1. A camera array, comprising:
a plurality of cameras forming an array comprising a plurality of rows of cameras and a plurality of columns of cameras, where each camera includes separate optics, and a plurality of sensor elements, and each camera is configured to independently capture an image of a scene;
wherein the optics of each camera are configured so that each camera has a field of view of the same scene that is shifted with respect to the field-of-views of the other cameras so that each shift includes a sub-pixel shifted view of the same scene;
wherein the camera array is a monolithic integrated module comprising:
a single semiconductor substrate on which all of the sensor elements and control circuitry are formed, where the control circuitry is configured to enable each camera to operate independently; and
optics including a plurality of lens elements, where each lens element forms part of the separate optics for one of the cameras; and
wherein the plurality of cameras comprises a plurality of different types of camera, where cameras of a given type share the same imaging characteristics and different types of cameras have different imaging characteristics including using different types of filters; and
wherein one of the plurality of cameras includes a central camera and the plurality of cameras forms:
at least one row of cameras above the central camera;
at least one row of cameras below the central camera;
at least one column of cameras to the left of the central camera; and
at least one column of cameras to the right of the central camera;
wherein cameras having the same imaging characteristics and filter are located in locations selected from the group consisting of:
locations including at least one row in the camera array above the central camera and at least one row in the camera array below the central camera; and
locations including at least one column in the camera array to the left of the central camera and at least one column in the camera array to the right of the central camera.
2. The camera array of claim 1, wherein at least one of each different type of camera is located in each quadrant of the camera array.
3. The camera array of claim 2, wherein the cameras of a given type of camera are symmetrically distributed about the central camera.
4. The camera array of claim 2, wherein
each camera includes either a Blue filter, a Green filter, or a Red filter.
5. The camera array of claim 4, wherein:
green cameras are located in locations including:
at least one row in the camera array above the central camera;
at least one row in the camera array below the central camera;
at least one column in the camera array to the left of the central camera; and
at least one column in the camera array to the right of the central camera.
6. The camera array of claim 5, wherein:
red cameras are located in locations including at least one row in the camera array above the central camera and at least one row in the camera array below the central camera; and
blue cameras are located in locations including at least one column in the camera array to the left of the central camera and at least one column in the camera array to the right of the central camera.
7. The camera array of claim 5, wherein:
blue cameras are located in locations including at least one row in the camera array above the central camera and at least one row in the camera array below the central camera; and
red cameras are located in locations including at least one column in the camera array to the left of the central camera and at least one column in the camera array to the right of the central camera.
8. The camera array of claim 2, wherein
each camera includes either a Blue filter, a Green filter, a Red filter, or a near-IR filter.
9. The camera array of claim 1, wherein each camera includes a filter selected from the group consisting of a Bayer filter, one or more Blue filters, one or more Green filters, one or more Red filters, one or more shifted spectral filters, one or more near-IR filters, and one or more hyper-spectral filters.
10. The camera array of claim 1, wherein different types of cameras are configured by the control circuitry to operate with at least one difference in operating parameters.
11. The camera array of claim 10, wherein the at least one difference in operating parameters includes at least one imaging parameter selected from the group consisting of exposure time, gain, and black level offset.
12. The camera array of claim 10, wherein the control circuitry is configured to stagger the start of the exposure periods for sensor elements in different cameras so that a scene is sampled sequentially while having the sensor elements in several cameras exposed to light at the same time.
13. The camera array of claim 1, wherein the camera array is at least a 4\xd74 array of cameras.
14. The camera array of claim 13, wherein the camera array is a 4\xd74 array of cameras.
15. The camera array of claim 13, wherein the camera array is a 5\xd75 array of cameras.
16. The camera array of claim 13, wherein the camera array is a 6\xd76 array of cameras.
17. The camera array of claim 1, wherein:
the plurality of cameras includes different types of cameras dedicated to sampling luma and dedicated to sampling chroma; and
cameras that sample chroma are arranged symmetrically within the camera array to address occlusion due to parallax.
18. The camera array of claim 1, wherein the central camera is a polychromatic camera.
19. The camera array of claim 18, wherein:
the plurality of cameras also includes a plurality of cameras dedicated to sampling chroma; and
cameras that sample chroma are arranged symmetrically within the camera array to address occlusion due to parallax.
20. A linear camera array, comprising:
a plurality of cameras forming a linear array, where each camera includes separate optics, and a plurality of sensor elements, and each camera is configured to independently capture an image of a scene;
wherein the optics of each camera are configured so that each camera has a field of view that is shifted with respect to the field-of-views of the other cameras so that each shift includes a sub-pixel shifted view of the scene;
wherein the linear camera array is a monolithic integrated module comprising:
a single semiconductor substrate on which all of the sensor elements and control circuitry are formed, where the control circuitry is configured to enable each camera to operate independently; and
optics including a plurality of lens elements, where each lens element forms part of the separate optics for one of the cameras; and
wherein the plurality of cameras comprises a plurality of different types of camera, where cameras of a given type share the same imaging characteristics and different types of cameras have different imaging characteristics including using different types of filters; and
wherein one of the plurality of cameras forms a central camera;
wherein cameras having the same imaging characteristics and filter are located on either side of the central camera.
