Dual lens system having a light splitter

• US 10,397,493 B2
• Filed: 04/05/2018
• Issued: 08/27/2019
• Est. Priority Date: 07/10/2015
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: SZ DJI Technology Co., Ltd. (d/b/a DJI) (iFlight Technology Company Limited)
• Original Assignee: SZ DJI Technology Co., Ltd. (d/b/a DJI) (iFlight Technology Company Limited)
• Inventors: Cao, Zisheng, Wang, Mingyu, Bao, Linchao
• Primary Examiner(s): Hannett, James M
• Application Number:
  US15/946,088
• Publication Number:
  US 20180234636A1
• Time in Patent Office: 509 Days
• Field of Search: None
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 27/106 for splitting or combining a plurality of identical beams or images, e.g. image replication
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 5/005 Diaphragms for cameras G03B9/02
• CPC Class Codes: G03B 17/17 with reflectors arranged in beam forming the photographic image, e.g. for reducing dimensions of camera
• CPC Class Codes: G06T 2207/10148 Varying focus
• CPC Class Codes: G06T 2207/20221 Image fusion; Image merging
• CPC Class Codes: G06T 5/50 using two or more images, e.g. averaging or subtraction
• 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 23/67 Focus control based on electronic image sensor signals
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 23/698 for achieving an enlarged field of view, e.g. panoramic image capture
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 23/90 Arrangement of cameras or camera modules, e.g. multiple cameras in TV studios or sports stadiums
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 23/951 by using two or more images to influence resolution, frame rate or aspect ratio
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 5/265 Mixing

Abstract

A system includes an optical element configured to separate light into a first light beam and a second light beam, a first lens module configured to focus the first light beam, a second lens module configured to focus the second light beam, a first sensor having a first sensor size and configured to capture a first image from the first light beam focused by the first lens module onto the first sensor, a second sensor having a second sensor size different from the first sensor size and configured to capture a second image from the second light beam focused by the second lens module onto the second sensor, and one or more processors configured to modify the first image or the second image based on the first sensor size and the second sensor size to generate a modified image and generate a combined image based on the modified image.

Claims

1. A system for capturing images, said system comprising:

an optical element configured to separate light into a first light beam and a second light beam;

a first lens module configured to focus the first light beam;

a second lens module configured to focus the second light beam;

a first sensor having a first sensor size and configured to capture a first image from the first light beam focused by the first lens module onto the first sensor;

a second sensor having a second sensor size and configured to capture a second image from the second light beam focused by the second lens module onto the second sensor, wherein the second sensor size is different from the first sensor size; and

one or more processors configured to;

modify the first image or the second image based on the first sensor size and the second sensor size to generate a modified image; and

generate a combined image based on the modified image, wherein the first sensor size is a first pixel size and the second sensor size is a second pixel size, and wherein modifying the first image comprises scaling the first image by

2. The system of claim 1, wherein the light passes through a single aperture prior to contact with the optical element.

3. The system of claim 1, wherein generating the combined image comprises aligning the scaled image and an unscaled image.

4. The system of claim 1, wherein generating the combined image comprises fusing the scaled image and an unscaled image.

5. The system of claim 4, wherein generating the combined image comprising scaling the fused image to obtain a desired field of view.

6. The system of claim 1, wherein the first image has a first field of view and the second image has a second field of view different from the first field of view and wherein the combined image is comprised wholly of fused parts having a desired field of view that is greater than the first field of view and the second field of view.

7. The system of claim 6, wherein the combined image comprises an inner field of view comprised of fused parts and an outer field of view comprised of the scaled image or an unscaled image, whichever has a wider field of view when a desired field of view is between the first field of view and the second field of view.

8. The system of claim 1, wherein the one or more processors are further configured to receive a desired focal length, and wherein the combined image has a desired field of view corresponding to the desired focal length.

17. A movable system, comprising:

a movable platform; and

the system of claim 1 configured to be mounted on the movable platform.

9. A method of capturing images, said method comprising:

separating, with aid of an optical element, light into a first light beam and a second light beam;

focusing, with aid of a first lens module, the first light beam;

focusing, with aid of a second lens module, the second light beam;

capturing, with aid of a first sensor having a first sensor size, a first image from the first light beam focused by the first lens module onto the first sensor;

capturing, with aid of a second sensor having a second sensor size, a second image from the second light beam focused by the second lens module onto the second sensor, wherein the second sensor size is different from the first sensor size;

modifying the first image or the second image based on the first sensor size and the second sensor size to generate a modified image, wherein the first sensor size is a first pixel size and the second sensor size is a second pixel size, and wherein modifying the first image comprises scaling the first image by

10. The method of claim 9, wherein generating the combined image comprises fusing the scaled image and an unscaled image.

11. The method of claim 10, wherein generating the combined image comprising scaling the fused image to obtain a desired field of view.

12. The method of claim 10, wherein the first image has a first field of view and the second image has a second field of view different from the first field of view and wherein the combined image is comprised wholly of fused parts having a desired field of view that is greater than the first field of view and the second field of view.

13. An imaging device, said device comprising:

an optical element configured to separate light into a first light beam and a second light beam;

a first lens module configured to focus the first light beam;

a second lens module configured to focus the second light beam;

a first sensor having a first sensor size configured to capture a first image from the first light beam focused by the first lens module onto the first sensor;

a second sensor having a second sensor size configured to capture a second image from the second light beam focused by the second lens module onto the second sensor, wherein the first and second images have different fields of view; and

one or more processors configured to;

modify the firs image or the second image based on the first sensor size and the second sensor size to generate a modified image, wherein the first sensor size is a first pixel size and the second sensor size is a second pixel size, and wherein modifying the first image comprises scaling the first image by

14. The imaging device of claim 13, wherein the light passes through a single aperture prior to contact with the optical element.

15. The imaging device of claim 13, wherein generating the combined image comprises fusing the scaled image and an unscaled image.

16. The imaging device of claim 13, wherein the one or more processors are further configured to receive a desired focal length, and wherein the combined image has a desired field of view corresponding to the desired focal length.