Digital camera using multiple lenses and image sensors to provide an extended zoom range

1. An electronic camera for producing an output image of a scene, said electronic camera comprising:

a first image sensor for generating a first sensor output;

a first lens, having at least one focal length, for forming a first image of the scene on the first image sensor;

a second image sensor for generating a second sensor output;

a zoom lens pointing in the same direction as the first lens and forming a second image of the same scene on the second image sensor, wherein the zoom lens has zoom settings that are adjustable between a minimum focal length and a maximum focal length to provide the second image;

a control element for selecting either the first sensor output from the first image sensor or the second sensor output from the second image sensor, thereby providing a selected sensor output;

a user control for allowing a user to select a zoom setting corresponding to one of the focal lengths of the respective lenses, wherein the control element is thereupon responsive to the user control for selecting a corresponding sensor output, thereby providing a transition between the first lens and the zoom settings of the zoom lens that is transparent to the user; and

a processing section for producing the output image from the selected sensor output.

2. The electronic camera as claimed in claim 1 wherein the first lens has a fixed focal length.

3. The electronic camera as claimed in claim 2 wherein the fixed focal length of the first lens is less than the minimum focal length of the zoom lens, thereby leaving a focal length gap therebetween.

4. The electronic camera as claimed in claim 3 wherein the processing section includes an electronic zooming capability for electronically zooming over at least a portion of the focal length gap.

5. The electronic camera as claimed in claim 4 wherein the user control allows for selecting a zoom position, whereby the zoom position is characterized as (a) an optical focal length when it is the fixed focal length of the first lens or within the focal lengths of the zoom lens and (b) an electronic zoom amount when within the gap between the fixed focal length of the first lens and the minimum focal length of the zoom lens.

6. The electronic camera as claimed in claim 2 wherein the image provided by the first image sensor is a panoramic image.

7. The electronic camera as claimed in claim 2 wherein the first and second images formed on the first and second image sensors have different aspect ratios, including a panoramic aspect ratio for the first image sensor.

8. The electronic camera as claimed in claim 7 wherein the panoramic aspect ratio of the first image sensor is adjustable.

9. The electronic camera as claimed in claim 1 further comprising:

a plurality of additional image sensors for generating a corresponding plurality of additional sensor outputs; and

a plurality of additional lenses for forming a corresponding plurality of additional images of the scene on the plurality of additional image sensors; wherein the control element selects either the first sensor output from the first image sensor, the second sensor output from the second image sensor or any one of the plurality of additional sensor outputs from the plurality of additional image sensors, thereby providing a selected image output.

10. The electronic camera as claimed in claim 9 wherein at least one of the additional lenses is a zoom lens.

11. An electronic camera that provides a continuous zoom setting over a range including a wide angle optical focal length and a group of optical focal lengths provided by at least one tele zoom lens, wherein at least some of the intervening focal lengths in the gap between the wide angle focal length and the zoom focal lengths of the tele zoom are provided by electronically zooming up from an image captured at the wide angle optical focal length, thereby providing a continuous transition in zoom settings, transparent to the user, between the wide angle optical focal length, the intervening focal lengths, and the zoom focal lengths of the zoom lens.

12. The electronic camera as claimed in claim 11 wherein the wide angle focal length is provided by a fixed focal length lens.

13. An electronic camera for forming a processed image of a scene from multiple lenses, said camera comprising:

means for capturing a first image formed by a first lens having at least one focal length;

means for capturing a second image formed by a zoom lens having zoom settings that are adjustable between a minimum focal length and a maximum focal length to provide the second image;

means for inputting a zoom setting corresponding to one of the focal lengths;

means for selecting either the first image or the second image in response to the zoom setting, thereby providing a selected image output; and

means for generating the processed image from the selected image.

14. The camera as claimed in claim 13 further comprising means for providing electronic zooming for at least one zoom setting that is between the first lens and the zoom lens.

15. The camera as claimed in claim 13 wherein the first lens is also a zoom lens.

16. A method for forming a processed image in an electronic camera, comprising the steps of:

capturing a first image formed by a first lens having at least one focal length;

capturing a second image formed by a zoom lens having zoom settings that are adjustable between a minimum focal length and a maximum focal length to provide the second image;

inputting a zoom setting corresponding to one of the focal lengths;

selecting either the first image or the second image in response to the zoom setting, thereby providing a selected image output; and

generating the processed image from the selected image.

17. The method as claimed in claim 16 further comprising the step of providing electronic zooming for at least one zoom setting that is between the first lens and the zoom lens.

18. The method as claimed in claim 16 wherein the first lens is also a zoom lens.