Code division compression for array cameras

1. A code division compression method for an array camera system including a plurality of individual micro-cameras that produce a plurality of individual data streams, each individual data stream being produced by a different individual micro-camera and representing its respective individual micro-camera's individual field-of-view, said method CHARACTERIZED BY:

multiplexing the plurality of individual data streams using a code-division-multiple-access (CDMA) technique to produce compressed multiplexed image data, wherein the cdma technique is a remote region code division multiple access technique wherein a coded signal defined by the following is produced:

q ijk =Sum m (x ijk m c ijk m ), wherein x ijk m is a pixel value and c ijk m is a code value, each corresponding to an ij th spatial pixel at a time k for an m th micro-camera; and c ijk m is drawn from +1 and −1; and

analyzing the compressed multiplexed image data to identify at least one part of the image data stream for decompression.

2. The method of claim 1 FURTHER CHARACTERIZED BY:

a code sequence for a given micro-camera may be orthogonal or quasi-orthogonal to a code sequence for other micro-cameras.

3. The method of claim 2 FURTHER CHARACTERIZED BY:

performing a multi-pixel transformation on the plurality of individual data streams produced by the individual micro-cameras before multiplexing.

4. The method of claim 2 FURTHER CHARACTERIZED BY:

the CDMA technique is performed without data buffering of the individual data streams.

5. The method of claim 2 FURTHER CHARACTERIZED BY:

the CDMA technique uses direct sequence code division multiple access codes.

6. The method of claim 2 FURTHER CHARACTERIZED BY:

restoring the multiplexed coded data through the use of a neural network.