Methods and devices for generating a stereoscopic image

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-9148651-B2
Application number	US-201213645628-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Oct 5, 2012
Priority date	Oct 5, 2012
Publication date	Sep 29, 2015
Grant date	Sep 29, 2015

Abstract

Methods and devices for generating a stereoscopic image are described. In one aspect, the electronic device includes a first camera for generating first camera data, a second camera for generating second camera data and a third camera for generating third camera data. The cameras are positioned on a same side of the electronic device and in spaced relation to each other. The electronic device also includes a controller coupled with the first camera, the second camera and the third camera. The controller is configured to: identify an orientation of the electronic device; and generate a stereoscopic image based on the first camera data and the second camera data when the electronic device is at a first orientation, and generate the stereoscopic image based on the first camera data and the third camera data when the electronic device is at a second orientation.

First claim

The invention claimed is:

1. An electronic device comprising:
a first camera for generating first image data, a second camera for generating second image data and a third camera for generating third image data, the cameras positioned on a same side of the electronic device and in spaced relation to each other;
an orientation sensor, the orientation sensor generating orientation data based on an orientation of the electronic device; and
a controller coupled with the orientation sensor, the first camera, the second camera and the third camera, which:
identifies the orientation of the electronic device; and
generates a stereoscopic image based on the first image data and the second image data when the electronic device is at a first orientation, and generates the stereoscopic image based on the first image data and the third image data when the electronic device is at a second orientation,
wherein identifying the orientation of the electronic device includes determining whether the electronic device is closer to the first orientation or the second orientation based on the orientation data, and wherein the stereoscopic image is generated based on the first image data and the second image data when the orientation of the electronic device is closer to the first orientation and the stereoscopic image is generated based on the first image data and the third image data when the orientation of the electronic device is closer to the second orientation.

2. The electronic device of claim 1 , wherein the cameras are positioned to form a right triangle, the first camera positioned at the corner of the right triangle that forms a ninety degree angle, the second camera and the third camera positioned at the other corners of the right triangle, and wherein the first camera and the second camera are horizontally aligned when the electronic device is at the first orientation and the first camera and the third camera are horizontally aligned when the electronic device is at the second orientation.

3. The electronic device of claim 1 , wherein the cameras are positioned to form a triangle, the first camera positioned at a corner of the triangle forming an angle between thirty and sixty degrees, the second camera and the third camera positioned at the other corners of the triangle, and wherein the first camera and the second camera are horizontally aligned when the electronic device is at the first orientation and the first camera and the third camera are horizontally aligned when the electronic device is at the second orientation.

4. The electronic device of claim 1 , wherein the first orientation of the electronic device is a portrait orientation and the second orientation of the electronic device is a landscape orientation.

5. The electronic device of claim 1 , wherein the controller rotates an image captured by the first camera prior to generating the stereoscopic image when the electronic device is in the second orientation.

6. The electronic device of claim 1 , wherein the controller disables the third camera when the electronic device is at the first orientation.

7. The electronic device of claim 1 , wherein the controller disables the second camera when the electronic device is at the second orientation.

8. The electronic device of claim 1 , wherein the controller captures images simultaneously by the first camera, the second camera and the third camera prior to generating the stereoscopic image.

9. The electronic device of claim 1 , further comprising:
a fourth camera for generating fourth image data, the fourth camera positioned on the same side and in spaced relation to the first camera, the second camera and the third camera, and wherein identifying an orientation of the electronic device includes identifying a third orientation of the electronic device, and wherein the controller generates the stereoscopic image based on the first image data and the fourth image data when the electronic device is at the third orientation.

10. A method implemented by a controller of an electronic device, the electronic device having an orientation sensor coupled to the controller, a first camera for generating first image data, a second camera for generating second image data and a third camera for generating third image data, the cameras positioned on a same side of the electronic device and in spaced relation to each other, the method comprising:
generating orientation data at the orientation sensor based on an orientation of the electronic device;
identifying the orientation of the electronic device; and
generating a stereoscopic image based on the first image data and the second image data when the electronic device is at a first orientation, and generating the stereoscopic image based on the first image data and the third image data when the electronic device is at a second orientation,
wherein identifying the orientation of the electronic device includes determining whether the electronic device is closer to the first orientation or the second orientation based on the orientation data, and wherein the stereoscopic image is generated based on the first image data and the second image data when the orientation of the electronic device is closer to the first orientation and the stereoscopic image is generated based on the first image data and the third image data when the orientation of the electronic device is closer to the second orientation.

11. The method of claim 10 , wherein the first orientation of the electronic device is a portrait orientation and the second orientation of the electronic device is a landscape orientation.

12. The method of claim 10 , further comprising rotating an image captured by the first camera prior to generating the stereoscopic image when the electronic device is in the second orientation.

13. The method of claim 10 , further comprising disabling the third camera when the electronic device is at the first orientation.

14. The method of claim 10 , further comprising disabling the second camera when the electronic device is at the second orientation.

15. The method of claim 10 , further comprising capturing images simultaneously by the first camera, the second camera and the third camera prior to generating the stereoscopic image.

16. A non-transitory, tangible computer readable storage medium encoded with computer executable instructions, wherein execution of the computer executable instructions is for:
generating orientation data based on an orientation of an electronic device;
identifying the orientation of the electronic device; and
generating a stereoscopic image based on first image data from a first camera and second image data from a second camera when the electronic device is at a first orientation, and generating the stereoscopic image based on the first image data and third image data from a third camera when the electronic device is at a second orientation,
wherein identifying the orientation of the electronic device includes determining whether the electronic device is closer to the first orientation or the second orientation based on the orientation data, and wherein the stereoscopic image is generated based on the first image data and the second image data when the orientation of the electronic device is closer to the first orientation and the stereoscopic image is generated based on the first image data and the third image data when the orientation of the electronic device is closer to the second orientation.

Assignees

• Research In Motion Ltd
• Blackberry Ltd

Inventors

• Geris Ryan Alexander
• Baker William Keith
• Bhullar Amandeep Singh

Classifications

• H04N13/296

  Synchronisation thereof; Control thereof · CPC title

• H04N13/243 Primary

  using three or more two-dimensional [2D] image sensors · CPC title

• H04N13/0242 Primary

  Electricity · mapped topic

• H04N13/0296

  Electricity · mapped topic