Method and apparatus for a compact and high resolution mind-view communicator
An embodiment of a mind-view communication apparatus includes a first portable unit and a second portable unit. The first portable unit includes an eyeglass frame, at least one first optical unit disposed on the eyeglass frame for capturing at least one scene image corresponding to a field of view of a user, and at least one second optical unit disposed on the eyeglass frame for capturing at least one eye image corresponding to at least a portion of at least one eye of the user. The second portable unit is in communication with the first portable unit and includes at least one processor configured for receiving the at least one scene image and the at least one eye image, determining a direction within the field of view to which the at least one eye is directed based upon the at least one eye image, and generating a subset of the at least one scene image based on the determined direction.
1. A method for a multi-camera device, comprising the steps of:
generating main scene image data of a scene with a main camera, the main scene image data reproducible as a main scene image, the main camera having a first field of view, and the main scene image having a first image resolution and a plurality of image pixels;
generating auxiliary scene image data of the scene with an auxiliary camera at the same time or at about the same time as the main camera generates the main scene image data, the auxiliary scene image data reproducible as an auxiliary scene image, the auxiliary camera having a second field of view, and the auxiliary scene image having a second image resolution and a plurality of image pixels, the second image resolution being higher than the first image resolution, the main camera and the auxiliary camera being disposed on or in a common support and displaced from each other by a predetermined distance such that the auxiliary scene image and the main scene image have an overlap area, the overlap area corresponding to a subset of the scene that is within the field of view of the main camera and the field of view of the auxiliary camera;
receiving at least a portion of the main scene image and at least a portion of the auxiliary scene image by at least one processor;
analyzing, by the at least one processor, a least a portion of the overlap area of the auxiliary scene image to derive additional information about the scene;
the at least one processor utilizing the additional information about the scene to increase the image resolution of at least one subset of the main scene image having no image pixel in the overlap area; and
generating, by the at least one processor, an output image that includes an increased resolution image of the at least one subset of the main scene image having no image pixel in the overlap area.
2. The method of claim 1 , wherein the common support is an eyeglass frame.
3. The method of claim 1 , wherein the field of view of the auxiliary camera is a subset of the field of view of the main camera.
4. The method of claim 1 , wherein the main and the auxiliary cameras are color cameras, the main scene image data is reproducible as a color main scene image, and the auxiliary scene image data is reproducible as a color auxiliary scene image.
5. The method of claim 1 , wherein the generating the output image includes utilizing an image registration technique to relate the at least one subset of the main scene image to a subset of the auxiliary scene image.
6. The method of claim 1 , wherein the generating the output image includes utilizing a super resolution technique to increase the image resolution of the at least one subset of the main scene image having no image pixel in the overlap area.
7. The method of claim 6 , wherein the super resolution technique comprises a Fourier transform technique.
8. The method of claim 6 , wherein the super resolution technique comprises an image deconvolution technique.
9. The method of claim 6 , wherein the super resolution technique comprises an image deblurring technique.
10. The method of claim 6 , wherein the super resolution technique comprises an iterative bandwidth extrapolation technique.
11. The method of claim 6 , wherein the super resolution technique utilizes information regarding one or more characteristics of the main camera and/or the auxiliary camera.
12. The method of claim 1 , wherein the output image comprises output image data, and further comprising storing the output image data in a memory device of the multi-camera device.
13. An imaging apparatus comprising:
a main camera having a first field of view for generating main scene image data of a scene, the main scene image data is reproducible as a main scene image, the main scene image having a first image resolution and a plurality of image pixels;
an auxiliary camera having a second field of view for generating auxiliary scene image data of the scene at the same time or at about the same time as the main camera generates the main scene image data, the auxiliary scene image data reproducible as an auxiliary scene image, the auxiliary scene image having a second image resolution and a plurality of image pixels, the second image resolution being higher than the first image resolution, the main camera and the auxiliary camera being disposed on or in a common support and displaced from each other by a predetermined distance such that the field of view of the auxiliary camera and the field of view of the main camera at least partially overlap and the auxiliary scene image and the main scene image have an overlap area that corresponds to a subset of the scene that is within the field of view of the main camera and the field of view of the auxiliary camera;
at least one processor, in communication with the main camera and the auxiliary camera, the at least one processor configured to:
receive at least a portion of the main scene image and at least a portion of the auxiliary scene image,
analyze a least a portion of the overlap area of the auxiliary scene image to derive additional information about the scene,
utilize the additional information about the scent to increase the image resolution of at least one subset of the main scene image having no image pixel in the overlap area, and
generate an output image that includes an increased resolution image of the at least one subset of the main scene image having no image pixel in the overlap area.
14. The method of claim 13 , wherein the common support is an eyeglass frame.
15. The imaging apparatus of claim 13 , wherein the field of view of the auxiliary camera is a subset of the field of view of the main camera.
16. The imaging apparatus of claim 13 , wherein the main camera is a color camera and includes a color filter array.
17. The imaging apparatus of claim 13 , wherein the auxiliary camera has no color filter array and generates the auxiliary scene image data reproducible as a gray scale auxiliary scene image.
18. The imaging apparatus of claim 13 , wherein the auxiliary camera has a color filter array and generates the auxiliary scene image data reproducible as a color auxiliary scene image.
19. The imaging apparatus of claim 13 , wherein the output image is generated including utilizing an image registration technique to relate the at least one subset of the main scene image to a subset of the auxiliary scene image.
20. The imaging apparatus of claim 13 , wherein the output image is generated including utilizing a super resolution technique to increase the image resolution of the at least one subset of the main scene image having no image pixel in the overlap area.
21. The imaging apparatus of claim 20 , wherein the super resolution technique comprises a Fourier transform technique.
22. The imaging apparatus of claim 20 , wherein the super resolution technique comprises an image deconvolution technique.
23. The imaging apparatus of claim 20 , wherein the super resolution technique comprises an image deblurring technique.
24. The imaging apparatus of claim 20 , wherein the super resolution technique comprises an iterative bandwidth extrapolation technique.
25. The imaging apparatus of claim 20 , wherein the super resolution technique utilizes information regarding one or more characteristics of the main camera and/or the auxiliary camera.
26. The imaging apparatus of claim 13 , wherein the output image comprises output image data, and wherein the at least one processor is configured to store the output image data in a memory device of the imaging apparatus.