Devices, methods, and systems for visual imaging arrays

• US 9,924,109 B2
• Filed: 07/02/2015
• Issued: 03/20/2018
• Est. Priority Date: 11/18/2014
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: The Invention Science Fund II, L.L.C. (Intellectual Ventures LLC)
• Original Assignee: The Invention Science Fund II, L.L.C. (Intellectual Ventures LLC)
• Inventors: Brav, Ehren, Hannigan, Russell, Hyde, Roderick A., Ishikawa, Muriel Y., Johanson, 3ric, Kare, Jordin T., Pan, Tony S, Rutschman, Phillip, Tegreene, Clarence T., Whitmer, Charles, Wood, Jr., Lowell L., Wood, Victoria Y. H.
• Primary Examiner(s): CUTLER, ALBERT H
• Application Number:
  US14/791,127
• Publication Number:
  US 20160142613A1
• Time in Patent Office: 992 Days
• Field of Search: 348 38, 348 39
• 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 23/80 Camera processing pipelines; Components thereof
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 23/90 Arrangement of cameras or camera modules, e.g. multiple cameras in TV studios or sports stadiums

Abstract

Computationally implemented methods and systems include capturing a scene that includes one or more images, through use of an array of more than one image sensor, selecting a particular portion of the scene that includes at least one image, wherein the selected particular portion is smaller than the scene, transmitting only the selected particular portion from the scene to a remote location, and de-emphasizing pixels from the scene that are not part of the selected particular portion of the scene. In addition to the foregoing, other aspects are described in the claims, drawings, and text.

Claims

1. A computer processor implemented method comprising:

capturing a scene through use of an array of more than one image sensor;

selecting a particular portion of the scene, wherein the particular portion is smaller than the scene;

de-emphasizing one or more pixels from the scene that are not part of the particular portion of the scene;

determining whether one or more portions of the particular portion have been previously transmitted to a remote location and are unchanged since being previously transmitted;

removing the one or more portions from the particular portion at least partly in response to a determination that the one or more portions have been previously transmitted to the remote location and are unchanged since being previously transmitted;

transmitting to the remote location the particular portion of the scene without the one or more portions that have been removed whereby the particular portion is filled with one or more previously transmitted portions of the scene; and

transmitting to the remote location at least one update to at least some of the one or more portions that have been removed at least partly in response to a determination that the one or more portions have changed and at least partly in response to a determination of available bandwidth.

2. A computationally-implemented system comprising:

circuitry configured for capturing a scene through use of an array of more than one image sensor;

circuitry configured for selecting a particular portion of the scene, wherein the particular portion is smaller than the scene;

circuitry configured for de-emphasizing one or more pixels from the scene that are not part of the particular portion of the scene;

circuitry configured for determining whether one or more portions of the particular portion have been previously transmitted to a remote location and are unchanged since being previously transmitted;

circuitry configured for removing the one or more portions from the particular portion at least partly in response to a determination that the one or more portions have been previously transmitted to the remote location and are unchanged since being previously transmitted;

circuitry configured for transmitting to the remote location the particular portion of the scene without the one or more portions that have been removed whereby the particular portion is filled with one or more previously transmitted portions of the scene; and

circuitry configured for transmitting to the remote location at least one update to at least some of the one or more portions that have been removed at least partly in response to a determination that the one or more portions have changed and at least partly in response to a determination of available bandwidth.

3. An image capture device comprising:

an array of more than one image sensor;

memory; and

at least one processor configured to perform operations including at least;

capturing a scene through use of the array of more than one image sensor;

selecting a particular portion of the scene, wherein the particular portion is smaller than the scene;

de-emphasizing one or more pixels from the scene that are not part of the particular portion of the scene;

determining whether one or more portions of the particular portion have been previously transmitted to a remote location and are unchanged since being previously transmitted;

removing the one or more portions from the particular portion at least partly in response to a determination that the one or more portions have been previously transmitted to the remote location and are unchanged since being previously transmitted;

transmitting to the remote location the particular portion of the scene without the one or more portions that have been removed whereby the particular portion is filled with one or more previously transmitted portions of the scene; and

transmitting to the remote location at least one update to at least some of the one or more portions that have been removed at least partly in response to a determination that the one or more portions have changed and at least partly in response to a determination of available bandwidth.

4. The image capture device of claim 3, wherein said array of more than one image sensor comprises:

an array of more than one image sensor arranged in a grid.

5. The image capture device of claim 3, wherein said array of more than one image sensor comprises:

an array of more than one image sensor that each capture an image that represents a portion of the scene.

6. The image capture device of claim 3, wherein the at least one processor component is further configured to perform an operation comprising:

receiving a user request for a first particular image.

7. The image capture device of claim 6, wherein said receiving a user request for the first particular image comprises:

receiving a user request for a first particular image and a second request for a second particular image, wherein the first particular image and the second particular image overlap at an overlapping portion.

8. The image capture device of claim 7, wherein said receiving a user request for a first particular image and a second request for a second particular image, wherein the first particular image and the second particular image overlap at an overlapping portion comprises:

receiving a user request for a first particular image and a second request for a second particular image, wherein the first particular image and the second particular image overlap at an overlapping portion, and wherein the overlapping portion is transmitted only once.

