Patent Publication Number: US-2012026282-A1

Title: Camera

Description:
BACKGROUND 
     1. Technical Field 
     The present disclosure relates to cameras, and particularly to a panoramic camera. 
     2. Description of Related Art 
     Panoramic cameras are widely used. Generally, a conventional panoramic camera includes a rotary device capable of rotating 360 degrees, and an image capturing apparatus of the camera assembled to the rotary device. In use, the rotary device and the image capturing apparatus are driven to automatically rotate (e.g., by a motor) 360 degrees, such that panoramic images around the camera are captured by the image capturing apparatus. However, most rotary devices used in panoramic cameras are expensive and have complicated structures, which may adversely affect miniaturization of the cameras. 
     Therefore, there is room for improvement within the art. 
    
    
     
       BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
       Many aspects of the present panoramic camera can be better understood with reference to the following drawings. The components in the various drawings are not necessarily drawn to scale, the emphasis instead being placed upon clearly illustrating the principles of the present panoramic camera. Moreover, in the drawings, like reference numerals designate corresponding parts throughout the figures. 
         FIG. 1  is a block diagram of a camera, according to an exemplary embodiment. 
         FIG. 2  is a block diagram of an internet protocol (IP) camera system using the camera shown in  FIG. 1 . 
     
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION 
       FIG. 1  shows a panoramic camera  100 , according to an exemplary embodiment. The camera  100  includes a housing  10  (schematically shown), a power supply  20 , a number of image capturing units  30 , a switch unit  40 , a microprogrammed control unit (MCU)  50 , a processor unit  60 , and an operation unit  70 . The housing  10  is a spherical case made of transparent material. The image capturing units  30  are all received in the housing  10  and positioned to face outwards to capture ambient images. In this exemplary embodiment, the camera  100  includes four image capturing units  30 . The image capturing units  30  are equidistantly positioned along a circle of the housing  10 , and image capturing directions of all the image capturing units  30  are positioned coplanar, and advantageously, positioned flatly. Each image capturing unit  30  is capable of capturing images in a visual angle greater than 90 degrees, such that a total visual angle of all the image capturing units  30  covers 360 degrees. Therefore, the four image capturing units  30  can cooperatively capture images in a visual angle of 360 degrees, i.e., panoramic images around the housing  10 . The power supply  20 , the switch unit  40 , the MCU  50 , and the processor unit  60  can also be received in the housing  10 . The operation unit  70  is positioned out of the housing  10  to be easily operated. 
     Also referring to  FIG. 2 , each image capturing unit  30  is a digital camera module that includes a lens  31  and an image sensor  33  positioned in a light emitting path of the lens  31 . The lens  31  is capable of capturing images in a view angle greater than 90 degrees. Optical signals of images captured by the lenses  31  can be transmitted to the image sensors  33  and transformed into electric signals by the image sensors  33 . All image sensors  33  are electrically connected to the processor unit  60  through the switch unit  40 . The switch unit  40  can electrically connect any one of the image sensors  33  selectively to the processor unit  60 , such that electric signals generated by the selected image sensor  33  are transmitted to the processor unit  60  via the switch unit  40 . 
     The processor unit  60  is further electrically connected to the switch unit  40  and all the image capturing units  30  through the MCU  50 . Using the MCU  50 , the processor unit  60  can control the image capturing units  30  to start/end capturing images and control the switch unit  40  to selectively connect the image sensors  30  to the processor unit  60  itself, and can further alternate the image sensor  30  connected thereto in a predetermined frequency. The operation unit  70  is electrically connected to the processor unit  60  to input instructions and set relative function parameters. The power supply  20  is electrically connected to the processor unit  60  and the MCU  50  to provide electric power. 
