Patent ID: 7501610
Filing Date: 2009-03-10
Classification: G02B,H04N

Abstract:
1. A compound-eye imaging device comprising: an optical lens array with multiple integrated optical lenses having optical axes parallel to each other; a photodetector array placed at a predetermined distance from the optical lens array for imaging multiple images which are respectively formed by the multiple optical lenses (such images being hereafter referred to as single-eye images); a motion detection circuit for detecting a change in the representative single-eye image; an image reading means for reading, at a predetermined reading speed in one of predetermined image reading modes, the single-eye images imaged by the photodetector array; and a reading speed switching means for switching the reading speed of the image reading means, wherein the predetermined image reading modes include an all-read mode in which all the single-eye images on the photodetector array are sequentially read, and a partial-read mode in which a part of the single-eye images on the photodetector array are selectively read, the image reading mode being switchable between the all-read mode and the partial-read mode; and wherein when the motion detection circuit detects a change in the representative single-eye image, the reading speed switching means switches the reading speed of the image reading means from a first reading speed to a second reading speed higher than the first reading speed, with the image reading mode staying set at the partial-read mode.