Image generation method based on dual camera module and dual camera apparatus

• US 10,212,339 B2
• Filed: 12/20/2016
• Issued: 02/19/2019
• Est. Priority Date: 10/22/2014
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Yulong Computer Telecommunications Scientific Company Limited (Coolpad Group Limited)
• Original Assignee: Yulong Computer Telecommunications Scientific Company Limited (Coolpad Group Limited)
• Inventors: Chen, Neng, Wang, Qiang
• Primary Examiner(s): Segura, Cynthia
• Application Number:
  US15/385,269
• Publication Number:
  US 20170099435A1
• Time in Patent Office: 791 Days
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 23/13 with multiple sensors
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 23/60 Control of cameras or camera modules
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 23/951 by using two or more images to influence resolution, frame rate or aspect ratio
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 9/64 Circuits for processing colour signals H04N9/77 takes precedence; camera processing pipelines for processing colour signals H04N23/84
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 9/77 Circuits for processing the brightness signal and the chrominance signal relative to each other, e.g. adjusting the phase of the brightness signal relative to the colour signal, correcting differential gain or differential phase circuits for matrixing H04N9/67

Abstract

Provided is image generation based on a dual camera module. The dual camera module comprises a first camera lens of a large single-pixel size and a second camera lens of a high resolution. The first camera lens generates a first image. The second camera lens generates a second image. The first image and the second image are synthesized to generate a third image. Correspondingly, also provided is a dual camera module. With the dual camera module, by combining the advantages of the two camera lens, color noise and luminance noise of an image are reduced.

Claims

1. A method for image generation based on a dual camera module, the dual camera module comprising a first camera and a second camera, the method comprising:

generating a first image by the first camera;

generating a second image by the second camera,

wherein the first camera is a camera with a low resolution and a large single pixel size, and the second camera is a camera with a high resolution and a small single pixel size; and

synthesizing the first image and the second image to generate a third image, wherein the third image includes a third color signal dominated by a first color signal associated with the first image, wherein the third image includes a third luminance signal dominated by a second luminance signal associated with the second image,

and wherein

synthesizing the first image and the second image to generate the third image comprises;

extracting a first color signal and the first luminance signal from the first image;

extracting a second color signal and the second luminance signal from the second image;

synthesizing the first color signal and the second color signal to obtain the third color signal;

synthesizing the first luminance signal and the second luminance signal to obtain the third luminance signal; and

synthesizing the third color signal and the third luminance signal to generate the third image.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the low resolution of the first camera is less than or equal to a first predetermined resolution threshold, the large single pixel size of the first camera is greater than or equal to a first predetermined single pixel size threshold, the high resolution of the second camera is greater than or equal to a second predetermined resolution threshold, and the small single pixel size of the second camera is less than or equal to a second predetermined single pixel size threshold.

3. The method of claim 2, wherein the first predetermined resolution threshold and the second predetermined resolution threshold are the same or different, and the first predetermined single pixel size threshold and the second predetermined single pixel size threshold are the same or different.

4. The method of claim 3, wherein the first predetermined resolution threshold is 8 megabytes, the second predetermined resolution threshold is 13 megabytes, the first predetermined single pixel size threshold is 1.5*1.5 μ

m², and the second predetermined single pixel size threshold is 1.4*1.4 μ

m².

5. The method of claim 1, wherein synthesizing the first image and the second image to generate the third image comprises:

extracting the first color signal from the first image;

extracting the second luminance signal from the second image; and

synthesizing the first color signal and the second luminance signal to generate the third image.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein the first camera is a color camera, and the second camera is a monochrome camera.

7. A dual camera apparatus, comprising:

a first camera, configured to generate a first image;

a second camera, configured to generate a second image,

wherein the first camera is a camera with a low resolution and a large single pixel size;

the second camera is a camera with a high resolution and a small single pixel size; and

an image processor, configured to;

synthesize the first image and the second image to generate a third image, wherein the third image includes a third color signal dominated by a first color signal associated with the first image, wherein the third image includes a third luminance signal dominated by a second luminance signal associated with the second image;

extract the first color signal and a first luminance signal from the first image and extract a second color signal and the second luminance signal from the second image; and

synthesize the first color signal and the second color signal to obtain the third color signal, synthesize the first luminance signal and the second luminance signal to obtain the third luminance signal, and synthesize the third color signal and the third luminance signal to generate the third image.

8. The dual camera apparatus of claim 7, wherein the low resolution of the first camera is less than or equal to a first predetermined resolution threshold, the large single pixel size of the first camera is greater than or equal to a first predetermined single pixel size threshold, the high resolution of the second camera is greater than or equal to a second predetermined resolution threshold, and the small single pixel size of the second camera is less than or equal to a second predetermined single pixel size threshold.

9. The dual camera apparatus of claim 8, wherein the first predetermined resolution threshold and the second predetermined resolution threshold are the same or different, and the first predetermined single pixel size threshold and the second predetermined single pixel size threshold are the same or different.

10. The dual camera apparatus of claim 9, wherein the first predetermined resolution threshold is 8 megabytes, the second predetermined resolution threshold is 13 megabytes, the first predetermined single pixel size threshold is 1.5*1.5 μ

m², and the second predetermined single pixel size threshold is 1.4*1.4 μ

m².

11. The dual camera apparatus of claim 7, wherein the image processor is further configured to:

extract the first color signal from the first image and extract the second luminance signal from the second image; and

synthesize the first color signal and the second luminance signal to generate the third image.

12. The dual camera apparatus of claim 7, wherein the first camera is a color camera and the second camera is a monochrome camera.