Camera modules patterned with pi filter groups

• US 9,210,392 B2
• Filed: 05/01/2013
• Issued: 12/08/2015
• Est. Priority Date: 05/01/2012
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: FotoNation Limited (Adeia Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Pelican Imaging Corporation
• Inventors: Nisenzon, Semyon, Venkataraman, Kartik
• Primary Examiner(s): Tran, Nhan T
• Assistant Examiner(s): NGUYEN, CHAN T H
• Application Number:
  US13/875,248
• Publication Number:
  US 20130293760A1
• Time in Patent Office: 951 Days
• Field of Search: 348279-280
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 3/0056 arranged along two different directions in a plane, e.g. honeycomb arrangement of lenses G02B3/0043 takes precedence; miniaturised objectives for electronic devices employing wafer level optics G02B13/0085
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 3/0062 Stacked lens arrays, i.e. refractive surfaces arranged in at least two planes, without structurally separate optical elements in-between
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 5/201 in the form of arrays
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 27/14621 Colour filter arrangements
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 27/14627 Microlenses
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 27/14685 Process for coatings or optical elements
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 23/16 Optical arrangements associated therewith, e.g. for beam-splitting or for colour correction
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 23/88 for colour balance, e.g. white-balance circuits or colour temperature control
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 23/90 Arrangement of cameras or camera modules, e.g. multiple cameras in TV studios or sports stadiums
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 25/134 based on three different wavelength filter elements
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 5/33 Transforming infrared radiation cameras or camera modules for generating image signals from infrared radiation H04N23/20; circuitry of SSIS for transforming infrared radiation into image signals H04N25/20

Abstract

Systems and methods in accordance with embodiments of the invention pattern array camera modules with π filter groups. In one embodiment, an array camera module includes: an M×N imager array including a plurality of focal planes, where each focal plane includes an array of pixels; an M×N optic array of lens stacks, where each lens stack corresponds to a focal plane, and where each lens stack forms an image of a scene on its corresponding focal plane; where each pairing of a lens stack and focal plane thereby defines a camera; where at least one row in the M×N array of cameras includes at least one red camera, one green camera, and one blue camera; and where at least one column in the M×N array of cameras includes at least one red camera, one green camera, and one blue camera.

Claims

1. An array camera module, comprising:

an M×

N imager array comprising a plurality of focal planes, each focal plane comprising an array of light sensitive pixels;

an M×

N optic array of lens stacks, where each lens stack corresponds to a focal plane, and where each lens stack forms an image of a scene on its corresponding focal plane;

wherein each pairing of a lens stack and its corresponding focal plane thereby defines a camera;

wherein at least one row in the M×

N array of cameras comprises at least one red color camera, at least one green color camera, and at least one blue color camera; and

wherein at least one column in the M×

N array of cameras comprises at least one red color camera, at least one green color camera, and at least one blue color camera;

wherein a red color camera is a camera that is configured to image only that portion of the electromagnetic spectrum corresponding with red light;

wherein a green color camera is a camera that is configured to image only that portion of the electromagnetic spectrum corresponding with green light; and

wherein a blue color camera is a camera that is configured to image only that portion of the electromagnetic spectrum corresponding with blue light.

2. The array camera module of claim 1:

wherein M and N are each greater than two and at least one of M and N is even;

wherein color filters are implemented within the cameras in the array camera module such that the array camera module is patterned with at least one π

filter group comprising;

a 3×

3 array of cameras comprising;

a reference camera at the center of the 3×

3 array of cameras;

two red color cameras located on opposite sides of the 3×

3 array of cameras;

two blue color cameras located on opposite sides of the 3×

3 array of cameras; and

four green color cameras surrounding the reference camera.

3. The array camera module of claim 2 wherein each of the four green color cameras surrounding the reference camera is disposed at a corner location of the 3×

3 array of cameras.

4. The array camera module of claim 3, wherein:

M is four;

N is four;

the first row of cameras of the 4×

4 array camera module includes, in the following order, a green color camera, a blue color camera, a green color camera, and a red color camera;

the second row of cameras of the 4×

4 array camera module includes, in the following order, a red color camera, a green color camera, a red color camera, and a green color camera;

the third row of cameras of the 4×

4 array camera module includes, in the following order, a green color camera, a blue color camera, a green color camera, and a blue color camera; and

the fourth row of cameras of the 4×

4 array camera module includes, in the following order, a blue color camera, a green color camera, a red color camera, and a green color camera.

