Spatio-temporal light field cameras

• US 9,712,764 B2
• Filed: 10/01/2015
• Issued: 07/18/2017
• Est. Priority Date: 06/01/2012
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Ostendo Technologies Inc.
• Original Assignee: Ostendo Technologies Inc.
• Inventors: El-Ghoroury, Hussein S., Alpaslan, Zahir Y., Cai, Jingbo, Maiers, Marty, Warner, Philip, McNeill, Dale A.
• Primary Examiner(s): Tissire, Abdelaaziz
• Application Number:
  US14/872,901
• Publication Number:
  US 20160191765A1
• Time in Patent Office: 656 Days
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 13/0085 employing wafer level optics
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 27/1066 for enhancing image performance, like resolution, pixel numbers, dual magnifications or dynamic range, by tiling, slicing or overlapping fields of view
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 27/1073 characterized by manufacturing or alignment methods
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 27/123 The splitting element being a lens or a system of lenses, including arrays and surfaces with refractive power
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 3/0012 characterised by the manufacturing method
• 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 30/27 involving lenticular arrays
• CPC Class Codes: G06T 2207/10024 Color image
• CPC Class Codes: G06T 2207/10028 Range image; Depth image; 3D point clouds
• CPC Class Codes: G06T 2207/10052 Images from lightfield camera
• CPC Class Codes: G06T 7/557 from light fields, e.g. from plenoptic cameras
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 13/207 using a single 2D image sensor
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 13/282 for generating image signals corresponding to three or more geometrical viewpoints, e.g. multi-view systems
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 13/286 having separate monoscopic and stereoscopic modes
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 13/289 Switching between monoscopic and stereoscopic modes
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 23/00 Cameras or camera modules comprising electronic image sensors; Control thereof
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 23/16 Optical arrangements associated therewith, e.g. for beam-splitting or for colour correction
• 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 23/57 Mechanical or electrical details of cameras or camera modules specially adapted for being embedded in other devices
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 23/661 : Transmitting camera control signals through networks, e.g. control via the Internet
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 23/667 : Camera operation mode switching, e.g. between still and video, sport and normal or high- and low-resolution modes
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 23/67 : Focus control based on electronic image sensor signals
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 23/68 : for stable pick-up of the scene, e.g. compensating for camera body vibrations
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 23/80 : Camera processing pipelines; Components thereof
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 23/815 : for controlling the resolution by using a single image
• 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 23/951 : by using two or more images to influence resolution, frame rate or aspect ratio
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 23/957 : Light-field or plenoptic cameras or camera modules
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 25/48 : Increasing resolution by shifting the sensor relative to the scene
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 5/04 : Synchronising for television systems using pulse code modulation H04N7/56

Abstract

Spatio-temporal light field cameras that can be used to capture the light field within its spatio temporally extended angular extent. Such cameras can be used to record 3D images, 2D images that can be computationally focused, or wide angle panoramic 2D images with relatively high spatial and directional resolutions. The light field cameras can be also be used as 2D/3D switchable cameras with extended angular extent. The spatio-temporal aspects of the novel light field cameras allow them to capture and digitally record the intensity and color from multiple directional views within a wide angle. The inherent volumetric compactness of the light field cameras make it possible to embed in small mobile devices to capture either 3D images or computationally focusable 2D images. The inherent versatility of these light field cameras makes them suitable for multiple perspective light field capture for 3D movies and video recording applications.

