DENSE FIELD IMAGING

• US 20180139364A1
• Filed: 08/31/2017
• Published: 05/17/2018
• Est. Priority Date: 02/15/2013
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Red.com, LLC
• Original Assignee: Red.com, LLC
• Inventors: Jannard, James H.
• Granted Patent: US 10,547,828 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 13/189 Recording image signals; Reproducing recorded image signals
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 13/243 using three or more 2D image sensors
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 2013/0081 Depth or disparity estimation from stereoscopic image 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 25/70 SSIS architectures; Circuits associated therewith

Abstract

Dense field imagers are disclosed which are configured to provide fused and/or stitched light field data for a scene. A dense field imager can include a plurality of imaging elements configured to be joined into image blocks or facets that each provides light field data about a scene. The dense field imager can include a plurality of facets in a fixed or modular fashion such that the dense field imager is configured to fuse and/or stitch light field data from the plurality of facets. The facets can be mounted such that one or more facets are non-coplanar with other facets. The facets can be configured to provide light field data with overlapping fields of view. Accordingly, the dense field imager can provide dense field data over a field of view covered by the plurality of facets.

Claims

1. (canceled)

2. An imaging block, comprising:

a support;

at least three imaging elements carried by the support, wherein each imaging element of the at least three imaging elements comprises a lens and an image sensor comprising a plurality of pixels;

a mechanical connector configured to connect the imaging block into an array of imaging blocks, wherein an orientation of the imaging block is movable relative to at least another imagining block of the array of imaging blocks; and

an electrical connector configured to electrically connect the imaging block into the array of imaging blocks.

3. An imaging block as in claim 2, wherein at least the first imaging element comprises a monochromatic filter, wherein the image sensor of the first imaging element detects substantially monochromatic light passing through the monochromatic filter.

4. An imaging block as in claim 2, wherein the support comprises a wafer substrate.

5. An imaging block as in claim 4, wherein the wafer substrate comprises a semiconductor material.

6. An imaging block as in claim 5, wherein the image sensors are formed on the substrate.

7. An imaging block as in claim 4, wherein the lenses are wafer-level lenses.

8. An imaging array comprising an array support and at least two imaging blocks of claim 2 carried by the array support, the at least two imaging blocks comprising a first imaging block and a second imaging block.

9. An imaging array as in claim 8, wherein at least one of the image sensors in the first imaging block is non-coplanar with at least one image sensor in the second imaging block.

10. An imaging array as in claim 8, wherein each imaging element has a primary optical axis, and the primary optical axis of at least one of the imaging elements in the first imaging block is substantially non-parallel with the primary optical axis of at least one of the imaging elements in the second imaging block.

11. An imaging array as in claim 8, wherein each imaging element has a primary optical axis, the primary optical axes of the imaging elements in the first imaging block are substantially parallel, the primary optical axes of the imaging elements in the second imaging block are substantially parallel, and the primary optical axes of the imaging elements in the first imaging block are substantially non-parallel with the primary optical axes of the imaging elements in the second imaging block.

12. An imaging array as in claim 8, wherein a primary optical axis of at least one imaging element of the first imaging block is angularly adjustable with respect to a primary optical axis of at least one imaging element of the second imaging block.

13. An imaging array as in claim 8, further comprising an image processing system configured to:

receive first image data image data generated by the first imaging block;

receive second image data generated by the second imaging block; and

derive third image data from the first and second image data.

15. An imaging block as in claim 2, further comprising one or more processors carried by the support and configured to generate a light field representation based on pixel data acquired from the image sensors imaging block.

16. An imaging block as in claim 2, wherein one or more of the lenses are removably replaceable with lenses having different optical characteristics.

17. An imaging block as in claim 2, wherein the first imaging element comprises a fixed optical power and the second imaging element comprises a variable optical power.

18. An imaging block as in claim 2, wherein the first imaging element is configured to capture light of a first wavelength and the second imaging element is configured to capture light of a different wavelength.

19. An imaging block as in claim 2, wherein the image sensor of the first imaging element comprises pixels of a first size and the image sensor of the second imaging element comprises pixels of a second size.

20. An imaging block as in claim 2, wherein the imaging block comprises at least 16 imaging elements.

21. An imaging block as in claim 2, wherein the imaging elements are arranged in at least one of a rectangular grid, a hexagonal grid, and concentric circles.

14. An imaging array as in claim 14, wherein the first imaging block comprises one or more processors carried by the support of the first imaging block configured to generate the first image data, and the second imaging block comprises one or more processors configured to carried by the support of the second imaging block configured to generate the second image data.