Patent ID: 9179126
Filing Date: 2015-11-03
Classification: G02B,G06T,H04N

Abstract:
1. A light field camera comprising: a micro photo-detector array device having a light detection surface defining a two dimensional array of pixels, each pixel in the two dimensional array of pixels being a light detector that is individually addressable to output an electrical signal responsive to an intensity of light coupled into an aperture of the respective pixel, the two dimensional array of pixels being subdivided into two dimensional groups of pixels; and a micro lens array of micro lens elements; the micro photo-detector array device and the micro lens array being assembled together as a single assembly; each micro lens element of the micro lens array being associated and aligned relative to a respective group of pixels, with each micro lens element optically mapping light that impinges an aperture of the respective micro lens element from each of a discrete set of directions within a light field, as defined by an angular extent of the respective micro lens element, onto a respective pixel in the respective group of pixels, the discrete set of directions defining an angular resolution between adjacent directions and an angular extent of the discrete set of directions; the micro photo-detector array device and the micro lens array being mounted to be temporally angularly articulated as a single assembly about two orthogonal axes parallel to a plane of the light detection surface of the micro photo-detector array device and at least through a maximum articulation angle; the temporal angular articulation having a periodicity selected to enable temporal coverage of the maximum articulation angles within an image frame capture duration; the temporal angular articulation about the two axes expanding the angular extent and/or the angular resolution in a direction about the axis of the temporal angular articulation; and, wherein the temporal angular articulation is either temporally continuous or discrete, and has a repetition rate that is proportional to and synchronized with an image capture frame rate, whereby the maximum angular articulation around each of the two orthogonal axes determines a full angular extent of the light field camera, an angular coverage shape it subtends and an aspect ratio of the angular coverage shape.