Claims

1. A method comprising:

providing a plurality of light field cameras each having;

a micro photo-detector array device having a light detection surface and

a micro lens array of micro lens elements;

whereby the micro photo-detector array device and the micro lens array are assembled together and temporally angularly articulated as a single assembly around two orthogonal axes parallel to a plane of the light detection surface of the micro photo-detector array device;

the temporal angular articulation being within a range of plus to minus a maximum angular articulation for each axis;

the periodicity of the temporal angular articulation being selected to enable temporal coverage of the maximum articulation angle within an image frame capture duration;

embedding each light field camera in a respective mobile device;

interconnecting each mobile device to at least one host device through wireless or wireline networks or through bulk data transfer using flash memory modules;

exchanging light field camera output data between mobile devices that captured a different perspective of a viewing scene and the host device to form collective light field camera output data; and

using the collective light field camera output data to create a collective light field of the viewed scene;

wherein for each light field camera in each mobile device;

the micro photo-detector array device comprises an array of pixels whereby each of the pixels is a few microns in size and is individually addressable through the device interface contacts to output an electrical signal that is responsive to color and intensity of light coupled into its aperture,

the angular articulation temporally expands the angular extent by twice the maximum angular articulation and thereby temporally expands a detectable light field size and increases the number of light detection directions by the ratio of said angular extent expansion to the angular extent along each of the two articulation axes,

the individual pixel color and intensity detection addressability and the temporal association of the pixels within a pixel group with the temporally expanded set of light directions enabling the detection of the color and intensity of the light impinging from each of the temporally expanded set of directions, thereby enabling the light field camera to detect the color, intensity and direction of the light that impinges its aperture from the expanded light field defined by the discrete set of directions comprising the set of the temporally expanded set of light directions, and

the directional, spatial, color and intensity detection addressability of the light field camera using a multiple field data output from the light field camera for light field camera output data whereby for each designated pixel group address within the spatial array of the pixel groups, at least one output data field is used to specify the direction of the light impinging the aperture of the light field camera and at least one output data field is used to specify the color and intensity of the light detected from that designated direction;

and wherein the exchange of the light field output data of the plurality of light field cameras and the host device to create the collective light field camera output data is accomplished by;

first, augmenting the light field output data of each light field camera with data representing the camera location and orientation and capture time of the light field to form augmented light field output data,

second, exchanging, through the interconnectivity of the host device, the augmented light field camera output data to form a superset of augmented light field camera output data,

third, computationally fusing the superset of augmented light field camera output data to create a collective light field of the viewed scene, and

forth, exchanging, through the interconnectivity of the host mobile device the collective light field of the viewed scene with the plurality of mobile devices.

2. The method of claim 1 as applied to create two dimensional wide angle views or panoramas of a viewing scene captured collaboratively by multiple participants using their interconnected mobile devices, each with an embedded light field camera.

3. The method of claim 1 wherein computationally fusing the superset of augmented light field camera output data to create a collective light field of the viewed scene comprises converting the light field data of each of the mobile devices from the coordinates of the respective light field cameras to a set of viewing scene coordinates.

4. The method of claim 1 wherein computationally fusing the superset of augmented light field camera output data to create a collective light field of the viewed scene includes computationally fusing two dimensional digital camera output data to create a collective light field of the viewed scene.

5. The method of claim 4 wherein the computational light field data fusing is performed by a networked server using an internet application that allows subscribers to upload to the server the augmented light field data captured by the light field camera or corresponding data captured by a two dimensional digital camera embedded in the respective mobile device, then to download the collective light field computationally fused by the server from the data captured by all of the subscribers attending the same event.

6. The method of claim 1 used to capture three dimensional light field images of social events, for three dimensional surveillance and three dimensional cinema capture.

7. The method of claim 1 wherein the computational light field data fusing is performed by each individual participant'"'"'s mobile device or other personal computational assets of the individual participants to generate the collective light field of the viewing scene which in turn is shared among the participants using either the media through which their captured light field data was originally exchanged or a different media.

8. The method of claim 7 wherein the captured and augmented light field data and the fused collective light field data are exchanged among the participants of the networked light field photography using one or more of a mobile wireless telephone network, wireless local network, a personal area network, and bulk data transfer using flash memory modules or an internet accessible site.

