Apparatus and method for capturing still images and video using coded lens imaging techniques

• US 20090167922A1
• Filed: 08/22/2005
• Published: 07/02/2009
• Est. Priority Date: 01/18/2005
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Rearden, LLC
• Original Assignee: Rearden, LLC
• Inventors: Laan, Roger van der, Busboom, Axel, Perlman, Stephen G., Cotter, Tim S., Greene, Pamela, Speck, John
• Granted Patent: US 7,671,321 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 348/340
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 23/957 Light-field or plenoptic cameras or camera modules
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 25/60 Noise processing, e.g. detecting, correcting, reducing or removing noise
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 25/61 the noise originating only from the lens unit, e.g. flare, shading, vignetting or "cos4"

Abstract

An apparatus for capturing images. In one embodiment, the apparatus comprises: a coded lens array including a plurality of lenses arranged in a coded pattern and with opaque material blocking array elements that do not contain lenses; and a light-sensitive semiconductor sensor coupled to the coded lens array and positioned at a specified distance behind the coded lens array, the light-sensitive sensor configured to sense light transmitted through the lenses in the coded lens array.

Claims

1. An apparatus for coding images comprising:

a light-sensitive sensor; and

a coded lens array including a plurality of lenses arranged in a first dimension and a second dimension and coupled together to form a two dimensional coded pattern cyclically repeated at least once in both dimensions such that the two dimensional coded pattern appears at least twice in both dimensions, wherein the coded pattern is arranged to cause an overlapping of images projected from lenses onto the light-sensitive sensor.

2. The apparatus as in claim 1 wherein the light-sensitive sensor is a light-sensitive semiconductor sensor coupled to the coded lens array and positioned at a specified distance behind the coded lens array, the light-sensitive sensor configured to sense light transmitted through the lenses in the coded lens array.

3. The apparatus as in claim 2 further comprising:

image reconstruction logic to generate image data using the light transmitted through the lenses and sensed by the light-sensitive sensor, the image data representing an image of a subject positioned in front of the coded lens array.

4. The apparatus as in claim 1 wherein the coded pattern is a Uniformly Redundant Array (URA) pattern.

5. The apparatus as in claim 1 wherein the coded pattern is a Modified Uniformly Redundant Array (MURA) pattern.

6. The apparatus as in claim 1 wherein the coded pattern is a random pattern.

7. The apparatus as in claim 1 wherein there is opaque material blocking array elements which do not contain lenses.

8. The apparatus as in claim 2 further comprising:

an image sensor readout subsystem communicatively coupled to receive image data from the light-sensitive semiconductor sensor and to adjust zero offset and/or gain of pixel values of the image data.

28. The apparatus as in claim 1 wherein the coded pattern is a Perfect Binary Array (PBA) pattern.

9. (canceled)

10. A method for coding images comprising:

providing a light-sensitive sensor; and

arranging a plurality of lenses into a two dimensional coded pattern over a first dimension and a second dimension and cyclically repeated at least once in both dimensions such that the two dimensional coded pattern appears at least twice in both dimensions to cause an overlapping of images projected from lenses onto the light-sensitive sensor.

11. The method as in claim 10 further comprising:

positioning the light-sensitive sensor at a specified distance behind the coded lens array, wherein the sensor is a light-sensitive sensor configured to sense light transmitted through the lenses in the coded lens array.

12. The method as in claim 11 further comprising:

generating image data using the light transmitted through the lenses and sensed by the light-sensitive sensor, the image data representing an image of a subject positioned in front of the coded lens array.

13. The method as in claim 10 wherein the coded pattern is a Uniformly Redundant Array (URA) pattern.

14. The method as in claim 10 wherein the coded pattern is a Modified Uniformly Redundant Array (MURA) pattern.

15. The method as in claim 10 wherein the coded pattern is a random pattern.

16. The method as in claim 10 further comprising opaque material blocking array elements which do not contain lenses.

17. The method as in claim 11 further comprising:

receiving image data from the light-sensitive semiconductor sensor and adjusting zero offset and/or gain of pixel values of the image data.

29. The method as in claim 10 wherein the coded pattern is a Perfect Binary Array (PBA) pattern.

18. (canceled)

19. An apparatus comprising:

light-sensitive sensor means; and

coded lens array means including a plurality of lenses arranged in a two dimensional coded pattern over a first dimension and a second dimension and cyclically repeated at least once in both dimensions such that the two dimensional coded pattern appears at least twice in both dimensions, wherein the coded pattern is arranged to cause an overlapping of images projected from lenses onto the light-sensitive sensor means.

20. The apparatus as in claim 19 wherein the light-sensitive sensor means is a light-sensitive semiconductor sensor means coupled to the coded lens array and positioned at a specified distance behind the coded lens array, the light-sensitive sensor means configured to sense light transmitted through the lenses in the coded lens array.

21. The apparatus as in claim 20 further comprising:

image reconstruction means to generate image data using the light transmitted through the lenses and sensed by the light-sensitive sensor means, the image data representing an image of a subject positioned in front of the coded lens array.

22. The apparatus as in claim 19 wherein the coded pattern is a Uniformly Redundant Array (URA) pattern.

23. The apparatus as in claim 19 wherein the coded pattern is a Modified Uniformly Redundant Array (MURA) pattern.

24. The apparatus as in claim 19 wherein the coded pattern is a random pattern.

25. The apparatus as in claim 19 further comprising opaque material blocking array elements which do not contain lenses.

26. The apparatus as in claim 20 further comprising:

image sensor readout means communicatively coupled to receive image data from the light sensitive semiconductor sensor and to adjust zero offset and/or gain of pixel values of the image data.

30. The apparatus as in claim 19 wherein the coded pattern is a Perfect Binary Array (PBA) pattern.

27. (canceled)

31-52. -52. (canceled)

53. A method for coding images comprising:

providing a light-sensitive sensor; and

arranging a plurality of lenses into a two dimensional coded pattern over a first dimension and a second dimension and cyclically repeated in both dimensions such that the two dimensional coded pattern appears at least twice in both dimensions, wherein the coded pattern is arranged to cause an overlapping of images projected from lenses onto the light-sensitive sensor.

54. The method as in claim 53 further comprising:

positioning the light-sensitive sensor at a specified distance behind the coded lens array, wherein the light-sensitive sensor is configured to sense light transmitted through the lenses in the coded lens array.

55. The method as in claim 54 further comprising:

generating image data using the light transmitted through the lenses and sensed by the light-sensitive sensor, the image data representing an image of a subject positioned in front of the coded lens array.

56. The method as in claim 53 wherein the coded pattern is a Uniformly Redundant Array (URA) pattern.

57. The method as in claim 53 wherein the coded pattern is a Modified Uniformly Redundant Array (MURA) pattern.

58. The method as in claim 53 wherein the coded pattern is a random pattern.

59. The method as in claim 53 further comprising opaque material blocking array elements which do not contain lenses.

60. The method as in claim 54 further comprising:

receiving image data from the light-sensitive semiconductor sensor and adjusting zero offset and/or gain of pixel values of the image data.

61. The method as in claim 53 further comprising:

collimating light passing between the coded lens array and the light-sensitive semiconductor sensor.

62. The method as in claim 61 wherein the collimating is performed using a plurality of baffles.

63-71. -71. (canceled)