METHODS AND APPARATUS FOR ENVIRONMENTAL MEASUREMENTS AND/OR STEREOSCOPIC IMAGE CAPTURE

• US 20160269716A1
• Filed: 03/16/2016
• Published: 09/15/2016
• Est. Priority Date: 01/21/2015
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Nevermind Capital LLC
• Original Assignee: NextVR, Inc. (Apple Inc.)
• Inventors: Medina, Hector M., Cole, David, Moss, Alan McKay
• Granted Patent: US 11,245,891 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 13/128 Adjusting depth or disparity
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 13/161 Encoding, multiplexing or demultiplexing different image signal components for multi-view video sequence encoding H04N19/597
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 13/194 Transmission of image signals
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 13/232 using fly-eye lenses, e.g. arrangements of circular lenses
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 13/239 using two 2D image sensors having a relative position equal to or related to the interocular distance H04N13/243 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 13/243 using three or more 2D image sensors
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 13/282 for generating image signals corresponding to three or more geometrical viewpoints, e.g. multi-view systems
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 2013/0081 Depth or disparity estimation from stereoscopic image signals
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 2213/001 Constructional or mechanical details
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 23/50 Constructional details

Abstract

A camera rig including one or more stereoscopic camera pairs and/or one or more light field cameras are described. Images are captured by the light field cameras and stereoscopic camera pairs are captured at the same time. The light field images are used to generate an environmental depth map which accurately reflects the environment in which the stereoscopic images are captured at the time of image capture. In addition to providing depth information, images captured by the light field camera or cameras is combined with or used in place of stereoscopic image data to allow viewing and/or display of portions of a scene not captured by a stereoscopic camera pair.

Claims

1. An image capture system, comprising:

a plurality of stereoscopic camera pairs including;

a first stereoscopic camera pair including a first camera and a second camera for capturing left and right views, said first stereoscopic camera pair facing in a first direction;

a second stereoscopic camera pair including a third camera and a fourth camera facing in a second direction; and

a third stereoscopic camera pair including a fifth camera and a sixth camera facing in a third direction.

2. The system of claim 1, wherein said first, second and third stereoscopic camera pairs capture different portions of an environment of interest.

3. The system of claim 1, further comprising:

a fourth stereoscopic camera pair including a seventh camera and an eighth camera facing in a fourth direction.

4. The system of claim 3, wherein an angle between said first, second, third and fourth directions is the same.

5. The method of claim 3, wherein the cameras in the first, second and third stereoscopic camera pairs are uniformly spaced apart from each other.

6. The system of claim 3, further comprising:

a ninth camera facing in an upward vertical direction; and

wherein the first, second, third and fourth directions are generally horizontal directions.

7. The system of claim 6, further comprising:

a tenth camera facing in a downward vertical direction opposite the direction in which the ninth camera is pointed.

8. The system of claim 7, wherein the ninth camera is part of a fifth stereoscopic camera pair facing in the upward vertical direction;

and

wherein the tenth camera is part of a sixth stereoscopic camera pair facing in the downward vertical direction.

9. An image capture and processing method, comprising:

capturing images using a plurality of stereoscopic camera pairs, said step of capturing images using a plurality of stereoscopic camera pairs including;

capturing a first set of images using a first stereoscopic camera pair including a first camera and a second camera for capturing left and right views, said first stereoscopic camera pair facing in a first direction;

capturing a second set of images using a second stereoscopic camera pair including a third camera and a fourth camera facing in a second direction; and

capturing a third set of images using a third stereoscopic camera pair including a fifth camera and a sixth camera facing in a third direction.

10. The method of claim 9, wherein said step of capturing images using a plurality of stereoscopic camera pairs further comprising:

capturing a fourth set of images using a fourth stereoscopic camera pair including a seventh camera and an eighth camera facing in a fourth direction.

11. The method of claim 9, wherein said step of capturing images using a plurality of stereoscopic camera pairs further comprising:

capturing a fifth set of images using a ninth camera facing in an upward vertical direction; and

wherein the first, second, third and fourth directions are generally horizontal directions.

12. The method of claim 11, further comprising:

capturing a sixth set of images using a tenth camera facing in a downward vertical direction opposite the direction in which the ninth camera is pointed.

13. The method of claim 9, wherein an angle between the first and second directions is the same as an angle between the second and third directions.

14. The method of claim 9, wherein said first, second and third directions are 120 degrees apart.