Camera device with verged cameras

• US 9,992,412 B1
• Filed: 04/15/2015
• Issued: 06/05/2018
• Est. Priority Date: 04/15/2015
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Amazon Technologies, Inc. (Amazon.com, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Amazon Technologies, Inc. (Amazon.com, Inc.)
• Inventors: Tyagi, Ambrish
• Primary Examiner(s): Nawaz, Talha M
• Application Number:
  US14/687,451
• Time in Patent Office: 1,147 Days
• Field of Search: None
• CPC Class Codes: G03B 17/561 Support related camera accessories
• CPC Class Codes: G03B 37/04 with cameras or projectors providing touching or overlapping fields of view
• 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 23/51 Housings
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 23/69 Control of means for changing angle of the field of view, e.g. optical zoom objectives or electronic zooming
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 23/698 for achieving an enlarged field of view, e.g. panoramic image capture
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 23/90 Arrangement of cameras or camera modules, e.g. multiple cameras in TV studios or sports stadiums

Abstract

A camera device having verged cameras is disclosed. A camera device may include a housing and four cameras disposed in the housing. The housing may define a horizontal plane passing through the center of the housing. Each of the four cameras may be verged at an angle defined by a longitudinal center axis of the camera and the horizontal plane. Each camera may include a vertical field of view verged at the same angle. The camera device may produce a panoramic image (e.g., a panoramic still image or panoramic video) using two or more of the cameras. Systems and processes including the camera device are also disclosed.

Claims

1. A device, comprising:

a camera housing defining a horizontal plane extending through a housing;

a first camera in the housing and having a first longitudinal camera axis extending through a center of the first camera, wherein the first camera is verged at a first angle defined by the first longitudinal camera axis and the horizontal plane;

a second camera in the housing and having a second longitudinal camera axis extending through a center of the second camera, wherein the second camera is verged at a second angle defined by the second longitudinal camera axis and the horizontal plane;

a third camera in the housing and having a third longitudinal camera axis extending through a center of the third camera, wherein the third camera is verged at a third angle defined by the third longitudinal camera axis and the horizontal plane;

a fourth camera in the housing and having a fourth longitudinal camera axis extending through the center of the fourth camera, wherein the fourth camera is verged at a fourth angle defined by the fourth longitudinal camera axis and the horizontal plane, wherein the first angle, the second angle, the third angle, and the fourth angle are equal and non-zero;

a connector configured to receive a charging dock, wherein connection of the charging dock orients the device in a first orientation;

a mounting receptacle configured to receive a mounting apparatus, wherein receipt of the mounting apparatus orients the device in a second orientation opposite the first orientation;

a processor; and

a non-transitory computer-readable memory storing computer-executable instructions that, when executed by the processor, configure the processor to perform operations comprising;

capture a first frame from the first camera;

capture a second frame from the second camera;

determine an overlap area between a first field of view of the first camera and a second field of view of the second camera; and

determine, using at least the first frame, the second frame, and the overlap area, a panoramic frame.

2. The device of claim 1, comprising:

one or more motors coupled to the first camera, the second camera, the third camera, and the fourth camera, wherein the motors are configured to move the cameras to a fifth angle defined by each respective longitudinal camera axis and the horizontal plane and different than the first angle, second angle, third angle, and fourth angle.

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

identify a face of a person in a third frame captured by the first camera, the face associated with a first distance from the first camera;

capture a fourth frame using the first camera, the fourth frame including the face of the person, the face associated with a second distance from the first camera;

compare the fourth frame to the third frame;

determine a difference between the first distance and the second distance;

determine, based on the difference, that the face is moving toward or away from the device; and

move, using a motor, the first camera to a fifth angle to maintain the face of the person in a designated area of a vertical field-of-view of the first camera.

4. A device, comprising:

a housing defining a horizontal plane extending through a center of the housing;

a first camera disposed in the housing and having a first longitudinal axis extending through a center of the first camera, wherein the first camera is verged at a first angle defined by the first longitudinal axis and the horizontal plane;

a second camera in the housing and having a second longitudinal axis extending through a center of the second camera, wherein the second camera is verged at a second angle defined by the second longitudinal axis and the horizontal plane;

a third camera in the housing and having a third longitudinal axis extending through a center of the third camera, wherein the third camera is verged at a third angle defined by the third longitudinal axis and the horizontal plane;

a processor; and

a non-transitory computer-readable memory storing computer-executable instructions that, when executed by the processor, configure the processor to perform operations comprising;

capture a first frame from the first camera;

capture a second frame from the second camera;

determine an overlap area between a first field of view of the first camera and a second field of view of the second camera; and

determine, using at least the first frame, the second frame, and the overlap area, a panoramic frame.

