Classifications

• • H—ELECTRICITY
  • H04—ELECTRIC COMMUNICATION TECHNIQUE
  • H04N—PICTORIAL COMMUNICATION, e.g. TELEVISION
  • H04N23/00—Cameras or camera modules comprising electronic image sensors; Control thereof
  • H04N23/58—Means for changing the camera field of view without moving the camera body, e.g. nutating or panning of optics or image sensors
• • H—ELECTRICITY
  • H04—ELECTRIC COMMUNICATION TECHNIQUE
  • H04N—PICTORIAL COMMUNICATION, e.g. TELEVISION
  • H04N23/00—Cameras or camera modules comprising electronic image sensors; Control thereof
  • H04N23/60—Control of cameras or camera modules
  • H04N23/63—Control of cameras or camera modules by using electronic viewfinders
  • H04N23/631—Graphical user interfaces [GUI] specially adapted for controlling image capture or setting capture parameters
• • H—ELECTRICITY
  • H04—ELECTRIC COMMUNICATION TECHNIQUE
  • H04N—PICTORIAL COMMUNICATION, e.g. TELEVISION
  • H04N23/00—Cameras or camera modules comprising electronic image sensors; Control thereof
  • H04N23/60—Control of cameras or camera modules
  • H04N23/66—Remote control of cameras or camera parts, e.g. by remote control devices
  • H04N23/661—Transmitting camera control signals through networks, e.g. control via the Internet
• • H—ELECTRICITY
  • H04—ELECTRIC COMMUNICATION TECHNIQUE
  • H04N—PICTORIAL COMMUNICATION, e.g. TELEVISION
  • H04N23/00—Cameras or camera modules comprising electronic image sensors; Control thereof
  • H04N23/60—Control of cameras or camera modules
  • H04N23/69—Control of means for changing angle of the field of view, e.g. optical zoom objectives or electronic zooming
• • H—ELECTRICITY
  • H04—ELECTRIC COMMUNICATION TECHNIQUE
  • H04N—PICTORIAL COMMUNICATION, e.g. TELEVISION
  • H04N23/00—Cameras or camera modules comprising electronic image sensors; Control thereof
  • H04N23/60—Control of cameras or camera modules
  • H04N23/698—Control of cameras or camera modules for achieving an enlarged field of view, e.g. panoramic image capture

