Systems and Methods for Parallax Measurement Using Camera Arrays Incorporating 3 x 3 Camera Configurations
First Claim
Patent Images
1. A camera array, comprising:
- a plurality of cameras configured to capture images of a scene, where each camera comprises;
optics comprising at least one lens element and at least one aperture; and
a sensor comprising a two dimensional array of pixels and control circuitry for controlling imaging parameters; and
at least one spectral filter located within the camera, where each spectral filter is configured to pass a specific spectral band of light; and
a controller configured to control operation parameters of the plurality of cameras;
an image processing pipeline module;
wherein one of the plurality of cameras is a central camera and the plurality of cameras forms a two dimensional array of cameras incorporating at least a 3×
3 configuration of cameras comprising;
a camera having a green filter at the center of a 3×
3 configuration of cameras;
two cameras having red filters located on opposite sides of the 3×
3 configuration of cameras;
two cameras having blue filters located on opposite sides of the 3×
3 configuration of cameras; and
four cameras having green filters surrounding the central camera having a green filter; and
wherein images captured by the plurality of cameras include different occlusions sets, where the occlusion set of a first camera is the portion of a scene visible to a second camera in the plurality of cameras that is occluded from the view of the first camera; and
wherein the image processing pipeline module comprises a parallax confirmation and measurement module configured to measure parallax using images captured by the plurality of cameras by;
detecting parallax-induced changes that are consistent across all of the cameras in the two dimensional array of cameras taking into account the position of the cameras; and
ignoring pixels in the images captured by the plurality of cameras that are in the occlusion set of the central camera.
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Abstract
A camera array, an imaging device and/or a method for capturing image that employ a plurality of imagers fabricated on a substrate is provided. Each imager includes 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. Each imager may be associated with an optical element fabricated using a wafer level optics (WLO) technology.
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Citations
19 Claims
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1. A camera array, comprising:
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a plurality of cameras configured to capture images of a scene, where each camera comprises; optics comprising at least one lens element and at least one aperture; and a sensor comprising a two dimensional array of pixels and control circuitry for controlling imaging parameters; and at least one spectral filter located within the camera, where each spectral filter is configured to pass a specific spectral band of light; and a controller configured to control operation parameters of the plurality of cameras; an image processing pipeline module; wherein one of the plurality of cameras is a central camera and the plurality of cameras forms a two dimensional array of cameras incorporating at least a 3×
3 configuration of cameras comprising;a camera having a green filter at the center of a 3×
3 configuration of cameras;two cameras having red filters located on opposite sides of the 3×
3 configuration of cameras;two cameras having blue filters located on opposite sides of the 3×
3 configuration of cameras; andfour cameras having green filters surrounding the central camera having a green filter; and wherein images captured by the plurality of cameras include different occlusions sets, where the occlusion set of a first camera is the portion of a scene visible to a second camera in the plurality of cameras that is occluded from the view of the first camera; and wherein the image processing pipeline module comprises a parallax confirmation and measurement module configured to measure parallax using images captured by the plurality of cameras by; detecting parallax-induced changes that are consistent across all of the cameras in the two dimensional array of cameras taking into account the position of the cameras; and ignoring pixels in the images captured by the plurality of cameras that are in the occlusion set of the central camera. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17)
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18. A camera array assembly, comprising:
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a monolithic integrated module forming a plurality of cameras, where each camera comprises; a lens element array forming the optics of each of the plurality of cameras, where the optics of each camera comprises at least one lens element and at least one aperture; and a single semiconductor substrate on which all of the pixels and control circuitry for each camera are formed; and at least one spectral filter located within each camera, where each spectral filter is configured to pass a specific spectral band of light; and a controller configured to control operation parameters of the plurality of cameras; an image processing pipeline module comprising a parallax confirmation and measurement module and a super-resolution processing module; wherein one of the plurality of cameras is a central camera and the plurality of cameras forms a two dimensional array of cameras incorporating at least a 3×
3 configuration of cameras comprising;a camera having a green filter at the center of a 3×
3 configuration of cameras;two cameras having red filters located on opposite sides of the 3×
3 configuration of cameras;two cameras having blue filters located on opposite sides of the 3×
3 configuration of cameras; andfour cameras having green filters surrounding the central camera having a green filter; and wherein images captured by the plurality of cameras include different occlusions sets, where the occlusion set of a first camera is the portion of a scene visible to a second camera in the plurality of cameras that is occluded from the view of the first camera; and wherein the parallax confirmation and measurement module is configured to measure parallax using images captured by the plurality of cameras by; detecting parallax-induced changes that are consistent across all of the cameras in the two dimensional array of cameras taking into account the position of the cameras; and ignoring pixels in the images captured by the plurality of cameras that are in the occlusion set of the central camera; wherein the parallax confirmation and measurement module is further configured to generate a depth map using images captured by the plurality of cameras; and wherein the super-resolution processing module is configured to generate at least one higher resolution super-resolved image using images captured by the plurality of cameras and parallax measurements from the parallax confirmation and measurement module to compensate for parallax in the captured images.
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19. A camera array, comprising:
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a plurality of cameras formed on separate semiconductor substrates, where each camera comprises; optics comprising at least one lens element and at least one aperture; and a sensor comprising a two dimensional array of pixels and control circuitry for controlling imaging parameters; and at least one spectral filter located within the camera, where each spectral filter is configured to pass a specific spectral band of light; and a controller configured to control operation parameters of the plurality of cameras; an image processing pipeline module comprising a parallax confirmation and measurement module and a super-resolution processing module; wherein one of the plurality of cameras is a central camera and the plurality of cameras forms a two dimensional array of cameras incorporating at least a 3×
3 configuration of cameras comprising;a camera having a green filter at the center of a 3×
3 configuration of cameras;two cameras having red filters located on opposite sides of the 3×
3 configuration of cameras;two cameras having blue filters located on opposite sides of the 3×
3 configuration of cameras; andfour cameras having green filters surrounding the central camera having a green filter; and wherein images captured by the plurality of cameras include different occlusions sets, where the occlusion set of a first camera is the portion of a scene visible to a second camera in the plurality of cameras that is occluded from the view of the first camera; and wherein the parallax confirmation and measurement module is configured to measure parallax using images captured by the plurality of cameras by; detecting parallax-induced changes that are consistent across all of the cameras in the two dimensional array of cameras taking into account the position of the cameras; and ignoring pixels in the images captured by the plurality of cameras that are in the occlusion set of the central camera; wherein the parallax confirmation and measurement module is further configured to generate a depth map using images captured by the plurality of cameras; and wherein the super-resolution processing module is configured to generate at least one higher resolution super-resolved image using images captured by the plurality of cameras and parallax measurements from the parallax confirmation and measurement module to compensate for parallax in the captured images.
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Specification