DEVICES, METHODS, AND SYSTEMS FOR VISUAL IMAGING ARRAYS

• US 20160142613A1
• Filed: 07/02/2015
• Published: 05/19/2016
• Est. Priority Date: 11/18/2014
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: The Invention Science Fund II, L.L.C. (Intellectual Ventures LLC)
• Original Assignee: Elwha LLC (Intellectual Ventures LLC)
• Inventors: Brav, Ehren, Hannigan, Russell, Hyde, Roderick A., Ishikawa, Muriel Y., Johanson, 3ric, Kare, Jordin T., Pan, Tony S., Rutschman, Phillip, Tegreene, Clarence T., Whitmer, Charles, Wood, Lowell L. Jr., Wood, Victoria Y.H.
• Granted Patent: US 9,924,109 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 23/631 Graphical user interfaces [GUI] specially adapted for controlling image capture or setting capture parameters
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 23/661 Transmitting camera control signals through networks, e.g. control via the Internet
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 23/698 for achieving an enlarged field of view, e.g. panoramic image capture
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 23/80 Camera processing pipelines; Components thereof
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 23/90 Arrangement of cameras or camera modules, e.g. multiple cameras in TV studios or sports stadiums
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 23/951 by using two or more images to influence resolution, frame rate or aspect ratio

Abstract

Computationally implemented methods and systems include capturing a scene that includes one or more images, through use of an array of more than one image sensor, selecting a particular portion of the scene that includes at least one image, wherein the selected particular portion is smaller than the scene, transmitting only the selected particular portion from the scene to a remote location, and de-emphasizing pixels from the scene that are not part of the selected particular portion of the scene. In addition to the foregoing, other aspects are described in the claims, drawings, and text.

Claims

1. A computationally-implemented method, comprising:

capturing a scene that includes one or more images, through use of an array of more than one image sensor;

selecting a particular portion of the scene that includes at least one image, wherein the selected particular portion is smaller than the scene;

transmitting only the selected particular portion from the scene to a remote location; and

de-emphasizing pixels from the scene that are not part of the selected particular portion of the scene.

4. The computationally-implemented method of claim 1, wherein said capturing a scene that includes one or more images, through use of an array of more than one image sensor comprises:

capturing the scene that includes the one or more images, through use of the array of image sensors arranged in a grid.

15. The computationally-implemented method of claim 1, wherein said capturing a scene that includes one or more images, through use of an array of more than one image sensor comprises:

capturing the scene that includes one or more images, through use of an array of more than one image sensor, wherein the more than one image sensors each capture an image that represents a portion of the scene.

20. The computationally-implemented method of claim 1, wherein said capturing a scene that includes one or more images, through use of an array of more than one image sensor comprises:

capturing the scene that includes one or more images, through use of the array of more than one image sensor, wherein a size of the scene is greater than a capacity to transmit the scene.

21. The computationally-implemented method of claim 20, wherein said capturing the scene that includes one or more images, through use of the array of more than one image sensor, wherein a size of the scene is greater than a capacity to transmit the scene comprises:

capturing the scene that includes one or more images, through use of the array of more than one image sensor, wherein an amount of image data captured exceeds a bandwidth for transmitting the image data to a remote location.

24. The computationally-implemented method of claim 1, wherein said capturing a scene that includes one or more images, through use of an array of more than one image sensor comprises:

capturing a scene of a highway across a bridge that includes one or more images, through use of an array of more than one image sensor, wherein the one or more images include one or more images of cars crossing the highway across the bridge.

35. The computationally-implemented method of claim 1, wherein said selecting a particular portion of the scene that includes at least one image, wherein the selected particular portion is smaller than the scene comprises:

selecting the particular portion of the scene that includes a requested image, wherein the selected particular portion is smaller than the scene.

36. The computationally-implemented method of claim 35, wherein said selecting the particular portion of the scene that includes a requested image, wherein the selected particular portion is smaller than the scene comprises:

selecting the particular portion of the scene that includes an image requested by a remote operator of the array of more than one image sensors, wherein the selected particular portion is smaller than the scene.

38. The computationally-implemented method of claim 1, wherein said selecting a particular portion of the scene that includes at least one image, wherein the selected particular portion is smaller than the scene comprises:

receiving a first request for a first particular image and a second request for a second particular image; and

selecting the particular portion of the scene that includes the first particular image and the second particular image, wherein the particular portion of the scene is smaller than the scene.

40. The computationally-implemented method of claim 38, wherein said receiving a first request for a first particular image and a second request for a second particular image comprises:

receiving a first request for a first particular image and a second request for a second particular image, wherein the first particular image and the second particular image overlap at an overlapping portion.

