THREE DIMENSIONAL IMAGING DEVICE

• US 20130342650A1
• Filed: 06/20/2012
• Published: 12/26/2013
• Est. Priority Date: 06/20/2012
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Intel Corporation
• Original Assignee: William C. Deleeuw
• Inventors: Shaw, David I., Deleeuw, William C., Schlieski, Tondra J., Ainsworth, Lucas B.
• Granted Patent: US 10,574,867 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 348/46
• 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 13/296 Synchronisation thereof; Control thereof
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 17/002 for television cameras
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 23/55 Optical parts specially adapted for electronic image sensors; Mounting thereof
• 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

Abstract

An imaging device may include a housing and a pair of lenses mounted in the housing. A mechanism maintains the lenses in a horizontal orientation when the housing is rotated about an imaging axis.

Claims

1. An imaging device comprising:

a housing;

a lens pair mounted in said housing so as to maintain a side-by-side horizontal orientation when the housing is rotated about an imaging axis.

2. The device of claim 1 including a lens assembly rotatable relative to said housing.

3. The device of claim 2 wherein said assembly is weighted to maintain said pair in the side-by-side orientation.

4. The device of claim 2 wherein said assembly is motor driven.

5. The device of claim 1 including an indicator to signal when the lens pair is in the side-by-side orientation.

6. The device of claim 5 wherein said indicator is a light.

7. The device of claim 6 wherein said light is on the outside of said housing.

8. The device of claim 1 including a position sensor to sense the position of said lens.

9. The device of claim 8 including a processor coupled to said position sensor and at least one image sensor coupled to said processor.

10. The device of claim 9 wherein said processor to use information from said position sensor to determine what pixel data to capture.

11. The device of claim 10 wherein, based on said information from said position sensor, said processor to select one of an upright array of pixels, a horizontal array of pixels or a diametrical array of pixels to capture and store.

12. A computer comprising:

a housing;

a stereo pair of lenses mounted in said housing for rotation about a horizontal axis;

a mechanism to rotate said pair to side-by-side mode when said housing is tilted;

an imaging array; and

a processor coupled to said imaging array.

13. The computer of claim 12 wherein said mechanism includes a weight and said stereo pair are mounted for rotation.

14. The computer of claim 12 wherein said mechanism includes a motor.

15. The computer of claim 12 including an operating system.

16. The computer of claim 12 including a battery.

17. The computer of claim 12 including firmware and a module to update said firmware.

18. The computer of claim 12 including only a single stationary imaging array.

19. The computer of claim 12 including a pair of imaging arrays.

20. A method comprising:

detecting an angle of tilt of an imaging device; and

rotating a lens in said device based on the detected angle of tilt.

22. The method of claim 20 including if the angle is horizontal, capturing a horizontal image box.

23. The method of claim 20 including capturing a diamond pattern if the angle is not horizontal or vertical.

25. The media of claim 20 further storing instructions to perform a method further including capturing an upright image box if the angle is vertical.

26. The media of claim 20 further storing instructions to perform a method including capturing a horizontal image box if the angle is horizontal.

27. The media of claim 20 further storing instructions to perform a method including capturing a diamond pattern if the angle is not horizontal or vertical.

21. The method of claim 21 including if the angle is vertical, capturing an upright image box.

24. One or more non-transitory computer readable media storing instructions to perform the steps of:

detecting an angle of tilt of an imaging device; and

rotating a lens in said device based on the detected angle of tilt.