Camera Array Redundancy Distribution via Asymmetric Roll Rotation
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Solution Overview
Problem
Conventional camera arrays lack adequate redundancy, leading to missing information and artifacts in final processed images, particularly in light-field image capture and processing, where the rotation of cameras along the roll axis is typically uniform, resulting in concentrated redundancy in the central portion and reduced coverage at the borders.
Innovation Solution
The method involves rotating cameras in the upper and lower rows by 90 degrees and adjusting corner cameras to less than 90 degrees, while analyzing and off-centering central cameras for horizontal and vertical compensation to distribute redundancy effectively, optimizing the camera array configuration for improved scene coverage and depth estimation.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Ease of operation
If uniform rotation of all cameras along the roll axis is applied, then the processing is simple, but redundancy concentrates in the central portion and borders have reduced coverage
Solution Approach 1:
The patent applies different rotation angles to cameras based on their positions within the array. Border cameras receive different treatment compared to central cameras, with specific cameras rotated by different angles (e.g., 45°, 90°, 135°) to distribute redundancy uniformly across the entire field of view, preventing concentration in the central portion and improving border coverage.
2Loss of information
If camera rotation angles are optimized for uniform redundancy distribution, then border coverage improves, but the configuration becomes more complex
Solution Approach 1:
The camera array is segmented into different positional groups (central cameras, border cameras, corner cameras), with each group assigned specific rotation angles. This segmentation allows systematic optimization of redundancy distribution while maintaining manageable configuration complexity through structured organization.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent introduces asymmetric rotation angles for different cameras rather than uniform rotation. By applying different angles (45°, 90°, 135°) to different cameras based on their positions, the system achieves uniform redundancy distribution across the field of view, transforming a symmetric configuration into an asymmetric one that optimizes information coverage.
3Loss of information
If corner cameras are rotated by less than 90 degrees, then overall redundancy distribution improves, but corner camera coverage may be reduced
Solution Approach 1:
The patent combines the rotated views from corner cameras with views from other cameras in the array to compensate for any potential coverage reduction. By integrating multiple perspectives and merging information from different camera positions, the system maintains comprehensive corner coverage while achieving uniform overall redundancy distribution through the optimized rotation scheme.
Data Source
AI summary
A method and system are provided for generating an image from each camera array in a camera array matrix. In one embodiment, the method comprises increasing redundancy between to be captured images from the camera matrix by rotating direction of any cameras disposed in upper and lower rows of said matrix by a 90 degree angle around the roll axis. Then any cameras disposed at the corners of the matrix are rotated in an angle that is less than 90 degrees around the roll axis. Subsequently, the location of central cameras are determined and analysed so that they can be rotated and disposed in a manner that provides both horizontal and vertical compensation for any redundancies.