IP Library Granted Patent US 10,935,870
Granted Patent B2
US 10,935,870 · App. 16/699,577 · Granted Mar 2, 2021

Dual-aperture zoom digital camera with automatic adjustable tele field of view

Inventors: Gal Shabtay (Tel-Aviv, IL); Ephraim Goldenberg (Ashdod, IL); Eran Kali (Jerusalem, IL); Noy Cohen (Tel Aviv, IL); Gil Avraham (Givat Ada, IL); Ruthy Katz (Tel-Aviv, IL)
Assignee: Corephotonics Ltd.
G03B3/06G02B26/105G03B17/17H04N3/08H04N5/2258H04N5/2259H04N5/23232H04N5/23293H04N5/232933H04N5/247G02B13/06G03B2217/002
View Patent ↗
Loading inventors, assignments & file history…
Monitor This Case
Get email alerts when status or documents change.
Order Certified Copies
Most orders are placed with the USPTO same day — all within 24 business hours.
Order via The Patent Place →
Pre-filled with this patent's details
Quick Facts
Patent No.
US 10,935,870
App. No.
16/699,577
Granted
Mar 2, 2021
Kind
B2
Abstract

Digital camera comprising an upright Wide camera configured to provide a Wide image with a Wide image resolution and a folded Tele camera configured to provide a Tele image with a Tele image resolution higher than the Wide image resolution, the Wide and Tele cameras having respective Wide and Tele fields of view FOV W and FOV T and respective Wide and Tele image sensors, the digital camera further comprising a rotating OPFE operative to provide a folded optical path between an object or scene and the Tele image sensor, wherein rotation of the OPFE moves FOV T relative to FOV W . In some embodiments, a rectangular FOV T is orthogonal to a rectangular FOV W . When included in a host device having a user interface that displays FOV T within FOV W , the user interface may be used to position FOV T relative to FOV W , scan FOV T across FOV W and acquire, store and display separate Wide and Tele images, composite Wide plus Tele images and stitched Tele images. The positioning of FOV T within FOV W , can be done automatically (autonomously) by continuously tracking an object of interest.

Claims (31)

1. A method for obtaining a high-resolution image using a dual-aperture camera comprising a Wide camera that provides a Wide image with a Wide resolution and a Wide field of view (FOV W ), and a folded Tele camera that provides plurality of Tele images with a Tele resolution higher than the Wide camera resolution and with a Tele field of view (FOV T ) smaller than the FOV W , wherein the Wide camera includes a Wide lens with a Wide lens optical axis and a Wide image sensor with a width W W and a height H W , wherein the Tele camera includes a Tele image sensor with a width W T and a height H T , wherein W W >H W and wherein W T >H T , the method comprising:

a) positioning H T in parallel with the Wide lens optical axis and W W orthogonally to H T ;

b) obtaining a first Tele image with the FOV T at a first position within the FOV W ;

c) moving the FOV T relative to FOV W to obtain a second Tele image with the FOV T at a second position within the FOV W ; and

d) fusing the Wide image, the first Tele image and the second Tele image into a fused image.

2. The method of claim 1 , wherein the second Tele image partially overlaps the first Tele image.

3. The method of claim 1 , wherein the second Tele image does not overlap the first Tele image.

4. The method of claim 1 , wherein the moving is performed manually.

5. The method of claim 1 , wherein the moving is performed automatically.

6. The method of claim 1 , wherein each of the first Tele image and the second Tele image is indicated on a screen of the dual-aperture camera by a respective frame visible on the screen showing and defining the FOV T .

7. The method of claim 1 , wherein the obtaining a first Tele image with the FOV T at a first position within the FOV W is preceded by detecting an area of interest within the FOV W that includes the first position.

8. The method of claim 1 , wherein the moving the FOV T relative to the FOV W includes moving the FOV T relative to the FOV W to obtain a plurality of additional Tele images with the FOV T at respective additional positions within the FOV W .

9. The method of claim 8 , wherein at least some of the first Tele image and the additional Tele images partially overlap each other.

10. The method of claim 8 , wherein at least some of the first Tele image and the additional Tele images do not overlap each other.

11. The method of claim 8 , wherein the moving is performed manually.

12. The method of claim 8 , wherein the moving is performed automatically.

13. A dual-aperture camera comprising:

a) a Wide camera that provides a Wide image with a Wide resolution and a Wide field of view (FOV W ), wherein the Wide camera includes a Wide lens with a Wide lens optical axis and a Wide image sensor with a width W W and a height H W and wherein W W >H W ; and

b) a folded Tele camera that provides Tele images with a Tele resolution higher than the Wide camera resolution and with a Tele field of view (FOV T ) smaller than FOV W , the dual-aperture camera configured to obtain a first Tele image with the FOV T at a respective first position within the FOV W , move the FOV T relative to the FOV W to obtain a second Tele image with the FOV T at a second position within the FOV W , and fuse the Wide image, the first Tele image and the second Tele image into a fused image,

wherein the Tele camera includes a Tele image sensor with a width W T and a height H T , wherein W T >H T , wherein H T is parallel to the Wide lens optical axis and wherein W W is orthogonal to H T .

14. The dual-aperture camera of claim 13 , wherein the second Tele image partially overlaps the first Tele image.

15. The dual-aperture camera of claim 13 , wherein the second Tele image does not overlap the first Tele image.

16. The dual-aperture camera of claim 13 , wherein the dual-aperture camera is configured to move the FOV T relative to the FOV W manually.

17. The dual-aperture camera of claim 13 , wherein the dual-aperture camera is configured to move the FOV T relative to the FOV W automatically.

18. The dual-aperture camera of claim 13 , wherein each of the first Tele image and the second Tele image are indicated on a screen of the dual-aperture camera by a respective frame visible on the screen showing and defining the first FOV T and the second FOV T .

19. The dual-aperture camera of claim 13 , wherein the dual-aperture camera is further configured to move the FOV T relative to the FOV W to obtain a plurality of additional Tele images with the FOV T at respective additional positions within the FOV W .

20. The dual-aperture camera of claim 19 , wherein at least some of the first Tele image and the additional Tele images partially overlap each other.

21. The dual-aperture camera of claim 19 , wherein at least some of the first Tele image and the additional Tele images do not overlap each other.

22. A user interface (UI) for operating a dual-aperture camera, the dual-aperture camera comprising a Wide camera with a Wide field of view (FOV W ) and a folded Tele camera with a changeable Tele field of view (FOV T ), wherein the Wide camera includes a Wide lens with a Wide lens optical axis and a Wide image sensor with a width W W and a height H W and wherein the Tele camera includes a Tele image sensor with a width W T and a height H T , wherein W W >H W , wherein W T >H T , wherein H T is parallel to the Wide lens optical axis and wherein W W is orthogonal to H T , the UI comprising:

a) a screen configured to display a respective video including simultaneously captured frames from the Tele and Wide cameras in which the FOV T is within the FOV W ; and

b) a frame visible on the screen showing and defining the FOV T within the FOV W .

Assignments (1)
ASSIGNMENT OF ASSIGNOR'S INTEREST Recorded Jan 10, 2022
From: SHABTAY, GAL; GOLDENBERG, EPHRAIM; KALI, ERAN; COHEN, NOY; AVRAHAM, GIL; KATZ, RUTHY
To: COREPHOTONICS LTD.
Reel/Frame 058603/0962 →
Continuity (4)
Continuation 15525059
Provisional Application 62361150 · Jul 12, 2016
Provisional Application 62272367 · Dec 29, 2015
Related Publication 20200103726A1 · Apr 2, 2020
Cited By (1)
US 12,646,181