Devices, methods, and systems for visual imaging arrays

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-9866765-B2
Application number	US-201514791160-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Jul 2, 2015
Priority date	Nov 18, 2014
Publication date	Jan 9, 2018
Grant date	Jan 9, 2018

Abstract

Computationally implemented methods and systems include capturing a scene that includes one or more images, through use of an array of more than one image sensor, selecting a particular portion of the scene that includes at least one image, wherein the selected particular portion is smaller than the scene, transmitting only the selected particular portion from the scene to a remote location, and de-emphasizing pixels from the scene that are not part of the selected particular portion of the scene. In addition to the foregoing, other aspects are described in the claims, drawings, and text.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. An image capture device that includes more than one image sensor, the image capture device comprising:
circuitry configured to capture a scene through use of the more than one image sensor;
circuitry configured to select a particular portion of the scene that is smaller than the scene based at least partly on a user request;
circuitry configured to select an additional unrequested portion of the scene that is adjacent to the particular portion and determined to correspond to a likely subsequent user request; and
circuitry configured to transmit the particular portion of the scene at a first resolution in combination with the additional unrequested portion of the scene at a second resolution that is lower than the first resolution to reduce latency of image loading of the additional unrequested portion of the scene in an event the additional unrequested portion of the scene is a subject of a subsequent user request.

2. The image capture device of claim 1 , wherein said circuitry configured to capture a scene through use of the more than one image sensor comprises:
circuitry configured to capture a scene through use of the more than one image sensor aligned in a grid pattern.

3. The image capture device of claim 1 , wherein said circuitry configured to capture a scene through use of the more than one image sensor comprises:
circuitry configured to capture a scene through use of the more than one image sensor, wherein the scene is larger than a bandwidth capacity for transmission to a remote location.

4. The image capture device of claim 1 , further comprising:
circuitry configured to receive the user request for a particular image.

5. The image capture device of claim 1 , wherein said circuitry configured to select a particular portion of the scene that is smaller than the scene based at least partly on a user request comprises:
circuitry configured to select a particular portion of the scene that contains a particular object and that is smaller than the scene based at least partly on a user request.

6. The image capture device of claim 1 , wherein said circuitry configured to select a particular portion of the scene that is smaller than the scene based at least partly on a user request comprises:
circuitry configured to select a particular portion of the scene that is smaller than the scene based at least partly on a user request, wherein a resolution of the particular portion of the scene is at least partly based on a characteristic of a requesting device.

7. The image capture device of claim 1 , wherein said circuitry configured to select a particular portion of the scene that is smaller than the scene based at least partly on a user request comprises:
circuitry configured to select a particular portion of the scene that is smaller than the scene based at least partly on a user request, wherein a resolution of the particular portion of the scene is at least partly based on a screen resolution of a requesting device.

8. The image capture device of claim 1 , wherein said circuitry configured to select an additional unrequested portion of the scene that is adjacent to the particular portion and determined to correspond to a likely subsequent user request comprises:
circuitry configured to select an additional unrequested portion of the scene that surrounds the particular portion and is determined to correspond to a likely subsequent user request.

9. The image capture device of claim 1 , wherein said circuitry configured to select an additional unrequested portion of the scene that is adjacent to the particular portion and determined to correspond to a likely subsequent user request comprises:
circuitry configured to select an additional unrequested portion of the scene that is adjacent to the particular portion and determined to correspond to a likely subsequent user request based at least partly on content of the particular portion.

10. The image capture device of claim 1 , wherein said circuitry configured to select an additional unrequested portion of the scene that is adjacent to the particular portion and determined to correspond to a likely subsequent user request comprises:
circuitry configured to select an additional unrequested portion of the scene that is adjacent to the particular portion and determined to correspond to a likely subsequent user request due at least in part to containing an item of interest.

11. The image capture device of claim 1 , wherein said circuitry configured to select an additional unrequested portion of the scene that is adjacent to the particular portion and determined to correspond to a likely subsequent user request comprises:
circuitry configured to select an additional unrequested portion of the scene that is adjacent to the particular portion and determined to correspond to a likely subsequent user request due at least in part to containing an identified object of interest.

12. The image capture device of claim 1 , wherein said circuitry configured to transmit the particular portion of the scene at a first resolution in combination with the additional unrequested portion of the scene at a second resolution that is lower than the first resolution to reduce latency of image loading of the additional unrequested portion of the scene in an event the additional unrequested portion of the scene is a subject of a subsequent user request comprises:
circuitry configured to transmit to a device associated with the user request the particular portion of the scene at a first resolution in combination with the additional unrequested portion of the scene at a second resolution that is lower than the first resolution to reduce latency of image loading of the additional unrequested portion of the scene in an event the additional unrequested portion of the scene is a subject of a subsequent user request.

13. The image capture device of claim 1 , further comprising:
circuitry configured to delete at least some pixels from the scene that are not part of the particular portion of the scene.

14. The image capture device of claim 1 , further comprising:
circuitry configured to remove at least some pixels from the scene that are not part of the particular portion of the scene.

15. The image capture device of claim 1 , further comprising:
circuitry configured to append data to indicate that at least some pixels were removed from the scene.

16. The image capture device of claim 1 , further comprising:
circuitry configured to retain a sampling of pixels from the scene that are not part of the particular portion of the scene.

17. The image capture device of claim 16 , wherein said circuitry configured to retain a sampling of pixels from the scene that are not part of the particular portion of the scene comprises:
circuitry configured to retain a sampling of pixels from the scene that are not part of the particular portion of the scene and that are associated with a target object.

18. The image capture device of claim 16 , wherein said circuitry configured to retain a sampling of pixels from the scene that are not part of the particular portion of the scene comprises:
circuitry configured to retain a sampling of pixels from the scene that are not part of the particular portion of the scene and that are identified through automated pattern recognition.

19. The image capture device of claim 1 , further comprising:
circuitry configured to store one or more pixels from the scene that are not part of the particular portion of the scene.

20. The image ca

Assignees

• Elwha Llc
• Elwha Llc

Inventors

• Brav Ehren
• Hannigan Russell
• Hyde Roderick A
• Ishikawa Muriel Y
• Johanson 3Ric
• Kare Jordin T
• Pan Tony S
• Rutschman Phillip
• Tegreene Clarence T
• Whitmer Charles
• Wood Jr Lowell L
• Wood Victoria Y H

Classifications

• H04N23/90 Primary

  Arrangement of cameras or camera modules, e.g. multiple cameras in TV studios or sports stadiums · CPC title

• H04N23/661 Primary

  Transmitting camera control signals through networks, e.g. control via the Internet · CPC title

• H04N23/631

  Graphical user interfaces [GUI] specially adapted for controlling image capture or setting capture parameters · CPC title

• H04N23/80

  Camera processing pipelines; Components thereof · CPC title

• H04N23/698

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