System and methods for measuring depth using an array camera employing a bayer filter
First Claim
1. A camera array, comprising:
- a plurality of cameras configured to capture images of a scene from different viewpoints, where at least one camera in the plurality of cameras includes a Bayer color filter pattern and captures image data in multiple color channels;
a processor; and
memory containing an image processing application;
wherein the image processing application stored in memory directs the processor to;
separately configure the imaging parameters for each of the plurality of cameras;
read out image data from the plurality of cameras including a set of images captured from different viewpoints;
store the image data in the memory;
select a reference viewpoint relative to the viewpoints of the set of images captured from different viewpoints;
normalize the set of images to increase the similarity of corresponding pixels within the set of images;
determine depth estimates for pixel locations in an image from the reference viewpoint using at least a subset of the set of images, where a depth estimate for a given pixel location in the image from the reference viewpoint is determined by;
identifying pixels in the at least a subset of the set of images that correspond to the given pixel location in the image from the reference viewpoint based upon expected disparity at a plurality of depths;
in each of a plurality of color channels selected from the multiple color channels, comparing the similarity of the pixels that are identified as corresponding in the selected color channel at each of the plurality of depths; and
selecting the depth from the plurality of depths at which the identified corresponding pixels in each of the plurality of color channels have the highest degree of similarity as a depth estimate for the given pixel location in the image from the reference viewpoint.
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Abstract
Systems in accordance with embodiments of the invention can perform parallax detection and correction in images captured using array cameras. Due to the different viewpoints of the cameras, parallax results in variations in the position of objects within the captured images of the scene. Methods in accordance with embodiments of the invention provide an accurate account of the pixel disparity due to parallax between the different cameras in the array, so that appropriate scene-dependent geometric shifts can be applied to the pixels of the captured images when performing super-resolution processing. In a number of embodiments, generating depth estimates considers the similarity of pixels in multiple spectral channels. In certain embodiments, generating depth estimates involves generating a confidence map indicating the reliability of depth estimates.
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Citations
24 Claims
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1. A camera array, comprising:
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a plurality of cameras configured to capture images of a scene from different viewpoints, where at least one camera in the plurality of cameras includes a Bayer color filter pattern and captures image data in multiple color channels; a processor; and memory containing an image processing application; wherein the image processing application stored in memory directs the processor to; separately configure the imaging parameters for each of the plurality of cameras; read out image data from the plurality of cameras including a set of images captured from different viewpoints; store the image data in the memory; select a reference viewpoint relative to the viewpoints of the set of images captured from different viewpoints; normalize the set of images to increase the similarity of corresponding pixels within the set of images; determine depth estimates for pixel locations in an image from the reference viewpoint using at least a subset of the set of images, where a depth estimate for a given pixel location in the image from the reference viewpoint is determined by; identifying pixels in the at least a subset of the set of images that correspond to the given pixel location in the image from the reference viewpoint based upon expected disparity at a plurality of depths; in each of a plurality of color channels selected from the multiple color channels, comparing the similarity of the pixels that are identified as corresponding in the selected color channel at each of the plurality of depths; and selecting the depth from the plurality of depths at which the identified corresponding pixels in each of the plurality of color channels have the highest degree of similarity as a depth estimate for the given pixel location in the image from the reference viewpoint. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19, 20, 21, 22, 23)
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24. A camera array, comprising:
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an array camera module comprising; an imager array including an array of focal planes, where each focal plane includes a plurality of rows of pixels that also forms a plurality of columns of pixels, and each focal plane is contained within a region of the imager that does not contain pixels from another focal plane; and an optic array including an array of lens stacks, where each lens stack creates an optical channel that forms an image of the scene on an array of pixels within a corresponding focal plane; wherein the imager array and optic array form a plurality of cameras and at least one of the plurality of cameras includes a Bayer color filter pattern and captures image data in multiple color channels; a processor; and memory containing an image processing application; wherein the image processing application stored in memory directs the processor to; read out image data from the array camera module forming a set of images captured from different viewpoints; store the image data in the memory; select a reference viewpoint relative to the viewpoints of the set of images captured from different viewpoints; normalize the set of images to increase the similarity of corresponding pixels within the set of images; determine depth estimates for pixel locations in an image from the reference viewpoint using at least a subset of the set of images, where a depth estimate for a given pixel location in the image from the reference viewpoint is determined by; identifying pixels in the at least a subset of the set of images that correspond to the given pixel location in the image from the reference viewpoint based upon expected disparity at a plurality of depths; in each of a plurality of color channels selected from the multiple color channels, comparing the similarity of the pixels that are identified as corresponding in the selected color channel at each of the plurality of depths; and selecting the depth from the plurality of depths at which the identified corresponding pixels in each of the plurality of color channels have the highest degree of similarity as a depth estimate for the given pixel location in the image from the reference viewpoint.
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Specification