Dual aperture zoom digital camera

• US 10,326,942 B2
• Filed: 01/09/2018
• Issued: 06/18/2019
• Est. Priority Date: 06/13/2013
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Corephotonics Ltd. (Samsung Electronics Co. Ltd.)
• Original Assignee: Corephotonics Ltd. (Samsung Electronics Co. Ltd.)
• Inventors: Shabtay, Gal, Goldenberg, Ephraim, Gigushinski, Oded, Cohen, Noy
• Primary Examiner(s): Segura, Cynthia
• Application Number:
  US15/865,869
• Publication Number:
  US 20180152640A1
• Time in Patent Office: 525 Days
• Field of Search: None
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 13/0015 characterised by the lens design
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 13/009 having zoom function
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 27/0075 with means for altering, e.g. increasing, the depth of field or depth of focus
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 23/00 Cameras or camera modules comprising electronic image sensors; Control thereof
• 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 23/58 Means for changing the camera field of view without moving the camera body, e.g. nutating or panning of optics or image sensors
• 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 23/67 Focus control based on electronic image sensor signals
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 23/69 Control of means for changing angle of the field of view, e.g. optical zoom objectives or electronic zooming
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 23/951 by using two or more images to influence resolution, frame rate or aspect ratio
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 23/958 for extended depth of field imaging

Abstract

A dual-aperture zoom digital camera operable in both still and video modes. The camera includes Wide and Tele imaging sections with respective lens/sensor combinations and image signal processors and a camera controller operatively coupled to the Wide and Tele imaging sections. The Wide and Tele imaging sections provide respective image data. The controller is configured to combine in still mode at least some of the Wide and Tele image data to provide a fused output image from a particular point of view, and to provide without fusion continuous zoom video mode output images, each output image having a given output resolution, wherein the video mode output images are provided with a smooth transition when switching between a lower zoom factor (ZF) value and a higher ZF value or vice versa, and wherein at the lower ZF the output resolution is determined by the Wide sensor while at the higher ZF value the output resolution is determined by the Tele sensor.

Claims

1. A multiple aperture zoom digital camera, comprising:

a) a Wide imaging section that includes a Wide sensor and a fixed focal length Wide lens with a Wide field of view (FOV), the Wide imaging section operative to output a Wide image;

b) a Tele imaging section that includes a Tele sensor and a fixed focal length Tele lens with a Tele FOV that is narrower than the Wide FOV, the Tele imaging section operative to output a Tele image; and

c) a camera controller operatively coupled to the Wide and Tele imaging sections and configured, when providing video output images, to;

reduce an image jump effect seen in the video output images when switching from a Wide image to a Tele image by shifting the Tele image relative to the Wide image according to a distance of an object in a Tele image region of interest (ROI), and/or

reduce an image jump effect seen in the video output images when switching from a Tele image to a Wide image by shifting the Wide image relative to the Tele image according to a distance of an object in a Wide image ROI.

2. The camera of claim 1, wherein the camera controller is further configured, when providing the video output images, to reduce the image jump effect seen in the video output images by matching scale between the Wide and Tele images when switching from the Wide image to the Tele image or vice versa.

3. The camera of claim 1, wherein the camera controller is further configured, when providing video output images, to match brightness and color between the Wide image and the Tele images when switching from a Wide image to a Tele image or vice versa.

4. The camera of claim 1, wherein the switching is between a lower zoom factor (ZF) value and a higher ZF value or vice versa, wherein each Wide image and Tele image has a respective output resolution, wherein at the lower ZF value the output resolution is determined by the Wide sensor and wherein at the higher ZF value the output resolution is determined by the Tele sensor.

5. The camera of claim 4, wherein the camera controller includes a user control module for receiving user inputs and a sensor control module for configuring each sensor to acquire the Wide and Tele images based on a user input that includes a camera mode and the zoom factor.

6. The camera of claim 4, wherein the camera controller is further configured to use, at the higher ZF, secondary information from the Wide imaging section, for providing video output images during switching between a lower ZF value and a higher ZF value to reduce discontinuities in the video output images.

