1. An image capturing device, comprising:
a first image capturing module, comprising:
a first lens module;
a first image sensor disposed corresponding to said first lens module and comprising a plurality of first phase focusing detectors and a plurality of first image sensing pixels to provide respectively a plurality of first sets of optical sensing signals and a first image; and
a first focusing device connected to said first lens module for adjusting a position of said first lens module;
a second image capturing module, comprising:
a second lens module with a field of view smaller than a field of view of said first lens module;
a second image sensor disposed corresponding to said second lens module and comprising a plurality of second phase focusing detectors and a plurality of second image sensing pixels to provide respectively a plurality of second sets of optical sensing signals and a second image; and
a second focusing device connected to said second lens module for adjusting a position of said second lens module; and
a focusing and image processing module electrically connected to said first image capturing module and said second image capturing module;
wherein said first focusing device and said second focusing device adjust respectively a position of said first lens module and a position of said second lens module according to said first focal signal when one of said first sets of optical sensing signals are selected by said focusing and image processing module to correspondingly provide a first focal signal to said first focusing device and said second focusing device; and said first focusing device and said second focusing device adjust respectively said position of said first lens module and said position of said second lens module according to said second focal signal when one of said second sets of optical sensing signals are selected by said focusing and image processing module to correspondingly provide a second focal signal to said first focusing device and said second focusing device.
2. The image capturing device of claim 1, wherein a distribution density of said first phase focusing detectors in a first region of said first image capturing module is higher than a distribution density of said first phase focusing detectors in a second region of said first image capturing module, wherein said first region corresponds to a non-overlapped region of said fields of view of said first image capturing module and said second image capturing module, and said second region corresponds to an overlapped region of said fields of view of said first image capturing module and said second image capturing module.
3. The image capturing device of claim 1, wherein said first phase focusing detectors are distributed in a first region of said first image capturing module, and said first region corresponds to a non-overlapped region of said fields of view of said first image capturing module and said second image capturing module.
4. The image capturing device of claim 1, wherein said focusing and image processing module decides whether a contrast value of said second image being focused within a focal region is a maximal contrast value or exceeds a threshold value when said focusing and image processing module provides said first focal signal according to said one of said first sets of optical sensing signals, and drives said second focusing device to move said second lens module so that said contrast value of said second image being focused within said focal region is said maximal contrast value or exceeds said threshold value when said contrast value of said second image being focused within said focal region is not said maximal contrast value or does not exceed said threshold value, wherein one of said first phase focusing detectors that provides said selected one of said first sets of optical sensing signals corresponds to an overlapped region of said fields of view of said first image capturing module and said second image capturing module; wherein said focusing and image processing module decides whether said contrast value of said first image being focused within said focal region is said maximal contrast value or exceeds said threshold value when said focusing and image processing module provides said second focal signal according to said second sets of optical sensing signals, and drives said first focusing device to move said first lens module so that said contrast value of said first image being focused within said focal region is said maximal contrast value or exceeds said threshold value when said contrast value of said first image being focused within said focal region is not said maximal contrast value or does not exceed said threshold value, wherein one of said second phase focusing detectors that provides said selected one of said second sets of optical sensing signals corresponds to an overlapped region of said fields of view of said first image capturing module and said second image capturing module.
5. An auto-focusing method for use with an image capturing device, said image capturing device comprising a plurality of image capturing modules and a focusing and image processing module, said image capturing modules comprising a first image capturing module and a second image capturing module, a field of view of said first image capturing module being larger than a field of view of said second image capturing module, and said first image capturing module comprising a plurality of first phase focusing detectors, wherein said auto-focusing method comprises steps of:
providing a plurality of first sets of optical sensing signals from said first phase focusing detectors;
selecting one of said first sets of optical sensing signals by said focusing and image processing module to provide a first focal signal; and
adjusting respective focal distances of said first image capturing module and said second image capturing module according to said first focal signal.
6. The auto-focusing method of claim 5, wherein said second image capturing module comprises a plurality of second phase focusing detectors, said auto-focusing method further comprises steps of:
providing a plurality of second sets of optical sensing signals from said second phase focusing detectors;
selecting one of said second sets of optical sensing signals by said focusing and image processing module to provide a second focal signal; and
respectively adjusting said focal distances of said first image capturing module and said second image capturing module according to said second focal signal.
