Devices, methods, and systems for expanded-field-of-view image and video capture

Abstract

In various example embodiments, an imaging system and related method are disclosed. In one embodiment, an imaging system comprises an image sensor comprising offset arrays of pixel electrodes to read out a signal from the image sensor. In this embodiment, the arrays of pixel electrodes are offset by less than the size of a pixel region of the image sensor. The embodiment also includes circuitry configured to select one of the offset arrays of pixel electrodes to read out a signal from the image sensor. Other embodiments of imaging systems and related methods are disclosed.

1 . An imaging system, comprising:
 an image sensor comprising offset arrays of pixel electrodes to read out a signal from the image sensor, the arrays of pixel electrodes being offset by less than the size of a pixel region of the image sensor; and   circuitry configured to select one of the offset arrays of pixel electrodes to read out a signal from the image sensor.   
     
     
         2 . The imaging system of  claim 1 , further comprising:
 circuitry to read out image data from each of the offset arrays of pixel electrodes; and   circuitry to combine the image data read out from each of the offset arrays of pixel electrodes to generate an output image.   
     
     
         3 . An imaging system, comprising:
 a first image sensor array comprising offset arrays of pixel electrodes to read out a signal from the first image sensor array, the arrays of pixel electrodes being offset by less than a size of a pixel region of the first image sensor;   a second image sensor array;   circuitry configured to select one of the offset arrays of pixel electrodes to read out a signal from the first image sensor array; and   circuitry to read out image data from the first image sensor array and the second image sensor array.   
     
     
         4 . The imaging system of  claim 3 , further comprising circuitry to generate an output image from the image data for the first image sensor array and the second image sensor array. 
     
     
         5 . The imaging system of  claim 3 , wherein the circuitry configured to select one of the offset arrays of pixel electrodes is configured to select the offset array of pixel electrodes that provides a highest super resolution when the image data from the first image sensor array is combined with the image data from the second image sensor array. 
     
     
         6 . The imaging system of  claim 3 , wherein the circuitry configured to select one of the offset arrays of pixel electrodes is configured to select the offset array of pixel electrodes providing a least image overlap with the second image sensor array. 
     
     
         7 . A method of generating an image from an image sensor system, the method comprising:
 reading out a first image from a first image sensor array from a first set of locations corresponding to pixel regions of the first image sensor array; and   reading out a second image from the first image sensor array from a second set of locations corresponding to pixel regions of the first image sensor array.   
     
     
         8 . The method of  claim 7 , further comprising generating an output image from the first image and the second image. 
     
     
         9 . A method of generating an image from an image sensor system, the method comprising:
 reading out a first image from a first image sensor array from a first set of locations corresponding to pixel regions of the first image sensor array;   reading out a second image from the first image sensor array from a second set of locations corresponding to pixel regions of the first image sensor array;   reading out a third image from a second image sensor array; and   using the first image, the second image, and the third image to select either the first set of locations or the second set of locations for reading out a subsequent image from the first image sensor array.   
     
     
         10 . The method of  claim 9 , further comprising reading a subsequent image from the second image sensor array at substantially the same time as the subsequent image from the first image sensor array. 
     
     
         11 . The method of  claim 10 , further comprising generating a super resolution image from the subsequent image read out from the second image sensor array and the subsequent image read out from the first image sensor array. 
     
     
         12 . The method of  claim 9 , wherein the second image sensor array is pointed generally in a same direction as the first image sensor array and has a zoom level different than the first image sensor array.