Multi-Lens Image Compositing for Mobile Zooming
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Solution Overview
Problem
The challenge is to enhance image zooming capabilities in mobile devices without increasing their size or weight, as high-quality image capturing and processing require both optical and digital zooming, which is limited by the optical performance of lenses.
Innovation Solution
The method involves capturing images with multiple lenses of different focal lengths, determining corresponding areas with varying resolving powers, and generating a composite image by blending these areas to achieve higher resolving power, thereby improving image sharpness and quality without physical lens changes.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Measurement precision
If multiple lenses with different focal lengths are used for optical zooming, then image quality and resolving power are improved, but device size and complexity increase
Solution Approach 1:
The image is divided into multiple regions (first area with lower resolving power, second area with higher resolving power, and remaining area). Different lens images are selectively combined for different regions, allowing the system to achieve high resolving power in critical areas without requiring all lenses to be actively used for the entire image, thus managing complexity.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent combines images from multiple lenses with different focal lengths by merging corresponding areas. The first image from a first lens and the second image from a second lens are composit ed to create a final image that leverages the strengths of each lens, achieving superior overall resolving power while using a multi-lens system.
2Measurement precision
If multiple lenses with different focal lengths are used for optical zooming, then image quality is improved, but device weight increases
Solution Approach 1:
By segmenting the image into different areas and selectively applying high-resolution lens data only to critical regions (first and second areas), the system achieves high image quality without requiring all lens components to be fully utilized, potentially allowing for optimized lens selection that reduces overall weight.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent applies local quality by providing high resolving power only where needed (in the first and second areas corresponding to regions of interest) rather than uniformly across the entire image. This allows the use of lighter lens combinations that can deliver high quality in specific areas without the weight penalty of heavy lenses designed for uniform high performance across all regions.
3Device complexity
If digital zooming is used instead of optical zooming, then device size is reduced, but image quality and resolving power deteriorate
Solution Approach 1:
The patent merges images from multiple lenses with different focal lengths to create a composite image that achieves optical-quality zooming. By combining the first image and second image from lenses with different resolving powers, the system produces a final image with superior resolving power compared to digital zooming, while maintaining a compact mobile device form factor.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent creates a composite image that copies and combines the best features of multiple lens images. Rather than simply enlarging a single image (digital zooming), the system creates a new composite image that incorporates high-resolving-power regions from multiple source images, achieving optical-quality results in a compact device.
Data Source
AI summary
Provided are an image zooming method and an image zooming apparatus for optical zooming by using a plurality of lenses with different focal lengths. The image zooming method includes capturing an identical scene via a plurality of lenses; obtaining a first image and a second image of the identical scene that have different resolving powers; determining a first area of the first image and a second area of the second image which corresponds to the first area; and generating a composite image the second area and a remaining area of the first image from which the first area is excluded.