9. A method comprising:

providing a plurality of light field cameras each having;

a micro photo-detector array device having a light detection surface and

a micro lens array of micro lens elements;

whereby the micro photo-detector array device and the micro lens array are assembled together and temporally angularly articulated as a single assembly around two orthogonal axes parallel to a plane of the light detection surface of the micro photo-detector array device;

the angular articulation temporally expanding the angular extent of the micro photo-detector array device and the micro lens array assembly by twice the maximum angular articulation and thereby temporally expands a detectable light field size and increases the number of light detection directions by the ratio of said angular extent expansion to the angular extent along each of the two articulation axes;

the periodicity of the temporal angular articulation being selected to enable temporal coverage of the maximum articulation angle within an image frame capture duration;

embedding each light field camera in a respective mobile device;

interconnecting each mobile device to at least one host device through wireless or wireline networks or through bulk data transfer using flash memory modules;

exchanging light field camera output data between mobile devices that captured a different perspective of a viewing scene and the host device to form collective light field camera output data; and

using the collective light field camera output data to create a collective light field of the viewed scene

wherein the micro photo-detector array device comprises an array of pixels whereby each of the pixels is a few microns in size and is individually addressable through the device interface contacts to output an electrical signal that is responsive to color and intensity of light coupled into its aperture,

the individual pixel color and intensity detection addressability and the temporal association of the pixels within a pixel group with the temporally expanded set of light directions enabling the detection of the color and intensity of the light impinging from each of the temporally expanded set of directions, thereby enabling the light field camera to detect the color, intensity and direction of the light that impinges its aperture from the expanded light field defined by the discrete set of directions comprising the set of the temporally expanded set of light directions, and

the directional, spatial, color and intensity detection addressability of the light field camera using a multiple field data output from the light field camera for light field camera output data whereby for each designated pixel group address within the spatial array of the pixel groups, at least one output data field is used to specify the direction of the light impinging the aperture of the light field camera and at least one output data field is used to specify the color and intensity of the light detected from that designated direction;

and wherein the exchange of the light field output data of the plurality of light field cameras and the host device to create the collective light field camera output data is accomplished by;

first, augmenting the light field output data of each light field camera with data representing the camera location and orientation and capture time of the light field to form augmented light field output data,

second, exchanging, through the interconnectivity of the host device, the augmented light field camera output data to form a superset of augmented light field camera output data,

third, computationally fusing the superset of augmented light field camera output data to create a collective light field of the viewed scene, and

forth, exchanging, through the interconnectivity of the host mobile device the collective light field of the viewed scene with the plurality of mobile devices.

10. The method of claim 9 as applied to create two dimensional wide angle views or panoramas of a viewing scene captured collaboratively by multiple participants using their interconnected mobile devices, each with an embedded light field camera.

11. The method of claim 9 wherein computationally fusing the superset of augmented light field camera output data to create a collective light field of the viewed scene comprises converting the light field data of each of the mobile devices from the coordinates of the respective light field cameras to a set of viewing scene coordinates.

12. The method of claim 9 wherein computationally fusing the superset of augmented light field camera output data to create a collective light field of the viewed scene includes computationally fusing two dimensional digital camera output data to create a collective light field of the viewed scene.

13. The method of claim 9 wherein the computational light field data fusing is performed by a networked server using an internet application that allows subscribers to upload to the server the augmented light field data captured by the light field camera or corresponding data captured by a two dimensional digital camera embedded in the respective mobile device, then to download the collective light field computationally fused by the server from the data captured by all of the subscribers attending the same event.

14. The method of claim 9 used to capture three dimensional light field images of social events, for three dimensional surveillance and three dimensional cinema capture.

15. The method of claim 9 wherein the computational light field data fusing is performed by each individual participant'"'"'s mobile device or other personal computational assets of the individual participants to generate the collective light field of the viewing scene which in turn is shared among the participants using either the media through which their captured light field data was originally exchanged or a different media.

16. The method of claim 15 wherein the captured and augmented light field data and the fused collective light field data are exchanged among the participants of the networked light field photography using one or more of a mobile wireless telephone network, wireless local network, a personal area network, and bulk data transfer using flash memory modules or an internet accessible site.