Methods and apparatus for using multiple optical chains in parallel with multiple different exposure times

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-9270876-B2
Application number	US-201414147579-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Jan 5, 2014
Priority date	Jan 5, 2013
Publication date	Feb 23, 2016
Grant date	Feb 23, 2016

Abstract

Methods and apparatus for capturing or generating images using multiple optical chains operating in parallel are described. Pixel values captured by individual optical chains corresponding to the same scene area are combined to provide an image with at least some of the benefits which would have been provided by capturing an image of the scene using a larger lens than that of the individual lenses of the optical chain modules. By using multiple optical chains in parallel at least some benefits normally obtained from using a large lens can be obtained without the need for a large lens. Furthermore in at least some embodiments, a wide dynamic range can be supported through the use of multiple sensors with the overall supported dynamic range being potentially larger than that of the individual sensors. Some lens and/or optical chain configurations are designed for use in small handheld devices, e.g., cell phones.

First claim

What is claimed:

1. A method of producing at least one image of a first scene area, the method comprising:
operating a plurality of optical chains in parallel to capture images of the first scene area, the step of operating a plurality of optical chains including:
operating a first optical chain including a first lens mounted on a lens platter, a first light redirection device for redirecting light through another optical element of the first optical chain, said another optical element being another lens of the first optical chain or a filter of the first optical chain, said another optical element of the first optical chain being mounted on a first cylinder through which light passes prior to reaching a first sensor of the first optical chain to capture a first image of the first scene area using a first exposure time; and
operating a second optical chain including a second lens mounted on the lens platter, a second light redirection device for redirecting light through another optical element of the second optical chain, said another optical element being another lens of the second optical chain or a filter of the second optical chain, said another optical element of the second optical chain being mounted on a second cylinder through which light passes prior to reaching a second sensor of the second optical chain to capture a second image of said first scene area using a second exposure time, at least said first and second exposure times being of different durations but overlapping in time; and

processing said first and second images to generate a first combined image of said first scene area.

2. The method of claim 1 ,
wherein processing said first and second images to generate a first combined image of said first scene area includes weighting pixel values of said first and second images corresponding to the same portion of said first scene area as a function of said first and second exposure times, respectively, and summing the weighted pixel values.

3. The method of claim 1 , further comprising:
operating a third optical chain including a third lens mounted on the lens platter, a third light redirection device for redirecting light through another optical element of the third optical chain prior to reaching a third sensor of the third optical chain, to capture a third image of said first scene area using a third exposure time; and
processing said third image to generate said first combined image of said first scene area from the third image in addition to said first and second images.

4. The method of claim 3 , wherein said third exposure time is different than said first and second exposure times.

5. The method of claim 3 , further comprising:
operating one of said first, second or third optical chains to capture a fourth image of the first scene area prior to capture of said first, second and third images; and
displaying said fourth image on a display of a camera device including said first, second, third optical chains.

6. The method of claim 3 , further comprising:
operating one of said first, second and third optical chains to capture a fourth image of the first scene area after capturing one of said first, second and third images; and
displaying said fourth image on a display of a device including said first, second, and third optical chains; and
wherein the combined image is generated in the device after the display of the fourth image on the device.

7. The method of claim 6 , wherein said operating one of said first, second and third optical chains to capture said fourth image of the first scene area uses a fourth exposure time different from said first, second and third exposure times.

8. The method of claim 5 , wherein said operating one of said first, second and third optical chains to capture a fourth image of the first scene area uses a fourth exposure time different from said first, second and third exposure times.

9. The method of claim 5 , wherein at least some optical chains in said plurality of optical chains include single color filters at least two optical chains being provided for each color for which a single color filter is used.

10. The method of claim 9 , wherein at least some optical chains do not include any color filters.

11. The method of claim 5 , wherein different optical chains having single color filters corresponding to the same color have different exposure times.

12. An apparatus, comprising:
a plurality of optical chains that work in parallel to capture images of a first scene area, said plurality of optical chains including a first optical chain including a first lens mounted on a lens platter, a first light redirection device for redirecting light through another optical element of the first optical chain, said another optical element being another lens of the first optical chain or a filter of the first optical chain, said another optical element of the first optical chain being mounted on a first cylinder through which light passes prior to reaching a first sensor of the first optical chain, said first optical chain being configured to capture a first image of the first scene area using a first exposure time;
said plurality of optical chains further including a second optical chain including a second lens mounted on the lens platter, a second light redirection device for redirecting light through another optical element of the second optical chain, said another optical element being another lens of the second optical chain or a filter of the second optical chain, said another optical element of the second optical chain being mounted on a second cylinder through which light passes prior to reaching a second sensor of the second optical chain, said second optical chain being configured to capture a second image of said first scene area using a second exposure time, at least said first and second exposure times being of different durations but overlapping in time; and
an image processing module configured to process said first and second images to generate a first combined image of said first scene area.

13. The apparatus of claim 12 ,
wherein said image processing module is further configured to weight pixel values of said first and second images corresponding to the same portion of said first scene area as a function of said first and second exposure times, respectively and sum the weighted pixel values, as part of being configured to process said first and second images to generate a first combined image of said first scene area.

14. The apparatus of claim 12 ,
wherein said plurality of optical chains further comprises a third optical chain including a third lens mounted on the lens platter, a third light redirection device for redirecting light through another optical element of the third optical chain prior to reaching a third sensor of the third optical chain, said third optical chain being configured to capture a third image of said first scene area using a third exposure time; and
wherein said image processing module is further configured to process said third image to generate said first combined image of said first scene area from the third image in addition to said first and second images.

15. The apparatus of claim 14 , wherein said third exposure time is different than said first and second exposure times.

16. The apparatus of claim 14 , wherein at least one of said first, second or third optical chains is further configured to capture a fourth image of the first scene area prior to capture of said first, second and third images, the apparatus further comprising:
a display device configured to display said fourth image.

Assignees

• Lightco Inc

Inventors

• Laroia Rajiv

Classifications

• H04N23/741

  by increasing the dynamic range of the image compared to the dynamic range of the electronic image sensors · CPC title

• H04N23/73

  by influencing the exposure time · CPC title

• H04N23/75

  by influencing optical camera components · CPC title

• G02B13/16 Primary

  for use in conjunction with image converters or intensifiers {, or for use with projectors, e.g. objectives for projection TV} · 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