7. The auto-focusing method of claim 5, further comprising steps of:
deciding by said focusing and image processing module whether a contrast value of a second image being focused by said second image capturing module within a focal region is a maximal contrast value or exceeds a threshold value when one of said first sets of optical sensing signals are selected for focusing, wherein one of said first phase focusing detectors that provides said selected one of said first sets of optical sensing signals corresponds to an overlapped region of said fields of view of said first image capturing module and said second image capturing module; and
using contrast detection focusing by said focusing and image processing module to adjust said focal distance of said second image capturing module so that said contrast value in said second image in said focal region is said maximal contrast value or exceeds said threshold value when said contrast value of said second image in said focal region is not said maximal contrast value or does not exceed said threshold value.
8. The auto-focusing method of claim 6, further comprising steps of:
deciding by said focusing and image processing module whether a contrast value of a second image being focused by said second image capturing module within a focal region is a maximal contrast value or exceeds a threshold value when one of said first sets of optical sensing signals are selected for focusing, wherein one of said first phase focusing detectors that provides said selected one of said first sets of optical sensing signals corresponds to an overlapped region of said fields of view of said first image capturing module and said second image capturing module; and
using contrast detection focusing by said focusing and image processing module to adjust said focal distance of said second image capturing module so that said contrast value in said second image in said focal region is said maximal contrast value or exceeds said threshold value when said contrast value of said second image in said focal region is not said maximal contrast value or does not exceed said threshold value.
9. The auto-focusing method of claim 8, further comprising steps of:
deciding by said focusing and image processing module whether a contrast value of a first image being focused by said first image capturing module within a focal region is a maximal contrast value or exceeds a threshold value when one of said second sets of optical sensing signals are selected for focusing, wherein one of said second phase focusing detectors that provides said selected one of said second sets of optical sensing signals corresponds to an overlapped region of said fields of view of said first image capturing module and said second image capturing module; and
using contrast detection focusing by said focusing and image processing module to adjust said focal distance of said first image capturing module so that said contrast value in said first image in said focal region is said maximal contrast value or exceeds said threshold value when said contrast value of said first image in said focal region is not said maximal contrast value or does not exceed said threshold value.
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. A system for routing packets comprising:
a router management device for associating destination address information to a router hierarchy comprising a plurality of levels, wherein the router management device is configured to, for each level of the router hierarchy, dynamically assign one or more router devices to a portion of incoming packets based at least in part on traffic volume associated with one or more destination addresses of the incoming packets;
one or more router devices corresponding to a first level of the router hierarchy;
one or more router devices corresponding to a second level of the router hierarchy, the second level of the router hierarchy for processing an incoming packet for routing received from at least one of the one or more router devices corresponding to the first level of a router hierarchy, wherein the one or more router devices corresponding to the second level of the router hierarchy are associated with a first memory and a second memory for storing destination address information, the first memory associated with a faster access time than the second memory, wherein the router management device allocates a portion of incoming packets to each router device corresponding to the second level of the router hierarchy based at least in part on a first subset of destination addresses of incoming packets; and
one or more router devices corresponding to a third level of the router hierarchy, the third level of the router hierarchy for processing an incoming packet for routing received from at least one of the one or more router devices corresponding to the second level of a router hierarchy, wherein the router management device allocates a portion of incoming packets to each router device corresponding to the third level based at least in part on a second subset of destination addresses of incoming
wherein the one or more router devices corresponding to the first level of a router hierarchy receive, for routing, an incoming packet comprising a destination address, and identify at least one router device corresponding to the second level of the router hierarchy based on at least in part a first subset of the destination address of the incoming packet,
wherein the at least one router device corresponding to the second level of the router hierarchy identifies at least one router device corresponding to the third level of the router hierarchy based at least in part on a second subset of the destination address of the incoming packet, and wherein the second subset of the destination address is greater than the first subset of the destination address; and
wherein the at least one router device corresponding to the second level of the router hierarchy attempts to identify the at least one router device corresponding to the third level of the router hierarchy from address information persisted in the first memory and, if the address information is not available in the first memory, the at least one router device corresponding to the second level of the router hierarchy attempts to identify the one or more router devices from address information persisted in the second memory.
