Multi-modal image capture apparatus with a tunable spectral response
An image capture apparatus includes an image sensor which has a tunable spectral response and which is tunable in accordance with a capture mask to capture multi-spectral image data. Light-field optics are arranged to project light-field information of a scene onto the image sensor.
1. An image capture apparatus comprising:
an image sensor which has a tunable spectral response and which is tunable in accordance with a capture mask to capture multi-spectral image data;
light-field optics arranged to project light-field information of a scene onto the image sensor; and
a user interface which accepts a user designation of a number of spectral components, wherein the capture mask is constructed in accordance with the user designation and is applied to the image sensor so as to tune the spectral response of the image sensor to the number of spectral components designated by the user.
2. The image capture apparatus according to claim 1 , further comprising a mask memory which stores the capture mask for application to the image sensor, so as to tune the spectral response of the image sensor.
3. The image capture apparatus according to claim 2 , wherein the capture mask is configured to tune the image sensor to capture more than three (3) spectral components.
4. The image capture apparatus according to claim 1 , wherein the light-field optics comprise multi-aperture optics.
5. The image capture apparatus according to claim 1 , wherein the image capture apparatus is operable to capture a preview of the scene, and further comprising:
a preview analysis unit constructed to analyze the preview image, to construct the capture mask based on the analysis of the preview image, and to determine an aperture for the light-field optics based on the analysis of the preview image;
wherein the capture mask constructed by the preview analysis unit is applied to the image sensor and the light-field optics are set to the aperture determined by the preview analysis unit, prior to capture of an image of the scene.
6. The image capture apparatus according to claim 1 , further comprising an image memory for storing multi-spectral light-field information captured by the image sensor.
7. The image capture apparatus according to claim 6 , further comprising an interface for transfer of the multi-spectral light-field information to an external image synthesis host, wherein the image synthesis host processes the multi-spectral light-field information into a synthetic image by applying one or more of a desired focal point, a desired color rendering, a desired focal depth, and a desired perspective.
8. The image capture apparatus according to claim 7 , wherein the synthetic image is comprised of tri-stimulus color values with three (3) spectral components.
9. A method of image capture for an image capture apparatus, comprising:
capturing multi-spectral image data with an image sensor of the image capture apparatus, wherein the image sensor has a tunable spectral response and is tunable in accordance with a capture mask;
projecting light-field information of a scene onto the image sensor with light-field optics of the image capture apparatus; and
providing a user interface which accepts a user designation of a number of spectral components, wherein the capture mask is constructed in accordance with the user designation and is applied to the image sensor so as to tune the spectral response of the image sensor to the number of spectral components designated by the user.
10. The method according to claim 9 , further comprising storing the capture mask in a mask memory for application to the image sensor, so as to tune the spectral response of the image sensor.
11. The method according to claim 10 , wherein the capture mask is configured to tune the image sensor to capture more than three (3) spectral components.
12. The method according to claim 9 , wherein the light-field optics comprise multi-aperture optics.
13. The method according to claim 9 , further comprising:
capturing a preview of the scene;
analyzing the preview image;
constructing a capture mask based on the analysis of the preview image; and
determining an aperture for the light-field optics based on the analysis of the preview image,
wherein the constructed capture mask is applied to the image sensor and the light-field optics are set to the aperture determined in the preview analysis, prior to capture of an image of the scene.
14. The method according to claim 9 , wherein the image capture apparatus comprises an image memory for storing multi-spectral light-field information captured by the image sensor.
15. The method according to claim 14 , wherein the image capture apparatus further comprises an interface for transfer of the multi-spectral light-field information to an external image synthesis host, and wherein the image synthesis host processes the multi-spectral light-field information into a synthetic image by applying one or more of a desired focal point, a desired color rendering, a desired focal depth, and a desired perspective.
16. The method according to claim 15 , wherein the synthetic image is comprised of tri-stimulus color values with three (3) spectral components.
17. A non-transitory computer-readable storage medium storing computer-executable process steps for performing a method of image capture for an image capture apparatus, the method comprising:
capturing multi-spectral image data with an image sensor of the image capture apparatus, wherein the image sensor has a tunable spectral response and which is tunable in accordance with a capture mask;
projecting light-field information of a scene with light-field optics of the image capture apparatus, wherein the light-field information is projected onto the image sensor; and
providing a user interface which accepts a user designation of a number of spectral components, wherein the capture mask is constructed in accordance with the user designation and is applied to the image sensor so as to tune the spectral response of the image sensor to the number of spectral components designated by the user.
18. The computer-readable storage medium according to claim 17 , wherein the method further comprises storing the capture mask in a mask memory for application to the image sensor, so as to tune the spectral response of the image sensor.
19. The computer-readable storage medium according to claim 18 , wherein the capture mask is configured to tune the image sensor to capture more than three (3) spectral components.
20. The computer-readable storage medium according to claim 17 , wherein the light-field optics comprise multi-aperture optics.
21. The computer-readable storage medium according to claim 17 , wherein the method further comprises:
capturing a preview of the scene;
analyzing the preview image;
constructing a capture mask based on the analysis of the preview image; and
determining an aperture for the light-field optics based on the analysis of the preview image,
wherein the constructed capture mask is applied to the image sensor and the light-field optics are set to the aperture determined in the preview analysis, prior to capture of an image of the scene.
22. The computer-readable storage medium according to claim 17 , wherein the image capture apparatus comprises an image memory for storing multi-spectral light-field information captured by the image sensor.
23. The computer-readable storage medium according to claim 22 , wherein the image capture apparatus further comprises an interface for transfer of the multi-spectral light-field information to an external image synthesis host, and wherein the image synthesis host processes the multi-spectral light-field information into a synthetic image by applying one or more of a desired focal point, a desired color rendering, a desired focal depth, and a desired perspective.
24. The computer-readable storage medium according to claim 23 , wherein the synthetic image is comprised of tri-stimulus color values with three (3) spectral components.