Systems and methods for transmitting and receiving array camera image data

• US 8,692,893 B2
• Filed: 11/02/2012
• Issued: 04/08/2014
• Est. Priority Date: 05/11/2011
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: FotoNation Limited (Adeia Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Pelican Imaging Corporation
• Inventors: McMahon, Andrew Kenneth John
• Primary Examiner(s): Misleh, Justin P
• Application Number:
  US13/668,057
• Publication Number:
  US 20130057710A1
• Time in Patent Office: 522 Days
• Field of Search: 348/207.99, 348/222.1, 348/340, 348/207.1, 348/218.1
• US Class Current: 348/207.99
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/235 Processing of additional data, e.g. scrambling of additional data or processing content descriptors
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/4223 Cameras H04N23/00 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/435 Processing of additional data, e.g. decrypting of additional data, reconstructing software from modules extracted from the transport stream
• 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 23/54 Mounting of pick-up tubes, electronic image sensors, deviation or focusing coils
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 23/66 Remote control of cameras or camera parts, e.g. by remote control devices
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 23/95 Computational photography systems, e.g. light-field imaging systems
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 23/957 Light-field or plenoptic cameras or camera modules

Abstract

Systems and methods for transmitting and receiving image data captured by an imager array including a plurality of focal planes are described. One embodiment of the invention includes capturing image data using a plurality of active focal planes in a camera module, where an image is formed on each active focal plane by a separate lens stack, generating lines of image data by interleaving the image data captured by the plurality of active focal planes, and transmitting the lines of image data and the additional data.

Claims

1. A method of transmitting image data, comprising:

capturing image data using a plurality of active focal planes in an imager array in a camera module, where an image is formed on each of the plurality of active focal planes by a separate lens stack;

generating at least one line of image data by combining and interleaving the image data captured by the plurality of active focal planes using a predetermined process selected from a plurality of predetermined process for combining captured image data;

generating additional data providing information for deinterleaving a plurality of images from the at least one line of image data, where the additional data indicates the predetermined process selected from the plurality of predetermined processes for combining captured image data; and

transmitting the additional data with the at least one line of image data.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the additional data describes the imager array.

3. The method of claim 2, wherein the additional data includes data selected from the group consisting of additional data describing:

a number of focal planes in the imager array;

dimensions of the array of focal planes in the imager array;

a number of pixels in each dimension of the plurality of active focal planes;

an integration time for the pixels in each of the plurality of active focal planes; and

a gain for the pixels in each of the plurality active focal planes.

4. The method of claim 3, wherein the additional data describing a gain for pixels in each of the plurality of active focal planes includes additional data describing an analog gain of the pixels in each of the plurality of active focal planes and additional data describing a digital gain of the pixels in each of the plurality of active focal planes.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein:

each of the plurality of active focal planes comprises an array of pixels including a plurality of rows of pixels that also form a plurality of columns of pixels; and

the predetermined process selected from the plurality of predetermined process for combining captured image data comprises interleaving image data from a row selected from each of the active focal planes.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein the predetermined process selected from the plurality of predetermined processes for combining captured image data comprises using a modulo process, where the modulo process involves combining image data captured by pixels in the selected rows of the plurality of active focal planes by interleaving a predetermined number of pixels from each of the selected rows.

7. The method of claim 1, wherein the additional data describes at least one of at least one line of image data.

8. The method of claim 7, wherein the additional data includes data selected from the group consisting of additional data describing:

a time at which each of the plurality of active focal planes started capturing the image data; and

row numbers of rows in each of the plurality of active focal planes used to capture image data used to generate the at least one line of image data.

9. The method of claim 1, wherein each lens stack in the camera module has a different field of view.

10. A method of transmitting image data comprising:

capturing image data using a plurality of active focal planes in an imager array in a camera module, where an image is formed on each active focal plane by a separate lens stack;

generating at least one line of image data by interleaving the image data captured by the plurality of active focal planes;

generating additional data providing information for deinterleaving a plurality of images from at least one line of image data;

packetizing the at least one line of image data and the additional data describing the captured image data to produce at least one packet of data; and

transmitting the at least one packet of data;

wherein the at least one packet of data comprises at least one line of the at least one line of image data and a line header associated with each of the at least one line of the at least one line of image data, and each line header includes additional data describing a line of image data with which the line header is associated; and

wherein the line header further comprises additional data describing the imager array.

11. The method of claim 10, wherein:

the at least one packet of data comprises a packet header including at least a portion of the additional data and at least one of the at least one line of image data; and

the additional data included in the packet header describes the imager array.

12. The method of claim 10, wherein the at least one packet of data further comprises a packet footer indicating the end of the transmission of the at least one line of the at least one line of image data.

13. The method of claim 10, further comprising:

pausing transmission during frame blanking intervals;

transmitting the at least one line of the at least one line of image data and the additional data between frame intervals; and

pausing during the transmission of the plurality of lines of image data and the additional data during line blanking intervals.

14. The method of claim 10, further comprising continuously transmitting the at least one packet of data containing the at least one line of image data and the additional data until all of the data is transmitted.