Constant resolution continuous hybrid zoom system
An optical apparatus captures images of a wide-angle scene with a single camera having a continuous panomorph zoom distortion profile. When combined with a processing unit, the hybrid zoom system creates an output image with constant resolution while allowing continuous adjustment in the magnification and field of view of the image without interpolation like a digital zoom system or without any moving parts like an optical zoom system.
1. A method for creating a continuous zoom optical system using an imager creating a digital image file having a variable magnification across a field of view in order to have a ratio close to 1:1 between a number of image sensor pixels and a number of output image pixels in a region at an edge of a selected output field of view, the method comprising of:
a. creating, using an imager having at least an imaging system and an image sensor, an optical image of a scene in an image plane;
b. converting, by the image sensor of the imager, the optical image into a digital image, the image sensor including a plurality of image sensor pixels, the digital image having a digital image distortion with a generally decreasing magnification from a minimum design field of view up to a maximum design field of view;
c. receiving, by a processing unit, a selection of an output field of view value; and
d. processing, by the processing unit, the digital image in order to create a processed image, the processing unit keeping a ratio between the number of image sensor pixels and a number of processed image pixels close to 1:1 in a region at the edge of the selected output field of view.
2. The method of claim 1 , further comprising:
e. outputting the processed image.
3. The method of claim 1 , wherein a value corresponding to the minimum design field of view is defined such that a ratio between a maximum magnification and a minimum magnification is equal to a ratio between the minimum design field of view and the maximum design field of view.
4. The method of claim 2 , wherein the processed image is outputted to a display device.
5. The method of claim 1 , wherein the selection of the output field of view value is received from a user.
6. The method of claim 1 , wherein the selection of the output field of view value is automatically received from an algorithm.
7. The method of claim 6 , wherein the algorithm uses a spatial position and/or orientation of the imager to calculate the selected output field of view.
8. The method of claim 1 , wherein a smart binning process is applied to limit a number of pixels read by the image sensor or transmitted to the processing unit.
9. The method of claim 1 , wherein the magnification for every output field of view θ in a region between the minimum design field of view and the maximum design field of view is such that:
Magnification
(
θ
)
>
Min
.
design_FoV
θ
Max
.
Mag
.
10. The method of claim 1 , wherein the magnification at a given output field of view θ in a region between the minimum design field of view and the maximum design field of view is such that:
0.75
Min
.
design_FoV
θ
Max
.
Mag
<
Magnification
(
θ
)
<
1.25
Min
.
design_FoV
θ
Max
.
Mag
.
11. The method of claim 1 , wherein the ratio between the number of image sensor pixels and the number of processed image pixels is up to 2:1 or 1:2 in a region at the edge of the selected output field of view.
12. The method of claim 1 , wherein the imager includes multiple imaging systems and multiple image sensors for creating multiple digital images.
13. The method of claim 12 , wherein the multiple digital images are stitched together before the processing by the processing unit.
14. The method of claim 1 , wherein the continuous zoom optical system has no movable optical element.
15. The method of claim 1 , wherein the continuous zoom optical system is combined with a digital zoom.
16. The method of claim 1 , wherein the processing unit simultaneously processes a single digital image into multiple processed images having different selected output field of view values.
17. The method of claim 1 , wherein the processed image is created by the processing unit without dewarping to remove distortion when the received selection of output field of view value is a value corresponding to the minimum design field of view.
18. The method of claim 1 , wherein the digital image from the imager has a maximum magnification in an off-centered region of the image.
19. The method of claim 1 , wherein the continuous zoom optical system is used with an auto focus, an auto exposure or an auto white balance process.
20. A continuous zoom optical system using an imaging system to create a digital image file having a variable magnification across a field of view in order to have a resolution ratio close to 1:1 between a number of image sensor pixels and a number of output image pixels in a region at an edge of a selected output field of view, the optical system comprising:
a. an imaging system creating in an image plane an optical image of a scene, the imaging system having optical distortion such that the optical image has a generally decreasing magnification from a minimum design field of view up to a maximum design field of view;
b. an image sensor converting the optical image to a digital image, the image sensor including a plurality of image sensor pixels, and the digital image having a digital image distortion resulting from the optical distortion of the imaging system;
c. an output field of view value selection unit for receiving a selection of an output field of view value; and
d. a processing unit processing the digital image in order to create a processed image, the processing unit keeping a ratio between the number of image sensor pixels and a number of processed image pixels close to 1:1 in a region at the edge of the selected output field of view.
21. A continuous zoom optical system using smart binning from an image sensor to create a digital image file having a variable magnification across a field of view in order to have a resolution ratio close to 1:1 between a number of image sensor pixels and a number of output image pixels in a region at an edge of a selected output field of view, the optical system comprising:
a. an imaging system creating in an image plane an optical image of a scene;
b. an image sensor converting the optical image to a digital image, the image sensor including a plurality of image sensor pixels;
c. a smart binning unit to do smart binning of the image sensor pixels such that the resulting digital image has a generally decreasing magnification from a minimum design field of view up to a maximum design field of view;
d. an output field of view value selection unit for receiving a selection of an output field of view value; and
e. a processing unit processing the digital image in order to create a processed image, the processing unit keeping a ratio between the number of image sensor pixels and a number of processed image pixels close to 1:1 in a region at the edge of the selected output field of view.