Camera system including lens with magnification gradient
Embodiments are disclosed of an apparatus including a first digital camera with an image sensor optically coupled to a first lens, the first lens having a first magnification and a second digital camera including an image sensor optically coupled to a second lens. The second lens the second lens has a magnification that is greater than the magnification of the first lens and the second lens is a non-rectilinear lens having a magnification gradient in which magnification is highest at the center of the second lens and lowest at the edges. Other embodiments are disclosed and claimed.
1. An apparatus comprising:
a first digital camera including an image sensor optically coupled to a first lens, the first lens being a rectilinear lens and having a first magnification;
a second digital camera including an image sensor optically coupled to a second lens,
wherein the second lens is a non-rectilinear lens having a magnification gradient in which magnification is highest at the center of the second lens and lowest at edges of the second lens and wherein the second lens has a magnification that is greater than the magnification of the first lens.
2. The apparatus of claim 1 wherein the magnification gradient of the second lens is linear.
3. The apparatus of claim 2 wherein a magnification of the second lens decreases monotonically from the center of the second lens to the edges of the second lens.
4. The apparatus of claim 1 wherein the magnification gradient of the second lens is non-linear.
5. The apparatus of claim 4 wherein a magnification of the second lens decreases monotonically from the center of the second lens to the edges of the second lens.
6. The apparatus of claim 1 wherein the magnification at an edge of the second lens is equal to or less than the magnification at an edge of the first lens.
7. A process comprising:
capturing a first digital image with a first digital camera including an image sensor optically coupled to a first lens, the first lens being a rectilinear lens and having a first magnification;
capturing a second digital image with a second digital camera including an image sensor optically coupled to a second lens, the second lens having a second magnification that is greater than the first magnification, wherein the second lens is a non-rectilinear lens having a magnification gradient in which magnification is highest at the center of the second lens and lowest at edges of the second lens; and
fusing the first digital image with the second digital image to create a third digital image with a magnification between the first magnification and the second magnification.
8. The process of claim 7 wherein the magnification gradient of the second lens is linear.
9. The process of claim 8 wherein a magnification of the second lens decreases monotonically from the center of the second lens to the edges of the second lens.
10. The process of claim 7 wherein the magnification gradient of the second lens is non-linear.
11. The process of claim 10 wherein a magnification of the second lens decreases monotonically from the center of the second lens to the edges of the second lens.
12. The process of claim 7 wherein the magnification at an edge of the second lens is equal to or less than the magnification at an edge of the first lens.
13. The process of claim 7 , further comprising applying distortion compensation to the second digital image before the second digital image fused with the first digital image to create the third digital image.