OPTICAL ARRANGEMENTS FOR USE WITH AN ARRAY CAMERA
First Claim
1. A camera array, comprising:
- A plurality of cameras, where each camera includes a separate optics, and a plurality of light sensing elements, and each camera is configured to independently capture an image of a scene;
wherein the optics of each camera are configured so that each camera has a field of view that is shifted with respect to the field-of-views of the other cameras so that each shift includes a sub-pixel shifted view of the scene;
wherein the light sensing elements have a pixel pitch defining the Nyquist frequency, and where the optics of each camera have a modular transfer function (MTF) such that the optics optically resolve, with sufficient contrast, spatial frequencies larger than the Nyquist frequency (Ny);
wherein the camera array is a monolithic integrated module comprising a single semiconductor substrate on which all of the sensor elements are formed, and optics including a plurality of lens elements, where each lens element forms part of the separate optics for one of the cameras;
wherein each of the cameras includes one of a plurality of different types of filer; and
wherein cameras having the same type of filter are uniformly distributed about the geometric center of the camera array.
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Accused Products
Abstract
A variety of optical arrangements and methods of modifying or enhancing the optical characteristics and functionality of these optical arrangements are provided. The optical arrangements being specifically designed to operate with camera arrays that incorporate an imaging device that is formed of a plurality of imagers that each include a plurality of pixels. The plurality of imagers include a first imager having a first imaging characteristics and a second imager having a second imaging characteristics. The images generated by the plurality of imagers are processed to obtain an enhanced image compared to images captured by the imagers. In many optical arrangements the MTF characteristics of the optics allow for contrast at spatial frequencies that are at least as great as the desired resolution of the high resolution images synthesized by the array camera, and significantly greater than the Nyquist frequency of the pixel pitch of the pixels on the focal plane, which in some cases may be 1.5, 2 or 3 times the Nyquist frequency.
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Citations
18 Claims
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1. A camera array, comprising:
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A plurality of cameras, where each camera includes a separate optics, and a plurality of light sensing elements, and each camera is configured to independently capture an image of a scene; wherein the optics of each camera are configured so that each camera has a field of view that is shifted with respect to the field-of-views of the other cameras so that each shift includes a sub-pixel shifted view of the scene; wherein the light sensing elements have a pixel pitch defining the Nyquist frequency, and where the optics of each camera have a modular transfer function (MTF) such that the optics optically resolve, with sufficient contrast, spatial frequencies larger than the Nyquist frequency (Ny); wherein the camera array is a monolithic integrated module comprising a single semiconductor substrate on which all of the sensor elements are formed, and optics including a plurality of lens elements, where each lens element forms part of the separate optics for one of the cameras; wherein each of the cameras includes one of a plurality of different types of filer; and wherein cameras having the same type of filter are uniformly distributed about the geometric center of the camera array. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9)
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10. A camera array, comprising:
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a plurality of cameras, where each camera includes a separate optics, and a plurality of light sensing elements each having a pixel pitch defining the Nyquist frequency, and each camera is configured to independently capture a low resolution image of a scene; a processor configured to synthesize a higher resolution image from the plurality of lower resolution images, the high resolution image has a characteristic MTF; wherein the optics of each camera are configured so that each camera has a field of view that is shifted with respect to the field-of-views of the other cameras so that each shift includes a sub-pixel shifted view of the scene; wherein the optics of each camera have a modular transfer function (MTF) at least as large of the MTF of the high resolution image; wherein the camera array is a monolithic integrated module comprising a single semiconductor substrate on which all of the sensor elements are formed, and optics including a plurality of lens elements, where each lens element forms part of the separate optics for one of the cameras; wherein each of the cameras includes one of a plurality of different types of filer; and wherein cameras having the same type of filter are uniformly distributed about the geometric center of the camera array. - View Dependent Claims (11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18)
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Specification