Methods and apparatus for using multiple optical chains in parallel to support separate color-capture
First Claim
1. A method of operating a camera device including at least seven optical chain modules, at least four of the seven optical chain modules having different filters, the method comprising:
- operating a first optical chain module including a first autofocus drive, a first multi-megapixel sensor, and a multicolor filter including a red filter element, a green filter element and a blue filter element to capture a multicolor image for preview purposes, said multicolor filter filtering light passing through a first opening of said first optical chain module;
presenting, on a display of a device, the multicolor image captured by the first optical chain module including the multicolor filter as a preview image;
controlling separate autofocus drives in a plurality of additional separate optical chain modules in response to user input received while said preview image is displayed, said plurality of additional separate optical chain modules being located in said camera device around said first optical chain module, said additional separate optical chain modules including;
a second optical chain module having a second autofocus drive and a second opening through which light passes to a second multi-megapixel sensor included in said second optical chain module, a center of said second opening being a first distance from a center of the first opening of said first optical chain module; and
a third optical chain module having a third autofocus drive and a third opening through which light passes to a third multi-megapixel sensor included in said third optical chain module, said first, second and third sensors being separate sensors, said first, second and third autofocus drives being separate autofocus drives; and
wherein said plurality of additional separate optical chain modules includes;
i) two optical chain modules having a red filter ii) two optical chain modules having a green filter; and
iii) two optical chain modules having a blue filter; and
wherein said two optical chain modules having a red filter are positioned on opposite sides of said first optical chain module; and
wherein said plurality of additional separate optical chain modules are configured in a circle with the first optical chain module including said multicolor filter at the center of the circle, an opening of the two additional separate optical chain modules having a red filter being on said circle, an opening of the two separate additional optical chain modules having a green filter being on said circle and an opening of the two separate optical chain modules having a blue filter being on said circle.
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Abstract
Methods and apparatus for capturing or generating images using multiple optical chains operating in parallel are described. Pixel values captured by individual optical chains corresponding to the same scene area are combined to provide an image with at least some of the benefits which would have been provided by capturing an image of the scene using a larger lens than that of the individual lenses of the optical chain modules. By using multiple optical chains in parallel at least some benefits normally obtained from using a large lens can be obtained without the need for a large lens. Furthermore in at least some embodiments, a wide dynamic range can be supported through the use of multiple sensors with the overall supported dynamic range being potentially larger than that of the individual sensors. Some lens and/or optical chain configurations are designed for use in small handheld devices, e.g., cell phones.
176 Citations
19 Claims
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1. A method of operating a camera device including at least seven optical chain modules, at least four of the seven optical chain modules having different filters, the method comprising:
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operating a first optical chain module including a first autofocus drive, a first multi-megapixel sensor, and a multicolor filter including a red filter element, a green filter element and a blue filter element to capture a multicolor image for preview purposes, said multicolor filter filtering light passing through a first opening of said first optical chain module; presenting, on a display of a device, the multicolor image captured by the first optical chain module including the multicolor filter as a preview image; controlling separate autofocus drives in a plurality of additional separate optical chain modules in response to user input received while said preview image is displayed, said plurality of additional separate optical chain modules being located in said camera device around said first optical chain module, said additional separate optical chain modules including; a second optical chain module having a second autofocus drive and a second opening through which light passes to a second multi-megapixel sensor included in said second optical chain module, a center of said second opening being a first distance from a center of the first opening of said first optical chain module; and a third optical chain module having a third autofocus drive and a third opening through which light passes to a third multi-megapixel sensor included in said third optical chain module, said first, second and third sensors being separate sensors, said first, second and third autofocus drives being separate autofocus drives; and wherein said plurality of additional separate optical chain modules includes;
i) two optical chain modules having a red filter ii) two optical chain modules having a green filter; and
iii) two optical chain modules having a blue filter; andwherein said two optical chain modules having a red filter are positioned on opposite sides of said first optical chain module; and wherein said plurality of additional separate optical chain modules are configured in a circle with the first optical chain module including said multicolor filter at the center of the circle, an opening of the two additional separate optical chain modules having a red filter being on said circle, an opening of the two separate additional optical chain modules having a green filter being on said circle and an opening of the two separate optical chain modules having a blue filter being on said circle. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9)
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10. An apparatus, comprising:
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a first optical chain module for capturing a first multicolor image, said first optical chain module including a first autofocus drive, a first multi-megapixel sensor, and a multicolor filter including a red filter element, a green filter element and a blue filter element for filtering light passing through a first opening of said first optical chain module; a display for presenting the multicolor image captured by the first optical chain module including the multicolor filter as a preview image; a controller configured to control a plurality of additional separate optical chain modules in response to user input received while said preview image is displayed; said plurality of additional separate optical chain modules being located in said apparatus around said first optical chain module, said plurality of additional separate optical chain modules including; a second optical chain module having a second autofocus drive and a second opening through which light passes to a second multi-megapixel sensor included in said second optical chain module; and a third optical chain module having a third autofocus drive and a third opening through which light passes to a third multi-megapixel sensor included in said third optical chain module, said first, second and third autofocus drives being separate autofocus drives; wherein said plurality of additional separate optical chain modules includes two optical chain modules having a red filter, two optical chain modules having a green filter, and two optical chain modules having a blue filter; wherein said two optical chain modules having a red filter are positioned on opposite sides of said first optical chain module; wherein said plurality of additional separate optical chain modules includes;
i) two optical chain modules having a red filter, ii) two optical chain modules having a green filter, and iii) two optical chain modules having a blue filter;wherein said two optical chain modules having a red filter are positioned on opposite sides of said first optical chain module; wherein said plurality of additional separate optical chain modules are configured in a circle with the first optical chain module including said multicolor filter at the center of the circle; and an image processing module configured to process images captured by at least said second and third optical chain modules. - View Dependent Claims (11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16)
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17. A non-transitory computer readable medium including computer executable instructions which when executed by a processor control an apparatus to:
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operate a first optical chain module including a first autofocus drive, a first multi-megapixel sensor, and a multicolor filter including a red filter element, a green filter element and a blue filter element to capture a multicolor image for preview purposes, said multicolor filter filtering light passing through a first opening of said first optical chain module; operate a display to present the multicolor image captured by the first optical chain module including the multicolor filter as a preview image; operate a controller to control separate autofocus drives in a plurality of additional separate optical chain modules in response to user input received while said preview image is displayed, said plurality of additional separate optical chain modules being located in said apparatus around said first optical chain module, said additional separate optical chain modules including; a second optical chain module having a second autofocus drive and a second opening through which light passes to a second sensor included in said second optical chain module, a center of said second opening being a first distance from a center of the first opening of said first optical chain module; and a third optical chain module having a third autofocus drive and a third opening through which light passes to a third sensor included in said third optical chain module, said first, second and third sensors being separate sensors, said first, second and third autofocus drives being separate autofocus drives; and wherein said plurality of additional separate optical chain modules includes;
i) two optical chain modules having a red filter, ii) two optical chain modules having a green filter, and iii) two optical chain modules having a blue filter; andwherein said two optical chain modules having a red filter are positioned on opposite sides of said first optical chain module; and wherein said plurality of additional separate optical chain modules are configured in a circle with the first optical chain module including said multicolor filter at the center of the circle. - View Dependent Claims (18, 19)
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Specification