7. The camera of claim 4, wherein the camera controller is further configured to use at the lower ZF, secondary information from the Tele imaging section, for providing video output images during switching between a higher ZF value and a lower ZF value to reduce discontinuities in the video output images.

8. The camera of claim 1, wherein the Tele lens includes a ratio of total track length (TTL)/effective focal length (EFL) smaller than 1.

9. The camera of claim 8, wherein the camera controller is further configured to combine, when in still mode, at least some of the Wide and Tele image data to provide a fused output image.

10. The camera of claim 9, wherein the camera controller is further configured to synchronize the Wide and Tele sensors so that a rolling shutter starts substantially the same time for both sensors.

11. The camera of claim 9, wherein the camera controller is further configured to synchronize the Wide and Tele sensors so that same points of the object in each view are obtained substantially simultaneously.

12. The camera of claim 8, wherein the camera controller is further configured to provide from the captured images an image with a shallow depth of field.

13. The camera of claim 12, wherein the camera controller is further configured to combine, when in still mode, at least some of the Wide and Tele image data to provide a fused output image.

14. The camera of claim 13, wherein the camera controller is further configured to synchronize the Wide and Tele sensors so that a rolling shutter starts substantially at the same time for both sensors.

15. The camera of claim 13, wherein the camera controller is further configured to synchronize the Wide and Tele sensors so that same points of the object in each view are obtained substantially simultaneously.

16. The camera of claim 12, wherein the camera controller is further configured to synchronize the Wide and Tele sensors so that a rolling shutter starts substantially at the same time for both sensors.

17. The camera of claim 12, wherein the camera controller is further configured to synchronize the Wide and Tele sensors so that same points of the object in each view are obtained substantially simultaneously.

18. The camera of claim 12, where the shallow depth of field images are suited for portrait photos.

19. A method for providing a digital video output in a multiple aperture zoom digital camera, comprising steps of:

a) providing a Wide imaging section that includes a Wide sensor and a fixed focal length Wide lens with a Wide field of view (FOV), the Wide imaging section operative to output a Wide image;

b) providing a Tele imaging section that includes a Tele sensor and a fixed focal length Tele lens with a Tele FOV that is narrower than the Wide FOV, the Tele imaging section operative to output a Tele image; and

c) when providing video output images, utilizing a camera controller operatively coupled to the Wide and Tele imaging sections to reduce an image jump effect seen in the video output images when switching from a Wide image to a Tele image by shifting the Tele image relative to the Wide image according to a distance of an object in a Tele image region of interest (ROI), and/or to reduce an image jump effect seen in the video output images when switching from a Tele image to a Wide image by shifting the Wide image relative to the Tele image according to a distance of an object in a Wide image ROI.

20. The method of claim 19, wherein the reducing the image jump effect seen in the video output images further includes reducing the image jump by matching scale between the Wide and Tele images when switching from a Wide image to a Tele image or vice versa.

21. The method of claim 19, wherein the utilizing a camera controller to reduce an image jump effect seen in the video output images further includes utilizing the controller to match brightness and color between the Wide and Tele images when switching from a Tele image to a Wide image or vice versa.

22. The method of claim 19, wherein the switching is between a lower zoom factor (ZF) value and a higher ZF value or vice versa, wherein each Tele image and Wide image has a respective output resolution, wherein at the lower ZF value the output resolution is determined by the Wide sensor and wherein at the higher ZF value the output resolution is determined by the Tele sensor.

23. The method of claim 22, further comprising using a user control module to receive user inputs and using a sensor control module to configure each image sensor to acquire the Wide and Tele images based on a user input that includes a camera mode and a zoom factor.

24. The method of claim 19, further comprising during switching between a lower zoom factor (ZF) value and a higher ZF value, generating the video output images while using, at the higher ZF, secondary information from the Wide imaging section, thereby reducing discontinuities in the video output images.

25. The method of claim 19, further comprising during switching between a higher zoom factor (ZF) value and a lower ZF value generating the video output images while using, at the lower ZF, secondary information from the Tele imaging section, thereby reducing discontinuities in the video output images.