Apple Inc.

Texas Instruments Corporation

Mark N Gamadia

Abhishek Dhanda

Gregory Guyomarc'h

Moshe Laifenfeld

Yingjun Bai

Andrew David Fernandez

Shizhe Shen

Aziz Umit Batur

Wei Hong

Steven Webster

Muge Wang

Iain A McAllister

Fei Wu

Gregory R Hewes

Michael Chin

Ling Xiao Wang

Fred William Ware, Jr

Zhongmin Wang

Various embodiments disclosed herein include techniques for determining autofocus for a camera on a mobile device. In various instances, a depth imaging system (e.g., a time-of-flight autofocus system (ToF-AF system)) is used to determine distance of a subject in order to determine autofocus for a camera. In some instances, however, the ToF-AF system may be unable to detect a subject that is very close to the camera when the objects are below a minimum detectable distance of the ToF-AF system. In such instances, an existing IR detector outside of the ToF-AF system may be implemented to measure reflected signals from the ToF-AF system. A power ratio may be determined from the reflected signals and used to determine information about the distance of the subject from the camera.

Near distance detection for autofocus

Various embodiments disclosed herein include techniques for operating a multiple camera system. In some embodiments, a primary camera may be selected from a plurality of cameras using object distance estimates, distance error information, and minimum object distances for some or all of the plurality of cameras. In other embodiments, a camera may be configured to use defocus information to obtain an object distance estimate to a target object closer than a minimum object distance of the camera. This object distance estimate may be used to assist in focusing another camera of the multi-camera system.

Object depth estimation and camera focusing techniques for multiple-camera systems

Various embodiments disclosed herein include techniques for determining autofocus for a camera on a mobile device. In some instances, depth imaging is used to assist in determining a focus position for the camera through an autofocus process. For example, a determination of depth may be used to determine a focus position for the camera. In another example, the determination of depth may be used to assist another autofocus process.

Camera autofocus using time-of-flight assistance

Various embodiments include synchronization of camera focus movement control with frame capture. In some embodiments, such synchronization may comprise synchronized focus movement control that is based at least in part on integration timing and/or region of interest (ROI) timing. According to some examples, an actuator of a camera module may be controlled such that a lens group and/or an image sensor of the camera module move towards a focus position during one or more time periods (e.g., a non-integration time period in which the image sensor is not being exposed, a non-ROI time period in which a ROI of the image sensor is not being exposed for image capture, and/or a blanking interval, etc.). Additionally, or alternatively, the actuator may be controlled such that the lens group and the image sensor do not move relative to each other in a focus direction during one or more other time periods (e.g., an integration time period in which the image sensor is being exposed, a ROI time period in which the ROI of the image sensor is being exposed, etc.).

Synchronization of camera focus movement control with frame capture

Determining a focus setting includes determining a plurality of regions of interest in a view of a scene, and, for each of the plurality of regions of interest, obtaining a set of image data for each of multiple focal positions, and then applying focus filters to the set of image data for each of the plurality of focal positions for each of the regions of interest to obtain a set of focus scores, i.e., a focus score for each focus filter applied to the set of image data for each of the focal positions. Further, determining a confidence value associated with each of the sets of focus scores, selecting a subset of the sets of focus scores based on the confidence values associated with each of the sets of focus scores, and determining a focus setting for the scene based on the selected subset of the focus scores.

Method and system for robust contrast based auto focus in low light

Optical characteristics of an optical component for a high volume manufacture consumer electronics device can be tested using a test chart composed of a superposition of two or more groups of parallel line pairs, wherein all the groups of parallel line pairs are oriented at a different inclination. The groups of line pairs could be oriented so that they are perpendicular to each other. A test system can quickly and objectively assess for example the sharpness of the optical component in different directions across a full image field of view of an imaging system that is capturing a digital image of the chart using the optical component for through-the-lens imaging. Other embodiments are also described and claimed.

Line pair based full field sharpness test

Some embodiments include methods for correcting optical alignment of components in a camera module for a multifunction device. In some embodiments, components of a camera module for use in a multifunction device are assembled on a test station. Some embodiments include a method that includes capturing a single test image, calculating from the spatial frequency response data an optical tilt between the optical axis of a lens and an optical axis of the image sensor of the camera module, and mechanically adjusting an alignment of the lens and the optical axis of the image sensor of the camera module to reduce the optical tilt. In some embodiments, the capturing is performed using the components of the camera module, and the single test image contains visually encoded spatial frequency response data for characterizing the components of the camera module.

Method and system for a single frame camera module active alignment tilt correction

Methods for automatic focus in a stereographic imaging device that includes two imaging sensor systems are provided. Focus searches are executed on both imaging sensor systems to determine optimal focused lens positions for each. The focus searches may be executed currently or sequentially, and may be at differing lens position granularities. Focal scores and spatial locations, i.e., the locations of focus regions, may be shared between the imaging sensor systems to coordinate the focus searches. Touchscreen coordinates may also be used to coordinate the focus searches.

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Campbell, CA, United States of America

Mark N Gamadia