Systems and methods for obtaining a super macro image
Systems comprising a Wide/Ultra-Wide camera, a folded Tele camera comprising an optical path folding element and a Tele lens module, a lens actuator for moving the Tele lens module for focusing to object-lens distances between 3.0 cm and 35 cm with an object-to-image magnification between 1:5 and 25:1, and an application processor (AP), wherein the AP is configured to analyze image data from the UW camera to define a Tele capture strategy for a sequence of Macro images with a focus plane slightly shifted from one captured Macro image to another and to generate a new Macro image from this sequence, and wherein the focus plane and a depth of field of the new Macro image can be controlled continuously.
1. A system, comprising:
a Wide camera for providing at least one Wide image;
a Tele camera comprising a Tele lens module;
a lens actuator for moving the Tele lens module for focusing to any distance or set of distances between 3.0 cm and 35 cm with an object-to-image magnification between 1:5 and 25:1; and
an application processor (AP) configured to analyse image data from the Wide camera to automatically select an object and to define a capture strategy for capturing the object with the Tele camera a sequence of Macro images with a focus plane shifted from one captured Macro image to another captured Macro image, and to generate a new Macro image from this sequence, wherein the system is included in a mobile electronic device.
2. The system of claim 1 , wherein the focus plane and a depth of field of the new Macro image can be controlled continuously post-capture.
3. The system of claim 1 , wherein the focusing is to object-lens distances of 3.0-25 cm.
4. The system of claim 1 , wherein the focusing is to object-lens distances of 3.0-15 cm.
5. The system of claim 1 , wherein the Tele camera is a folded Tele camera comprising an optical path folding element.
6. The system of claim 1 , wherein the Tele camera is a double-folded Tele camera comprising two optical path folding elements.
7. The system of claim 1 , wherein the Tele camera is a pop-out Tele camera comprising a pop-out lens.
8. The system of claim 1 , wherein the AP is configured to calculate a depth map from Wide image data or Wide phase detection auto-focus (PDAF) image data and to use the depth map to define the capture strategy for capturing with the Tele camera a sequence of Macro images or to generate the new Macro image.
9. The system of claim 1 , wherein the Tele camera has an EFL of EFL=10-20 mm.
10. The system of claim 1 , wherein the Tele camera has an EFL of EFL=20-40 mm.
11. The system of claim 1 , wherein instead of a Wide camera an Ultra-Wide camera is used for providing at least one Ultra-Wide image.
12. The system of claim 1 , wherein the Tele camera can be switched between two or more discrete zoom states.
13. The system of claim 12 , wherein the AP is configured to analyse image data from the Wide camera to switch the Tele camera to a specific zoom state for capturing Macro images which have a specific magnification and a specific field of view.
14. The system of claim 12 , wherein a zoom factor of a maximum zoom state is 2×larger than a zoom factor of a minimum zoom state.
15. The system of claim 13 , wherein the analysis of image data from the Wide camera includes use of a saliency map.
16. The system of claim 1 , wherein the generation of the new Macro image uses a Wide image as a reference image.
17. The system of claim 1 , wherein the Tele capture strategy is adjusted during capture of the sequence of Macro images based on information from captured Macro images.
18. The system of claim 1 , wherein the mobile electronic device is a smartphone.
19. The system of claim 1 , wherein the mobile electronic device is a tablet.
20. A method, comprising: in a mobile electronic device comprising a Wide camera and a Tele camera:
using the Wide camera to provide at least one Wide image;
focusing the Tele camera to any distance or set of distances between 3.0 cm and 35 cm with an object-to-image magnification between 1:5 and 25:1;
based on image data from the Wide camera, automatically selecting an object and defining a capture strategy for capturing the object with the Tele camera a sequence of Macro images with a focus plane shifted from one captured Macro image to another captured Macro image; and
generating a new Macro image from the sequence of Macro images.