Definitions

• the present invention generally relates to a compact zoom system for digital cameras. More particularly, the invention pertains to an apparatus and method for a zoom system wherein a plurality of images with different fields of view are used to create different images within the zoom range.
• U.S. Patent 5,657,402 a method is described in which a plurality of digital images is combined to form an image.
• U.S. Patent 5,657,402 addresses the use of multiple images captured at different focal lengths or different times wherein "the plurality of images of various focal lengths, such as a zoom video sequence" (col. 1 lines 21-22) are captured from the same lens.
• U.S. Patent 5,657,402 does not include methods for enabling different fields of view to be captured.
• the images captured in U.S. Patent 5,657,402 all include the same number of pixels so that the total exposure time, as well as the storage and readout time, are increased with multiple images.
• U.S. Patent 5,717,512 a system for capturing images with different fields of view is described.
• the system is based on a rotatable and tillable lens system driven by motors for capturing images of people at an Automatic Teller Machine.
• the system is large and complex as shown in FIG. 1 , and as such is unsuited for use in a compact camera system.
• the system as described in U.S. Patent 5,717,512 includes three mirrors, a pan and tilt mirror 34, and two folding mirrors 58 and 59 to redirect the light collected from the scene by the pan and tilt mirror to the camera 60.
• the system also includes three drive motors.
• the pan and tilt mirror is held in a frame 31 which can be rotated about the optical axis of the imaging lens 36 by pan drive motor 52.
• the present invention has the advantage of providing a zoom module with a fixed focal length lens to reduce the cost of the lens while being compact in overall size. Another advantage provided by the invention is that a zoom module is provided that is compatible with a lens and sensor assembly that has been produced by wafer level manufacturing. A further advantage provided by the invention is that a flexible zoom system is provided from multiple image captures in such a way that the number of pixels in the formed composite image, the total readout and storage time, and the total exposure time are all kept relatively constant through the zoom range in spite of the multiple images that are captured.
• FIG. 4 is a diagram of the layout and overlap of the multiple images as used throughout the zoom range for a 3X zoom of the present invention.
• FIG. 2 shows an embodiment of the present invention showing a zoom module 205 which is capable of capturing sequential images with different fields of view.
• a fixed focal length lens 210 is combined with a moveable mirror 220.
• the moveable mirror 220 is positioned at substantially 45 degrees to the optical axis of the fixed focal length lens 210 so that the zoom module is relatively thin.
• FIG. 3 shows more detailed information about the moveable mirror.
• the reflective portion of the mirror 220 can rotate independently about two perpendicular axes 315 and 317 so that a number of positions are possible.
• the image sensor pixels are binned in reverse correspondence to the zoom factor so that the total number of pixels in the composite image is kept relatively constant through the zoom range. It is noted that each individual image is captured with a different mirror position, and the binning factor is proportional to the number of mirror positions. Binning involves the electrical connection of neighboring pixels to share the electrical charge that is produced by the light on the pixels so that the binned pixel is effectively larger in area (and as such more sensitive to light) and the number of pixels in the individual image is reduced.
• a 1 X zoom image nine images are captured with nine pixels binned together and an exposure time of 1 1 millisecond each.
• the mirror is moved (in degrees) in the following pan/tilt order during the capture of the multiple images: +6/+4; +6/0; +6/-4; 0/-4; 0/0; 0/+4; -6/+4; -6/0; -6/-4.
• Digital camera phone 1202 uses mirror 220 and lens 210 to focus light from a scene (not shown) onto image sensor array 230 of sensor 1212. Wherein mirror 220, lens 210 and image sensor 230 are arranged as previously shown in FIG. 2. Image sensor array 230 provides color image information using the Bayer color filter pattern in an embodiment in accordance with the invention. Image sensor array 230 is controlled by timing generator 1214, which also controls flash 1216 in order to illuminate the scene when the ambient illumination is low.
• the analog output signals output from the image sensor array 230 are amplified and converted to digital data by analog-to-digital (AfD) converter circuit 1218.
• the digital data are stored in buffer memory 1220 and subsequently processed by digital processor 1222.
• Digital processor 1222 is controlled by the firmware stored in firmware memory 1224, which can be flash EPROM memory.
• Digital processor 1222 includes real-time clock 1226, which keeps the date and time even when digital camera phone 1202 and digital processor 1222 are in a low power state.
• the processed digital image files are stored in memory 1206.
• Memory 1206 can also store other types of data, such as, for example, music files (e.g. MP3 files), ring tones, phone numbers, calendars, and to-do lists.
• digital camera phone 1202 captures still images.
• Digital processor 1222 performs distortion correction, color interpolation followed by color and tone correction, in order to produce rendered sRGB image data.
• the rendered sRGB image data are then compressed and stored as an image file in memory 1206.
• the image data can be compressed pursuant to the JPEG format, which uses the known "Exif image format.
• This format includes an Exif application segment that stores particular image metadata using various TIFF tags. Separate TIFF tags can be used, for example, to store the date and time the picture was captured, the lens f/number and other camera settings, and to store image captions.
• Digital processor 1222 produces different image sizes that are selected by the user in an embodiment in accordance with the invention.
• One such size is the low-resolution "thumbnail" size image.
• Generating thumbnail-size images is described in commonly assigned U.S. Patent No. 5,164,831, entitled “Electronic Still Camera Providing Multi-Format Storage of Full and Reduced Resolution Images” to Kuchta, et al.
• the thumbnail image is stored in RAM memory 1228 and supplied to color display 1230, which can be, for example, an active matrix LCD or organic light emitting diode (OLED).
• Generating thumbnail size images allows the captured images to be reviewed quickly on color display 1230.
• Speaker 1236 is also used to inform the user of an incoming phone call in an embodiment in accordance with the invention. This can be done using a standard ring tone stored in firmware memory 1224, or by using a custom ring- tone downloaded from mobile phone network 1238 and stored in memory 1206.
• a vibration device (not shown) can be used to provide a silent (e.g., non-audible) notification of an incoming phone call.
• a graphical user interface (not shown) is displayed on color display

Landscapes

• Engineering & Computer Science (AREA)
• Multimedia (AREA)
• Signal Processing (AREA)
• Human Computer Interaction (AREA)
• Studio Devices (AREA)
• Studio Circuits (AREA)
• Structure And Mechanism Of Cameras (AREA)

Priority Applications (3)

Applications Claiming Priority (2)

Publications (1)

Family

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Family Applications (1)

Country Status (6)

Cited By (4)

Families Citing this family (110)

Citations (4)

Family Cites Families (40)

• 2008
  • 2008-07-17 US US12/175,142 patent/US8134589B2/en not_active Expired - Fee Related
• 2009
  • 2009-06-14 EP EP09788912A patent/EP2301240A1/en not_active Withdrawn
  • 2009-07-14 JP JP2011518717A patent/JP5499027B2/ja not_active Expired - Fee Related
  • 2009-07-14 WO PCT/US2009/004070 patent/WO2010008529A1/en not_active Ceased
  • 2009-07-14 CN CN200980124903.8A patent/CN102077575B/zh not_active Expired - Fee Related
  • 2009-07-16 TW TW098124144A patent/TWI465766B/zh not_active IP Right Cessation

Patent Citations (4)

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