DUAL LENS SYSTEM HAVING A LIGHT SPLITTER

• US 20170041553A1
• Filed: 10/12/2016
• Published: 02/09/2017
• Est. Priority Date: 07/10/2015
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: SZ DJI Technology Co., Ltd. (d/b/a DJI) (iFlight Technology Company Limited)
• Original Assignee: SZ DJI Technology Co., Ltd. (d/b/a DJI) (iFlight Technology Company Limited)
• Inventors: WANG, Mingyu, BAO, Linchao, CAO, Zisheng
• Granted Patent: US 9,967,477 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 27/106 for splitting or combining a plurality of identical beams or images, e.g. image replication
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 5/005 Diaphragms for cameras G03B9/02
• CPC Class Codes: G03B 17/17 with reflectors arranged in beam forming the photographic image, e.g. for reducing dimensions of camera
• CPC Class Codes: G06T 2207/10148 Varying focus
• CPC Class Codes: G06T 2207/20221 Image fusion; Image merging
• CPC Class Codes: G06T 5/50 using two or more images, e.g. averaging or subtraction
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 23/45 for generating image signals from two or more image sensors being of different type or operating in different modes, e.g. with a CMOS sensor for moving images in combination with a charge-coupled device [CCD] for still images
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 23/67 Focus control based on electronic image sensor signals
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 23/698 for achieving an enlarged field of view, e.g. panoramic image capture
• 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
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 5/265 Mixing

Abstract

Imaging systems having multiple optical modules are provided. The FOVs, focal lengths, and/or sensors of the multiple optical modules may be designed to generate high quality images and images with arbitrary magnifications.

Claims

1. A system for capturing images, said system comprising:

an optical element configured to separate light into a first light beam and a second light beam;

a first lens module having a first focal length configured to focus the first light beam;

a second lens module having a second focal length configured to focus the second light beam, wherein the second focal length is different from the first focal length;

a first sensor configured to capture a first image from the first light beam focused by the first lens module onto the first sensor; and

a second sensor configured to capture a second image from the second light beam focused by the second lens module onto the second sensor.

2. The system of claim 1, wherein the first image has a first field of view and the second image has a second field of view different from the first field of view.

3. The system of claim 2, wherein the second field of view encompasses the first field of view or the first field of view encompasses the second field of view.

4. The system of claim 1, wherein the first light beam is a reflected part of the light and the second light beam is a refracted part of the light.

5. The system of claim 4, wherein the first lens module is a telescope lens module and the second lens module is a wide-angled lens module.

6. The system of claim 1, wherein a center of the first image and the second image coincide.

7. The system of claim 1, wherein the light passes through a single aperture prior to contact with the optical element.

8. The system of claim 1, further comprising one or more processors configured to (i) receive a desired focal length, and (ii) generate a combined image by combining the first image with the second image, wherein the combined image has a field of view corresponding to the desired focal length.

9. The system of claim 8, wherein the one or more processors are configured to scale the first image by

10. The system of claim 9, wherein the one or more processors are configured to fuse the scaled first image and the scaled second image.

11. The system of claim 10, wherein the combined image is comprised wholly of fused parts when the desired focal length is greater than the first focal length and the second focal length.

12. The system of claim 10, wherein the combined image is comprised of an inner field of view comprised of fused parts and an outer field of view comprised of the first scaled image or the second scaled image, whichever has a wider field of view when the desired focal length is between the first focal length and the second focal length.

13. A method of capturing images, said method comprising:

separating, with aid of an optical element, light into a first light beam and a second light beam;

focusing, with aid of a first lens module having a first local length, the first light beam;

focusing, with aid of a second lens module having a second focal length, the second light beam, wherein the second focal length is different from the first focal length;

capturing, with aid of a first sensor, a first image from the first light beam focused by the first lens module onto the first sensor; and

capturing, with aid of a second sensor, a second image from the second light beam focused by the second lens module onto the second sensor.

14. The method of claim 13, said method further comprising:

receiving, with aid of one or more processors, a desired focal length; and

generating a combined image by combining the first image with the second image, wherein the combined image has a field of view corresponding to the desired focal length.

15. The method of claim 14, wherein the generating includes scaling the first image by

16. The method of claim 15, wherein the generating further includes fusing the scaled first image and the scaled second image.

17. The method of claim 16, wherein the combined image is comprised of an inner field of view comprised of fused parts and an outer field of view comprised of the first scaled image or the second scaled image, whichever has a wider field of view when the desired focal length is between the first focal length and the second focal length.

18. The method of claim 13, wherein the first light beam is a reflected part of the light and the second light beam is a refracted part of the light.

19. The method of claim 13, wherein the first lens module is a telescope lens module and the second lens module is a wide-angled lens module.

20. A method of combining images, said method comprising:

receiving, with aid of one or more processors, a first image generated by capturing a first light beam from a light source

receiving a second image generated by capturing a second light beam of the light source,

wherein the first and second images have different fields of view;

receiving a desired focal length; and

generating a combined image based on the first and second images such that the combined image has a field of view corresponding to the desired focal length.