Camera system for providing images with simultaneous high resolution and large depth of field

1. A camera system comprising:

a camera device having a field of view, the camera device configured to automatically acquire:

a first image of the field of view at a first numerical aperture, the first image comprising: an in-focus portion; and an out-of-focus portion; and

a second image of the field of view at a second numerical aperture smaller than the first numerical aperture, the first image being of a higher resolution than the second image, the second image comprising: a first portion corresponding to the in-focus portion of the first image; and a second portion corresponding to the out-of-focus portion of the first image, the second portion being in focus;

the field of view being a common field of view for both the first image acquired using the first numerical aperture and the second image acquired using the second numerical aperture, the first portion and the second portion of the second image comprising same respective features as the in-focus portion and the out-of-focus portion of the first image in the common field of view,

the camera device comprising:

a plate including a first aperture, defining the first numerical aperture, and a second aperture, defining the second numerical aperture, a diameter of the first aperture being larger than a respective diameter of the second aperture; and

an actuator configured to automatically move the plate relative to the field of view of the camera device such that the first image is automatically acquired using the first aperture and the second image is automatically acquired using the second aperture;

an image processing unit configured to combine the first image with the second image into a single image by:

extracting the in-focus portion of the first image; and

replacing the first portion of the second image with the in-focus portion of the first image; and,

a display device in communication with the image processing unit, the display device configured to render the single image, the single image being a video image.

2. The camera system of claim 1 , wherein the camera device is configured to switch between the first numerical aperture and the second numerical aperture at a given rate, such that the first image and the second image are acquired at a rate half of the given rate, and the video image is generated at half the given rate.

3. The camera system of claim 2 , wherein the given rate is at least 60 Hz.

4. The camera system of claim 1 , wherein the image processing unit is further configured to determine the in-focus portion of the first image using one or more contrast analysis algorithms.

5. The camera system of claim 1 , further comprising a tracking device configured to be tracked by a navigation system.

6. A method comprising:

at a system comprising: a camera device having a field of view and configured to change between at least two numerical apertures, the camera device comprising: a plate including a first aperture, defining a first numerical aperture, and a second aperture, defining a second numerical aperture, a diameter of the first aperture being larger than a respective diameter of the second aperture; and an actuator configured to automatically move the plate relative to the field of view of the camera device such that a first image is automatically acquired using the first aperture and a second image is automatically acquired using the second aperture, the field of view being a common field of view for both the first image acquired using the first numerical aperture and the second image acquired using the second numerical aperture, the first image comprising: an in-focus portion; and an out-of-focus portion, and the first image being of a higher resolution than the second image, the second image comprising: a first portion corresponding to the in-focus portion of the first image; and a second portion corresponding to the out-of-focus portion of the first image, the second portion being in focus, the first portion and the second portion of the second image comprising same respective features as the in-focus portion and the out-of-focus portion of the first image in the common field of view; an image processing unit; and a display device in communication with the image processing unit,

acquiring, using the camera device, the first image of the field of view at the first numerical aperture;

acquiring, using the camera device, the second image of the field of view at the second numerical aperture smaller than the first numerical aperture;

combining, using the image processing unit, the first image with the second image into a single image by:

extracting the in-focus portion of the first image; and

replacing the first portion of the second image with the in-focus portion of the first image; and,

rendering, at the display device, the single image, the single image being a video image.

7. The method of claim 6 , wherein the camera device is configured to switch between the first numerical aperture and the second numerical aperture at a given rate, such that the first image and the second image are acquired at a rate half of the given rate, and the video image is generated at half the given rate.

8. The method of claim 7 , wherein the given rate is at least 60 Hz.

9. The method of claim 6 , further comprising: determining the in-focus portion of the first image using one or more contrast analysis algorithms.

10. The method of claim 6 , wherein the system further comprises a tracking device configured to be tracked by a navigation system.

11. A non-transitory computer-readable medium storing a computer program, wherein execution of the computer program is for:

at a system comprising: a camera device having a field of view and configured to change between at least two numerical apertures, the camera device comprising: a plate including a first aperture, defining a first numerical aperture, and a second aperture, defining a second numerical aperture, a diameter of the first aperture being larger than a respective diameter of the second aperture; and an actuator configured to automatically move the plate relative to the field of view of the camera device such that a first image is automatically acquired using the first aperture and a second image is automatically acquired using the second aperture, the field of view being a common field of view for both the first image acquired using the first numerical aperture and the second image acquired using the second numerical aperture, the first image comprising: an in-focus portion; and an out-of-focus portion, and the first image being of a higher resolution than the second image, the second image comprising: a first portion corresponding to the in-focus portion of the first image; and a second portion corresponding to the out-of-focus portion of the first image, the second portion being in focus, the first portion and the second portion of the second image comprising same respective features as the in-focus portion and the out-of-focus portion of the first image in the common field of view; an image processing unit; and a display device in communication with the image processing unit,

acquiring, using the camera device, the first image of the field of view at the first numerical aperture;

acquiring, using the camera device, the second image of the field of view at the second numerical aperture smaller than the first numerical aperture;

combining, using the image processing unit, the first image with the second image into a single image by:

extracting the in-focus portion of the first image; and

replacing the first portion of the second image with the in-focus portion of the first image; and,

rendering, at the display device, the single image, the single image being a video image.