Method and apparatus for automatic linear shift parallax correction for multi-array image systems
First Claim
Patent Images
1. A method of correcting parallax error in images acquired from a plurality of pixel cell arrays, said method comprising:
- computing a plurality of either column sums or row sums of pixel signal values from each of the plurality of pixel cell arrays;
computing an average pixel signal value corresponding to each of said plurality of sums;
correlating the average pixel signal values of the plurality of pixel cell arrays; and
shifting an image formed from at least one of the plurality of pixel cell arrays based on a result of the correlation.
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Abstract
A method and apparatus for correcting linear shift parallax error in multi-array image systems. Average pixel cell signal values for pixel cells within a summing window of each column or row of at least two sub-arrays are computed during read-out. The images of the sub-arrays are correlated based on the averages, then shifted based on a result of the correlation function to correct the exhibited parallax error. The summation, correlation, and shifting can be performed by a pixel pipeline processing circuit.
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Citations
40 Claims
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1. A method of correcting parallax error in images acquired from a plurality of pixel cell arrays, said method comprising:
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computing a plurality of either column sums or row sums of pixel signal values from each of the plurality of pixel cell arrays; computing an average pixel signal value corresponding to each of said plurality of sums; correlating the average pixel signal values of the plurality of pixel cell arrays; and shifting an image formed from at least one of the plurality of pixel cell arrays based on a result of the correlation. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14)
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15. A method of correcting linear shift parallax error in an imager having a plurality of linearly-arranged sub-arrays, said method comprising:
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reading pixel cell values from a plurality of sub-arrays; computing sums of pixel values for columns of pixels as said pixel cell values are read-out; computing average pixel cell values for each of the columns; correlating images formed from the plurality of sub-arrays based on the average pixel cell values; and shifting an image formed from at least one of the plurality of sub-arrays based on a result of the correlation. - View Dependent Claims (16, 17, 18, 19, 20)
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21. A method of correcting parallax error for images captured by a plurality of pixel cell arrays, said method comprising:
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correlating data from pixel values of images respectively captured by said pixel cell arrays; determining from said correlated data the amount of parallax error between said captured images; and shifting at least one of said images relative to another of said images to reduce said parallax error. - View Dependent Claims (22)
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23. An imager, comprising:
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a plurality of sub-arrays arranged in a linear configuration, each sub-array comprising pixel cells organized in rows and columns; a read-out circuit for reading out pixel cell values from said plurality of sub-arrays; and a pixel signal processing circuit configured to compute a sum of the pixel cell values for either columns or rows in each of said plurality of sub-arrays, to compute an average associated with each sum, to correlate images formed from the plurality of sub-arrays based on the averages, and to shift an image formed from at least one of the plurality of sub-arrays in accordance with a result of the correlation. - View Dependent Claims (24, 25, 26, 27, 28, 29, 30, 31, 32, 33)
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34. An imager, comprising:
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a red sub-array, a green sub-array, and a blue sub-array arranged in a linear configuration, wherein one of the sub-arrays is a center sub-array; a read-out circuit for reading out pixel cell values from the sub-arrays; and a pixel processing circuit, comprising; a summing circuit configured to compute a sum of the pixel cell values for columns in the sub-arrays; and a buffer memory associated with the summing circuit for storing sum values, wherein the processor is configured to correlate images from a first sub-array and the center sub-array using said sum values, shift an image formed from the first sub-array based on a result of the correlation, correlate images formed from a second sub-array and the center sub-array using said sum values, shift the image formed from the second sub-array based on a result of the correlation, and combine the shifted images from said first and second sub-arrays with the image from the center sub-array. - View Dependent Claims (35, 36, 37, 38)
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39. A camera system, comprising:
an imager, comprising; a plurality of sub-arrays arranged in a linear configuration, each sub-array comprising pixel cells organized into rows and columns and each sub-array responsive to a respective band of wavelengths of light; a read-out circuit for reading out pixel cell values from said plurality of sub-arrays; a lens for focusing an image on said sub-arrays; and a pixel signal processing circuit configured to compute a sum of the pixel cell values for each column in said sub-arrays, to average the sums of the pixel cell values, to correlate images formed from the plurality of sub-arrays using said averages, to shift an image from at least one of the plurality of sub-arrays based on a result of the correlation, and to combine shifted and unshifted images corresponding to said plurality of sub-arrays. - View Dependent Claims (40)
Specification