9. The image capture device of claim 3, wherein said selecting a particular portion of the scene, wherein the particular portion is smaller than the scene comprises:

selecting a particular portion of the scene, wherein the particular portion is smaller than the scene and contains an image of a particular object.

10. The image capture device of claim 3, wherein said selecting a particular portion of the scene, wherein the particular portion is smaller than the scene comprises:

selecting a particular portion of the scene, wherein the particular portion is smaller than the scene and contains an image of a person.

11. The image capture device of claim 3, wherein said transmitting to the remote location the particular portion of the scene without the one or more portions that have been removed whereby the particular portion is filled with one or more previously transmitted portions of the scene comprises:

transmitting to the remote location the particular portion of the scene without the one or more portions that have been removed and at a resolution that is less than a resolution to which the particular portion of the scene was captured, whereby the particular portion is filled with one or more previously transmitted portions of the scene.

12. The image capture device of claim 3, wherein said at least one processor is further configured to perform an operation comprising:

transmitting a portion of the scene that borders the particular portion at a resolution that is less than a resolution of the particular portion.

13. The image capture device of claim 3, wherein said at least one processor is further configured to perform an operation comprising:

transmitting another portion of the scene at a resolution that is less than a resolution of the particular portion, wherein the another portion of the scene is determined at least in part by content of the particular portion.

14. The image capture device of claim 3, wherein the de-emphasizing one or more pixels from the scene that are not part of the particular portion of the scene comprises:

deleting one or more pixels from the scene that are not part of the particular portion of the scene.

15. The image capture device of claim 3, wherein the at least one processor is further configured to perform an operation comprising:

indicating that the one or more portions of the scene are not transmitted with the particular portion.

16. The image capture device of claim 3, wherein the de-emphasizing one or more pixels from the scene that are not part of the particular portion of the scene comprises:

retaining one or more pixels from the scene that are not part of the particular portion of the scene.

17. The image capture device of claim 16, wherein said retaining one or more pixels from the scene that are not part of the particular portion of the scene comprises:

retaining one or more pixels from the scene that are not part of the particular portion of the scene and that have been identified as being part of a targeted object.

18. The image capture device of claim 17, wherein said retaining one or more pixels from the scene that are not part of the particular portion of the scene and that have been identified as being part of a targeted object comprises:

retaining one or more pixels from the scene that are not part of the particular portion of the scene and that have been identified as being part of a targeted object through automated pattern recognition.

19. The image capture device of claim 3, wherein the de-emphasizing one or more pixels from the scene that are not part of the particular portion of the scene comprises:

storing one or more pixels from the scene that are not part of the particular portion of the scene, at least some of the one or more pixels configured to be transmitted to the remote location separately from the particular portion of the scene at a time when there are requested portions being transmitted.

20. The image capture device of claim 3, wherein the transmitting to the remote location the particular portion of the scene without the one or more portions that have been removed whereby the particular portion is filled with one or more previously transmitted portions of the scene comprises:

transmitting to the remote location the particular portion of the scene without the one or more portions that have been removed whereby the particular portion is gap-filled with one or more previously transmitted static portions of the scene.

21. The image capture device of claim 3, wherein the at least one processor is further configured to execute an operation comprising:

transmitting at least some portions of the scene at least partly in response to a determination that no requested portions are being transmitted.

22. The image capture device of claim 3, wherein the at least one processor is further configured to execute an operation comprising:

transmitting static imagery of the scene at least partly in response to a determination that no requested portions are being transmitted.

23. The image capture device of claim 3, wherein the at least one processor is further configured to execute an operation comprising:

comparing at least some of the scene to identify static imagery.

24. The image capture device of claim 3, wherein the at least one processor is further configured to perform an operation comprising:

decimating one or more pixels of the particular portion to reduce the particular portion from a first resolution to a second resolution that is less than the first resolution and that is less than or equal to a screen resolution of a requesting device.

25. The image capture device of claim 3, wherein the image capture device is mounted on a satellite.

26. The image capture device of claim 3, wherein the capturing a scene through use of the array of more than one image sensor comprises:

capturing a scene through use of the array of more than one image sensor, wherein each of the more than one image sensor captures an image that represents a portion of the scene and wherein the images are stitched together.

27. The image capture device of claim 3, wherein the capturing a scene through use of the array of more than one image sensor comprises:

capturing a scene through use of the array of more than one image sensor, wherein each of the more than one image sensor captures an image that represents a portion of the scene and wherein adjacent images at least partially overlap.

28. The image capture device of claim 3, wherein the capturing a scene through use of the array of more than one image sensor comprises:

capturing a scene through use of the array of more than one image sensor, wherein an amount of image data captured exceeds a bandwidth for transmission by at least a factor of ten.

29. The image capture device of claim 3, wherein the capturing a scene through use of the array of more than one image sensor comprises:

capturing at least one of the following types of scenes through use of the array of more than one image sensor;

athletic event, city, nature, highway, or home.

30. The image capture device of claim 3, wherein the capturing a scene through use of the array of more than one image sensor comprises:

capturing a video of a scene through use of the array of more than one image sensor.

31. The image capture device of claim 3, wherein the at least one processor is further configured to perform an operation comprising:

receiving multiple requests from discrete users for multiple particular images from the scene.