Patent · US Active

Methods and apparatus for light-field imaging

US8290358B1 · kind B1 · utility

295Cited by
38References
31Claims
0Family size

Assignee

Inventor

Key dates

Filing dateJun 23, 2008
Grant dateOct 16, 2012
Priority date
Expiry dateSep 25, 2028

Classification

  • Technology area (CPC H)Electricity
  • CPC primaryH04N13/232
  • WIPO fieldAudio-visual technology
  • WIPO sectorElectrical engineering

Abstract

Methods and apparatus for light-field imaging. Light-field camera designs are described that produce higher spatial resolution than conventional plenoptic camera designs, while trading-off the light-field's angular sampling density. This lower angular resolution may be compensated for by a light-field image processing method that inserts data synthesized by view interpolation of the measured light-field. In one embodiment, a light-field image processing method that performs three-view morphing may be used to interpolate the missing angular samples of radiance. The light-field camera designs may be implemented in hand-held light-field cameras that may capture a light-field with a single exposure. Some of the light-field camera designs are internal to the camera, while others are external to the camera. One light-field camera design includes a single, relatively large lens and an array of negative lenses that are placed in front of (external to) the main lens of a conventional camera.

Source: USPTO / EPO open patent data. Objective bibliographic and citation counts.