Methods and Apparatus for Full-Resolution Light-Field Capture and Rendering
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Abstract
Method and apparatus for full-resolution light-field capture and rendering. A radiance camera is described in which the microlenses in a microlens array are focused on the image plane of the main lens instead of on the main lens, as in conventional plenoptic cameras. The microlens array may be located at distances greater than f from the photosensor, where f is the focal length of the microlenses. Radiance cameras in which the distance of the microlens array from the photosensor is adjustable, and in which other characteristics of the camera are adjustable, are described. Digital and film embodiments of the radiance camera are described. A full-resolution light-field rendering method may be applied to light-fields captured by a radiance camera to render higher-resolution output images than are possible with conventional plenoptic cameras and rendering methods.
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Citations
58 Claims
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1-38. -38. (canceled)
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39. An imaging device, comprising:
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a photosensor that captures light projected onto the photosensor; an objective lens, wherein the objective lens refracts light from a scene located in front of the imaging device to form an image of the scene at an image plane of the objective lens; and an array of microlenses positioned between the objective lens and the photosensor, wherein the image plane is located in front of or behind the array of microlenses, and wherein each microlens is focused on the image plane and not on the objective lens; wherein each microlens projects a respective portion of the image of the scene formed at the image plane by the objective lens onto a respective region of the photosensor to form, on the photosensor, a light-field image comprising a plurality of microimages of the scene, each microimage corresponding to a respective microlens in the array of microlenses. - View Dependent Claims (40, 41, 42, 43, 44, 45)
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46. A method, comprising:
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receiving light from a scene located in front of an imaging device at an objective lens of the imaging device; refracting light from the objective lens to form an image of the scene at an image plane of the objective lens; and projecting, by an array of microlenses positioned between the objective lens and a photosensor of the imaging device, respective portions of the image of the scene formed at the image plane by the objective lens onto respective regions of the photosensor, wherein the image plane is located in front of or behind the array of microlenses, and wherein each microlens is focused on the image plane and not on the objective lens; wherein the respective portions of the image of the scene projected onto the respective regions of the photosensor by the array of microlenses form a light-field image on the photosensor, the light-field image comprising a plurality of separate microimages of the scene, each microimage corresponding to a respective microlens in the array of microlenses. - View Dependent Claims (47, 48, 49, 50, 51, 52)
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53. An optical imaging system, comprising:
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an objective lens configured to refract light from a scene located in front of the imaging device to form an image of the scene at an image plane behind the objective lens; and an array of microlenses focused on the image plane and configured to project respective portions of the image of the scene formed at the image plane by the objective lens onto respective regions of a photosensor to form a light-field image on the photosensor, the light-field image comprising an array of microimages of the scene, each microimage corresponding to a respective microlens in the array of microlenses. - View Dependent Claims (54, 55, 56, 57, 58)
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Specification