Camera rig and stereoscopic image capture

• US 10,244,226 B2
• Filed: 05/27/2016
• Issued: 03/26/2019
• Est. Priority Date: 05/27/2015
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Google LLC (Alphabet Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Google LLC (Alphabet Inc.)
• Inventors: Weaver, Joshua, Anderson, Robert, Wu, Changchang, Krainin, Michael, Gallup, David, Seitz, Steven Maxwell, Esteban, Carlos Hernandez, Valente, Matthew Thomas, Hoover, Christopher Edward, Goossens, Erik Hubert Dolly
• Primary Examiner(s): Luo, Kate H
• Application Number:
  US15/167,303
• Publication Number:
  US 20160352982A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,033 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 13/243 using three or more 2D image sensors
• 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 13/344 with head-mounted left-right displays
• 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 23/50 Constructional details
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 23/695 Control of camera direction for changing a field of view, e.g. pan, tilt or based on tracking of objects
• 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

Systems and methods are related to a camera rig and generating stereoscopic panoramas from captured images for display in a virtual reality (VR) environment.

Claims

1. A camera rig, comprising:

a hub; and

a camera mounting ring disposed around the hub, the camera mounting ring including a plurality of recesses, the camera mounting ring including;

a first recess from the plurality of recesses configured to receive a first image sensor,

a second recess from the plurality of recesses configured to receive a second image sensor, and

a third recess from the plurality of recesses configured to receive a third image sensor,

the camera mounting ring being configured such that each of the first image sensor, the second image sensor, and the third image sensor have a projection facing away from an inner portion of the camera rig,

the plurality of recesses being defined such that a first field of view of the first image sensor intersects a second field of view of the second image sensor and a third field of view of the third image sensor; and

a clip configured to be coupled around a rear portion of the first image sensor and to the camera mounting ring.

2. The camera rig of claim 1, wherein a radius of the camera rig is defined such that the first field of view of a first image sensor intersects the second field of view of the second image sensor and the third field of view of the third image sensor.

3. The camera rig of claim 1, wherein the first image sensor, the second image sensor, and the third image sensor are disposed within a plane.

4. The camera rig of claim 1, wherein a spoke is disposed between the hub and the camera mounting ring.

5. The camera rig of claim 1, wherein the plurality of recesses are defined such that a gap is disposed between a first camera housing including the first image sensor and a second camera housing including the second image sensor.

6. The camera rig of claim 1, wherein the first recess from the plurality of recesses is defined such that the first image sensor has a field of view in a portrait orientation.

7. The camera rig of claim 1, wherein the first recess from the plurality of recesses is defined for removable coupling of the first image sensor to the camera rig.

8. The camera rig of claim 1, wherein the plurality of recesses includes between 12 to 16 recesses.

9. The camera rig of claim 1, wherein the plurality of recesses includes 16 recesses.

10. The camera rig of claim 1, wherein the camera mounting ring is between approximately 25 to 30 centimeters in diameter.

11. A method, comprising:

defining a first image at a first image sensor coupled to a camera mounting ring of a camera rig, the first image sensor being coupled to the camera mounting ring via a clip coupled to the camera mounting ring and around a rear portion of the first image sensor;

defining a second image at a second image sensor coupled to the camera mounting ring of the camera rig;

defining a ray projecting from a capture circle having a diameter smaller than a diameter of the camera mounting ring; and

interpolating a third image associated with the ray based on a first distance between the ray and the first image sensor and a second distance between the ray and the second image sensor.

12. The method of claim 11, wherein the first image sensor has a first field of view that intersects a second field of view of the second image sensor and intersects a third field of view of a third image sensor coupled to the camera rig.

13. The method of claim 12, wherein the first image sensor, the second image sensor, and the third image sensor are disposed within a plane.

14. The method of claim 11, wherein the first image, the second image, and the third image are each in a portrait orientation.

15. The method of claim 11, wherein the ray is tangentially projected from the capture circle.

16. The method of claim 11, wherein the ray is a first ray,

the method comprising:

defining a second ray projecting from the capture circle; and

defining a fourth image at a third image sensor coupled to the camera mounting ring; and

interpolating a fifth image associated with the second ray based on a third distance between the second ray and the first image sensor and a fourth distance between the second ray and the third image sensor.

17. A camera rig, comprising:

a hub; and

a camera mounting ring disposed around the hub, the camera mounting ring including a plurality of recesses, the camera mounting ring including;

a first recess from the plurality of recesses configured to receive a first image sensor,

a second recess from the plurality of recesses configured to receive a second image sensor, and

a third recess from the plurality of recesses configured to receive a third image sensor,

the camera mounting ring being configured such that each of the first image sensor, the second image sensor, and the third image sensor have a projection facing away from an inner portion of the camera rig,

the plurality of recesses being defined such that a first field of view of the first image sensor intersects a second field of view of the second image sensor and a third field of view of the third image sensor; and

a clip having a protrusion configured to be inserted into a fourth recess in the camera mounting ring.

18. The camera rig of claim 17, wherein a radius of the camera rig is defined such that the first field of view of a first image sensor intersects the second field of view of the second image sensor and the third field of view of the third image sensor.

19. The camera rig of claim 17, wherein the protrusion is a first protrusion, the clip has a second protrusion configured to be coupled to a camera including the first image sensor and a third protrusion configured to be used to removably couple the clip to the camera.