Camera applications in a handheld device

• US 8,439,265 B2
• Filed: 12/30/2009
• Issued: 05/14/2013
• Est. Priority Date: 06/16/2009
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Intel Corporation
• Original Assignee: Intel Corporation
• Inventors: Ferren, Bran, Nishihara, Keith H.
• Primary Examiner(s): St. Cyr, Daniel
• Application Number:
  US13/376,621
• Publication Number:
  US 20120074227A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,231 Days
• Field of Search: 235/462.21, 235/462.17, 235/462.22, 235/462.23
• US Class Current: 235/462.21
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 13/0065 having a beam-folding prism or mirror
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 13/009 having zoom function
• CPC Class Codes: G03B 3/00 Focusing arrangements of general interest for cameras, projectors or printers
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 21/32 using biometric data, e.g. fingerprints, iris scans or voiceprints
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 21/40 by quorum, i.e. whereby two or more security principals are required
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/02 Input arrangements using manually operated switches, e.g. using keyboards or dials
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0236 using selection techniques to select from displayed items
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0237 using prediction or retrieval techniques
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/041 Digitisers, e.g. for touch screens or touch pads, characterised by the transducing means
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0412 Digitisers structurally integrated in a display
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0414 using force sensing means to determine a position
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/04186 Touch location disambiguation
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/04842 Selection of displayed objects or displayed text elements G06F3/0482 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0488 using a touch-screen or digitiser, e.g. input of commands through traced gestures
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/04883 for inputting data by handwriting, e.g. gesture or text
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/04886 by partitioning the display area of the touch-screen or the surface of the digitising tablet into independently controllable areas, e.g. virtual keyboards or menus
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 9/451 Execution arrangements for user interfaces
• CPC Class Codes: G06K 2207/1011 Aiming
• CPC Class Codes: G06K 7/10811 Focalisation
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/3276 using a pictured code, e.g. barcode or QR-code, being read by the M-device
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/4012 : Verifying personal identification numbers [PIN]
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/40145 : Biometric identity checks
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/02 : Marketing; Price estimation or determination; Fundraising
• CPC Class Codes: G06V 40/16 : Human faces, e.g. facial parts, sketches or expressions
• CPC Class Codes: G06V 40/165 : using facial parts and geometric relationships
• CPC Class Codes: G06V 40/19 : Sensors therefor
• CPC Class Codes: G06V 40/20 : Movements or behaviour, e.g. gesture recognition recognition of facial expressions G06V40/16
• CPC Class Codes: G06V 40/45 : Detection of the body part being alive
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 63/083 : using passwords cryptographic mechanisms or cryptographic arrangements for entity authentication using a predetermined code H04L9/3226
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/72448 : with means for adapting the functionality of the device according to specific conditions
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 2250/52 : including functional features of a camera
• 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 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 23/63 : by using electronic viewfinders
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 23/67 : Focus control based on electronic image sensor signals
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 23/69 : Control of means for changing angle of the field of view, e.g. optical zoom objectives or electronic zooming
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 7/183 : for receiving images from a single remote source

Abstract

A hand held device containing at least one camera can perform various functions. In some embodiments, digitized images taken with two or more camera lenses having different fixed focal lengths may be combined to emulate a high-resolution optical zoom, and may also permit the device to perform 3D applications. In other embodiments, a device containing a camera may perform as a bar code reader, and may wirelessly transmit and/or visually present a bar code to other devices. Movable optics may permit the same camera to focus on either distant objects or on a close-up bar code.

Claims

1. An apparatus for recording first and second visual images, comprising a handheld electronic device having a camera system, the camera system comprising:

a first lens with a fixed first field of view and a second lens with a fixed second field of view smaller than the first field of view;

at least one optical sensor to sense a first visual image provided by the first lens and to sense a second visual image provided by the second lens; and

an optical selection system to direct the first visual image to the optical sensor at a first time and to direct the second visual image to the optical sensor at a second time, the optical selection system comprising a component selected from a list consisting of;

(1) a movable reflective surface that can occupy first and second different positions, the reflective surface to cause the first visual image but not the second visual image to reach the image sensor when in the first position and to cause the second visual image but not the first visual image to reach the image sensor when in the second position; and

(2) a beam-combiner to direct both the first and second visual images to the image sensor without movement of the beam-combiner, and at least one light blocking device to prevent the first and second visual images from reaching the beam-combiner simultaneously;

wherein the device is to record the first visual image and the second visual image.

2. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein:

the camera system comprises at least one optical component to change a focal length of one of the first and second lenses.

3. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the first and second lenses are physically separated by a particular distance.