41. The computationally-implemented method of claim 40, wherein said receiving a first request for a first particular image and a second request for a second particular image, wherein the first particular image and the second particular image overlap at an overlapping portion comprises:

receiving the first request for the first particular image and the second request for the second particular image, wherein the first particular image and the second particular image overlap at the overlapping portion, and wherein the overlapping portion is configured to be transmitted once only.

42. The computationally-implemented method of claim 1, wherein said selecting a particular portion of the scene that includes at least one image, wherein the selected particular portion is smaller than the scene comprises:

selecting the particular portion of the scene that includes at least one image, wherein the selected particular portion is smaller than the scene and contains a particular image object.

43. The computationally-implemented method of claim 42, wherein said selecting the particular portion of the scene that includes at least one image, wherein the selected particular portion is smaller than the scene and contains a particular image object comprises:

selecting the particular portion of the scene that includes at least one image, wherein the selected particular portion is smaller than the scene and contains an image object of a person.

45. The computationally-implemented method of claim 1, wherein said selecting a particular portion of the scene that includes at least one image, wherein the selected particular portion is smaller than the scene comprises:

selecting the particular portion of the scene that includes at least one image, wherein a size of the particular portion of the scene is at least partially based on a characteristic of a requesting device.

46. The computationally-implemented method of claim 45, wherein said selecting the particular portion of the scene that includes at least one image, wherein a size of the particular portion of the scene is at least partially based on a characteristic of a requesting device comprises:

selecting the particular portion of the scene that includes at least one image, wherein the size of the particular portion of the scene is at least partially based on a screen resolution of the requesting device.

48. The computationally-implemented method of claim 1, wherein said transmitting only the selected particular portion from the scene to a remote location comprises:

transmitting only the selected particular portion to a remote server.

49. The computationally-implemented method of claim 48, wherein said transmitting only the selected particular portion to a remote server comprises:

transmitting only the selected particular portion to the remote server that is configured to receive one or more requests for one or more particular images from the scene.

52. The computationally-implemented method of claim 1, wherein said transmitting only the selected particular portion from the scene to a remote location comprises:

transmitting only the selected particular portion from the scene at a particular resolution.

54. The computationally-implemented method of claim 52, wherein said transmitting only the selected particular portion from the scene at a particular resolution comprises:

transmitting only the selected particular portion from the scene at the particular resolution, wherein the particular resolution is less than a resolution at which the scene was captured.

56. The computationally-implemented method of claim 1, wherein said transmitting only the selected particular portion from the scene to a remote location comprises:

transmitting a first segment of the selected particular portion at a first resolution, to the remote location; and

transmitting a second segment of the selected particular portion at a second resolution that is higher than the first resolution, to the remote location.

58. The computationally-implemented method of claim 56, wherein said transmitting a first segment of the selected particular portion at a first resolution, to the remote location comprises:

transmitting the first segment of the selected particular portion at the first resolution, wherein the first segment of the selected particular portion borders the second segment of the selected particular portion.

59. The computationally-implemented method of claim 56, wherein said transmitting a first segment of the selected particular portion at a first resolution, to the remote location comprises:

transmitting the first segment of the selected particular portion at the first resolution, wherein the first segment of the selected particular portion is determined at least in part by a content of the selected particular portion.

60. The computationally-implemented method of claim 59, wherein said transmitting the first segment of the selected particular portion at the first resolution, wherein the first segment of the selected particular portion is determined at least in part by a content of the selected particular portion comprises:

transmitting the first segment of the selected particular portion at the first resolution, wherein the first segment of the selected particular portion is an area that does not contain an item of interest.

62. The computationally-implemented method of claim 60, wherein said transmitting the first segment of the selected particular portion at the first resolution, wherein the first segment of the selected particular portion is an area that does not contain an item of interest comprises:

transmitting the first segment of the selected particular portion at the first resolution, wherein the first segment of the selected particular portion is an area that does not contain a selected object designated for tracking.

64. The computationally-implemented method of claim 56, wherein said transmitting a second segment of the selected particular portion at a second resolution that is higher than the first resolution, to the remote location comprises:

transmitting the second segment of the selected particular portion at the second resolution that is higher than the first resolution, wherein the second segment of the selected particular portion is surrounded by the first segment of the selected particular portion.

65. The computationally-implemented method of claim 56, wherein said transmitting a second segment of the selected particular portion at a second resolution that is higher than the first resolution, to the remote location comprises:

transmitting the second segment of the selected particular portion at the second resolution that is higher than the first resolution, wherein the second segment of the selected particular portion is determined to contain a selected item of interest.

