IP Library Granted Patent US 11,392,009
Granted Patent B2
US 11,392,009 · App. 17/145,309 · Granted Jul 19, 2022

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.
G03B3/06G02B26/105G03B17/17H04N3/08H04N5/2254H04N5/2258H04N5/2259H04N5/23232H04N5/23293H04N5/232933H04N5/247G02B13/06G03B2217/002
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Quick Facts
Patent No.
US 11,392,009
App. No.
17/145,309
Granted
Jul 19, 2022
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 (33)

1. A method for obtaining a high-resolution image using a digital 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 in parallel with W T ;

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

c) detecting an object appearing in the Wide image FOV;

d) moving the FOV T relative to FOV W to track the detected object.

2. The method of claim 1 , wherein the moving the FOV T relative to FOV W to track the detected object includes moving the FOV T to track the object autonomously.

3. The method of claim 1 , further comprising incorporating the digital camera into a host device having a user interface for operating the digital camera.

4. The method of claim 3 , wherein the host device is a smartphone.

5. The method of claim 1 , further comprising, with the FOV T positioned at the first position within the FOV W , capturing a first Wide image simultaneously with the first Tele image.

6. The method of claim 1 , further comprising indicating the first Tele image by a frame visible on a screen of the digital camera, the frame showing and defining the FOV T .

7. 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 .

8. The method of claim 7 , wherein at least some of the first Tele image and the additional Tele images partially overlap each other.

9. The method of claim 7 , wherein at least some of the first Tele image and the additional Tele images do not overlap each other.

10. The method of claim 7 , wherein the moving is performed manually.

11. The method of claim 7 , wherein the moving is performed automatically.

12. A digital camera, comprising:

a) a Wide camera that provides a Wide image with a Wide resolution and a Wide field of view (FOV W ); and

b) 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 W T >H T ,

wherein H T is parallel with the Wide lens optical axis and W W is parallel with W T , and

wherein the digital camera is configured to capture a first Tele image with the FOV T at a first position within the FOV W , to detect an object appearing in the Wide image FOV and to move the FOV T relative to FOV W to track the detected object.

13. The digital camera of claim 12 , wherein the digital camera configuration to move the FOV T relative to FOV W to track the detected object includes a configuration to move the FOV T to track the object autonomously.

14. The digital camera of claim 12 , wherein the digital camera is incorporated in a host device having a user interface for operating the digital camera.

15. The digital camera of claim 14 , wherein the host device is a smartphone.

16. The digital camera of claim 12 , wherein the digital camera is configured to, with the FOV T positioned at the first position within the FOV W , capture a first Wide image simultaneously with the first Tele image.

17. The digital camera of claim 12 , wherein the digital camera is configured to indicate the first Tele image by a frame visible on a screen of the digital camera, the frame showing and defining the FOV T .

18. The digital camera of claim 12 , wherein the digital camera configuration to move the FOV T relative to the FOV W includes a configuration 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 .

19. The digital camera of claim 18 , wherein at least some of the first Tele image and the additional Tele images partially overlap each other.

20. The digital camera of claim 18 , wherein at least some of the first Tele image and the additional Tele images do not overlap each other.

21. The digital camera of claim 18 , wherein the configuration to move the FOV T relative to the FOV W includes a configuration to move the FOV T manually.

22. The digital camera of claim 18 , wherein the configuration to move the FOV T relative to the FOV W includes a configuration to move the FOV T automatically.

Assignments (1)
ASSIGNMENT OF ASSIGNOR'S INTEREST Recorded Jul 6, 2022
From: SHABTAY, GAL; GOLDENBERG, EPHRAIM; KALI, ERAN; COHEN, NOY; AVRAHAM, GIL; KATZ, RUTHY
To: COREPHOTONICS LTD.
Reel/Frame 060406/0036 →
Continuity (5)
Continuation 16699577 · Nov 30, 2019
Continuation 15525059
Provisional Application 62361150 · Jul 12, 2016
Provisional Application 62272367 · Dec 29, 2015
Related Publication 20210132466A1 · May 6, 2021