2. The system as recited in claim 1, wherein the portions of incoming packets that are allocated to each router device of the second level of the router hierarchy each correspond to more address information than can be persisted in the first memory of the one or more router devices corresponding to a second level of a router hierarchy.
3. The system as recited in claim 1, wherein the one or more router devices corresponding to a first level of a router hierarchy are selected in accordance with one of random selection, round robin selection, hashing and load balancing.
4. The system as recited in claim 1, wherein the destination address corresponds to an IP address.
5. The system as recited in claim 4, wherein the first subset of the IP address corresponds to the eight most significant bits of the IP address.
6. The system as recited in claim 4, wherein the first subset of the IP address corresponds to at least one of the sixteen or twenty four most significant bits of the IP address.
7. The system as recited in claim 1, wherein at least two of the one or more router devices corresponding to a first level of the router hierarchy are implemented in a common physical router device.
8. The system as recited in claim 1, wherein at least two of the one or more router devices corresponding to a second level of the router hierarchy are implemented in a common physical router device.
9. The system as recited in claim 1, wherein at least two of the one or more router devices corresponding to a third level of the router hierarchy are implemented in a common physical router device.
10. The system as recited in claim 1, wherein at least two of a router device of the first level of the router hierarchy, a router device of the second level of the router hierarchy, or a router device of the third level of the router hierarchy are implemented by at least one physical router device.
11. The system as recited in claim 1, wherein the one or more router devices corresponding to the first level of the router hierarchy are associated with a first memory and a second memory for storing destination address information, wherein the first memory is associated with a faster access time than the second memory and wherein the one or more router devices corresponding to the first level of the router hierarchy attempt to identify the one or more router devices corresponding to the second level of the router hierarchy from address information persisted in the first memory of the one or more router devices corresponding to the first level of the router hierarchy and, if the address information is not available in the first memory of the one or more router devices corresponding to the first level of the router hierarchy attempt to identify the one or more router devices corresponding to the second level of the router hierarchy from address information persisted in the second memory of the one or more router devices corresponding to the first level of the router hierarchy.
12. A system for routing packets comprising:
a first set of router devices;
a second set of router devices for routing packet received from the first set of router devices, the second set of router devices associated with a physical router having a first memory and a second memory, wherein each of the second set of router devices is dynamically correlated to a portion of incoming packets by a router management device based at least in part on a first subset of destination addresses of incoming packets, and wherein each portion of incoming packets is determined based on traffic volumes associated with destination addresses of each portion of the incoming packets; and
a third set of router devices for routing packets received from the second set of router devices wherein each of the third set of router devices is dynamically correlated to a portion of incoming packets by the router management device based at least in part on a second subset of destination addresses of incoming packets, and wherein each portion of incoming packets is determined based on traffic volumes associated destination addresses of with each portion of the incoming packets;
wherein the first set of router devices identify a router from the second set of router devices correlated to an incoming packet comprising a destination address based at least in part on a first subset of a destination address of the incoming packet; and
wherein the second set of router devices identify a router from the third set of router devices correlated to the incoming packet based at least in part on a second subset of the destination address of the incoming packet by examining address information in the first memory and, if the address information is not persisted in the first memory by examining address information persisted in the second memory.
13. The system as recited in claim 12, wherein each router device from the second set of router devices is correlated to a portion of incoming packets based at least in part on a combination of an association of traffic volumes for destination addresses of the incoming packets and an equal allocation of remaining destination addresses of the incoming packets.
14. The system as recited in claim 12, wherein each router device of the second set of router devices is associated with a threshold number of destination addresses maintainable in the first memory of the device, and wherein at least one of the second set of router devices is correlated with a portion of incoming packets containing more than the threshold number of destination addresses maintainable in the first memory of the at least one router device.
15. The system as recited in claim 12, wherein each router device from the second set of router devices is correlated to a portion of incoming packets based at least in part on an association of tow traffic volumes for destination addresses of the incoming packets.
16. The system as recited in claim 12, wherein a plurality of router devices from the second set of router devices are correlated to the same portion of incoming packets.
17. The system as recited in claim 12, wherein first set of router devices are selected in accordance with one of random selection, round robin selection, hash selection and load balancing.
