METHODS AND APPARATUS FOR CAPTURING IMAGES AND/OR FOR USING CAPTURED IMAGES
First Claim
1. A method of capturing images, comprising:
- capturing a first image of a scene area of interest using a first optical chain of a camera, said first optical chain having a first focal length;
capturing a second image of a second scene area, said second scene area being a first portion of said scene area of interest, using a second optical chain of said camera, said second optical chain having a second focal length which is greater than said first focal length;
capturing a third image of a third scene area, said third scene area being a second portion of said scene area of interest, using a third optical chain of said camera, said third optical chain having a third focal length which is greater than said first focal length, at least a portion of said third scene area being non-overlapping with the second scene area; and
storing or outputting said first, second and third images.
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Accused Products
Abstract
Methods and apparatus relating to image capture of image portions using optical chains with different focal lengths are described. In some embodiments different portions of a scene area of interest captured by different optical chains operating in parallel are combined. The combining in some embodiments is performed using depth information generated from two images captured by two different optical chains which capture at least some common overlapping portions of the scene area of interest. The depth information maybe generated using an image of the entire scene and one or more other images of the scene or portions of the scene area of interest. The use of multiple optical chains in parallel facilitates generation of an image with a higher overall pixel count than would be possible using a single sensor of one of the optical chains and/or with more light capture than would be captured using a single optical chain.
5 Citations
20 Claims
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1. A method of capturing images, comprising:
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capturing a first image of a scene area of interest using a first optical chain of a camera, said first optical chain having a first focal length; capturing a second image of a second scene area, said second scene area being a first portion of said scene area of interest, using a second optical chain of said camera, said second optical chain having a second focal length which is greater than said first focal length; capturing a third image of a third scene area, said third scene area being a second portion of said scene area of interest, using a third optical chain of said camera, said third optical chain having a third focal length which is greater than said first focal length, at least a portion of said third scene area being non-overlapping with the second scene area; and storing or outputting said first, second and third images. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 13, 14)
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12. A camera, comprising:
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a first optical chain having a first focal length; a second optical chain having a second focal length which is greater than said first focal length; and a third optical chain having a third focal length which is greater than said first focal length. - View Dependent Claims (15, 16, 17, 18, 19)
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20. A non-transitory computer readable medium, said non-transitory computer readable medium comprising computer executable instructions, said non-transitory computer readable medium comprising:
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instructions, which when executed by a processor, control a first optical chain of a camera to capture a first image of a scene area of interest, said first optical chain having a first focal length; instructions, which when executed by said processor, control a second optical chain of said camera to capture a second image of a second scene area, said second optical chain having a second focal length which is greater than said first focal length, said second scene area being a first portion of said scene area of interest; instructions, which when executed by said processor, control a third optical chain to capture a third image of a third scene area, said third optical chain having a third focal length, said third focal length being greater than said first focal length, said third scene area being a second portion of said scene area of interest, at least a portion of said third scene area being non-overlapping with the second scene area; and instructions, which when executed by said processor, control said processor to store said first, second and third captured images in a memory.
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Specification