A VCSEL projector and method for using the same are disclosed. In one embodiment, the apparatus comprises a vertical cavity surface emitting laser (VCSEL) array comprising a plurality of VCSELs; a micro-lens array coupled to the VCSEL array and having a plurality of lenses, and each of the plurality of lenses is positioned over a VCSEL in the VCSEL array; and a projection lens coupled to the micro-lens array (MLA), where light emitted by the VCSEL array is projected as a sequence of patterns onto an object by the projection lens.

A stereoscopic imaging method where a pixel matrix is divided into groups such that parallax information is received by one pixel group and original information is received by another pixel group. The parallax information may, specifically, be based on polarized information received by subgroups of the one pixel, group and by processing all of the information received multiple images are rendered by the method.

Images can be processed using an image processing apparatus including: an image data obtaining section that obtains at least two pieces of parallax image data from an image capturing element that includes color filters and opening masks so that one color filter and one opening mask correspond to one of at least a part of photoelectric conversion elements and outputs the at least two pieces of parallax image data; and a correcting section that corrects color imbalance of a corresponding pixel caused between the at least two pieces of parallax image data, based on at least one of a position of the at least a part of photoelectric conversion elements in the image capturing element and an opening displacement of the opening mask.

A method for estimating the image depth map of a scene, includes the following steps: providing (E1) an image, the focus of which depends on the depth and wavelength of the considered object points of the scene, using a longitudinal chromatic optical system; determining (E2) a set of spectral images from the image provided by the longitudinal chromatic optical system; deconvoluting (E3) the spectral images to provide estimated spectral images with field depth extension; and analyzing (E4) a cost criterion depending on the estimated spectral images with field depth extension to provide an estimated depth map.

In one embodiment of the invention, an apparatus is disclosed including an image sensor, a color filter array, and an image processor. The image sensor has an active area with a matrix of camera pixels. The color filter array is in optical alignment over the matrix of the camera pixels. The color filter array assigns alternating single colors to each camera pixel. The image processor receives the camera pixels and includes a correlation detector to detect spatial correlation of color information between pairs of colors in the pixel data captured by the camera pixels. The correlation detector further controls demosaicing of the camera pixels into full color pixels with improved resolution. The apparatus may further include demosaicing logic to demosaic the camera pixels into the full color pixels with improved resolution in response to the spatial correlation of the color information between pairs of colors.

The automated camera array calibration technique described herein pertains to a technique for automating camera array calibration. The technique can leverage corresponding depth and single or multi-spectral intensity data (e.g., RGB (Red Green Blue) data) captured by hybrid capture devices to automatically determine camera geometry. In one embodiment it does this by finding common features in the depth maps between two hybrid capture devices and derives a rough extrinsic calibration based on shared depth map features. It then uses the intensity (e.g., RGB) data corresponding to the depth maps and uses the features of the intensity (e.g., RGB) data to refine the rough extrinsic calibration.

Systems and methods for implementing array cameras configured to perform super-resolution processing to generate higher resolution super-resolved images using a plurality of captured images and lens stack arrays that can be utilized in array cameras are disclosed. An imaging device in accordance with one embodiment of the invention includes at least one imager array, and each imager in the array comprises a plurality of light sensing elements and a lens stack including at least one lens surface, where the lens stack is configured to form an image on the light sensing elements, control circuitry configured to capture images formed on the light sensing elements of each of the imagers, and a super-resolution processing module configured to generate at least one higher resolution super-resolved image using a plurality of the captured images.

Methods and apparatus provide for: capturing an image of a subject from a position; capturing a plurality of images of the subject from a plurality of further positions around the position such that the plurality of captured images of the subject are different in image quality or view angles than the image of the subject from the position; and generating data to be output on a basis of the image captured from the position and the plurality of images captured from the plurality of further positions, where at least one of: the capturing the image or the plurality of images includes pixels capable of detecting light in an infrared wavelength band, and the generating includes synthesizing the image from the position and the images captured from the further positions and changing a synthesis ratio according to an image synthesis position.

Systems and method for correcting images including artifacts due to dirty camera lenses of electronic device are disclosed. Correction of images by the systems and methods includes obtaining a first raw pixel image of a scene captured with a first camera, obtaining a second raw image of the scene captured with a second camera separate from the first camera in a camera baseline direction, rectifying the first and second raw pixel images to create respective first and second rectified pixel images, determining disparity correspondence between corresponding image pixel pairs of the first and second rectified images in the camera baseline direction, mapping first and second rectified images into the same domain using the determined disparity, detect image artifact regions within each domain mapped image by comparing corresponding regions of the domain mapped images, determining correction factors for each detected image artifact region, and correcting the rectified first and second images by applying the determined correction factors.

Apparatus and systems directed to a wireless hand-held inertial controller with passive optical and inertial tracking in a slim form-factor, for use with a head mounted virtual or augmented reality display device (HMD), that operates with six degrees of freedom by fusing (i) data related to the position of the controller derived from a forward-facing optical sensor located in the HMD with (ii) data relating to the orientation of the controller derived from an inertial measurement unit located in the controller.