18. The system as recited in claim 12, wherein the destination address corresponds to an IP address.
19. The system as recited in claim 18, wherein the first subset of the IP address corresponds to the eight most significant bits of the IP address.
20. The system as recited in claim 19, wherein the first subset of the IP address corresponds to at least one of the sixteen or twenty four most significant bits of the IP address.
21. The system as recited in claim 12, wherein two or more of the first set of router devices correspond to a single physical router device.
22. The system as recited in claim 12, wherein two or more of the second set of router devices correspond to a single physical router device.
23. The system as recited in claim 12, wherein two or more of the third set of router devices correspond to a single physical router device.
24. The system as recited in claim 12, wherein at least one of the set of first router devices, at least one of the second set of router devices, and at least one of the third set of router devices correspond to a single physical router device.
25. The system as recited in claim 12, wherein the router management device dynamically modifies the address information in the first memory.
26. The system as recited in claim 12, wherein the first set of router devices are associated with a physical router having a first memory and a second memory.
27. The system as recited in claim 26, wherein the first set of router devices identify a router device from the second set of router devices based at least in part on a second subset of a destination address associated with the incoming packet by examining address information in the first memory and, if the address information is not persisted in the first memory, by examining address information persisted in the second memory.
28. A method for routing packets comprising:
obtaining a routing request corresponding to a data packet received from a first communication network;
identifying a first router of a first level of a router hierarchy, the first level of the router hierarchy comprising one or more router components;
forwarding the received data packet to the identified first router;
identifying a second router component of a second level of the router hierarchy, wherein the second level of the router hierarchy comprises one or more router components, wherein each of the one or more router components of the second level is dynamically associated with a portion of incoming data packets, and wherein each portion of incoming data packets is determined based at least in part on traffic volumes associated with destination addresses of the portion of incoming data packets and on a first subset of destination addresses of the incoming data packets;
forwarding the received data packet to the identified second router; and
identifying a third router component of a third level of the router hierarchy, wherein the third level of the router hierarchy comprises one or more router components, wherein each of the one or more router components of the third level is dynamically associated with a portion of incoming data packets, wherein each portion of incoming data packets is determined based at least in part on traffic volumes associated with destination addresses of the portion of incoming data packets and on a second subset of destination addresses of incoming data packets, and wherein identifying a third router component of a third level of the router hierarchy corresponds to examining address information persisted in a first memory associated with the identified second router component and if the address information is not available, examining address information persisted in a second memory associated with the identified second router component;
wherein identifying the second router component of the second level of the router hierarchy is based at least in part on a first subset of a destination address of the received data packet;
wherein the address information is provided by a router management component and cannot be persisted entirely in the first memory associated with the identified second router; and
wherein identifying the third router component of the third level of the router hierarchy is based at least in part on a second subset of the destination address of the received data packet.
29. The method as recited in claim 28, wherein each of the one or more router components from the second level of the router hierarchy is associated with a portion of incoming data packets based on a combination of an association of traffic volumes for destination addresses of the incoming data packets and an equal allocation of remaining destination addresses of the incoming data packets.
30. The method as recited in claim 28, wherein each router component of the second level of the router hierarchy are associated with a portion of incoming packets corresponding to a threshold number of destination addresses maintainable in a first memory of the router component, and wherein at least one of the second set of logical router components is associated with a portion of incoming packets corresponding to more than the threshold number of destination addresses maintainable in the first memory of the at least one router component.
31. The method as recited in claim 28, wherein the each of the one or more router components of the second level of the router hierarchy is associated with a portion of incoming data packets based at least in part on an association of low traffic volumes for destination addresses.
32. The method as recited in claim 28, wherein each of the one or more router components of the second set of logical router components are associated with the same portion of incoming data packets.
33. The method as recited in claim 28, wherein first set of logical router components are selected in accordance with one of random selection, round robin selection, hash selection and load balancing.
34. The method as recited in claim 28, wherein the destination address corresponds to an IP address.
35. The method as recited in claim 28 further comprising dynamically modifying the address information provided by the router management component and persisted in the first memory associated with the identified second router, wherein the dynamically modified address information provided by the router management component cannot be persisted entirely in the first memory component associated with the identified second router.