Wide field of view camera for integration with a mobile device

• US 9,813,623 B2
• Filed: 10/27/2016
• Issued: 11/07/2017
• Est. Priority Date: 10/30/2015
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Essential Products, Inc.
• Original Assignee: Essential Products, Inc.
• Inventors: Evans, V, David John, Jiang, Xinrui, Rubin, Andrew E., Hershenson, Matthew, Miao, Xiaoyu
• Primary Examiner(s): Haliyur, Padma
• Application Number:
  US15/336,689
• Publication Number:
  US 20170163889A1
• Time in Patent Office: 376 Days
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 13/06 Panoramic objectives; So-called "sky lenses" including panoramic objectives having reflecting surfaces
• 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: G03B 17/56 Accessories carrying-cases A45C11/38
• CPC Class Codes: G03B 37/04 with cameras or projectors providing touching or overlapping fields of view
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/04817 using icons graphical or visual programming using iconic symbols G06F8/34
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 1/00307 with a mobile telephone apparatus constructional features of portable telephone sets H04M1/0202; mobile radio systems H04W84/00
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 13/239 using two 2D image sensors having a relative position equal to or related to the interocular distance H04N13/243 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 13/243 using three or more 2D image sensors
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 2213/001 Constructional or mechanical details
• 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 23/58 Means for changing the camera field of view without moving the camera body, e.g. nutating or panning of optics or image sensors
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 23/62 Control of parameters via user interfaces
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 23/631 Graphical user interfaces [GUI] specially adapted for controlling image capture or setting capture parameters
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 23/661 Transmitting camera control signals through networks, e.g. control via the Internet
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 23/698 for achieving an enlarged field of view, e.g. panoramic image capture
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 23/81 for suppressing or minimising disturbance in the image signal generation
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 5/265 Mixing

Abstract

Disclosed herein are various embodiments of an imaging device having a wide field of view configured to connect to another device. According to one embodiment, the wide field of view camera can include an array of cameras for recording a wide view (e.g., 360° view) of the surrounding environment and generate a 360° image of the surrounding environment. The wide field of view camera can be configured to connect and/or attach to another device, including a mobile device. Embodiments include a wired or wireless connection mechanism to facilitate communication between the wide field of view camera and another device. The connection mechanism may enable transmission of data associated with the wide field of view camera to another device. Embodiments include an attachment mechanism to fasten the wide field of view camera to another device.

Claims

1. An imaging device, comprising:

an array of photo sensors disposed around an ellipsoid substrate;

an array of lenses corresponding to the array of photo sensors, the array of lenses configured to receive a plurality of light beams and focus the plurality of light beams on the corresponding photo sensor in the array of photo sensors, wherein a first subset of the array of lenses include wide-view lenses and a second subset of the array of lenses include standard-view lenses;

a processor configured to receive a plurality of images corresponding to the array of photo sensors, and create an image comprising a wide view of an environment around the imaging device,

wherein a first subset of the plurality of images include wide-view images and a second subset of the plurality of images include standard images, the wide-view images having a distortion corresponding to a geometry of the wide-view lenses;

wherein creating the image comprising the wide view includes merging pixels of the wide-view images and one or more of the standard images; and

a connection mechanism configured to communicate with another device, wherein the communication includes transferring data associated with any of the plurality of images and the image comprising the wide view.

2. The imaging device of claim 1, the processor disposed inside the ellipsoid substrate.

3. The imaging device of claim 1, wherein the processor is further configured to:

identify and correct distortions in the plurality of images corresponding to the array of photo sensors;

identify overlap areas between any images of the plurality of images;

merge corresponding pixels in the identified overlap areas, wherein the image comprising the wide view is created based on the merged corresponding pixels; and

facilitate communication via the connection mechanism to the another device.

4. The imaging device of claim 1, wherein the connection mechanism includes any of:

a universal serial bus (USB) connector;

a wireless personal area network device;

a wireless local area network device; and

a wireless wide area network device.

5. The imaging device of claim 1, wherein the another device includes any of:

a mobile telephone;

a tablet;

a personal computer;

a manned vehicle;

an unmanned vehicle;

a camera stand;

or

a wall mount.

6. The imaging device of claim 1, further comprising:

an attachment mechanism configured to fasten the imaging device to the another device.

7. The imaging device of claim 6, wherein the attachment mechanism includes any of:

an opening to receive the another device;

a compression mechanism;

a latch;

a fused surface;

a release mechanism;

a mobile device case;

or

a handle.

8. The imaging device of claim 7, wherein the mobile device case connects the imaging device to any of:

a second imaging device; and

the another device.

9. The imaging device of claim 6, further comprising:

the attachment mechanism fastening the imaging device to the another device, wherein outer edges of the ellipsoid substrate extend beyond outer edges of the another device, wherein a set of photo sensors of the array of photo sensors adjacent to the outer edges of the another device receive light beams unobstructed by the another device.

