Multi-Camera Image Pickup Device Synchronization via Disparity ROI
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Solution Overview
Problem
Multi-camera systems face challenges in maintaining image quality due to synchronization issues between cameras, leading to degradation of composite images in electronic systems such as cameras and VR equipment.
Innovation Solution
An image pickup device with multiple cameras and corresponding image signal processors (ISPs) that perform auto focusing, auto white balancing, and auto exposing based on region-of-interest (ROI) disparity information, ensuring synchronized operations across all cameras to maintain image quality.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Area of stationary object
If multiple cameras are used to capture images from different viewpoints, then the field of view and image coverage are improved, but synchronization issues between cameras cause degradation of composite image quality
Solution Approach 1:
The system performs preliminary actions by calculating disparity information between cameras before capturing images, then uses this information to pre-adjust ROI positions and synchronization parameters. This preliminary calculation of spatial relationships enables subsequent images to be captured with proper alignment, preventing synchronization issues before they occur.
Solution Approach 2:
The system establishes a feedback mechanism where disparity information from initial image pairs is continuously used to adjust and refine ROI positioning and camera synchronization parameters. This closed-loop feedback ensures that as cameras capture images from different viewpoints, the system constantly corrects for any drift or misalignment, maintaining composite image quality.
2Manufacturing precision
If auto focusing, auto white balancing, and auto exposing are performed independently for each camera, then each camera can optimize its image quality, but synchronization between cameras deteriorates
Solution Approach 1:
The system merges the independent auto-focusing, auto-white-balancing, and auto-exposing operations into a unified synchronization framework. By combining these previously separate optimization processes, the system ensures that all cameras perform their image quality adjustments in a coordinated manner, maintaining both individual image quality and inter-camera synchronization.
Solution Approach 2:
The synchronization mechanism serves multiple functions simultaneously: it coordinates auto-focusing across all cameras, manages auto-white-balancing timing, and controls auto-exposing sequences. This multi-functional approach allows a single synchronization system to maintain coordination across all image quality optimization processes, preventing the deterioration of inter-camera synchronization.
3Productivity
If region-of-interest is adjusted for each camera based on its own image data, then each camera optimizes its processing efficiency, but disparity information between cameras is lost
Solution Approach 1:
The system introduces disparity information as an intermediary element that mediates between individual camera processing and multi-camera coordination. By using this intermediary data structure to communicate spatial relationships between cameras, the system enables each camera to optimize its ROI processing independently while still maintaining awareness of and alignment with other cameras' perspectives, preventing loss of disparity information.
Data Source
AI summary
An image pickup device includes first and second cameras, and first and second image signal processors (ISP). The first camera obtains a first image of an object. The second camera obtains a second image of the object. The first ISP performs a first auto focusing (AF), a first auto white balancing (AWB) and a first auto exposing (AE) for the first camera based on a first region-of-interest (ROI) in the first image, and obtains a first distance between the object and the first camera based on a result of the first AF. The second ISP calculates first disparity information associated with the first and second images based on the first distance, moves a second ROI in the second image based on the first disparity information, and performs a second AF, a second AWB and a second AE for the second camera based on the moved second ROI.