Google Inc.

Waymo LLC

Roman Lewkow

Ryan M Geiss

Marc Stewart Levoy

Jason Holt

Sameer Ansari

Chung Chun Wan

Changyin Zhou

Philip Sean Stetson

Mark Alexander Shand

Jiawen Chen

Xiaoyu Miao

Anurag Gupta

Philipp Helmut Schmaelzle

Kevin D Brune

Ryan Burgess Geiss

Imaging systems can often gather higher quality information about a field of view than the unaided human eye. For example, telescopes may magnify very distant objects, microscopes may magnify very small objects, and high frame-rate cameras may capture fast motion. The present disclosure includes devices and methods that provide real-time vision enhancement without the delay of replaying from storage media. The disclosed devices and methods may include a live view user interface with two or more interactive features or effects that may be controllable in real-time. Specifically, the disclosed devices and methods may include a live view display and image and other information enhancements, which utilize in-line computation and constant control.

Graphic interface for real-time vision enhancement

An optical system and method may relate to capturing extended dynamic range images. In an example embodiment, the optical system may include a lens element configured to receive incident light and a beam splitter optically coupled to the lens element. The beam splitter is configured to separate the incident light into at least a first portion having a first photon flux and a second portion having a second photon flux. The first photon flux is at least an order of magnitude greater than the second photon flux. A controller may be configured to cause a first image sensor to capture a first image of the first portion of the incident light according to first exposure parameters and cause a second image sensor to capture a second image of the second portion of the incident light according to second exposure parameters.

Beam split extended dynamic range image capture system

The present disclosure relates to curved arrays of individually addressable light-emitting elements for sweeping out angular ranges. One example device includes a curved optical element. The device may also include a curved array of individually addressable light-emitting elements arranged to emit light towards the curved optical element. A curvature of the curved array is substantially concentric to at least a portion of the circumference of the curved optical element. The curved optical element is arranged to focus light emitted from each individually addressable light-emitting element to produce a substantially linear illumination pattern at a different corresponding scan angle within an angular range. The device may further include a control system operable to sequentially activate the individually addressable light-emitting elements such that the substantially linear illumination pattern sweeps out the angular range.

Curved array of light-emitting elements for sweeping out an angular range

The present disclosure relates to staggered arrays of individually addressable light-emitting elements for sweeping out angular ranges. One example device includes an astigmatic optical element. The device may also include an array of individually addressable light-emitting elements arranged to emit light towards the astigmatic optical element. The astigmatic optical element may be arranged to focus light emitted from each individually addressable light-emitting element to produce a substantially linear illumination pattern at a different corresponding scan angle within an angular range. The example device may further include a control system operable to sequentially activate the individually addressable light-emitting elements such that the substantially linear illumination pattern sweeps out the angular range. The individually addressable light-emitting elements may be staggered with respect to one another in the array such that the substantially linear illumination pattern sweeps out the angular range continuously.

Staggered array of individually addressable light-emitting elements for sweeping out an angular range

An apparatus is described that includes an image sensor having a first output port and a second output port. The first output port is to transmit a first image stream concurrently with a second image stream transmitted from the second output port.

Image sensor having multiple output ports

A light emitter is provided to emit, into an environment of interest, a plurality of different patterns of light during respective periods of time. Each of the different patterns of light varies according to angle in a first direction such the location of a light detector disposed in the environment can be determined based on illumination from the light emitter that is detected by the light detector over time. The light emitter includes an astigmatic optical element and a die on which are disposed multiple sets of one or more light emitters, each set corresponding to a respective pattern of illumination emitted from the light emitter. Such a configuration of the light emitter can provide means for producing the different patterns of illumination in an energy-efficient, low-cost, and/or size-constrained manner.

Array based patterned illumination projector

Example embodiments may help multi-camera devices determine disparity information scene, and use the disparity information in an autofocus process. An example method involves: (a) receiving image data of a scene that comprises at least one image of the scene captured by each of two or more image-capture systems of a computing device that includes a plurality of image-capture systems; (b) using the image data captured by the two or more image-capture systems as a basis for determining disparity information for the scene; and (c) performing, by the computing system, an autofocus process based at least in part on the disparity information, wherein the autofocus process provides a focus setting for at least one of the image-capture systems of the computing device.

Depth-assisted focus in multi-camera systems

The present disclosure relates to methods and systems that may reduce pixel noise due to defective sensor elements in optical imaging systems. Namely, a camera may capture a burst of images with an image sensor while adjusting a focus distance setting of an optical element. For example, the image burst may be captured during an autofocus process. The plurality of images may be averaged or otherwise merged to provide a single, aggregate image frame. Such an aggregate image frame may appear blurry. In such a scenario, 'hot' pixels, 'dead' pixels, or otherwise defective pixels may be more easily recognized and/or corrected. As an example, a defective pixel may be removed from a target image or otherwise corrected by replacing a value of the defective pixel with an average value of neighboring pixels.

Calibration of defective image sensor elements

A computing device is described that includes a display unit. The display unit includes an array of pixels defined by N rows and M columns and at least one row select unit configured to select one or more of the N rows. The display unit further includes a first column control unit configured to drive a first contiguous group of pixels from the array of pixels, and a second column control unit configured to drive a second contiguous group of pixels from the array of pixels.

Power conservation in always-on displays

Systems and methods are described that relate to optical image stabilization in mobile computing devices that include multiple optical element sets. In an example embodiment, a mobile computing device may include a plurality of optical element assemblies, which may be coupled to a shared frame. The shared frame may be configured to maintain a fixed spatial arrangement between the optical element assemblies. A controller may receive a signal indicative of a movement of the mobile computing device. Based at least on the signal, the controller may determine a stabilization movement of the shared frame. The controller may cause an actuator to move the shared frame according to the stabilization movement. Optionally, the shared frame may also be configured to provide focus adjustments. For example, the controller may be additionally configured to cause the shared frame to move to a focus position based on a focus signal.

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San Jose, CA, United States of America

Roman Lewkow