Dual aperture camera with improved color gamut and operating method of thereof

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-9523801-B2
Application number	US-201414530035-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Oct 31, 2014
Priority date	Jul 15, 2014
Publication date	Dec 20, 2016
Grant date	Dec 20, 2016

Abstract

Disclosed is a dual aperture camera which includes a dual band filter and a CMOS image sensor (CIS). The dual band filter is adapted to filter light signals to receive a light signal of a first wavelength range and receive a light signal of a second wavelength range through a pin hole included therein. The CIS is adapted to process the light signal of the first wavelength range and the light signal of the second wavelength range received through the dual band filter.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A dual aperture camera, comprising:
a lens;
a lens aperture, wherein light in a first wavelength range and light in a second wavelength range passes through the lens and the lens aperture;
a dual band filter that filters out a first portion of the light in the second wavelength range, wherein the dual band filter comprises a pin hole through which a second portion of the light in the second wavelength range passes through the dual band filter;
a CMOS image sensor (CIS) that processes the light in the first wavelength range and the second portion of the light in the second wavelength range that passes through the pin hole in the dual band filter; and
an image signal processor that extracts three-dimensional depth information of an object based on the light in the first wavelength range processed by the CIS and the second portion of the light in the second wavelength range that passes through the pin hole in the dual band filter and processed by the CIS,
wherein the light in the first wavelength range is in a visible light wavelength range and the light in the second wavelength range is in an invisible light wavelength range,
wherein the visible light wavelength range is between approximately 400 nm and 650 nm, and
wherein the invisible light wavelength range is between approximately 915 nm and 965 nm;
wherein the dual band filter reduces the amount of the light in the second wavelength range incident onto RGB cells of the CIS to prevent an error due to IR (infrared) signals incident onto the RGB cells upon extracting of a depth; and
an infrared cell amplifies an analog gain of the second portion of the light in the second wavelength range received by the CIS.

2. The dual aperture camera of claim 1 , further comprising:
an infrared emitting diode (IRED) that generates light in the invisible light wavelength range.

3. An operating method of a dual aperture camera, comprising:
passing light in a first wavelength range and light in a second wavelength range through a lens and a lens aperture;
filtering out a first portion of the light in the second wavelength range and passing light in the first wavelength range through a dual band filter;
passing a second portion of the light in the second wavelength range through a pin hole in the dual band filter;
processing at a CMOS image sensor (CIS) the light in the first wavelength range and the second portion of the light in the second wavelength range that are incident onto the CIS; and
extracting at an image signal processor three-dimensional depth information of an object based on the light in the first wavelength range processed by the CIS and the second portion of the light in the second wavelength range that passes through the pin hole in the dual band filter and is processed by the CIS,
wherein the light in the first wavelength range is in a visible light wavelength range and the light in the second wavelength range is in an invisible light wavelength range,
wherein the visible light wavelength range is between approximately 400 nm and 650 nm, and
wherein the invisible light wavelength range is between approximately 915 nm and 965 nm;
wherein the dual band filter reduces the amount of the light in the second wavelength range incident onto RGB cells of the CIS to prevent an error due to IR (infrared) signals incident onto the RGB cells upon extracting of a depth; and
wherein the processing at the CIS of the light in the first wavelength range and the second portion of the light in the second wavelength range includes:
amplifying the second portion of the light in the second wavelength range by an infrared cell included in the CIS.

4. The operating method of claim 3 , further comprising:
generating light in the invisible light wavelength range using an infrared emitting diode.

Assignees

• Ct Integrated Smart Sensors Found
• Dual Aperture Int Co Ltd

Inventors

• Choi Sang Gil
• Park Jong Ho
• Kyung Chong Min

Classifications

• H04N23/841 Primary

  to modify gamut · CPC title

• H04N23/11

  for generating image signals from visible and infrared light wavelengths · CPC title

• G02B5/005 Primary

  Diaphragms (for cameras G03B9/02) · CPC title

• G02B5/20 Primary

  Filters (polarising elements G02B5/30) · CPC title

• G02B13/146

  with corrections for use in multiple wavelength bands, such as infrared and visible light, e.g. FLIR systems · CPC title