10. The imaging device of claim 6, further comprising:

the imaging device fastened to the another device by the attachment mechanism; and

a second imaging device fastened to the another device, wherein the second imaging device includes a second plurality of cameras configured to record a second plurality of images,

wherein the processor is further configured to receive the second plurality of images, and create the image comprising the wide view by combining the plurality of images and the second plurality of images.

11. The imaging device of claim 6, wherein the second plurality of cameras are integrated into the another device and comprise a front camera proximate to a display associated with the another device, and a back facing camera disposed in a direction opposite of the front camera.

12. The imaging device of claim 6, further comprising:

a display screen associated with the another device, wherein a portion of the display screen is occupied by the imaging device and appears to be a camera icon, the camera icon operable to activate the imaging device when the camera icon is selected.

13. The imaging device of claim 12, further comprising:

the camera icon operable to launch a camera application on the another device when the camera icon is selected.

14. The imaging device of claim 1, wherein the array of lenses are movably disposed inside a camera port of the ellipsoid substrate,

wherein the array of lenses are configured, in response to the plurality of photo sensors being inactive, to retract inside the camera port, and to align with an outer surface of the ellipsoid substrate, and

wherein the array of lenses are configured, in response to the plurality of photo sensors being active, to protrude out of the outer surface of the ellipsoid substrate, and to position the plurality of lenses to receive light unobstructed by the ellipsoid substrate.

15. An imaging device comprising:

a plurality of photo sensors arranged to receive light from 360°

around the imaging device, wherein light received by the plurality of photo sensors is used to generate a plurality of images, wherein a first subset of the array of lenses include wide-view lenses and a second subset of the array of lenses include standard-view lenses;

a processor configured to receive the plurality of images, combine any of the plurality of images, and create an image comprising a wide view of an environment around the imaging device,

wherein a first subset of the plurality of images include wide-view images and a second subset of the plurality of images include standard images, the wide-view images having a distortion corresponding to a geometry of the wide-view lenses;

wherein creating the image comprising the wide view includes merging pixels of the wide-view images and one or more of the standard images;

a connection mechanism configured to communicate with another device, wherein the communication includes transmitting image data associated with any of the plurality of images and the image comprising the wide view to the another device; and

an attachment mechanism configured to fasten the imaging device to the another device.

16. The imaging device of claim 15, the processor disposed inside the imaging device.

17. The imaging device of claim 15, wherein the processor is disposed inside the another device and is configured to receive the plurality of images from the connection mechanism.

18. The imaging device of claim 15, wherein the attachment mechanism includes any of:

an opening to receive the another device;

a compression mechanism;

a latch;

a fused surface;

a release mechanism;

a mobile device case;

or

a handle.

19. The imaging device of claim 18, wherein the mobile device case connects the imaging device to any of:

a second imaging device; and

the another device.

20. The imaging device of claim 15, further comprising:

the attachment mechanism fastening the imaging device to the another device, wherein outer edges of the imaging device extend beyond outer edges of the another device, wherein a set of photo sensors of the plurality of photo sensors adjacent receive light beams unobstructed by the another device.

21. A method, comprising:

disposing an array of photo sensors on a curved three-dimensional surface, wherein the array of photo sensors substantially covers the curved three-dimensional surface;

configuring a plurality of lenses proximate to the array of photo sensors to receive a plurality of light beams and to focus the plurality of light beams on the array of photo sensors, wherein a first subset of the array of lenses include wide-view lenses and a second subset of the array of lenses include standard-view lenses;

configuring a processor connected to the array of photo sensors to receive a plurality of images corresponding to the array of photo sensors, and to create an image comprising a wide field of view of an environment around the curved three-dimensional surface,

wherein a first subset of the plurality of images include wide-view images and a second subset of the plurality of images include standard images, the wide-view images having a distortion corresponding to a geometry of the wide-view lenses;

wherein creating the image comprising the wide view includes merging pixels of the wide-view images and one or more of the standard images; and

configuring a connection mechanism to communicate with another device, wherein the communication includes transferring data associated with the image comprising the wide field of view.

22. The method of claim 21, wherein the processor is disposed inside the curved three-dimensional surface.

23. The method of claim 21, wherein configuring the processor comprises:

configuring a first processor within the curved three-dimensional surface to compress the plurality of images by identifying redundancies in the plurality of images; and

configuring a second processor within the another device to receive the compressed plurality of images and to create the image comprising the wide field of view,

wherein the connection mechanism facilitates communication between the first processor and the second processor.

24. The method of claim 21, wherein the processor is further configured to:

identify and correct distortions in the plurality of images corresponding to the array of photo sensors;

identify overlap areas in the plurality of images;

merge corresponding pixels in the identified overlap areas, wherein the image comprising the wide view is created based on the merged corresponding pixels; and

facilitate communication via the connection mechanism to the another device.

25. The method of claim 21, further comprising:

configuring an attachment mechanism to fasten the curved three-dimensional surface to the another device.

26. The method of claim 21, further comprising:

fastening, by an attachment mechanism, the curved three-dimensional surface to the another device; and

communicating, by the connection mechanism, with the another device.