Devices, methods, and systems for visual imaging arrays

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-9924109-B2
Application number	US-201514791127-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Jul 2, 2015
Priority date	Nov 18, 2014
Publication date	Mar 20, 2018
Grant date	Mar 20, 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. A computer processor implemented method comprising:
capturing a scene through use of an array of more than one image sensor;
selecting a particular portion of the scene, wherein the particular portion is smaller than the scene;
de-emphasizing one or more pixels from the scene that are not part of the particular portion of the scene;
determining whether one or more portions of the particular portion have been previously transmitted to a remote location and are unchanged since being previously transmitted;
removing the one or more portions from the particular portion at least partly in response to a determination that the one or more portions have been previously transmitted to the remote location and are unchanged since being previously transmitted;
transmitting to the remote location the particular portion of the scene without the one or more portions that have been removed whereby the particular portion is filled with one or more previously transmitted portions of the scene; and
transmitting to the remote location at least one update to at least some of the one or more portions that have been removed at least partly in response to a determination that the one or more portions have changed and at least partly in response to a determination of available bandwidth.

2. A computationally-implemented system comprising:
circuitry configured for capturing a scene through use of an array of more than one image sensor;
circuitry configured for selecting a particular portion of the scene, wherein the particular portion is smaller than the scene;
circuitry configured for de-emphasizing one or more pixels from the scene that are not part of the particular portion of the scene;
circuitry configured for determining whether one or more portions of the particular portion have been previously transmitted to a remote location and are unchanged since being previously transmitted;
circuitry configured for removing the one or more portions from the particular portion at least partly in response to a determination that the one or more portions have been previously transmitted to the remote location and are unchanged since being previously transmitted;
circuitry configured for transmitting to the remote location the particular portion of the scene without the one or more portions that have been removed whereby the particular portion is filled with one or more previously transmitted portions of the scene; and
circuitry configured for transmitting to the remote location at least one update to at least some of the one or more portions that have been removed at least partly in response to a determination that the one or more portions have changed and at least partly in response to a determination of available bandwidth.

3. An image capture device comprising:
an array of more than one image sensor;
memory; and
at least one processor configured to perform operations including at least:
capturing a scene through use of the array of more than one image sensor;
selecting a particular portion of the scene, wherein the particular portion is smaller than the scene;
de-emphasizing one or more pixels from the scene that are not part of the particular portion of the scene;
determining whether one or more portions of the particular portion have been previously transmitted to a remote location and are unchanged since being previously transmitted;
removing the one or more portions from the particular portion at least partly in response to a determination that the one or more portions have been previously transmitted to the remote location and are unchanged since being previously transmitted;
transmitting to the remote location the particular portion of the scene without the one or more portions that have been removed whereby the particular portion is filled with one or more previously transmitted portions of the scene; and
transmitting to the remote location at least one update to at least some of the one or more portions that have been removed at least partly in response to a determination that the one or more portions have changed and at least partly in response to a determination of available bandwidth.

4. The image capture device of claim 3 , wherein said array of more than one image sensor comprises:
an array of more than one image sensor arranged in a grid.

5. The image capture device of claim 3 , wherein said array of more than one image sensor comprises:
an array of more than one image sensor that each capture an image that represents a portion of the scene.

6. The image capture device of claim 3 , wherein the at least one processor component is further configured to perform an operation comprising:
receiving a user request for a first particular image.

7. The image capture device of claim 6 , wherein said receiving a user request for the first particular image comprises:
receiving a user request for a first particular image and a second request for a second particular image, wherein the first particular image and the second particular image overlap at an overlapping portion.

8. The image capture device of claim 7 , wherein said receiving a user request for a first particular image and a second request for a second particular image, wherein the first particular image and the second particular image overlap at an overlapping portion comprises:
receiving a user request for a first particular image and a second request for a second particular image, wherein the first particular image and the second particular image overlap at an overlapping portion, and wherein the overlapping portion is transmitted only once.

9. The image capture device of claim 3 , wherein said selecting a particular portion of the scene, wherein the particular portion is smaller than the scene comprises:
selecting a particular portion of the scene, wherein the particular portion is smaller than the scene and contains an image of a particular object.

10. The image capture device of claim 3 , wherein said selecting a particular portion of the scene, wherein the particular portion is smaller than the scene comprises:
selecting a particular portion of the scene, wherein the particular portion is smaller than the scene and contains an image of a person.

11. The image capture device of claim 3 , wherein said transmitting to the remote location the particular portion of the scene without the one or more portions that have been removed whereby the particular portion is filled with one or more previously transmitted portions of the scene comprises:
transmitting to the remote location the particular portion of the scene without the one or more portions that have been removed and at a resolution that is less than a resolution to which the particular portion of the scene was captured, whereby the particular portion is filled with one or more previously transmitted portions of the scene.

12. The image capture device of claim 3 , wherein said at least one processor is further configured to perform an operation comprising:
transmitting a portion of the scene that borders the particular portion at a resolution that is less than a resolution of the particular portion.

13. The image capture device of claim 3 , wherein said at least one processor is further configured to perform an operation comprising:
transmitting another portion of the scene at a resolution that is less than a resolution of the particular portion, wherein the another portion of the scene is determined at least in part by content of the particular portion.

14. The image capture device of claim 3 , wherein the de-emphasizing one or more pixels from the scene that are not part of the

Assignees

• Elwha Llc
• The Invent Science Fund Ii 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

• H04N23/698

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

• H04N23/661 Primary

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

• H04N23/90 Primary

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

• H04N23/80

  Camera processing pipelines; Components thereof · CPC title

• H04N23/631

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