這個報導有以色列Corephotonics公司，向美國法院起訴指稱蘋果公司iPhone 7/8 plus雙鏡頭手機侵權所據之4個專利請求項。我列在下面：
* US9,568,712 claim 15：
15. A lens assembly, comprising: a plurality of refractive lens elements arranged along an optical axis, wherein the lens assembly has an effective focal length (EFL) and a total track length (TTL) smaller than the effective focal length (EFL), the plurality of refractive lens elements comprising, in order from an object plane to an image plane along the optical axis, a first lens element having positive optical power, a pair of second and third lens elements having together a negative optical power, and a combination of fourth and fifth lens elements, the fourth lens element separated from the third lens element by an air gap greater than TTL/5.
https://patents.google.com/patent/US9568712B2/en
15. A lens assembly, comprising: a plurality of refractive lens elements arranged along an optical axis, wherein the lens assembly has an effective focal length (EFL) and a total track length (TTL) smaller than the effective focal length (EFL), the plurality of refractive lens elements comprising, in order from an object plane to an image plane along the optical axis, a first lens element having positive optical power, a pair of second and third lens elements having together a negative optical power, and a combination of fourth and fifth lens elements, the fourth lens element separated from the third lens element by an air gap greater than TTL/5.
https://patents.google.com/patent/US9568712B2/en
* US9,402,032 claim 1：
1. A lens assembly, comprising: a plurality of refractive lens elements arranged along an optical axis, wherein at least one surface of at least one of the plurality of lens elements is aspheric, wherein the lens assembly has an effective focal length (EFL), and wherein the lens assembly has a total track length (TTL) of 6.5 millimeters or less and a ratio TTL/EFL of less than 1.0, wherein the plurality of lens elements comprises, in order from an object side to an image side, a first lens element with positive refractive power and a second lens element with negative refractive power, wherein a focal length f1 of the first lens element is smaller than TTL/2.
https://patents.google.com/patent/US9402032B2/en
1. A lens assembly, comprising: a plurality of refractive lens elements arranged along an optical axis, wherein at least one surface of at least one of the plurality of lens elements is aspheric, wherein the lens assembly has an effective focal length (EFL), and wherein the lens assembly has a total track length (TTL) of 6.5 millimeters or less and a ratio TTL/EFL of less than 1.0, wherein the plurality of lens elements comprises, in order from an object side to an image side, a first lens element with positive refractive power and a second lens element with negative refractive power, wherein a focal length f1 of the first lens element is smaller than TTL/2.
https://patents.google.com/patent/US9402032B2/en
* US9,185,291 claim 12：
12. A method for obtaining zoom images of an object or scene in both still and video modes using a digital camera, the method comprising the steps of:
a) providing in the digital camera a Wide imaging section having a Wide lens with a Wide field of view (FOV), a Wide sensor and a Wide image signal processor (ISP), a Tele imaging section having a Tele lens with a Tele FOV that is narrower than the Wide FOV, a Tele sensor and a Tele ISP, and a camera controller operatively coupled to the Wide and Tele imaging sections; and
b) configuring the camera controller to combine in still mode at least some of the Wide and Tele image data to provide a fused output image of the object or scene from a particular point of view, and to provide without fusion continuous zoom video mode output images of the object or scene, each output image having a respective output resolution, wherein the video mode output images are provided with a smooth transition when switching between a lower zoom factor (ZF) value and a higher ZF value or vice versa, and wherein at the lower ZF value the output resolution is determined by the Wide sensor while at the higher ZF value the output resolution is determined by the Tele sensor.
https://patents.google.com/patent/US9185291B1/en
12. A method for obtaining zoom images of an object or scene in both still and video modes using a digital camera, the method comprising the steps of:
a) providing in the digital camera a Wide imaging section having a Wide lens with a Wide field of view (FOV), a Wide sensor and a Wide image signal processor (ISP), a Tele imaging section having a Tele lens with a Tele FOV that is narrower than the Wide FOV, a Tele sensor and a Tele ISP, and a camera controller operatively coupled to the Wide and Tele imaging sections; and
b) configuring the camera controller to combine in still mode at least some of the Wide and Tele image data to provide a fused output image of the object or scene from a particular point of view, and to provide without fusion continuous zoom video mode output images of the object or scene, each output image having a respective output resolution, wherein the video mode output images are provided with a smooth transition when switching between a lower zoom factor (ZF) value and a higher ZF value or vice versa, and wherein at the lower ZF value the output resolution is determined by the Wide sensor while at the higher ZF value the output resolution is determined by the Tele sensor.
