Systems and Methods for Concurrently Playing Multiple Images From a Storage Medium

• US 20090284620A1
• Filed: 05/05/2009
• Published: 11/19/2009
• Est. Priority Date: 05/19/2008
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Spatial Cam LLC
• Original Assignee: Spatial Cam LLC
• Inventors: Lablans, Peter
• Granted Patent: US 8,164,655 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 348/231.300
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 5/77 between a recording apparatus and a television camera
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 5/772 the recording apparatus and the television camera being placed in the same enclosure
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 5/775 between a recording apparatus and a television receiver
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 5/781 on disks or drums
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 5/85 on discs or drums
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 5/907 using static stores, e.g. storage tubes or semiconductor memories H04N5/91 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 9/8042 involving data reduction
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 9/8063 using time division multiplex of the PCM audio and PCM video signals
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 9/8227 the additional signal being at least another television signal
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 9/8233 the additional signal being a character code signal

Abstract

Methods for storing on a storage or memory medium, and retrieving, and displaying of multiple images in a registered manner, the images have been recorded concurrently. The images may comprise at least 2 video programs. A camera system for recording multiple concurrent images is also disclosed. Lenses and corresponding image sensors are calibrated to have calibrated and associated settings for recording multiple images that are substantially registered images. A registered image may be displayed on a single display. It may also be displayed on multiple displays. A camera for recording and displaying registered multiple images may be part of a mobile phone.

Claims

1. A method for displaying at least a first and a second concurrently recorded image in a registered manner, comprising:

generating data representing a first setting of a first lens in a camera for recording the first image under a first condition;

storing in the memory data representing a first setting of a second lens in the camera for recording the second image under the first condition;

associating the first setting of the second lens with the first setting of the first lens;

applying the first setting of the first lens to the first lens;

retrieving by a controller from the memory data representing the setting of the second lens associated with the first setting of the first lens and putting the second lens in the retrieved setting; and

storing in an image storage device data representing a registered image created from the first image taken through the first lens and the second image taken through the second lens.

2. The method of claim 1, further comprising storing data representing a merge line in the first and the second image.

3. The method of claim 2, wherein the data representing the first image data are data determined by the merge line.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein a setting of a lens is selected from a group consisting of focus, zoom, diaphragm, shutter speed, and lens position.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein images are video images and further comprising:

multiplexing image data in accordance with a sampling theorem; and

storing the image data in a contiguous manner.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein the image storage device is selected from the group consisting of a binary electronic memory, a rotating binary data storage medium, an n-state electronic memory with n>

2 and an n-state rotating n-state storage medium.

7. The method of claim 5, further comprising:

reading the image data from the image storage device;

demultiplexing the image data into data representing at least a first and a second concurrent and registered image; and

displaying concurrently the at least first and second registered image.

8. The method of claim 2, further comprising processing the data of the at least first and second image for display on a single display as a single registered image.

9. The method of claim 2, further comprising processing the data of the at least first and second image for display on at least a first and second display to provide a registered image of a scene recorded by the at least first and second image.

10. The method of claim 1, wherein the camera is part of a mobile phone.

11. A system for displaying at least a first and a second concurrently recorded image in a registered manner, comprising:

an instruction memory holding data representing instructions;

a processor for retrieving from the memory data representing instructions and executing the instructions for performing the steps of;

generating data representing a first setting of a first lens in a camera for recording the first image under a first condition;

storing in the memory data representing a first setting of a second lens in the camera for recording the second image under the first condition;

associating the first setting of the second lens with the first setting of the first lens;

applying the first setting of the first lens to the first lens;

retrieving by a controller from the memory data representing the setting of the second lens associated with the first setting of the first lens and putting the second lens in the retrieved setting; and

storing in an image storage device data representing a registered image created from the first image taken through the first lens and the second image taken through the second lens.

12. The system of claim 11, further comprising instructions for storing data representing a merge line in the first and the second image.

13. The system of claim 12, wherein the data representing the first image data are data determined by the merge line.

14. The system of claim 11, wherein a setting of a lens is selected from a group consisting of focus, zoom, diaphragm, shutter speed, and lens position.

15. The system of claim 11, wherein images are video images and further comprising:

multiplexing image data in accordance with a sampling theorem; and

storing the image data in a contiguous manner.

16. The system of claim 11, wherein the image storage device is selected from the group consisting of a binary electronic memory, a rotating binary data storage medium, an n-state electronic memory with n>

2 and an n-state rotating n-state storage medium.

17. The system of claim 15, further comprising instructions for performing the steps of:

reading the image data from the image storage device;

demultiplexing the image data into data representing at least a first and a second concurrent and registered image; and

displaying concurrently the at least first and second registered image.

18. The system of claim 12, further comprising instructions for processing the data of the at least first and second image for display on a single display as a single registered image.

19. The system of claim 12, further comprising instructions for processing the data of the at least first and second image for display on at least a first and second display to provide a registered image of a scene recorded by the at least first and second image.

20. The system of claim 11, wherein the camera is part of a mobile phone.