Apparatus and method for improved-resolution digital zoom in an electronic imaging device
First Claim
Patent Images
1. An electronic imaging device having an improved-resolution digital zoom capability, comprising:
- an optical system to produce an optical image;
an array of imaging sensors to convert the optical image to a digital image, the imaging sensors varying in size and pitch, the size increasing from the center of the array to the perimeter of the array, the pitch decreasing from the center of the array to the perimeter of the array, the imaging sensors thereby introducing geometric distortion in the digital image, a central portion of the digital image thereby acquiring relatively higher resolution than an edge portion of the digital image;
first logic to extract a cropped digital image from within the central portion; and
second logic to correct the geometric distortion in the cropped digital image, the electronic imaging device thereby producing an improved-resolution digitally zoomed image.
3 Assignments
0 Petitions
Accused Products
Abstract
An electronic imaging device produces higher quality digitally zoomed images than can be obtained by simple cropping and resealing. An array of imaging sensors that places more resolution near the center of the image than at the edges combined with geometrical distortion correction achieves the increase in image quality.
72 Citations
36 Claims
-
1. An electronic imaging device having an improved-resolution digital zoom capability, comprising:
-
an optical system to produce an optical image;
an array of imaging sensors to convert the optical image to a digital image, the imaging sensors varying in size and pitch, the size increasing from the center of the array to the perimeter of the array, the pitch decreasing from the center of the array to the perimeter of the array, the imaging sensors thereby introducing geometric distortion in the digital image, a central portion of the digital image thereby acquiring relatively higher resolution than an edge portion of the digital image;
first logic to extract a cropped digital image from within the central portion; and
second logic to correct the geometric distortion in the cropped digital image, the electronic imaging device thereby producing an improved-resolution digitally zoomed image. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6)
-
-
7. An electronic imaging device having an improved-resolution digital zoom capability, comprising:
-
an optical system to produce an optical image;
an array of imaging sensors to convert the optical image to a digital image, the imaging sensors varying in size and pitch, the size increasing from the center of the array to the perimeter of the array, the pitch decreasing from the center of the array to the perimeter of the array, the imaging sensors thereby introducing geometric distortion in the digital image;
first logic to correct the geometric distortion in the digital image to produce a corrected digital image, a central portion of the corrected digital image having relatively higher resolution than an edge portion of the corrected digital image; and
second logic to crop the corrected digital image within the central portion, the electronic imaging device thereby producing an improved-resolution digitally zoomed image. - View Dependent Claims (8, 9, 10, 11, 12)
-
-
13. An electronic imaging device having an improved-resolution digital zoom capability, comprising:
-
means for producing an optical image;
sensor means for converting the optical image to a digital image, the sensor means introducing geometric distortion in the digital image, a central portion of the digital image thereby acquiring relatively higher resolution than an edge portion of the digital image;
first logic means for extracting a cropped digital image from within the central portion; and
second logic means for correcting the geometric distortion in the cropped digital image, the electronic imaging device thereby producing an improved-resolution digitally zoomed image. - View Dependent Claims (14, 15, 16, 17, 18)
-
-
19. An electronic imaging device having an improved-resolution digital zoom capability, comprising:
-
means for producing an optical image;
sensor means for converting the optical image to a digital image, the sensor means introducing geometric distortion in the digital image;
first logic means for correcting the geometric distortion in the digital image to produce a corrected digital image, a central portion of the corrected digital image having relatively higher resolution than an edge portion of the corrected digital image; and
second logic means for cropping the corrected digital image within the central portion, the electronic imaging device thereby producing an improved-resolution digitally zoomed image. - View Dependent Claims (20, 21, 22, 23, 24)
-
-
25. A method for providing an improved-resolution digital zoom feature in an electronic imaging device, comprising:
-
producing an optical image;
converting the optical image to a digital image using an array of imaging sensors, the imaging sensors varying in size and pitch, the size increasing from the center of the array to the perimeter of the array, the pitch decreasing from the center of the array to the perimeter of the array, the imaging sensors thereby introducing geometric distortion in the digital image, a central portion of the digital image thereby acquiring relatively higher resolution than an edge portion of the digital image;
producing a cropped digital image from within the central portion; and
correcting the geometric distortion in the cropped digital image to produce an improved-resolution digitally zoomed image. - View Dependent Claims (26, 27, 28, 29, 30)
-
-
31. A method for providing an improved-resolution digital zoom feature in an electronic imaging device, comprising:
-
producing an optical image;
converting the optical image to a digital image using an array of imaging sensors, the imaging sensors varying in size and pitch, the size increasing from the center of the array to the perimeter of the array, the pitch decreasing from the center of the array to the perimeter of the array, the imaging sensors thereby introducing geometric distortion in the digital image;
correcting the geometric distortion in the digital image to produce a corrected digital image, a central portion of the corrected digital image having relatively higher resolution than an edge portion of the corrected digital image; and
cropping the corrected digital image within the central portion to produce an improved-resolution digitally zoomed image. - View Dependent Claims (32, 33, 34, 35, 36)
-
Specification