https://patents.google.com/patent/US9185291B1/en
* US9,538,152 claim 1：
1. A multi-aperture imaging system comprising:
a) a first camera that provides a first image, the first camera having a first field of view (FOV1) and a first sensor with a first plurality of sensor pixels covered at least in part with a standard color filter array (CFA);
b) a second camera that provides a second image, the second camera having a second field of view (FOV2) such that FOV2<FOV1 and a second sensor with a second plurality of sensor pixels, the second plurality of sensor pixels being either Clear or covered with a standard CFA, the second image having an overlap area with the first image; and
c) a processor configured to provide an output image from a point of view of the first camera based on a zoom factor (ZF) input that defines a respective field of view (FOVZF), the first image being a primary image and the second image being a non-primary image, wherein if FOV2<FOVZF<FOV1 then the point of view of the output image is that of the first camera, the processor further configured to register the overlap area of the second image as non-primary image to the first image as primary image to obtain the output image.
https://patents.google.com/patent/US9538152B2/en
1. A multi-aperture imaging system comprising:
a) a first camera that provides a first image, the first camera having a first field of view (FOV1) and a first sensor with a first plurality of sensor pixels covered at least in part with a standard color filter array (CFA);
b) a second camera that provides a second image, the second camera having a second field of view (FOV2) such that FOV2<FOV1 and a second sensor with a second plurality of sensor pixels, the second plurality of sensor pixels being either Clear or covered with a standard CFA, the second image having an overlap area with the first image; and
c) a processor configured to provide an output image from a point of view of the first camera based on a zoom factor (ZF) input that defines a respective field of view (FOVZF), the first image being a primary image and the second image being a non-primary image, wherein if FOV2<FOVZF<FOV1 then the point of view of the output image is that of the first camera, the processor further configured to register the overlap area of the second image as non-primary image to the first image as primary image to obtain the output image.
https://patents.google.com/patent/US9538152B2/en
另外，這家以色列公司的專利，是集中在手機後置之雙主鏡頭的設計與提高成像與融合景深效果的方法。而蘋果公司藉由收購
PrimeSense這家也是以色列的3D感測新創公司所取得的專利，是用在手機前置之與face ID有關的深度相機、3D掃描儀與人臉辨識方法。兩者之間是完全不同的技術領域，並不會發生文中所說的蘋果公司可以藉由自己的深度相機專利反擊這家以色列公司的情況。
留言
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這個訴訟可以讓我們看到台廠雙主鏡頭專利技術的範圍為何。
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由於大部分低成本的CMOS影像感測器使用捲簾快門(rolling shutter)，而其獲取影像的方法並不是將每個單獨幀(individual frame)記錄為某個時點的單個快照(single snapshot)，而是記錄為掃描過該幀的一序列影像條紋(a sequence of image stripes)，導致並非光學影像的所有部分都在準確地在同一時間被記錄；另外，也會在圖像幀(image frame)中引入了暫態剪切(temporal shear)，並且在移動物 體的成像中產生假影(artifact)。
蘋果的這份專利乃是透過同步投影照明與影像感測器的捲簾快門以解決上述問題，其係以脈衝模式相續地開動(actuate)輻射源，使照明組件與捲簾快門同步地照明場景的各個不同區，且藉由捲簾快門觸發組感測器元件，以在各個相繼的曝光期內從場景的各個不同區捕獲來自場景的射線，以形成場景的電子影像；最終，每一感測單元提供關於其自身的部分場景的3D繪圖資料，再透過諸如控制器或電腦等處理單元將資料接合(stitch)在一起成為一幅合成深度圖。