4. A method of recording first and second visual images, comprising:

receiving a first visual image provided by a first lens of a camera having a fixed first field of view, wherein receiving the first visual image comprises sensing the first visual image with an optical sensor at a first time;

receiving a second visual image provided by a second lens of the camera having a fixed second field of view smaller than the first field of view, wherein the second visual image is a subset of the first visual image, wherein receiving the second visual image comprises sensing the second visual image with the optical sensor at a second time different than the first time; and

comparing the first and second stored visual images to determine motion occurring between the first and second times.

5. The method of claim 4, wherein said receiving the first visual image comprises sensing the first visual image with a first optical sensor and said receiving the second visual image comprises sensing the second visual image with a second optical sensor.

6. The method of claim 4, further comprising modifying the first stored visual image with texture information from the second stored visual image.

7. The method of claim 4, further comprising using the first and second stored visual images to determine a distance between the camera and an object depicted in both the first and second visual images.

8. An article comprising a computer-readable storage medium that contains instructions, which when executed by one or more processors result in performing operations comprising:

receiving a first visual image provided by a first lens of a camera having a fixed first field of view, the operation of receiving the first visual image comprising sensing the first visual image at a first time; and

receiving a second visual image provided by a second lens of the camera having a fixed second field of view smaller than the first field of view, wherein the second visual image is a subset of the first visual image, the operation of receiving the second visual image comprising sensing the second visual image at a second time different than the first time; and

comparing the first and second stored visual images to determine motion occurring between the first and second times.

9. The article of claim 8, wherein the operation of receiving the first visual image comprises sensing the first visual image with a first optical sensor and the operation of receiving the second visual image comprises sensing the second visual image with a second optical sensor.

10. The article of claim 8, wherein the operations further comprise modifying the first stored visual image with texture information from the second stored visual image.

11. The article of claim 8, wherein the operations further comprise using the first and second stored visual images to determine a distance between the camera and an object depicted in both the first and second visual images.

12. A method of recording first and second visual images, comprising:

receiving a first visual image provided by a first lens of a camera having a fixed first field of view;

receiving a second visual image provided by a second lens of the camera having a fixed second field of view smaller than the first field of view, wherein the second visual image is a subset of the first visual image; and

processing the first and second visual images together to produce a third visual image with an intermediate field of view between the first and second fields of view, and with a resolution for at least part of the third visual image that is better than the resolution of a corresponding part of the first visual image.

13. The method of claim 12, further comprising modifying the first stored visual image with texture information from the second stored visual image.

14. The method of claim 12, further comprising using the first and second stored visual images to determine a distance between the camera and an object depicted in both the first and second visual images.

15. A method of recording first and second visual images, comprising:

receiving a first visual image provided by a first lens of a camera having a fixed first field of view;

receiving a second visual image provided by a second lens of the camera having a fixed second field of view smaller than the first field of view, wherein the second visual image is a subset of the first visual image; and

performing a displacement correction on at least one of the first and second visual images to produce a coaxial alignment between the first and second visual images.

16. The method of claim 15, further comprising modifying the first stored visual image with texture information from the second stored visual image.

17. The method of claim 15, further comprising using the first and second stored visual images to determine a distance between the camera and an object depicted in both the first and second visual images.

18. An article comprising a computer-readable storage medium that contains instructions, which when executed by one or more processors result in performing operations comprising:

receiving a first visual image provided by a first lens of a camera having a fixed first field of view; and

receiving a second visual image provided by a second lens of the camera having a fixed second field of view smaller than the first field of view, wherein the second visual image is a subset of the first visual image; and

processing the first and second visual images together to produce a third image with an intermediate field of view between the first and second fields of view, and with a higher resolution for at least part of the third image than the resolution of a corresponding part of the first visual image.

19. The article of claim 18, wherein the operations further comprise modifying the first stored visual image with texture information from the second stored visual image.

20. The article of claim 18, wherein the operations further comprise using the first and second stored visual images to determine a distance between the camera and an object depicted in both the first and second visual images.

21. An article comprising a computer-readable storage medium that contains instructions, which when executed by one or more processors result in performing operations comprising:

receiving a first visual image provided by a first lens of a camera having a fixed first field of view; and

receiving a second visual image provided by a second lens of the camera having a fixed second field of view smaller than the first field of view, wherein the second visual image is a subset of the first visual image; and

performing a displacement correction on at least one of the first and second visual images to produce a coaxial alignment between the first and second visual images.

22. The article of claim 21, wherein the operations further comprise modifying the first stored visual image with texture information from the second stored visual image.

23. The article of claim 21, wherein the operations further comprise using the first and second stored visual images to determine a distance between the camera and an object depicted in both the first and second visual images.