5. The device of claim 4, comprising a fourth camera in the housing and having a fourth longitudinal axis extending through a center of the fourth camera, wherein the fourth camera is verged at a fourth angle defined by the fourth longitudinal axis and the horizontal plane.

6. The device of claim 5, wherein the first angle, second angle, third angle, and fourth angle are equal and non-zero.

7. The device of claim 4, wherein the housing comprises:

a first surface approximately parallel to the horizontal plane;

a second surface opposite the first surface;

a connector proximate the first surface and configured to receive a battery charger, wherein receipt of the battery charger orients the housing in a first orientation.

8. The device of claim 7, comprising:

a receptacle proximate the second surface and configured to receive a mounting apparatus, wherein receipt of the mounting apparatus orients the housing in a second orientation, wherein the first orientation is an inverse of the second orientation.

9. A device, comprising:

a housing defining a horizontal plane extending through a center of the housing;

a first camera disposed in the housing and having a first longitudinal axis extending through a center of the first camera, wherein the first camera is moveable from a first horizontal position to a first angle defined by the first longitudinal axis and the horizontal plane;

a second camera in the housing and having a second longitudinal axis extending through a center of the second camera, wherein the second camera is moveable from a second horizontal position to a second angle defined by the second longitudinal axis and the horizontal plane;

a third camera in the housing and having a third longitudinal axis extending through a center of the third camera, wherein the third camera is moveable from a third horizontal position to a third angle defined by the third longitudinal axis and the horizontal plane;

a processor; and

a non-transitory computer-readable memory storing computer-executable instructions that, when executed by the processor, configure the processor to perform operations comprising;

capture, at a first time, a first frame from the first camera, a second frame from the second camera, and a third frame from the third camera;

determine an overlap area between at least a first field of view of the first camera and a second field of view of the second camera; and

determine, using the overlap area, the first frame, the second frame, and the third frame, a panoramic frame.

10. The device of claim 9, comprising:

a microelectromechanical system coupled to the first camera, the second camera, and the third camera, wherein the microelectromechanical system is configured to moveably verge the first camera to the first angle, movably verge the second camera to the second angle and movably verge the third camera to the third angle.

11. The device of claim 9, wherein the first angle, second angle, and third angle are equal.

12. The device of claim 9, wherein the housing comprises:

a first surface approximately parallel to the horizontal plane;

a second surface opposite the first surface; and

a connector proximate the first surface and configured to receive a battery charger, wherein receipt of the battery charger orients the housing in a first orientation.

13. The device of claim 12, comprising:

a receptacle proximate the second surface and configured to receive a mounting apparatus, wherein receipt of the mounting apparatus orients the housing in a second orientation, wherein the first orientation is an inverse of the second orientation.

14. The device of claim 9, comprising a fourth camera in the housing and having a fourth longitudinal axis extending through a center of the fourth camera, wherein the fourth camera is moveable from a fourth horizontal position to a fourth angle defined by the fourth longitudinal axis and the horizontal plane, wherein the first camera is disposed in the housing opposite the fourth camera.

15. The device of claim 9, the non-transitory computer-readable memory storing computer-executable instructions that, when executed by the processor, configure the processor to perform operations further comprising:

identify an object in the panoramic frame, first frame, second frame, or third frame;

capture a fourth frame from the first camera, second camera, or third camera;

compare the fourth frame to the first frame, second frame, or third frame;

determine that the object is moving toward or away from the device; and

move at least one of the first camera, the second camera, and the third camera to a fourth angle that maintains the object in a designated portion of a vertical field of view of at least one of the first camera, second camera, or third camera.

16. The device of claim 15, wherein compare the fourth frame to the first frame, second frame, or third frame comprises:

identify, in the panoramic frame, first frame, second frame, or third frame, a first distance associated with a region;

identify, in the fourth frame, a second distance associated with the region; and

determine a difference between the first distance and the second distance.

17. The device of claim 15, wherein the calibration is a first calibration, the non-transitory computer-readable memory storing computer-executable instructions that, when executed by the processor, configure the processor to perform operations further comprising:

determine, after moving at least one of the first camera, the second camera, and the third camera to the third angle, a second calibration between at least two of the first camera, the second camera, and the third camera.