Technologies for controlling user access to image sensors of a camera device

• US 10,142,533 B2
• Filed: 03/27/2015
• Issued: 11/27/2018
• Est. Priority Date: 03/27/2015
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Intel Corporation
• Original Assignee: Intel Corporation
• Inventors: Kuo, Chia-Hung S., Tao, Tao, Raj, Guru, Hicks, Richmond
• Primary Examiner(s): Wang, Xi
• Application Number:
  US14/671,705
• Publication Number:
  US 20160286120A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,341 Days
• Field of Search: 382154, 348262, 348344, 34833311, 348201, 348 47, 348 49, 348 50
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 13/178 Metadata, e.g. disparity information
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 13/243 using three or more 2D image sensors
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 13/25 using two or more image sensors with different characteristics other than in their location or field of view, e.g. having different resolutions or colour pickup characteristics; using image signals from one sensor to control the characteristics of another sensor
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 13/271 wherein the generated image signals comprise depth maps or disparity maps
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 23/45 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 Class Codes: H04N 23/62 Control of parameters via user interfaces
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 23/63 by using electronic viewfinders
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 23/667 Camera operation mode switching, e.g. between still and video, sport and normal or high- and low-resolution modes
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 25/74 Circuitry for scanning or addressing the pixel array

Abstract

Technologies for managing access to image data streams generated by a plurality of image sensors of an image sensor array include a camera driver module. The camera driver module limits exposure to a user to all but one of the image sensors of the image sensor array. In some embodiments, the image sensor array may include a single primary image sensor that is exposed to the user and one or more secondary sensors that are not exposed to the user. In other embodiments, the image sensor array may include more than one primary image sensor and any number of secondary image sensors. In such an embodiment, only one of the primary image sensors are exposed to the user, and none of the secondary image sensors, if available, are exposed to the user. Other embodiments are described herein and claimed.

Claims

1. A computing device for controlling user access to image sensors of an image sensor array, the computing device comprising:

a camera device that includes an image sensor array, wherein the image sensor array comprises a plurality of image sensors; and

a camera driver module to (i) manage access to image data streams generated by each of the image sensors of the image sensor array, (ii) determine a user input mode setting of the camera device selected by a user of the computing device, (iii) expose image sensor data captured by a single image sensor of the image sensor array to the user of the computing device based at least in part on the selected user input mode setting while the other image sensors of the image sensor array, other than the exposed single image sensor, perform corresponding sensor functions to generate corresponding image sensor data, and (iv) restrict, while the camera device is in the selected user input mode setting, user access to the other image sensors of the image sensor array by not displaying settings of the other image sensors to the user of the computing device while the other image sensors of the image sensor array perform corresponding sensor functions.

2. The computing device of claim 1, wherein the plurality of image sensors comprises a primary image sensor and one or more secondary image sensors;

wherein the camera driver module is further to (i) manage access to image data streams generated by the primary image sensor and the one or more secondary image sensors, (ii) expose the primary image sensor to the user of the computing device, and (iii) restrict user access to the one or more secondary image sensors of the image sensor array.

3. The computing device of claim 1, wherein the plurality of image sensors comprises one or more primary image sensors;

wherein the camera driver module is further to (i) manage access to image data streams generated by each of the primary image sensors, (ii) expose a single primary image sensor to the user of the computing device, and (iii) restrict user access to other primary image sensors of the primary image sensors other than the single primary image sensor.

4. The computing device of claim 3, wherein the plurality of image sensors additionally comprises one or more secondary image sensors;

wherein the camera driver module is further to (i) manage access to image data streams generated by the one or more secondary image sensors and (ii) restrict user access to the one or more secondary image sensors.

5. The computing device of claim 3, wherein the camera driver module is further to select the primary image sensor from the plurality of image sensors of the image sensor array based on at least one of a supported resolution, a field of view, or a viewing angle.

6. The computing device of claim 1, wherein to expose the single image sensor comprises to expose an image data stream from the single image sensor to a software application capable of being executed by the computing device.

7. The computing device of claim 1, further comprising:

a plurality of output modules to process received image sensor data and output the processed image sensor data based on a camera mode setting of the camera device;

a plurality of proxy modules to broker each stream of optical image data from the camera driver module to a corresponding one of the plurality of output modules;

wherein the camera driver module is further to (i) determine the camera mode setting and a user input mode setting of the camera device, (ii) manage an enabled state of each of the single image sensor and the other image sensors of the image sensor array based at least in part on the user input mode setting, and (iii) transmit image sensor data received from the exposed single image sensor to one of the plurality of proxy modules based on the camera mode setting.