21. The camera array of claim 20, wherein the cameras that include a specific type of filter are symmetrically distributed about the central camera.
22. The camera array of claim 20, wherein
each camera includes either a Blue filter, a Green filter, or a Red filter.
23. The camera array of claim 20, wherein
each camera includes either a Blue filter, a Green filter, a Red filter, or a near-IR filter.
24. The camera array of claim 20, wherein each camera includes a filter selected from the group consisting of a Bayer filter, one or more Blue filters, one or more Green filters, one or more Red filters, one or more shifted spectral filters, one or more near-IR filters, and one or more hyper-spectral filters.
25. The camera array of claim 20, wherein different types of cameras operate with at least one difference in operating parameters.
26. The camera array of claim 25, wherein the at least one difference in operating parameters includes at least one imaging parameter selected from the group consisting of exposure time, gain, and black level offset.
27. The camera array of claim 25, wherein the control circuitry is configured to stagger the start of the exposure periods for sensor elements in different cameras so that a scene is sampled sequentially while having the sensor elements in several cameras exposed to light at the same time.
28. The camera array of claim 20, wherein:
the plurality of cameras includes different types of cameras dedicated to sampling luma and dedicated to sampling chroma; and
cameras that sample chroma are arranged symmetrically within the camera array to address occlusion due to parallax.
29. The camera array of claim 20, wherein the central camera is a polychromatic camera.
30. The camera array of claim 29, wherein:
the plurality of cameras also includes a plurality of cameras dedicated to sampling chroma; and
cameras that sample chroma are arranged symmetrically within the camera array to address occlusion due to parallax.
The claims below are in addition to those above.
All refrences to claim(s) which appear below refer to the numbering after this setence.
1. An inscription plate formed by a pair of end sheets having indicia formed thereon which are aligned with each other and thus are identical and a translucent, transparent or coloured intermediate sheet not incorporating indicia interposed between each end sheet wherein light from a rear of the inscription plate provides an aesthetic effect when viewed from a front of the inscription plate.
2. An inscription plate as claimed in claim 1 wherein the pair of end sheets are metal plates separated by a transparent intermediate sheet formed from glass or clear plastics material.
3. An inscription plate as claimed in claim 1 wherein the indicia formed in each end sheet are formed by openings in each end sheet.
4. An inscription plate as claimed in claim 3 wherein the openings are formed by laser cutting.
5. A monument assembly incorporating the inscription plate of claim 1.
6. A monument assembly as claimed in claim 5 having the inscription plate formed as a part of a headstone component.
7. A monument assembly as claimed in claim 5 having the inscription plate supported on a horizontally disposed rail assembly.
8. A monument assembly formed from:
(i) a headstone component;
(ii) a rail assembly attached to the headstone component;
(iii) an inlay panel supported by and surrounded by the rail assembly or alternatively said rail assembly surrounds an empty space; and
(iv) leveling means including a threaded upstanding bolt or stud located at least at a pair of corners of the rail assembly which is adjustably attachable to an adjacent part of the rail assembly and locable thereto when desired whereby the rail assembly may form a substantially horizontal support plane when required.
9. A monument assembly as claimed in claim 8 wherein the headstone component is a hollow casing having a front surface for displaying indicia.
10. A monument assembly as claimed in claim 8, wherein the rail assembly includes a pair of side rails and an end rail distal from the headstone component all attached to each other.
11. A monument assembly as claimed in claim 10 wherein the headstone component is attached to the headstone component.
12. A monument assembly as claimed in claim 10 wherein the headstone component is releasably attached to a head rail attached to each adjacent side rail.
13. A monument assembly as claimed in claim 10 wherein each side rail is attached to an adjacent support surface of the headstone component.
14. A monument assembly as claimed in claim 8 wherein said adjacent part is an adjoining end of each side rail.
15. A monument assembly as claimed in claim 8 wherein said adjacent part is a corner component or junction component interconnecting adjacent ends of the end rail and adjoining side rails.
16. A monument assembly as claimed in claim 10 wherein the headstone component engages with each side rail in a malefemale interaction.
17. A monument assembly as claimed in claim 16 wherein each headstone end of each of the side rails engages with a socket of corresponding cross sectional shape in the headstone component.
18. A monument assembly as claimed in claim 8 wherein the inlay panel may comprise at least in part an inscription plate formed by a pair of end sheets having indicia formed thereon which is aligned with each other and a transparent intermediate sheet interposed between each end sheet.
19. A monument assembly as claimed in claim 8 wherein said threaded bolt or stud is located at each corner of the rail assembly remote from the headstone component.
20. A method of installation of a monument assembly to a grave site which includes the steps of:
(i) placing a rail assembly in a predisposed grave site which includes a pair of side rails and at least one end rail; and
(ii) adjusting the height of at least a pair of corners of the rail assembly to achieve a desired height so that the pair of side rails and said at least one end rail may form a level horizontal plane for supporting an inlay panel; and
(iii) locking each corner of the rail assembly in place after said desired height has been achieved.
21. A method as claimed in claim 20 wherein there is also provided a headstone component which is mounted to the rail assembly at one end thereof distal to said at least one end rail.
22. A method as claimed in claim 20 wherein said at least a pair of corners are located at each end of the rail assembly remote from the headstone