Patent ID: 11917281
Assignee: WAYMO LLC
Field: Audio-visual technology (Electrical engineering)
Classification: CPC H  B | IPC H

Claim 0:
1. A camera system, comprising:
a first image sensor having a first associated focal length;
a second image sensor having a second associated focal length, wherein the second focal length is greater than the first focal length; and
a processor coupled to the first image sensor and the second image sensor, wherein the processor is configured to execute instructions to generate, using a first image of a scene captured by the first image sensor and a second image of the scene captured by the second image sensor, a third image corresponding to a simulated lens having an intermediate focal length, wherein the intermediate focal length is between the first focal length and the second focal length, and
wherein:
(i) the camera system further comprises a shared astigmatic lens configured to provide light from the scene to the first image sensor and the second image sensor at different focal lengths; or
(ii) the camera system further comprises:
a first lens configured to provide light from the scene to the first image sensor; and
a second lens configured to provide light from the scene to the second image sensor, wherein:
the first lens is rotatable relative to the first image sensor;
the second lens is rotatable relative to the second image sensor;
the first image sensor is configured to capture additional focal lengths based on the first lens being rotatable relative to the first image sensor; and
the second image sensor is configured to capture additional focal lengths based on the second lens being rotatable relative to the second image sensor; or

(iii) the first image sensor comprises a first aperture having a first size;
the second image sensor comprises a second aperture having a second size; and
the processor is further configured to execute instructions to:
adjust the first aperture to cause the first image sensor to capture different depths of field;
adjust the second aperture to cause the second image sensor to capture different depths of field; and
generate additional simulated images of the scene, each having a different respective depth of field; or

(iv) generating the third image using the first and second images comprises:
sharpening at least one region of the first image or at least one region of the second image; and
generating the third image using the sharpened first image or the sharpened second image; or

(v) generating the third image using the first and second images comprises:
blurring at least one region of the first image or at least one region of the second image; and
generating the third image using the blurred first image or the blurred second image; or

(vi) the first image sensor has a variable exposure that is adjusted by a controller executing instructions based on illuminance; and
the second image sensor has a fixed exposure; or
(vii) the second image sensor receives light from the scene via a neutral-density filter; or
(viii) the first image sensor is optically coupled to a first astigmatic lens configured to provide light from the scene to the first image sensor; and
the second image sensor is optically coupled to a second astigmatic lens configured to provide light from the scene to the second image sensor.