Methods and apparatus for capturing images using multiple camera modules in an efficient manner

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-2016309095-A1
Application number	US-201514693351-A
Country	US
Kind code	A1
Filing date	Apr 22, 2015
Priority date	Apr 17, 2015
Publication date	Oct 20, 2016
Grant date	—

Abstract

Methods and apparatus for capturing images using a camera device including multiple camera modules, e .g., multiple optical chains, in an efficient manner are described. Different camera devices in the camera device may capture images corresponding to different size fields of view of a scene area. User input is used to identify an object of interest. A first type camera module having a large field of view is used to track the identified object of interest. Sets of second type camera modules having a smaller field of view are used to capture images of the object of interest. Different sets of second type camera modules may be used at different times as a function of object of interest location. In some embodiments, at least some second type camera modules include the capability to adjust, e.g., move, image capture area, e.g., by changing a mirror angle inclination and/or a mirror rotation.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1 . A method of operating a camera device comprising:
receiving user input indicating an object of interest; identifying, based on the received user input, a first set of one or more of a plurality of second type camera modules which should be used to capture an image of the object of interest; and operating the identified one or more of the second type camera modules to capture at least one image of the object of interest.

2 . The method of claim 1 , further comprising:
receiving user input indicating a size of an area surrounding the object of interest to be captured; and wherein identifying, based on the received user input, a first set of one or more of a plurality of second type camera modules which should be used to capture an image of the object of interest is further based on the size of the area surrounding the object of interest to be captured.

3 . The method of claim 1 ,
wherein the identified object is at a first position; and wherein identifying, based on the received user input, a first set of one or more of a plurality of second type camera modules which should be used to capture an image of the object of interest includes: identifying a first second type camera module having a field of view which includes said first position or which can be adjusted to include said first position.

4 . The method of claim 3 , wherein said first second type camera module is a camera module with a moveable mirror, the method further comprising:
adjusting the moveable mirror of the first second type camera module to adjust the field of view of said first second type camera module to include said first position.

5 . The method of claim 1 , further comprising:
operating a first type camera module having a first field of view which is larger than a field of view of said second type camera modules to capture images of a scene area; detecting, based on images captured by the first type camera module a move of the object from the first position to a new position; and based on the new position, identifying a second set of one or more of the plurality of second type camera modules to be used to capture an image of the object of interest.

6 . The method of claim 5 , wherein identifying a second set of one or more of the plurality of second type camera modules includes identifying which of the plurality of second type camera modules have a field of view including the new position of the object of interest and including at least one second type camera module having a field of view including the new position in said second set.

7 . The method of claim 4 , further comprising:
tracking the position of the object of interest; and controlling a position of the mirror of said first second type camera module to move based on tracked changed in the position of the object of interest to keep the object of interest in the field of view of said first second type camera module for a period of time.

8 . The method of claim 7 , wherein controlling the position of the mirror includes changing an angle of inclination of said mirror.

9 . The method of claim 7 , wherein controlling the position of the mirror includes a changing an angle of inclination of said mirror and a rotation of said mirror to point the mirror in a different direction than the direction used to capture an image of the object of interest while the object of interest was at said first position.

10 . A camera device comprising:
a plurality of camera modules; a module configured to receive user input indicating an object of interest; a module configured to identify, based on the received user input, a first set of one or more of a plurality of second type camera modules which should be used to capture an image of the object of interest; and a module configured to control the identified one or more of the second type camera modules to capture at least one image of the object of interest.

11 . The camera device of claim 10 , further comprising:
a module configured receiving user input indicating a size of an area surrounding the object of interest to be captured; and wherein said module configured to identify a first set of one or more of a plurality of second type camera modules which should be used to capture an image of the object of interest is further configured to base the identification on the size of the area surrounding the object of interest to be captured.

12 . The camera device of claim 10 ,
wherein the identified object is at a first position; and said module configured to identify, based on the received user input, a first set of one or more of a plurality of second type camera modules which should be used to capture an image of the object of interest includes: a module configured to identify a first second type camera module having a field of view which includes said first position or which can be adjusted to include said first position.

13 . The camera device of claim 12 , wherein said first second type camera module is a camera module with a moveable mirror, the camera device further comprising:
a module configured to adjust the moveable mirror of the first second type camera module to adjust the field of view of said first second type camera module to include said first position.

14 . The camera device of claim 12 , further comprising:
a module configured to control a first type camera module, having a first field of view which is larger than a field of view of said second type camera modules, to capture images of a scene area; a module configured to detect, based on images captured by the first type camera module a move of the object from the first position to a new position; and a module configured to identify, based on the new position, a second set of one or more of the plurality of second type camera modules to be used to capture an image of the object of interest.

15 . The camera device of claim 14 , wherein said module configured to identify a second set of one or more of the plurality of second type camera modules includes:
a module configured to identify which of the plurality of second type camera modules have a field of view including the new position of the object of interest; and a module configured to include at least one second type camera module having a field of view including the new position in said second set.

16 . The camera device of claim 13 , further comprising:
a module configured to track the position of the object of interest; and a module configured control a position of the mirror of said first second type camera module to move based on tracked changed in the position of the object of interest to keep the object of interest in the field of view of said first second type camera module for a period of time.

17 . The camera device of claim 16 , wherein said module configured to control the position of the mirror includes:
a module configured to changing an angle of inclination of said mirror.

18 . The camera device of claim 16 , wherein said module configured to control the position of the mirror includes:
a module configured to change an angle of inclination of said mirror and a rotation of said mirror to point the mirror in a different direction than the direction used to capture an image of the object of interest while the object of interest was at said first position.

19 . A non-transitory machine readable medium including processor executable instructions which when executed by a processor of a camera device, control the camera device to perform the

Assignees

• Lightco Inc

Inventors

• Laroia Rajiv
• Shroff Sapna A

Classifications

• H04N23/58

  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

• G06T7/292 Primary

  Multi-camera tracking · CPC title

• H04N23/55

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

• H04N23/695

  Control of camera direction for changing a field of view, e.g. pan, tilt or based on tracking of objects · CPC title

• H04N23/698

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