Thin multi-aperture imaging system with auto-focus and methods for using same

• US 10,694,094 B2
• Filed: 03/28/2019
• Issued: 06/23/2020
• Est. Priority Date: 08/01/2013
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Corephotonics Ltd. (Samsung Electronics Co. Ltd.)
• Original Assignee: Corephotonics Ltd. (Samsung Electronics Co. Ltd.)
• Inventors: Shabtay, Gal, Cohen, Noy, Geva, Nadav, Gigushinski, Oded, Goldenberg, Ephraim
• Primary Examiner(s): Hsu, Amy R
• Application Number:
  US16/368,173
• Publication Number:
  US 20190222747A1
• Time in Patent Office: 453 Days
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 27/646 compensating for small deviations, e.g. due to vibration or shake movement of one or more optical elements for control of motion blur in cameras, projectors or printers G03B2205/0007; image stabilisation in cameras peculiar to the presence or use of an electronic image sensor H04N23/68
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 7/36 using image sharpness techniques , e.g. image processing techniques for generating autofocus signals image data processing per se G06T; in cameras having a solid state image sensor H04N23/67
• CPC Class Codes: G03B 19/22 Double cameras
• CPC Class Codes: G03B 2205/0069 using electromagnetic actuators, e.g. voice coils
• CPC Class Codes: G03B 30/00 Camera modules comprising integrated lens units and imaging units, specially adapted for being embedded in other devices, e.g. mobile phones or vehicles
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 23/13 with multiple sensors
• 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 23/55 Optical parts specially adapted for electronic image sensors; Mounting thereof
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 23/67 Focus control based on electronic image sensor signals
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 23/843 Demosaicing, e.g. interpolating colour pixel values
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 23/951 by using two or more images to influence resolution, frame rate or aspect ratio
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 25/133 including elements passing panchromatic light, e.g. filters passing white light
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 25/134 based on three different wavelength filter elements
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 5/2628 Alteration of picture size, shape, position or orientation, e.g. zooming, rotation, rolling, perspective, translation
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 5/33 Transforming infrared radiation cameras or camera modules for generating image signals from infrared radiation H04N23/20; circuitry of SSIS for transforming infrared radiation into image signals H04N25/20
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 9/64 Circuits for processing colour signals H04N9/77 takes precedence; camera processing pipelines for processing colour signals H04N23/84

Abstract

Dual-aperture digital cameras with auto-focus (AF) and related methods for obtaining a focused and, optionally optically stabilized color image of an object or scene. A dual-aperture camera includes a first sub-camera having a first optics bloc and a color image sensor for providing a color image, a second sub-camera having a second optics bloc and a clear image sensor for providing a luminance image, the first and second sub-cameras having substantially the same field of view, an AF mechanism coupled mechanically at least to the first optics bloc, and a camera controller coupled to the AF mechanism and to the two image sensors and configured to control the AF mechanism, to calculate a scaling difference and a sharpness difference between the color and luminance images, the scaling and sharpness differences being due to the AF mechanism, and to process the color and luminance images into a fused color image using the calculated differences.

Claims

1. A multi-aperture imaging system, comprising:

a) a first camera comprising a first sensor with a first number of pixels and a first type of filter array; and

b) a second camera comprising a second sensor with a second number of pixels and a second type of filter array different from the first type of filter array,

wherein the first type of filter array includes repetitions of a 3×

3 non-Bayer color filter array in the form GBRRGBBRG.

2. The multi-aperture imaging system of claim 1, wherein the first number of pixels is different from the second number of pixels.

3. The multi-aperture imaging system of claim 1, wherein the first number of pixels is equal to the second number of pixels.

4. The multi-aperture imaging system of claim 2, wherein the first camera and the second camera have substantially a same field of view.

5. The multi-aperture imaging system of claim 2, wherein the second type of filter array includes clear or white filter pixels.

6. The multi-aperture imaging system of claim 5, wherein the first camera is operative to provide a color image of an object or scene, wherein the second camera is operative to provide a luminance image of the object or scene, and wherein the multi-aperture imaging system further comprises a camera controller coupled to the two sensors and used to process the color image and the luminance image into a fused color image.

7. A multi-aperture imaging system, comprising:

a) a first camera comprising a first sensor with a first number of pixels and a first type of filter array; and

b) a second camera comprising a second sensor with a second number of pixels and a second type of filter array different from the first type of filter array,

wherein the first type of filter array is a non-Bayer color filter that includes a plurality of repetitions, with each repetition including 16 red color pixel filters, and wherein the first type of filter array has, in a first direction, a first red color pixel filter adjacent to a second red color pixel filter, a third red color pixel filter adjacent to a fourth red color pixel filter, a fifth red color pixel filter adjacent to a sixth red color pixel filter and a seventh red color pixel filter adjacent to an eighth red color pixel filter.

8. The multi-aperture imaging system of claim 7, wherein the first number of pixels is different from the second number of pixels.

9. The multi-aperture imaging system of claim 7, wherein the first number of pixels is same as the second number of pixels.

10. The multi-aperture imaging system of claim 8, wherein the second type of filter array includes clear or white pixel filters.

11. The multi-aperture image system of claim 10, wherein the first camera is operative to provide a color image of an object or scene, wherein the second camera is operative to provide a luminance image of the object or scene, and wherein the multi-aperture imaging system further comprises a camera controller coupled to the two sensors and used to process the color image and the luminance image into a fused color image.

12. A multi-aperture imaging system comprising:

a) a first camera comprising a first sensor with a first number of pixels and a first type of filter array; and

b) a second camera comprising a second sensor with a second number of pixels and a second type of filter array different from the first type of filter array,

wherein the first type of filter array is a non-Bayer color filter that includes a plurality of repetitions, with each repetition including 16 blue color pixel filters, and wherein the first type of filter array has, in a first direction, a first blue color pixel filter, adjacent to a second blue color pixel filter, a third blue color pixel filter adjacent to a fourth blue color pixel filter, a fifth blue color pixel filter adjacent to a sixth blue color pixel filter and a seventh blue color pixel filter adjacent to an eighth blue color pixel filter.

13. The multi-aperture imaging system of claim 12, wherein the first number of pixels is different from the second number of pixels.

14. The multi-aperture imaging system of claim 12, wherein the first number of pixel is same as the second number of pixels.

15. The multi-aperture imaging system of claim 13, wherein the second type of filter array includes clear or white pixel filters.

16. The multi-aperture imaging system of claim 15, wherein the first camera is operative to provide a color image of an object or scene, wherein the second camera is operative to provide a luminance image of the object or scene, and wherein the multi-aperture imaging system further comprises a camera controller coupled to the two sensors and used to process the color image and the luminance image into a fused color image.