Patent ID: 7268804

Claim:
A compound camera system comprising: a plurality of component cameras capable of generating image data of an object; a data processor capable of receiving first image data from a first one of said plurality of component cameras and second image data from a second one of said plurality of component cameras and generating a virtual image therefrom, wherein said data processor generates said virtual image by back-projecting virtual pixel data (u,v) to generate point data (x,y,z) located at a depth, z=Z 1 , associated with first object plane of said object and then projecting said point data (x,y,z) to generate first pixel data (u 1 ,v 1 ) located at the image plane of said first image data, and by projecting point data (x,y,z) located at said depth, z=Z 1 , associated with said first object plane of said object to generate second pixel data (u 2 ,v 2 ) located at the image plane of said second image data; and wherein said data processor generates said virtual image by combining color of said first pixel data (u 1 ,v 1 ) and color of said second pixel data (u 2 ,v 2 ) by computing a weighted average using said first color of said first pixel data (u 1 ,v 1 ) and said second color of said second pixel data (u 2 ,v 2 ).