Disclosed herein are devices, methods, and systems for providing an externally augmented camera that may utilize external light sources of a separate sensor to emit light toward a scene so as to provide accurate imaging of the scene, even in dark or low-light situations or where the scene has a high dynamic range of brightness. The externally augmented camera system may include a sensor with a light source capable of emitting light toward a scene, a camera separate from the light source, where the camera includes a detector capable of detecting emitted light from the light source. The externally augmented camera system also causes the sensor to emit light toward the scene via the light source, causes the camera to capture image data of the scene that has been illuminated by emitted light from the light source, and generates an image of the scene based on the image data.

Systems in accordance with embodiments of the invention can perform parallax detection and correction in images captured using array cameras. Due to the different viewpoints of the cameras, parallax results in variations in the position of objects within the captured images of the scene. Methods in accordance with embodiments of the invention provide an accurate account of the pixel disparity due to parallax between the different cameras in the array, so that appropriate scene-dependent geometric shifts can be applied to the pixels of the captured images when performing super-resolution processing. In a number of embodiments, generating depth estimates considers the similarity of pixels in multiple spectral channels. In certain embodiments, generating depth estimates involves generating a confidence map indicating the reliability of depth estimates.

Systems in accordance with embodiments of the invention can perform parallax detection and correction in images captured using array cameras. Due to the different viewpoints of the cameras, parallax results in variations in the position of objects within the captured images of the scene. Methods in accordance with embodiments of the invention provide an accurate account of the pixel disparity due to parallax between the different cameras in the array, so that appropriate scene-dependent geometric shifts can be applied to the pixels of the captured images when performing super-resolution processing. In a number of embodiments, generating depth estimates considers the similarity of pixels in multiple spectral channels. In certain embodiments, generating depth estimates involves generating a confidence map indicating the reliability of depth estimates.

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. Lens stack arrays in accordance with many embodiments of the invention include lens elements formed on substrates separated by spacers, where the lens elements, substrates and spacers are configured to form a plurality of optical channels, at least one aperture located within each optical channel, at least one spectral filter located within each optical channel, where each spectral filter is configured to pass a specific spectral band of light, and light blocking materials located within the lens stack array to optically isolate the optical channels.

A dual-aperture zoom camera comprising a Wide camera with a respective Wide lens and a Tele camera with a respective Tele lens, the Wide and Tele cameras mounted directly on a single printed circuit board, wherein the Wide and Tele lenses have respective effective focal lengths EFL.sub.W and EFL.sub.T and respective total track lengths TTL.sub.W and TTL.sub.T and wherein TTL.sub.W/EFL.sub.W>1.1 and TTL.sub.T/EFL.sub.T<1.0. Optionally, the dual-aperture zoom camera may further comprise an optical OIS controller configured to provide a compensation lens movement according to a user-defined zoom factor (ZF) and a camera tilt (CT) through LMV=CT*EFL.sub.ZF, where EFL.sub.ZF is a zoom-factor dependent effective focal length.

An imaging device includes an imaging section including an imaging sensor section of a rolling shutter system, a condition designator that sets an imaging condition using first auxiliary light which is non-visible light as an imaging condition for the imaging section and an imaging condition using visible light with the first auxiliary light as non-emitted light, and alternately designates the imaging condition and a light emission condition of the first auxiliary light at a cycle of at least two frames in a time division basis, a first light emitter that emits the first auxiliary light according to the light emission condition; and an image composer that composes a non-visible light image captured by the imaging section under the imaging condition using the first auxiliary light during a first period in which the first auxiliary light is emitted and a visible light image captured by the imaging section under the imaging condition using the visible light during a second period subsequent to the first period.

Imaging systems providing high resolution, low light images with significant dynamic range are disclosed. The improvements to photo imaging sensors providing low costs and yet higher performance sensors may be obtained an enhanced photosensor generating a single color channel image per photosensor. The single color channel image contains luminence values corresponding to light focused onto the photosensor. The plurality of photosensors are constructed using Indium gallium nitride (InGaN) nanowire structures and nanopyrimid structures used in cells within an array of cells. Photosensors may be constructed as single color imaging devices as well as multi-color devices. The generation of various color channel images are controlled using metasurface filter structures as well as color filter layers setting a wavelength for absorbed light by controlling a concentration of indium gallium nitride (InGaN) within the color filter layers.

A four color separation prism includes a first color separation prism, a second color separation prism, a third color separation prism, and a fourth color separation prism, which respectively separate light incident from an affected area into a blue, red and green color components, and an infrared (IR) component. The first color separation prism, the second color separation prism, the third color separation prism, and the fourth color separation prism are sequentially disposed from an object side when receiving the light incident from the affected area.

A four color separation prism includes a first color separation prism, a second color separation prism, a third color separation prism, and a fourth color separation prism, which respectively separate light incident from an affected area into a blue, red and green color components, and an infrared (IR) component. The first color separation prism, the second color separation prism, the third color separation prism, and the fourth color separation prism are sequentially disposed from an object side when receiving the light incident from the affected area.

Digital camera systems and methods are described that provide a color digital camera with direct luminance detection. The luminance signals are obtained directly from a broadband image sensor channel without interpolation of RGB data. The chrominance signals are obtained from one or more additional image sensor channels comprising red and/or blue color band detection capability. The red and blue signals are directly combined with the luminance image sensor channel signals. The digital camera generates and outputs an image in YCrCb color space by directly combining outputs of the broadband, red and blue sensors.