Electronic equipment and method in electronic equipment for forming image information and a program product or implementation of the method

• US 7,961,234 B2
• Filed: 02/24/2005
• Issued: 06/14/2011
• Est. Priority Date: 02/25/2004
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Nokia Technologies Oy (Nokia Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Nokia Corporation
• Inventors: Viinikanoja, Jarkko, Eromäki, Marko
• Primary Examiner(s): Ometz; David L
• Assistant Examiner(s): Le; Quang V
• Application Number:
  US10/586,402
• Publication Number:
  US 20080225129A1
• Time in Patent Office: 2,301 Days
• Field of Search: 348/264, 348/239, 348/41, 348/47, 348/159, 396/325
• US Class Current: 348/264
• 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

Abstract

The invention relates to electronic equipment. The equipment includes camera means for forming data from an object located in the imaging direction, in which case the said camera means include at least two camera units (CAM1, CAM2) and data-processing means, which are arranged to process the data formed using the camera means, in a manner corresponding to the currently selected imaging mode, to form image information. In the equipment, the mutual position of the camera units (CAM1, CAM2) relative to each other is arranged to be altered to correspond to the current imaging mode.

Claims

1. An apparatus comprising:

a camera module configured to form data of an object located in an imaging direction, said camera module comprising at least two cameras, where a mutual position of said at least two cameras is configured to be adjusted to correspond to a determined imaging mode and wherein the adjusting of the mutual position is configured such that altering mutual distance between the cameras is configured to cause turning of the cameras relative to each other, if the mutual position of the cameras do not correspond to the determined imaging mode, and

a processor configured to process the data formed by the camera module, according to the determined imaging mode, in order to form image information, the apparatus further comprising a mechanical connection between the cameras, wherein the mechanical connection is configured to cause the turning of the cameras relative to each other to correspond to the current imaging mode in response to the mutual distance between the being altered.

2. The apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the mutual position of the cameras relative to each other is configured to be altered by the cameras being manually moved by the user.

3. The apparatus according to claim 1, which additionally includes a display component configured on one side of the apparatus, wherein the cameras are configured on the opposite side of the apparatus relative to the display component.

4. The apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the cameras are connected to each other.

5. The apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the processor is configured to manage the imaging modes and to process data according to the determined imaging mode.

6. The apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the processor is configured to form 3D image information from the data formed by the camera module.

7. The apparatus according to claim 6, wherein the processor is configured to process image errors.

8. The apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the processor is configured to combine the data formed by the camera module, at least partly to increase the resolution of the image information.

9. The apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the processor is configured to combine the data formed by the camera module at least partly to permit a panorama-imaging mode.

10. A method comprising:

determining an imaging mode for a camera module comprising at least two cameras,

adjusting a mutual position of the cameras to correspond to the determined imaging mode, and wherein the adjusting of the mutual position comprises causing turning of the cameras relative to each other by altering mutual distance between the cameras, if the mutual position of the cameras do not correspond to the determined imaging mode,

forming data by the camera module,

processing the data by a processor according to the determined imaging mode, in order to form image information, and causing the turning of the cameras relative to each other to correspond to the current imaging mode in response to the mutual distance between the cameras being altered by a mechanical connection between the cameras.

11. The method according to claim 10, wherein the mutual position of the cameras relative to each other is altered by the user manually moving the cameras.

12. The method according to claim 10, wherein the camera module is part of an apparatus, which apparatus additionally includes a display component configured on one side, wherein the imaging data is formed from the opposite side of the apparatus relative to the display component.

13. The method according to claim 10, wherein the data is formed to form 3D image information.

14. The method according to claim 13, wherein the data is processed to process image errors.

15. The method according to claim 10, wherein the data are combined at least partly with each other to increase the image resolution.

16. The method according to claim 10, wherein the data are combined at least partly with each other to permit a panorama-imaging mode.

17. A camera module comprising at least two cameras, where a mutual position of said at least two cameras is functionally configured to be altered to correspond to a determined imaging mode, wherein the altering is configured such that adjusting the distance between the cameras is configured to cause turning of the cameras relative to each other, the camera module further comprising a mechanical connection between the cameras, wherein the mechanical connection is configured to cause the turning of the cameras relative to each other to correspond to the determined imaging mode in response to the mutual distance between the cameras being altered.

18. The camera module according to claim 17, wherein an index patterning is configured in the camera module, to lock the distance between the cameras to correspond to the determined imaging mode.

19. A computer-readable non-transitory storage medium stored with program code, which when executed by a processor of an apparatus performs:

adjusting a mutual position of a camera module comprising at least two cameras to correspond to a determined imaging mode, and wherein the adjusting of the mutual position comprises causing turning of the cameras relative to each other by altering the mutual distance between the cameras, if the mutual position of the cameras do not correspond to the determined imaging mode,

forming data by the camera module, and

processing the data according to the determined imaging mode, in order to form image information, wherein causing the turning of the cameras relative to each other to correspond to the current imaging mode in response to the mutual distance between the cameras being altered is performed by a mechanical connection between the cameras.