Multi-Camera Phone Layout for Compact 360° Panoramic Imaging
Find Innovative SolutionsGenerate Solutions
Solution Overview
Problem
Conventional camera systems for generating 360-degree panoramic images are not suitable for general home use due to their high cost and unwieldy size, making them inaccessible to consumers.
Innovation Solution
A camera system comprising front, top, bottom, and side cameras, along with a rear-facing camera, is integrated into communication devices, allowing for the generation of 360-degree panoramic images, either facing forward or backward, and can be retrofitted onto existing devices using frames or frame elements with control units and energy storage, enabling versatile installation.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Adaptability or versatility
If conventional camera systems are used to generate 360-degree panoramic images, then imaging capability is achieved, but device size and cost become unwieldy and inaccessible
Solution Approach 1:
The camera system is divided into multiple independent camera units positioned at different locations (front, rear, top, bottom, left, right) of the communication device. Each camera captures a specific portion of the environment, and these segmented views are later stitched together to form a complete 360-degree panoramic image, resolving the contradiction between comprehensive imaging capability and compact device size
Solution Approach 2:
The camera system leverages existing communication device components (processors, display units, sensors) to perform 360-degree imaging functions. The same device that handles communication tasks also processes and displays panoramic images, eliminating the need for separate dedicated hardware and reducing overall system complexity
2Adaptability or versatility
If multiple cameras are positioned at specific locations, then 360-degree coverage is achieved, but device complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
Multiple camera units are integrated into a single unified system where all cameras share common processing resources, control mechanisms, and data processing pipelines. The communication device's processor handles image stitching and panorama generation for all cameras simultaneously, merging what would otherwise be separate imaging systems into one cohesive unit
Data Source
Figure 1a
Figure 1b
Figure 2a
AI summary
In a camera system according to the invention for generating a 360-degree panoramic image with a rear side (RS) and a front side (FS), this camera system has a top edge (A), a bottom edge (B), a first side edge (C1) and a second side edge (C2), wherein the camera system comprises a communication device (K). The communication device (K) has a front-facing camera (FK) on its front side, wherein the top edge (A) has a top-edge camera (OK), the bottom edge (B) has a bottom-edge camera (UK), and wherein the first side edge (C1) has a first side-edge camera (SK1) and the second side edge (C2) has a second side-edge camera (C2).A rear-facing camera (RK) or the front-facing camera (FK) arranged on the rear (RS) can be connected to the top-facing camera (OK), the bottom-facing camera (UK) and the first and second side cameras (SK1, SK2) in such a way that a 360-degree panoramic image of a spatial environment of the communication device (K) can be displayed with the communication device (K) facing the rear or facing the front.