     In use, relative function parameters, such as image capturing parameters of the image capturing units  30  (e.g., focus, aperture diameter, image capturing interval, etc.), the frequency of alternating the image sensors  33  connected to the processor unit  60 , and image parameters of images sent by the processor unit  60  (e.g., colors, definition, etc.), are first input to the processor unit  60  using the operation unit  70  and are stored in the processor unit  60 . Thus, the processor unit  60  controls the image capturing units  30  to respectively start capturing images in each direction using the MCU  50 . Since each image capturing unit  30  has an image capturing view angle greater than 90 degrees, images in a visual angle of 360 degrees, i.e., panoramic images around the camera  100 , are captured by the combined image capturing units  30 . The image sensor  33  of each image capturing unit  30  transforms optical signals captured by the lens  31  into electric signals. 
     When receiving a panoramic capturing instruction input by the operation unit  70 , the processor unit  60  sends control instructions to the MCU  50 , and the MCU  50  drives the switch unit  40  to alternately electrically connect each image sensor  33  to the processor unit  60  in a predetermined frequency according to the control instructions. In this way, electric signals respectively generated by the image capturing units  30  are alternatively transmitted to the processor unit  60  in the predetermined frequency with the switch unit  40 . The processor unit  60  transforms the electric signals into images respectively captured in each direction by the image capturing units  30 , and combines the images captured by the image capturing units  30  together to form multiple images cooperatively captured by all the image capturing units  30 . Since each image capturing unit  30  has an image capturing view angle greater than 90 degrees, the combined multiple images can display images in a visual angle of 360 degrees around the camera  100 , i.e., panoramic images. In this way, the camera  100  can capture panoramic images, without using any rotary apparatuses. Compared with conventional panoramic cameras using rotary lenses, the camera  100  has a simpler structure and costs less. 
     Also referring to  FIG. 2 , the processor unit  60  can be connected to at least one detection unit  90 , such as a personal computer (PC), by a communication network  80 , such as Internet, thereby forming a internet protocol (IP) camera system (not labeled). Thus, the processor unit  60  can transmit captured panoramic images to the detection unit  90  to display by the communication network, thereby using the camera  100  as an IP camera. In this status, operation instructions can also input to the processor unit  60  through the detection unit  90  and the communication network  80 , thereby remotely operating the camera  100 . 
     For obtaining panoramic image capturing effect similar to that of conventional panoramic cameras using rotary lenses, the frequency of alternating the image sensors  33  connected to the processor unit  60  can be set according to rotation periods of lenses of the conventional panoramic cameras. For example, the frequency of alternating the image sensor  33  connected to the processor unit  60  can be 4 times in each rotation period of a lens of a conventional panoramic camera (i.e., the interval for the lens of the conventional panoramic camera rotating a circle). Thus, the image capturing units  30  respectively capture images in their directions in the interval for the lens of the conventional panoramic camera rotating along a circle, and the image capturing units  30  can cooperatively capture images similar to images captured by a lens of a conventional camera rotating along a circle. In this way, the camera  100  can capture images similar to the images captured by conventional panoramic cameras using rotary lenses. 
     Furthermore, the MCU  50  can also be integrated with the processor unit  60 . The number of the image capturing units  30  can be changed, so long as a total visual angle of all the image capturing units  30  covers 360 degrees. Correspondingly, the frequency of alternating the image sensors  33  connected to the processor unit  60  can be regulated for obtaining panoramic image capturing effect similar to that of conventional panoramic cameras using rotary lenses. For example, the frequency of alternating the image sensor  33  connected to the processor unit  60  can be N times in each rotation period of a lens of a conventional panoramic camera (i.e., the interval for the lens of the conventional panoramic camera rotating a circle). Wherein N is the number of the image capturing units  30  capable of being electrically connected to the processor unit  60  with the switch unit  40 . 
     It is to be further understood that even though numerous characteristics and advantages of the present embodiments have been set forth in the foregoing description, together with details of structures and functions of various embodiments, the disclosure is illustrative only, and changes may be made in detail, especially in matters of shape, size, and arrangement of parts within the principles of the present invention to the full extent indicated by the broad general meaning of the terms in which the appended claims are expressed.