66. The computationally-implemented method of claim 65, wherein said transmitting the second segment of the selected particular portion at the second resolution that is higher than the first resolution, wherein the second segment of the selected particular portion is determined to contain a selected item of interest comprises:

transmitting the second segment of the selected particular portion at the second resolution that is higher than the first resolution, wherein the second segment of the selected particular portion is determined to contain a selected football player.

70. The computationally-implemented method of claim 1, wherein said transmitting only the selected particular portion from the scene to a remote location comprises:

transmitting only pixels associated with the selected particular portion to the remote location.

71. The computationally-implemented method of claim 1, wherein said transmitting only the selected particular portion from the scene to a remote location comprises:

transmitting only the selected particular portion from the scene to a particular device that requested the selected particular portion.

72. The computationally-implemented method of claim 71, wherein said transmitting only the selected particular portion from the scene to a particular device that requested the selected particular portion comprises:

transmitting only the selected particular portion from the scene to a particular device operated by a user that requested the selected particular portion.

74. The computationally-implemented method of claim 1, wherein said de-emphasizing pixels from the scene that are not part of the selected particular portion of the scene comprises:

deleting pixels from the scene that are not part of the selected particular portion of the scene.

75. The computationally-implemented method of claim 1, wherein said de-emphasizing pixels from the scene that are not part of the selected particular portion of the scene comprises:

indicating that pixels from the scene that are not part of the selected particular portion of the scene are not transmitted with the selected particular portion.

76. The computationally-implemented method of claim 75, wherein said indicating that pixels from the scene that are not part of the selected particular portion of the scene are not transmitted with the selected particular portion comprises:

appending data to pixels from the scene that are not part of the selected portion of the scene, said appended data configured to indicate non-transmission of the pixels to which data was appended.

79. The computationally-implemented method of claim 1, wherein said de-emphasizing pixels from the scene that are not part of the selected particular portion of the scene comprises:

retaining a subset of pixels from the scene that are not part of the selected particular portion of the scene.

81. The computationally-implemented method of claim 79, wherein said retaining a subset of pixels from the scene that are not part of the selected particular portion of the scene comprises:

retaining pixels from the scene that have been identified as part of a targeted object that are not part of the selected particular portion of the scene.

83. The computationally-implemented method of claim 79, wherein said retaining a subset of pixels from the scene that are not part of the selected particular portion of the scene comprises:

retaining pixels from the scene that have been identified as part of a targeted object through automated pattern recognition that are not part of the selected particular portion of the scene.

84. The computationally-implemented method of claim 1, wherein said de-emphasizing pixels from the scene that are not part of the selected particular portion of the scene comprises:

storing pixels from the scene that are not part of the selected particular portion of the scene in a separate storage.

85. The computationally-implemented method of claim 84, wherein said storing pixels from the scene that are not part of the selected particular portion of the scene in a separate storage comprises:

storing pixels from the scene that are not part of the selected particular portion of the scene in a separate storage that is local to the array of more than one image sensor.

86. The computationally-implemented method of claim 84, wherein said storing pixels from the scene that are not part of the selected particular portion of the scene in a separate storage comprises:

storing pixels from the scene that are not part of the selected particular portion of the scene in a separate storage, wherein pixels stored in the separate storage are configured to be transmitted to the remote location separately from the selected particular portion of the scene.

87. The computationally-implemented method of claim 86, wherein said storing pixels from the scene that are not part of the selected particular portion of the scene in a separate storage, wherein pixels stored in the separate storage are configured to be transmitted to the remote location separately from the selected particular portion of the scene comprises:

storing pixels from the scene that are not part of the selected particular portion of the scene in a separate storage, wherein pixels stored in the separate storage are configured to be transmitted to the remote location at a time when there are no selected particular portions to be transmitted.

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89. A computationally-implemented system, comprising

means for capturing a scene that includes one or more images, through use of an array of more than one image sensor;

means for selecting a particular portion of the scene that includes at least one image, wherein the selected particular portion is smaller than the scene;

means for transmitting only the selected particular portion from the scene to a remote location; and

means for de-emphasizing pixels from the scene that are not part of the selected particular portion of the scene.

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177. A computationally-implemented system, comprising

circuitry for capturing a scene that includes one or more images, through use of an array of more than one image sensor;

circuitry for selecting a particular portion of the scene that includes at least one image, wherein the selected particular portion is smaller than the scene;

circuitry for transmitting only the selected particular portion from the scene to a remote location; and

circuitry for de-emphasizing pixels from the scene that are not part of the selected particular portion of the scene.

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