MULTI-LENS CAMERA
First Claim
1. A camera comprising a plurality of lens/sensor pairs;
- each lens configured to provide a sub-image on the corresponding sensor in the lens/sensor pair;
the corresponding sensor configured to provide a corresponding sub-image data set;
calibration data, for each lens/sensor pair, comprising the relative optical axis of each lens/sensor pair;
software configured to combine sub-image data from a plurality of lens/sensor pairs, responsive to the calibration data, to form a final digital image, wherein the software is in non-transitory memory;
storage means configured to store digital image data.
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Abstract
A camera with multiple lenses and multiple sensors wherein each lens/sensor pair generates a sub-image of a final photograph or video. Different embodiments include: manufacturing all lenses as a single component; manufacturing all sensors as one piece of silicon; different lenses incorporate filters for different wavelengths, including IR and UV; non-circular lenses; different lenses are different focal lengths; different lenses focus at different distances; selection of sharpest sub-image; blurring of selected sub-images; different lens/sensor pairs have different exposures; selection of optimum exposure sub-images; identification of distinct objects based on distance; stereo imaging in more than one axis; and dynamic optical center-line calibration.
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Citations
20 Claims
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1. A camera comprising a plurality of lens/sensor pairs;
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each lens configured to provide a sub-image on the corresponding sensor in the lens/sensor pair;
the corresponding sensor configured to provide a corresponding sub-image data set;calibration data, for each lens/sensor pair, comprising the relative optical axis of each lens/sensor pair; software configured to combine sub-image data from a plurality of lens/sensor pairs, responsive to the calibration data, to form a final digital image, wherein the software is in non-transitory memory; storage means configured to store digital image data. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12)
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13. A method of taking a photograph using the camera wherein the camera comprises a plurality of lens/sensor pairs;
- and each lens is configured to provide a sub-image on the corresponding sensor in the lens/sensor pair;
the corresponding sensor configured to provide a corresponding sub-image data set;
wherein the steps comprise;calibrating, comprising storing the relative optical axis of each lens/sensor pair; photo-taking, wherein a user of the camera initiates a picture taking sequence within the camera;
the photo-taking sequence comprising;generating an optical sub-image on the sensor in the each lens/pair using the lens in each lens/sensor pair; generating a digital sub-image data corresponding to the optical sub-image for each lens/sensor pair; correcting the digital sub-image data of said each sensor responsive to the calibration data stored for lens/sensor pair for that sensor; combining the corrected digital sub-image data into a final digital image; storing the final digital image. - View Dependent Claims (14, 15, 16)
- and each lens is configured to provide a sub-image on the corresponding sensor in the lens/sensor pair;
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17. A method of manufacturing a camera comprising a plurality of lens/sensor pairs wherein:
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each lens is configured to provide a sub-image on the corresponding sensor in the lens/sensor pair;
the corresponding sensor configured to provide a corresponding sub-image data set;calibration data, for each lens/sensor pair, comprising the relative optical axis of each lens/sensor pair; software configured to combine sub-image data from a plurality of lens/sensor pairs, responsive to the calibration data, to form a final digital image; storage means configured to store digital image data; wherein at least two of the lenses in the at least two lens/sensor pairs are formed as single piece. - View Dependent Claims (18, 19)
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20. A method of taking a photograph using a camera comprising a plurality of lens/sensor pairs, wherein the camera comprises:
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each lens in the lens/sensor pairs configured to provide a sub-image on the corresponding sensor in the lens/sensor pair;
the corresponding sensor configured to provide a corresponding sub-image data set;calibration data, for each lens/sensor pair, comprising the relative optical axis of each lens/sensor pair; software configured to combine sub-image data from a plurality of lens/sensor pairs, responsive to the calibration data, to form a final digital image; storage means configured to store digital image data; at least one IR lens/sensor pair configured to focus and use light in the infrared spectrum; wherein the steps of the method comprise; initiating a picture-taking sequence by the user of the camera; turning on an infrared illuminator; creating an exposure using the IR lens/sensor pair using the light generated by the infrared illuminator;
wherein the IR lens/sensor pair generates an IR sub-image data set;
while at the same time creating an exposure from a second lens/sensor pair using visible light;
wherein the second lens/sensor pair generates a visible sub-image data set;turning off the infrared illuminator; correcting the IR sub-image data set responsive to the calibration data stored for IR lens/sensor pair and correcting the visible light sub-image data set responsive to the calibration data stored for the visible lens/sensor pair; combining the corrected IR sub-image data set with the corrected visible light sub-image data set into a final continuous color image; storing the final continuous color image.
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Specification