Systems and methods for acquiring and processing image data produced by camera arrays

摘要

This disclosure is directed to camera systems including a camera array, data buses shared by the cameras, and one or more processors that process images captured by the camera array. In one aspect, a camera system (450) includes a camera array (452), a controller (454), a number of camera buses (458-465), and a computing device (456) connected to the controller. Each camera is connected to one or more adjacent cameras and includes one or more processors. Each camera bus connects a subset of cameras of the camera array to the controller. And each camera can be operated to send to the controller only the image data used by the computing device to generate virtual images and receive instructions from the controller over a camera bus.

主权项

1. A camera system comprising:
a camera array; a camera processor/controller; a number of camera buses, each camera bus connects a subset of cameras of the camera array to the camera processor/controller over which the subset of cameras send image data and receive instructions; and a computing device connected to the camera processor/controller, wherein each camera can be operated to send to the camera processor/controller only the image data used by the computing device to generate virtual images and each camera receives the instructions from the camera processor/controller over a camera bus, wherein the computing device:
determines, for a selected virtual image of a plurality of virtual images, the image data from the cameras from which the selected virtual image is to be generated;determines, for each portion of a plurality of portions of the image data, which of the cameras is able to provide the portion of the image data;when more than one camera is able to provide a given portion of the image data, select a given camera of the more than one camera to provide the given portion; andinstruct the controller to control the cameras to provide the image data.