Device with an adaptive camera array

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-2016248985-A1
Application number	US-201615050038-A
Country	US
Kind code	A1
Filing date	Feb 22, 2016
Priority date	Feb 24, 2015
Publication date	Aug 25, 2016
Grant date	—

Abstract

The invention relates to a method comprising obtaining a desired field of view (FOV) for an image arranged to be captured, determining a required field of view (r_fov) of the FOV for each active camera sensor of a camera array having a field of view (fov), comparing the r_fov and the fov, and determining a bend angle between adjacent camera sensors to achieve the FOV by camera sensors of the camera sensor array, if the r_fov is less than or equal to the fov. The invention further relates to an apparatus, a system and a computer program product that perform the method.

First claim

1 . A method, comprising:
obtaining a desired field of view for an image arranged to be captured, determining a required field of view of the desired field of view for each active camera sensor of a camera sensor array comprising at least two active camera sensors having a field of view, wherein the required field of view is determined by dividing the desired field of view by a number of active camera sensors comparing the required field of view and the field of view of the at least two active camera sensors; and determining a bend angle between adjacent camera sensors from among the at least two active camera sensors to achieve the desired field of view by the at least two active camera sensors of the camera sensor array, if the required field of view less than or equal to the field of view of the at least two active camera sensors.

2 . The method according to claim 1 , further comprising:
bending the camera sensor array automatically to obtain the determined bend angle between the adjacent camera sensors to achieve the desired field of view by the at least two active camera sensors.

3 . The method according to claim 1 , further comprising:
activating at least one additional camera sensor, if required field of view is greater than field of view of the at least two active camera sensors; and performing the determining and the comparing based on the number of active camera sensors.

4 . The method according to claim 1 , wherein the desired field of view is obtained as a user input.

5 . The method according to claim 1 , wherein the camera sensor array is flexible.

6 . The method according to claim 1 , wherein the image is one of a still image and video image data.

7 . An apparatus comprising a flexible camera sensor array comprising at least two active camera sensors having a field of view, at least one processor, memory including computer program code, the memory and the computer program code configured to, with the at least one processor, cause the apparatus to perform at least the following:
obtain a desired field of view for an image arranged to be captured by said at least two active camera sensors, determine a required field of view of the desired field of view for each active camera sensor, wherein the required field of view is determined by dividing the desired field of view by a number of active camera sensors; compare the required field of view and a field of view of the at least two active camera sensors; and determine a bend angle between adjacent camera sensors from among the at least two active camera sensors to achieve the desired field of view by the at least two active camera sensors of the camera sensor array, if the required field of view<=the field of view of the at least two active camera sensors.

8 . The apparatus according to claim 7 , wherein the apparatus is further caused to:
bend the camera sensor array automatically to obtain the determined bend angle between the adjacent camera sensors to achieve the desired field of view by the at least two active camera sensors.

9 . The apparatus according to claim 7 , wherein the apparatus is further caused to:
activate at least one camera sensors, if required field of view>field of view of the at least two active camera sensors; and perform the determining and the comparing based on the number of active camera sensors.

10 . The apparatus according to claim 9 , wherein the at least one additional camera sensor is activated automatically by turning the at least one camera sensor on in the camera sensor array.

11 . The apparatus according to claim 7 , wherein the desired field of view is obtained as a user input.

12 . The apparatus according to claim 7 , wherein the desired field of view is a wide angle view.

13 . The apparatus according to claim 7 , wherein the camera sensor array is flexible.

14 . The apparatus according to claim 7 , wherein the apparatus is a mobile device.

15 . A computer program product embodied on a non-transitory computer readable medium, comprising computer program code configured to, when executed on at least one processor, cause an apparatus to:
obtain a desired field of view for an image arranged to be captured by at least two active camera sensors; determine a required field of view of the desired field of view for each active camera sensor of the at least two active camera sensors, wherein the required field of view is determined by dividing the desired field of view by a number of active camera sensors from among the at least two active camera sensors; compare the required field of view and a field of view of the at least two active camera sensors; and determine a bend angle between adjacent camera sensors from among the at least two active camera sensors to achieve the desired field of view by the at least two camera sensors of the camera sensor array, if the required field of view<=the field of view of the at least two active camera sensors.

16 . The computer program product according to claim 15 , wherein the apparatus is further caused to:
bend the camera sensor array automatically to obtain the determined bend angle between the adjacent camera sensors to achieve the desired field of view by the at least two active camera sensors.

17 . The computer program product according to claim 15 , wherein the apparatus is further caused to:
activate at least one additional camera sensor, if required field of view>field of view of the at least two active camera sensors; and perform the determining and the comparing based on the number of active camera sensors.

18 . The computer program product according to claim 17 , wherein the at least one additional camera sensor is activated automatically by turning the at least additional one camera sensor on in the camera sensor array.

19 . A method comprising:
capturing an image of an object by each active camera of a camera array simultaneously; estimating a depth and a size of the object; selecting a set of cameras of the camera array to be active for imaging; computing a minimum depth for the set of cameras; activating at least one additional camera, if the depth of the object is greater than minimum depth for the set of cameras.

20 . An apparatus comprising a camera array comprising at least two active cameras having a field of view, at least one processor, memory including computer program code, the memory and the computer program code configured to, with the at least one processor, cause the apparatus to perform at least the following:
capture an image of an object by each active camera of the camera array simultaneously; estimate a depth and a size of the object; select a set of cameras from the camera array to be active for imaging; compute a minimum depth for active cameras; and activate at least one additional camera, if depth of the object is greater than minimum depth for the set of cameras.

Assignees

• Nokia Technologies Oy

Inventors

• Mate Sujeet Shyamsundar
• Leppanen Jussi
• Fu Junsheng
• Babahajiani Pouria

Classifications

• H04N23/698

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

• H04N23/60

  Control of cameras or camera modules · 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

• H04N23/90 Primary

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

• H04N23/58 Primary

  Means for changing the camera field of view without moving the camera body, e.g. nutating or panning of optics or image sensors · CPC title