generating includes synthesizing the image from the position and the images captured from the 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 light generating section adapted to generate light in a specific wavelength band and shining the light on one or more surfaces of a subject;
a first imaging section having a first orientation and a first optical size, wherein the first imaging section is adapted to capture an image of the subject;
a plurality of second imaging sections each second imaging section having a second optical size different from the first optical size and each second imaging section provided at positions around the first imaging section to capture images of the subject being different in image quality or view angles than the image of the subject captured by the first imaging section, wherein the plurality of second imaging sections includes a left second imaging section having the first orientation and being positioned adjacent a first side of the first imaging section and a right second imaging section having the first orientation and being positioned adjacent a second side of the first imaging section, and wherein a distance between the left second imaging section and the right second imaging section is less than or equal to an inter-pupillary distance (IPD) of a user; 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 pixels capable of detecting light in the specific wavelength band are provided in the first imaging section or the plurality of second imaging sections, and the pixels detect the light that reflects from the subject; and
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.

2. The imaging apparatus of claim 1 , 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.

3. The imaging apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the image processing section generates data regarding distance to the subject.

4. The imaging apparatus of claim 1 , further comprising a mechanism included in the light generating section for shining reference light, wherein reflected light is detected by photodiodes to measure distance to the subject.

5. The imaging apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the image processing section generates at least one of two pieces of data, including 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.

6. The imaging apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the first side is laterally offset by 180 degrees from the second side.

7. 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.

8. The imaging apparatus of claim 7 , 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.

9. 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.

10. The imaging apparatus of claim 9 , wherein the imaging element includes the image processing section.

11. The imaging apparatus of claim 1 , wherein a polarizer for allowing, of light that has passed through a 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.

12. 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 a lens in a pixel arrangement including the photoelectric conversion section, a unit for converting light that has passed through the lens into charge.

13. 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.

14. 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.

15. 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.

16. 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.

17. The imaging apparatus of claim 16 , 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.

18. 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 circumferentially around the plurality of first imaging section.

19. The imaging apparatus of claim 18 , wherein at least two second imaging sections of the plurality of second imaging sections are provided at positions more than an inter-pupillary distance of a user apart.

20. The imaging apparatus of claim 18 , 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.

Assignees

• Sony Interactive Entertainment Inc

Inventors

• Nakata Masashi

Classifications

• H04N23/66

  Remote control of cameras or camera parts, e.g. by remote control devices · CPC title

• 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

• G02B5/3025

  Polarisers, i.e. arrangements capable of producing a definite output polarisation state from an unpolarised input state (G02B5/3008, G02B5/3016 take precedence) · CPC title

• H04N23/55

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

• G03B11/00

  Filters or other obturators specially adapted for photographic purposes · CPC title