8. The computing device of claim 7, wherein, in response to a determination that the user input mode is set to a depth detect mode, the camera driver module is further to (i) enable the single image sensor for image sensor data capture, (ii) disable the other image sensors of the image sensor array, and (iii) transmit the image sensor data received from the exposed single image sensor to one of the plurality of proxy modules based on the camera mode setting.

9. The computing device of claim 7, wherein, in response to a determination that the camera mode setting is not set to a depth detect mode, the camera driver module is further to (i) enable the single image sensor and the other image sensors of the image sensor array for image sensor data capture and (ii) determine whether the camera device is set for photo capture.

10. The computing device of claim 9, wherein:

the plurality of output modules comprises a preview output module to process the received image sensor data and output a preview image based on the processed image sensor data, and a video output module to process the received image sensor data and output a video based on the processed image sensor data,

the plurality of proxy modules comprises a preview proxy module to broker the optical image data between the camera driver module and the preview output module, and a video proxy module to broker the optical image data between the camera driver module and the video output module, and

the camera driver module is further to, in response to a determination that the camera mode is not set to a photo capture mode, (i) capture image sensor data from the single image sensor and (ii) transmit the image sensor data from the single image sensor to one of the preview proxy module or the video proxy module.

11. The computing device of claim 10, wherein:

the plurality of output modules further comprises a photo output module to process received image sensor data and output a photo based on the received image sensor data,

the plurality of proxy modules further comprises a photo proxy module to broker the optical image data between the camera driver module and the photo output module,

the camera driver module is further to, in response to a determination that the camera mode is set to a photo capture mode, (i) capture image sensor data from the single image sensor and the other image sensors of the image sensor array, and (ii) transmit the image sensor data from the single image sensor to one of the preview proxy module or the video proxy module based at least in part on the camera mode setting, and

the photo proxy module is further to (i) encode a photo using the image sensor data from the single image sensor, (ii) calculate depth data based on the image sensor data from one or more of the other image sensors of the image sensor array, (iii) insert the depth data into metadata of the encoded photo, and (iv) output the photo including the depth data.

12. The computing device of claim 11, wherein to broker the optical image data between the camera driver module and the preview output module comprises to transmit received image sensor data from the camera driver module to the preview output module

wherein to broker the optical image data between the camera driver module and the video output module comprises to transmit received image sensor data from the camera driver module to the video output module, and

wherein to broker the optical image data between the camera driver module and the photo output module comprises to transmit received image sensor data from the camera driver module to the photo output module.

13. One or more non-transitory, computer-readable storage media comprising a plurality of instructions that in response to being executed cause a computing device to:

generate image data streams by each of a plurality of image sensors of an image sensor array of the computing device;

manage, by a camera driver module of the computing device, access to the generated image data streams;

determine, by a camera driver module, a user input mode setting of the camera device selected by a user of the computing device;

expose, by the camera driver module, image sensor data captured by a single image sensor to the user of the computing device based at least in part on the selected user input mode setting while the other image sensors of the image sensor array, other than the exposed single image sensor, perform corresponding sensor functions to generate corresponding image sensor data; and

restrict, while the camera device is in the selected user input mode setting, user access to other image sensors of the image sensor array by not displaying settings of the other image sensors to the user of the computing device while the other image sensors of the image sensor array perform corresponding sensor functions.

14. The one or more non-transitory, computer-readable storage media of claim 13, wherein to generate the image data streams by each of the plurality of image sensors of the image sensor array of the computing device comprises to generate the image data streams by each of a primary image sensor and one or more secondary image sensors;

wherein to expose the single image sensor to the user of the computing device comprises to expose the primary image sensor to the user of the computing device; and

wherein to restrict user access to the other image sensors of the image sensor array other than the exposed single image sensor comprises to restrict user access to the one or more secondary image sensors of the image sensor array.

15. The one or more non-transitory, computer-readable storage media of claim 13, wherein to generate the image data streams by each of the plurality of image sensors of the image sensor array of the computing device comprises to generate the image data streams by each of a plurality of primary image sensors;

wherein to expose the single image sensor to the user of the computing device comprises to expose a single primary image sensor of the plurality of primary image sensors to the user of the computing device; and

wherein to restrict user access to the other image sensors of the image sensor array other than the exposed single image sensor comprises to restrict user access to other primary image sensors of the plurality of primary image sensors other than the single primary image sensor.

