Apple Inc.
Enhancing spatial resolution in a stereo camera imaging system

Abstract:

Techniques are disclosed for capturing stereoscopic images using one or more high color density or "full color" image sensors and one or more low color density or "sparse color" image sensors. Low color density image sensors, may include substantially fewer color pixels than the sensor's total number of pixels, as well as fewer color pixels than the total number of color pixels on the full color image sensor. More particularly, the mostly-monochrome image captured by the low color density image sensor may be used to reduce noise and increase the spatial resolution of an imaging system's output image. In addition, the color pixels present in the low color density image sensor may be used to identify and fill in color pixel values, e.g., for regions occluded in the image captured using the full color image sensor. Optical Image Stabilization and/or split photodiodes may be employed on one or more sensors.