Spatio-Temporal Light Field Cameras
First Claim
1. A light field camera comprising:
- a micro photo-detector array device having a light detection surface defining an array of pixels, each pixel being a light detector that is individually addressable to output an electrical signal responsive to the intensity of light coupled into an aperture of the respective pixel; and
a micro lens array of micro lens elements;
the micro photo-detector array device and the micro lens array being assembled together and temporally angularly articulated as a single assembly about at least one axis parallel to a plane of the light detection surface of the micro photo-detector array device and at least through a maximum articulation angle;
each micro lens element of the micro lens array being associated and aligned relative to a plurality of pixels within a respective two dimensional pixel group array of the micro photo-detector array device, with each lens optically mapping light that impinges an aperture of the respective lens from a discrete set of directions within a light field defined by an angular extent of the respective lens onto the corresponding plurality of pixels within the two dimensional array of pixel groups of the micro photo-detector array device, the discrete set of directions defining an angular resolution between adjacent directions and an angular extent of the set of light directions;
the temporal angular articulation about the at least one axis expanding the angular extent and/or the angular resolution in a direction about the axis of the angular articulation.
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Accused Products
Abstract
Spatio-temporal light field cameras that can be used to capture the light field within its spatio temporally extended angular extent. Such cameras can be used to record 3D images, 2D images that can be computationally focused, or wide angle panoramic 2D images with relatively high spatial and directional resolutions. The light field cameras can be also be used as 2D/3D switchable cameras with extended angular extent. The spatio-temporal aspects of the novel light field cameras allow them to capture and digitally record the intensity and color from multiple directional views within a wide angle. The inherent volumetric compactness of the light field cameras make it possible to embed in small mobile devices to capture either 3D images or computationally focusable 2D images. The inherent versatility of these light field cameras makes them suitable for multiple perspective light field capture for 3D movies and video recording applications.
185 Citations
108 Claims
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1. A light field camera comprising:
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a micro photo-detector array device having a light detection surface defining an array of pixels, each pixel being a light detector that is individually addressable to output an electrical signal responsive to the intensity of light coupled into an aperture of the respective pixel; and a micro lens array of micro lens elements; the micro photo-detector array device and the micro lens array being assembled together and temporally angularly articulated as a single assembly about at least one axis parallel to a plane of the light detection surface of the micro photo-detector array device and at least through a maximum articulation angle; each micro lens element of the micro lens array being associated and aligned relative to a plurality of pixels within a respective two dimensional pixel group array of the micro photo-detector array device, with each lens optically mapping light that impinges an aperture of the respective lens from a discrete set of directions within a light field defined by an angular extent of the respective lens onto the corresponding plurality of pixels within the two dimensional array of pixel groups of the micro photo-detector array device, the discrete set of directions defining an angular resolution between adjacent directions and an angular extent of the set of light directions; the temporal angular articulation about the at least one axis expanding the angular extent and/or the angular resolution in a direction about the axis of the angular articulation. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19, 20, 21, 22, 23, 24, 25, 26, 27, 28, 29, 30, 31, 32, 33, 34, 35, 36, 37, 38, 39, 40)
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6. A light field camera comprising:
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a micro photo-detector array device having a light detection surface and a micro lens array of micro lens elements; whereby the micro photo-detector array device and the micro lens array are assembled together and temporally angularly articulated as a single assembly around two orthogonal axes parallel to a plane of the light detection surface of the micro photo-detector array device; wherein the temporal angular articulation is within a range of plus to minus a maximum angular articulation for each axis. - View Dependent Claims (7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12)
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41. A light field camera comprising:
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an micro photo-detector array device comprising a multiplicity of pixels; a micro lens array aligned and physically bonded to a surface of the micro photo-detector array device, and a two-axis gimbal supported on a gimbal base and having a bonding pad upon which the micro photo-detector array device with the micro lens array aligned and physically bonded to its surface is physically and electrically bonded; two sets of electromechanical actuators aligned with the two axes of the gimbal to affect temporal angular articulation of said bonding pad around the two axes of the gimbal; and a set of electrical contacts connecting said bonding pad to a set of micro photo-detector array device interface contacts. - View Dependent Claims (42, 43, 44, 45, 46, 47, 48, 49, 50, 51, 52, 53, 54, 55, 56, 57, 58, 59, 60, 61, 62, 63, 64, 65, 66, 67, 68, 69, 70, 71, 72, 73, 74, 75, 76, 77, 78, 79, 80, 81, 82, 83, 84, 85, 86, 87, 88, 89, 90, 91, 92, 93, 94)
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95. A method comprising:
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providing a plurality of light field cameras each having; a micro photo-detector array device having a light detection surface and a micro lens array of micro lens elements; whereby the micro photo-detector array device and the micro lens array are assembled together and temporally angularly articulated as a single assembly around two orthogonal axes parallel to a plane of the light detection surface of the micro photo-detector array device; the temporal angular articulation being within a range of plus to minus a maximum angular articulation for each axis; embedding each light field camera in a respective mobile device; interconnecting each mobile device to at least one host device through wireless or wireline networks or through bulk data transfer using flash memory modules; exchanging light field camera output data between mobile devices that captured a different perspective of a viewing scene and the host device to form collective light field camera output data; and using the collective light field camera output data to create a collective light field of the viewed scene. - View Dependent Claims (96, 97, 98, 99, 100, 101, 102, 103, 104, 105, 106)
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107. A method comprising:
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providing a plurality of two dimensional digital cameras, each in a respective mobile device, to capture the two dimensional light field data of a viewing scene; augmenting the two dimensional light field data of a viewed scene with the location, orientation and time of capture the two dimensional light field data; interconnecting each mobile device to at least one host device through wireless or wireline networks or through bulk data transfer using flash memory modules; exchanging the two dimensional light field data from the two dimensional digital cameras between mobile devices that captured a different perspective of a viewing scene and a host device to form collective light field data; and using the collective light field data to create a collective light field of the viewed scene. - View Dependent Claims (108)
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Specification