5. The array camera module of claim 3, wherein:

M is four;

N is four;

the first row of cameras of the 4×

4 array camera module includes, in the following order, a red color camera, a green color camera, a blue color camera, and a green color camera;

the second row of cameras of the 4×

4 array camera module includes, in the following order a green color camera, a red color camera, a green color camera, and a red color camera;

the third row of cameras of the 4×

4 array camera module includes, in the following order, a blue color camera, a green color camera, a blue color camera, and a green color camera; and

the fourth row of cameras of the 4×

4 array camera module includes, in the following order, a green color camera, a red color camera, a green color camera, and a blue color camera.

6. The array camera module of claim 2, wherein the reference camera is a green color camera.

7. The array camera module of claim 2, wherein the reference camera is one of:

a camera that incorporates a Bayer filter, a camera that is configured to capture infrared light, and a camera that is configured to capture ultraviolet light.

8. The array camera module of claim 2 wherein each of the two red color cameras is located at a corner location of the 3×

3 array of cameras, and wherein each of the two blue color cameras is located at a corner location of the 3×

3 array of cameras.

9. The array camera module of claim 2, wherein at least one color filter is implemented on the imager array.

10. The array camera module of claim 2, wherein at least one color filter is implemented on a lens stack.

11. A 3×

3 array camera module comprising;

a 3×

3 imager array comprising a 3×

3 arrangement of focal planes, each focal plane comprising an array of light sensitive pixels;

a 3×

3 optic array of lens stacks, where each lens stack corresponds to a focal plane, and where each lens stack forms an image of a scene on its corresponding focal plane;

wherein each pairing of a lens stack and its corresponding focal plane thereby defines a camera;

wherein the 3×

3 array of cameras comprises;

a reference camera at the center of the 3×

3 array of cameras;

two red color cameras located on opposite sides of the 3×

3 array of cameras;

two blue color cameras located on opposite sides of the 3×

3 array of cameras; and

four green color cameras, each located at a corner location of the 3×

3 array of cameras;

wherein a red color camera is a camera that is configured to image only that portion of the electromagnetic spectrum corresponding with red light;

wherein a green color camera is a camera that is configured to image only that portion of the electromagnetic spectrum corresponding with green light; and

wherein a blue color camera is a camera that is configured to image only that portion of the electromagnetic spectrum corresponding with blue light;

wherein each of the color cameras is achieved using a color filter.

12. The 3×

3 array camera module of claim 11, wherein at least one color filter is implemented on the imager array to achieve a color camera.

13. The 3×

3 array camera module of claim 11, wherein at least one color filter is implemented within a lens stack to achieve a color camera.

14. The 3×

3 array camera module of claim 11, wherein the reference camera is a green color camera.

15. The 3×

3 array camera module of claim 11, wherein the reference camera is one of;

a camera that incorporates a Bayer filter, a camera that is configured to capture infrared light, and a camera that is configured to capture ultraviolet light.

16. A method of patterning an array camera module with at least one π

filter group comprising;

evaluating whether an imager array of M×

N focal planes, where each focal plane comprises an array of light sensitive pixels, includes any defective focal planes;

assembling an M×

N array camera module using;

the imager array of M×

N focal planes;

an M×

N optic array of lens stacks, where each lens stack corresponds with a focal plane,

wherein the M×

N array camera module is assembled so that;

each lens stack and its corresponding focal plane define a camera;

color filters are implemented within the array camera module such that the array camera module is patterned with at least one π

filter group comprising;

a 3×

3 array of cameras comprising;

 

a reference camera at the center of the 3×

3 array of cameras;

 

two red color cameras located on opposite sides of the 3×

3 array of cameras;

 

two blue color cameras located on opposite sides of the 3×

3 array of cameras; and

 

four green color cameras, surrounding the reference camera;

 

wherein a red color camera is a camera that is configured to image only that portion of the electromagnetic spectrum corresponding with red light;

 

wherein a green color camera is a camera that is configured to image only that portion of the electromagnetic spectrum corresponding with green light; and

 

wherein a blue color camera is a camera that is configured to image only that portion of the electromagnetic spectrum corresponding with blue light; and

wherein the array camera module is patterned with the at least one π

filter group such that a camera that includes a defective focal plane is a green color camera.

17. The method of patterning an array camera module with at least one π

filter group of claim 16, wherein at least one color filter is implemented on the imager array.

18. The method of patterning an array camera module with at least one π

filter group of claim 16, wherein at least one color filter is implemented within a lens stack.

19. The method of patterning an array camera module with at least one π

filter group of claim 16, wherein the reference camera is a green color camera.

20. The method of patterning an array camera module with at least one π

filter group of claim 16, wherein the reference camera is one of;

a camera that incorporates a Bayer filter, a camera that is configured to capture infrared light, and a camera that is configured to capture ultraviolet light.