PRODUCING DIGITAL IMAGE WITH DIFFERENT RESOLUTION PORTIONS

• US 20080030592A1
• Filed: 08/01/2006
• Published: 02/07/2008
• Est. Priority Date: 08/01/2006
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: Eastman Kodak Company
• Original Assignee: Eastman Kodak Company
• Inventors: Border, John N., Cahall, Scott C., Griffith, John D.
• Application Number:
  US11/461,574
• Publication Number:
  US 20080030592A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 348/218.1
• 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 23/69 Control of means for changing angle of the field of view, e.g. optical zoom objectives or electronic zooming

Abstract

A method of producing a digital image with improved resolution during digital zooming, including simultaneously capturing a first low resolution digital image of a scene and a second higher resolution digital image of a portion of substantially the same scene. A composite image is then formed by combining the first low-resolution digital image and a corresponding portion of the high resolution digital image. Digital zooming of the composite image produces a zoomed image with high resolution throughout the zoom range and improved image quality.

Claims

1. A method of producing a digital image having portions with different resolutions comprising:

(a) simultaneously capturing first and second digital images of the same scene wherein the first digital image is of a larger portion of the scene than the second digital image wherein the second digital image has a higher resolution than the resolution in the first digital image corresponding to the second digital image; and

(b) combining at least a portion of the second digital image into the corresponding portion of the first digital image to thereby provide a digital image having portions with different resolutions.

2. The method of claim 1 further including providing an image capture device having two lens systems and two image sensors, each lens system corresponding to a different one of the image sensors.

3. The method of claim 2 wherein each lens system includes at least one fixed focal length lens.

4. The method of claim 2 wherein one of the lens systems is an adjustable focal lens system.

5. A method for operating an image capture device to produce a digital image having portions with different resolutions comprising:

(a) providing an image capture device having an image processor, two lens systems, and two image sensors, each lens system corresponding to a different one of the lens systems;

(b) operating the image capture device to simultaneously capture first and second digital images of the same scene wherein the first digital image is of a larger portion of the scene than the second digital image wherein the second digital image has a higher resolution than the resolution in the first digital image corresponding to the second digital image; and

(c) using the image processor to stitch at least a portion of the second digital image into a corresponding portion of the first digital image providing a composite digital image having portions with different resolutions.

6. The method of claim 5 further including adjusting the zoom lens prior to image capture.

7. The method of claim 5 wherein each lens system includes at least one fixed focal length lens.

8. The method of claim 5 wherein one of the lens systems is an adjustable focal lens system.

9. The method of claim 5 wherein the two lens systems have a common optical axis.

10. The method of claim 5 wherein element (c) further includes using a zoom amount to stitch the first digital image and the second digital image.

11. The method of claim 5 wherein the composite digital image is a series of video images wherein each digital image in the video has different resolutions.