Surround image mode for multi-lens mobile devices

• US 8,730,299 B1
• Filed: 11/27/2013
• Issued: 05/20/2014
• Est. Priority Date: 11/27/2013
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: 360 Lab, LLC
• Original Assignee: 360 Lab, LLC
• Inventors: Kozko, Dmitry
• Primary Examiner(s): Rao, Andy
• Assistant Examiner(s): EDWARDS, TYLER B
• Application Number:
  US14/092,393
• Time in Patent Office: 174 Days
• US Class Current: 348/38
• 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 23/55 Optical parts specially adapted for electronic image sensors; Mounting thereof
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 23/60 Control of cameras or camera modules
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 23/62 Control of parameters via user interfaces
• 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 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

Abstract

A user activation of an image capture function of a mobile device is received. The image capture function is for a surround image mode. Two or more camera lenses are approximately concurrently activated. Responsive to activating the lenses, a front-side image from a first camera lens and a rear-side image from a second camera lens are optically captured. Content from the front-side image and content from the rear-side are recorded in a non-transitory storage medium of the mobile device within a single file for a surround mode image.

Claims

1. A method for implementing image capture from a mobile phone comprising:

receiving a user activation of an image capture function of a mobile device, wherein the image capture function is for a surround image mode, wherein the mobile device comprise a first and second camera lenses that are positionable by an actuator to adjust an angle of view of captured images;

responsive to the user activation, approximately concurrently activating two or more camera lenses for capturing images at a first and a second time, said two or more camera lenses comprising a first and a second camera lens of the mobile device, wherein said first and second camera lenses are interior components deposed between a front and a back side of the mobile device, wherein a total size of a combined field of view of the first and second camera lenses is at least two hundred and seventy degrees;

at approximately the first time, capturing a front-side image using the first camera lens and a rear-side image using the second camera lens;

between the first time and the second time, the mobile device triggering the actuator to reposition at least one of the first and the second camera lenses to adjust the angle of view;

at approximately the second time, capturing a second front-side image using the first camera lens and a second rear-side image using the second camera lens, wherein at the second time, the actuator has adjusted the angle of at least one of the first and second camera lenses; and

recording, in the single file for a surround mode image in a non-transitory storage medium of the mobile device, content from the second front-side image and the second rear-side image in addition to the front-side image from the first time and the rear-side image from the second time.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the first and second camera lenses capture images in substantially opposing directions, wherein the first camera lens is a front facing lens, and wherein the second camera lens is a rear facing lens.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein single file has a panoramic image format.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein the first and the second camera lenses are ultra wide angle lenses, each having angles of view between one hundred and fifty degrees and one hundred and eighty degrees, wherein raw content captured by the first and second camera lenses are hemispherical images.

5. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

a processor within the mobile phone stitching content from the first and second camera lenses together to create a substantially continuous image as the surround mode image.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein no overlapping region exists between the front side image and the rear side image.

7. The method of claim 1, wherein the one or more camera lenses comprise at third camera lens of the mobile device, wherein the third camera lens is a side facing lens positioned approximately orthogonally to the first camera lens and the second camera lens, said method further comprising:

responsive to activating the lenses, optically capturing a side image from the third camera lens, wherein the single file for the surround mode image comprises content from the side image as well as content from the front-side image and the rear-side image.

8. The method of claim 1, wherein the front-side image and the rear-side image from the first time lack an overlapping region of a captured scene, wherein the second front-side image and the second rear-side image from the second time both overlap with the front-side image and with the rear-side image from the first time, wherein the content of the surround mode image is a continuous three-hundred and sixty degree image of the captured scene.

9. A mobile device comprising:

two or more camera lenses, which comprise a first and a second camera lens of the mobile device, wherein said first and second camera lenses are interior components deposed between a front and a back side of the mobile device, wherein a total size of a combined field of view of the first and second camera lenses is at least two hundred and seventy degrees;

an actuator for positioning the first and second camera lenses to adjust an angle of view of captured images;

a non-transitory storage medium; and

one or more processors executing program instructions to;

receive a user activation of an image capture function of the mobile device, wherein the image capture function is for a surround image mode;

responsive to the user activation, approximately concurrently activating the two or more camera lenses for capturing images at a first and a second time

capture, at approximately the first time, a front-side image using the first camera lens and a rear-side image using the second camera lens;

trigger, between the first time and the second time, the actuator to reposition at least one of the first and the second camera lenses to adjust the angle of view;

capture, at approximately the second time, a second front-side image using the first camera lens and a second rear-side image using the second camera lens, wherein at the second time, the actuator has adjusted the angle of at least one of the first and second camera lenses; and

record, in the single file for a surround mode image in a non-transitory storage medium of the mobile device, content from the second front-side image and the second rear-side image in addition to the front-side image from the first time and the rear-side image from the second time.

10. The mobile device of claim 9, wherein the two or more camera lenses are positioned in a corner of the mobile device.

11. The mobile device of claim 9, wherein mobile device comprises a removable section, wherein the removable section comprises imaging components comprising the two or more camera lenses, wherein different user pluggable removable sections enable different optical characteristics to be selectively enabled for the mobile device.

12. The mobile device of claim 9, wherein the two or more camera lenses comprise a third camera lens, which is a side facing lens positioned approximately orthogonally to the first and the second camera lens.

13. The mobile device of claim 9, wherein the mobile device comprises a corner section that is optically transparent, wherein the corner section comprises imaging components for the mobile device, wherein the image components comprise the two or more camera lenses, wherein the two or more camera lenses capture imagery through all sides of the optically transparent corner section.

14. The mobile device of claim 9, wherein in addition to the first camera lens and the second camera lens, the two or more camera lenses comprise a rear-facing ultra-wide angle lens and a front-facing ultra wide angle lens.

15. The mobile device of claim 9, wherein the mobile device is a smart phone.

16. A computer program product comprising a non-transitory computer readable storage medium having computer usable program code embodied therewith, the computer usable program code comprising:

computer usable program code of a non-transitory storage medium configured to receive a user activation of an image capture function of a mobile device, wherein the image capture function is for a surround image mode, wherein the mobile device comprise a first and second camera lenses that are positionable by an actuator to adjust an angle of view of captured images from that camera;

computer usable program code of the non-transitory storage medium configured to responsive to the user activation, approximately concurrently activate two or more camera lenses for capturing images at a first and a second time, said two or more camera lenses comprising a first and a second camera lens of the mobile device, wherein said first and second camera lenses are interior components deposed between a front and a back side of the mobile device wherein a total size of a combined field of view of the first and second camera lenses is at least two hundred and seventy degrees;

computer usable program code of the non-transitory storage medium configured to capture, at approximately the first time, a front-side image using the first camera lens and a rear-side image using the second camera lens;

computer usable program code of the non-transitory storage medium configured to trigger, between the first time and the second time, the actuator to reposition at least one of the first and the second camera lenses to adjust the angle of view;

computer usable program code of the non-transitory storage medium configured to capture, at approximately the second time, a second front-side image using the first camera lens and a second rear-side image using the second camera lens, wherein at the second time, the actuator has adjusted the angle of at least one of the first and second camera lenses; and

computer usable program code of the non-transitory storage medium configured to record, in the single file for a surround mode image in a non-transitory storage medium of the mobile device, content from the second front-side image and the second rear-side image in addition to the front-side image from the first time and the rear-side image from the second time.

17. The computer program product of claim 16, wherein the first and second camera lenses capture images in substantially opposing directions, wherein the first camera lens is a front facing lens, and wherein the second camera lens is a rear facing lens.