CONTINUOUS ELECTRONIC ZOOM FOR AN IMAGING SYSTEM WITH MULTIPLE IMAGING DEVICES HAVING DIFFERENT FIXED FOV

• US 20120026366A1
• Filed: 04/06/2010
• Published: 02/02/2012
• Est. Priority Date: 04/07/2009
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: Nextvision Stabilized Systems Limited
• Original Assignee: Nextvision Stabilized Systems Limited
• Inventors: Golan, Chen, Kipnis, Boris
• Application Number:
  US13/262,842
• Publication Number:
  US 20120026366A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 348/240.2
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 23/68 for stable pick-up of the scene, e.g. compensating for camera body vibrations
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 23/6812 based on additional sensors, e.g. acceleration sensors
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 23/682 Vibration or motion blur correction
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 23/683 performed by a processor, e.g. controlling the readout of an image memory
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 23/687 by shifting the lens or sensor position
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 23/695 Control of camera direction for changing a field of view, e.g. pan, tilt or based on tracking of objects
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 5/2628 Alteration of picture size, shape, position or orientation, e.g. zooming, rotation, rolling, perspective, translation
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 29/49826 Assembling or joining

Abstract

A method for continuous electronic zoom in a computerized image acquisition system, the system having a wide image acquisition device and a tele image acquisition device having a tele image sensor array coupled with a tele lens having a narrow FOV, and a tele electronic zoom. The method includes providing a user of the image acquisition device with a zoom selecting control, thereby obtaining a requested zoom, selecting one of the image acquisition devices based on the requested zoom and acquiring an image frame, thereby obtaining an acquired image frame, and performing digitally zoom on the acquired image frame, thereby obtaining an acquired image frame with the requested zoom. The alignment between the wide image sensor array and the tele image sensor array is computed, to facilitate continuous electronic zoom with uninterrupted imaging, when switching back and forth between the wide image sensor array and the tele image sensor array.

Claims

1. In a computerized image acquisition system, having multiple optical image acquisition devices each with a fixed field of view (FOV), a method for continuous electronic zoom comprising the steps of:

a) providing a first image acquisition device including;

i) a first image sensor array coupled with a first lens having a first FOV; and

ii) a first electronic zoom;

b) providing a second image acquisition device including;

i) a second image sensor array coupled with a second lens having a second FOV; and

ii) a second electronic zoom;

wherein at least a portion of the environment, viewed from within said second FOV of said second image acquisition device, overlaps the environment viewed from within said first FOV of said first image acquisition device;

c) electronically calibrating the alignment between said first image sensor array and said second image sensor array, whereby determining an X-coordinate offset and a Y-coordinate offset of the correlation between said first image sensor array and said second image sensor array;

d) providing a user of the image acquisition device with a zoom selecting control, thereby obtaining a requested zoom;

e) selecting one of said image acquisition devices based on said requested zoom;

f) acquiring an image frame with said selected image acquisition device, thereby obtaining an acquired image frame; and

g) performing digitally zoom on said acquired image frame, thereby obtaining an acquired image frame with said requested zoom,

wherein said calibrating of said alignment between said first image sensor array and said second image sensor array, facilitates continuous electronic zoom with uninterrupted imaging, when switching back and forth between said first image sensor array and said second image sensor array.

2. The method as in claim 1, wherein the computerized image acquisition system is configured to provide zooming functions selected from the group consisting of a bin function and a skip function;

wherein said selecting of said image acquisition device includes selecting the parameters of said bin and/or skip functions; and

wherein said method further includes the step of applying said selected bin/skip functions, with said selected parameters, to said acquired image frame, before said performing of said digital zoom step.

3. The method as in claim 1, wherein said image sensor arrays are focused to the infinite.

4. The method as in claim 1, wherein a lens, selected from the group consisting of said first lens and said second lens, is a focus adjustable lens.

5. The method as in claim 1, wherein a lens, selected from the group consisting of said first lens and said second lens, is a focus adjustable lens.

6. The method as in claim 1 wherein said second lens is a zoom lens.

7. The method as in claim 1, where said electronic calibration of said alignment between said first image sensor array and said second image sensor array, further determines a Z-coordinate rotational offset of the correlation between said first image sensor array and said second image sensor array.

8. The method as in claim 1, wherein said electronic calibration is performed with sub-pixel accuracy.

9. The method as in claim 1, wherein said electronic calibration step is performed on each pair of adjacently disposed image sensor arrays.

10. The method as in claim 1, wherein said first image acquisition device and said second image acquisition device are coupled with a mutual front lens and a beam splitter, wherein one portion of the light reaching said beam splitter is directed towards said first image sensor array and the remainder portion of the light reaching said beam splitter is directed towards said second image sensor array.

11. The method as in claim 1, wherein the angle of view of said first FOV is wider than the angle of view of said second FOV.

12. The method as in claim 1, wherein said first image sensor array is a color sensor and said second image sensor array is a monochrome sensor,

wherein a colored image frame is acquired by said first image sensor array;

wherein a monochrome image frame is acquired by said second image sensor array; and

wherein said colored image frame and said monochrome image frame are fused to form a high resolution colored image frame.

13. The method as in claim 12, wherein said fusion of said colored image frame and said monochrome image frame includes the step of computing color values for the pixels of said monochrome image frame from the respective pixels of said colored image frame.

14. The method as in claim 12, wherein the angle of view of said first FOV is wider than the angle of view of said second FOV.

15. The method as in claim 12, wherein the angle of view of said first FOV is substantially equal to the angle of view of said second FOV.

16. The method as in claim 13, wherein said computing of color values is performed in sub pixel accuracy.

17. The method as in claim 2, wherein said image sensor arrays are focused to the infinite.

18. The method as in claim 2, wherein said second lens is a zoom lens.

19. The method as in claim 7, wherein said electronic calibration is performed with sub-pixel accuracy.