16. The one or more non-transitory, computer-readable storage media of claim 15, wherein to generate the image data streams by each of the plurality of image sensors of the image sensor array of the computing device further comprises to generate the image data streams by each of one or more secondary image sensors;

and

wherein to restrict user access to the other image sensors of the image sensor array other than the single image sensor comprises to restrict user access to the one or more secondary image sensors.

17. The one or more non-transitory, computer-readable storage media of claim 15, further comprising a plurality of instructions that in response to being executed cause the computing device to;

select, by the camera driver module, the single primary image sensor from the plurality of primary image sensors based on at least one of a supported resolution, a field of view, or a viewing angle.

18. The one or more non-transitory, computer-readable storage media of claim 13, wherein to expose the single image sensor comprises to expose an image data stream from the single image sensor to a software application capable of being executed by the computing device.

19. The one or more non-transitory, computer-readable storage media of claim 13, further comprising a plurality of instructions that in response to being executed cause the computing device to:

determine a camera mode setting and a user input mode setting of the computing device;

manage an enabled state of each of the image sensors based at least in part on the user input mode setting;

transmit, by the camera driver module, image sensor data to one of a plurality of proxy modules based on the camera mode setting;

broker, by at least one of the plurality of proxy modules, each stream of optical image data from the camera driver module to a corresponding one of a plurality of output modules;

process, by at least one of the plurality of output modules, received image sensor data based at least in part on the camera mode setting of the computing device; and

outputting the processed image sensor data to a display of the computing device.

20. The one or more non-transitory, computer-readable storage media of claim 19, further comprising a plurality of instructions that in response to being executed cause the computing device to:

in response to a determination that the user input mode is set to a depth detect mode, (i) enable the single image sensor for image sensor data capture, (ii) disable the other image sensors of the image sensor array, and (iii) transmit image sensor data from the single image sensor to one of the plurality of proxy modules based on the camera mode setting.

21. The one or more non-transitory, computer-readable storage media of claim 19, further comprising a plurality of instructions that in response to being executed cause the computing device to:

in response to a determination that the camera mode setting is not set to a depth detect mode, (i) enable the single image sensor and the other image sensors of the image sensor array for image sensor data capture, and (ii) determine whether the computing device is set for photo capture.

22. The one or more non-transitory, computer-readable storage media of claim 19, wherein to broker each stream of optical image data from the camera driver module to a corresponding one of the plurality of output modules comprises to:

broker, by a preview proxy module, a stream of optical image data from the camera driver module to a preview output module to process the received image sensor data and output a preview image based on the processed image sensor data;

broker, by a video proxy module, a stream of optical image data from the camera driver module to a video output module to process the received image sensor data and output a video based on the processed image sensor data; and

broker, by a photo proxy module, a stream of optical image data from the camera driver module to a photo output module to process the received image sensor data and output a photo based on the processed image sensor data.

23. The one or more non-transitory, computer-readable storage media of claim 20, further comprising a plurality of instructions that in response to being executed cause the computing device to, in response to a determination that the camera mode is not set to a photo capture mode:

capture image sensor data from the single image sensor; and

transmit the image sensor data from the single image sensor to one of a preview proxy module or a video proxy module.

24. The one or more non-transitory, computer-readable storage media of claim 20, further comprising a plurality of instructions that in response to being executed cause the computing device to, in response to a determination that the camera mode is set to a photo capture mode:

capture image sensor data from the single image sensor and the other image sensors of the image sensor array;

transmit the image sensor data from the single image sensor to one of a preview proxy module or a video proxy module based at least in part on the camera mode setting;

encode a photo using the image sensor data from the single image sensor;

calculate depth data based on image sensor data from one or more of the other image sensors of the image sensor array;

insert the depth data into metadata of the encoded photo; and

output the photo including the depth data.

25. The one or more non-transitory, computer-readable storage media of claim 20, wherein to broker the optical image data between the camera driver module and the preview output module comprises to transmit received image sensor data from the camera driver module to the preview output module,

wherein to broker the optical image data between the camera driver module and a video output module comprises to transmit received image sensor data from the camera driver module to the video output module, and

wherein to broker the optical image data between the camera driver module and a photo output module comprises to transmit received image sensor data from the camera driver module to the photo output module.