Devices, methods, and systems for expanded-field-of-view image and video capture

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-9609190-B2
Application number	US-201314067745-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Oct 30, 2013
Priority date	Oct 31, 2012
Publication date	Mar 28, 2017
Grant date	Mar 28, 2017

Abstract

In various example embodiments, an imaging system and method are provided. In an embodiment, the system comprises a first image sensor array, a first optical system to project a first image on the first image sensor array, the first optical system having a first zoom level. A second optical system is to project a second image on a second image sensor array, the second optical system having a second zoom level. The second image sensor array and the second optical system are pointed in the same direction as the first image sensor array and the first optical system. The second zoom level is greater than the first zoom level such that the second image projected onto the second image sensor array is a zoomed in on portion of the first image projected on the first image sensor array. The first image sensor array includes at least four megapixels and the second image sensor array includes one-half or less than the number of pixels in the first image sensor array.

First claim

The invention claimed is:

1. An imaging system, comprising:
a first image sensor array;
a first optical system configured to project a first image on the first image sensor array, the first optical system having a first zoom level covering a first field-of-view;
a second image sensor array;
a second optical system configured to project a second image on the second image sensor array, the second optical system having a second zoom level covering a second field-of-view, the imaging system to combine information from the first field-of-view and the second field-of-view to produce a digital image that substantially spans the first field-of-view and the second field-of-view, the digital image having information content covering a third field-of-view; and
first pixel circuitry for reading image data from the first image sensor array and second pixel circuitry for reading image data from the second image sensor array and an electronic global shutter configured to stop charge integration between the first image sensor array and the first pixel circuitry and between the second image sensor array and the second pixel circuitry at substantially the same time;
wherein the second image sensor array and the second optical system are pointed generally in the same direction as the first image sensor array and the first optical system;
wherein the second zoom level is greater than the first zoom level such that the second image projected onto the second image sensor array is a zoomed in portion of the first image projected on the first image sensor array;
wherein the first image sensor array includes at least four megapixels; and wherein the second image sensor array includes one-half or less than the number of pixels in the first image sensor array; and
wherein the imaging system is configured to be selectable to operate in one of at least three modes:
in a first mode, the first image is utilized and is the sole source of image data for presentation to the user;
in a second mode, the second image is utilized and is the sole source of image data for presentation to the user; and
in a third mode, both the first image and the second image are to be conveyed to a graphical processing unit, the graphical processing unit to use the first image and the second image to generate a third image that combines information containing the first image and the second image, the third image having a higher-resolution region near a center.

2. The imaging system of claim 1 , wherein the first image sensor array includes at least six megapixels.

3. The imaging system of claim 1 , wherein the first image sensor array includes at least eight megapixels.

4. The imaging system of claim 1 , wherein the second image sensor array includes four megapixels or less.

5. The imaging system of claim 1 , wherein the second image sensor array includes two megapixels or less.

6. The imaging system of claim 1 , wherein the second image sensor array includes one megapixel or less.

7. The imaging system of claim 1 , wherein the first image sensor array includes a first array of first pixel regions and the second image sensor array includes a second array of second pixel regions, wherein each of the first pixel regions is larger than each of the second pixel regions.

8. The imaging system of claim 7 , wherein each of the first pixel regions has a lateral distance across a first pixel region of less than 2.5 microns.

9. The imaging system of claim 7 , wherein each of the first pixel regions has an area of less than about 2.5 microns squared.

10. The imaging system of claim 7 , wherein each of the first pixel regions has a lateral distance across a first pixel region of less than 2 microns.

11. The imaging system of claim 7 , wherein each of the first pixel regions has an area of less than about 2 microns squared.

12. The imaging system of claim 7 , wherein each of the first pixel regions has a lateral distance across a first pixel region of less than 1.5 microns.

13. The imaging system of claim 7 , wherein each of the first pixel regions has an area of less than about 1.5 microns squared.

14. The imaging system of claim 1 , further comprising:
a third image sensor array; and
a third optical system configured to project a third image on the third image sensor array, the third optical system having a third zoom level, wherein the third image sensor array and the third optical system are pointed generally in the same direction as the first image sensor array and the first optical system.

15. The imaging system of claim 14 , wherein the third image sensor array includes the same number of pixels as the second image sensor array.

16. The imaging system of claim 1 , wherein the first image sensor array and the second image sensor array are formed on a same substrate.

17. The imaging system of claim 1 , further comprising a user interface control for selecting a zoom level and circuitry for reading out images from the first image sensor array and the second image sensor array and generating an output image based on the selected zoom level.

18. The imaging system of claim 1 , wherein the first image is selected for output when the first zoom level is selected.

19. The imaging system of claim 1 , wherein the second image is used to enhance the first image for output when the first zoom level is selected.

20. The imaging system of claim 1 , wherein the second image is selected for output when the first zoom level is selected and the first image is used to enhance the second image.

21. The imaging system of claim 1 , wherein the imaging system is part of a camera device and wherein a user control may be selected to output both the first image and the second image from the camera device.

22. The imaging system of claim 1 , wherein the imaging system is part of a camera device and wherein a user control may be selected to output the first image, the second image and the third image from the camera device.

23. The imaging system of claim 1 , wherein the electronic global shutter is configured to stop a period of the charge integration for each pixel region in the first image sensor array and the second image sensor array within one millisecond of one another.

24. The imaging system of claim 14 , further comprising third pixel circuitry for reading image data from the third image sensor array, wherein the electronic global shutter is configured to stop charge integration between the third image sensor array and a third pixel circuitry at substantially the same time as the first image sensor array and the second image sensor array.

25. An imaging system, comprising:
a primary image sensor array;
a primary optical system configured to project a primary image on the primary image sensor array, the primary optical system having a first zoom level covering a first field-of-view;
a plurality of secondary image sensor arrays;
a secondary optical system for each of the secondary image sensor arrays, wherein each secondary optical system is configured to project a secondary image on a respective one of the secondary image sensor arrays, each of the secondary optical systems having a respective zoom level different than the first zoom level and each covering a secondary field-of-view, respectively, the imaging system to combine information from the first field-of-view and at least one of the secondary fields-of-view to produce a digital image that substantially spans the first field-of-

Assignees

• Invisage Technologies Inc

Inventors

• Lee Jess Jan Young
• Hepp Michael
• Sargent Edward Hartley

Classifications

• H04N25/134

  based on three different wavelength filter elements · 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

• H04N25/77

  Pixel circuitry, e.g. memories, A/D converters, pixel amplifiers, shared circuits or shared components · CPC title

• H04N23/69

  Control of means for changing angle of the field of view, e.g. optical zoom objectives or electronic zooming · CPC title

• H04N25/76

  Addressed sensors, e.g. MOS or CMOS sensors · CPC title