Method and apparatus for obtaining an image with motion blur

• US 10,116,879 B2
• Filed: 04/09/2015
• Issued: 10/30/2018
• Est. Priority Date: 04/14/2014
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Alcatel-Lucent SA (Nokia Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Alcatel-Lucent SA (Nokia Corporation)
• Inventors: Huysegems, Rafael, Godon, Marc
• Primary Examiner(s): BERARDESCA, PAUL M
• Application Number:
  US15/303,796
• Publication Number:
  US 20170034429A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,300 Days
• CPC Class Codes: G06T 2207/20221 Image fusion; Image merging
• CPC Class Codes: G06T 7/579 from motion
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 23/62 Control of parameters via user interfaces
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 23/743 Bracketing, i.e. taking a series of images with varying exposure conditions
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 23/951 by using two or more images to influence resolution, frame rate or aspect ratio
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 5/2625 for obtaining an image which is composed of images from a temporal image sequence, e.g. for a stroboscopic effect sequence generated by event triggered capturing H04N7/188
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 5/272 Means for inserting a foreground image in a background image, i.e. inlay, outlay

Abstract

Method for obtaining an image containing a portion with motion blur, comprising: controlling at least one camera to take a first, second and third picture in a determined order of an object and a background, such that said first picture is taken with a first exposure time, said second picture with a second exposure time, and said third picture with a third exposure time, said second exposure time being longer than said first and said third exposure time, such that said second picture contains a blurred image of the background and/or the object if said object and/or said background is moving with respect to said at least one camera; generating a final image containing at least a portion of said blurred image of the second picture as well as well as a portion derived from said first and/or third picture, using said first, second and third picture.

Claims

1. Method for obtaining an image containing a portion with motion blur, comprising:

controlling at least one camera to take a first, second and third picture in a determined order of an object and a background, such that said first picture is taken with a first exposure time, said second picture with a second exposure time, and said third picture with a third exposure time, said second exposure time being longer than said first and said third exposure time, such that said second picture contains a blurred image of the background and/or the object if said object and/or said background is moving with respect to said at least one camera;

generating a final image containing at least a portion of said blurred image of the second picture as well as a portion derived from said first and/or third picture using said first, second and third picture,

wherein generating of the final image comprises;

using the first and the third picture to determine a shape and a position of the object in said first and said third picture;

isolating the at least a portion of the blurred image from the second picture, using the position and shape of the object in the first and third picture; and

combining the isolated at least a portion of the blurred image with a portion derived from the first and/or third picture to obtain the final image.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the controlling comprises controlling a single camera to take the first, second and third picture, such that the first, second and third pictures are taken one after the other.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein the controlling comprises controlling the at least one camera to take the third picture after the second picture, and the second picture after the first picture.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein the first and third exposure time are smaller than 1/100 s, and the second exposure time is larger than 1/80 s.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein the controlling comprises controlling the at least one camera to take the first and third pictures before the second picture, or the first and third pictures after the second picture;

wherein the first and third picture are used to determine a speed of the object with respect to the at least one camera;

wherein the speed is used to determine the position of the blurred image in the second picture.

5. A first apparatus, comprising:

at least one processor; and

at least one memory including computer program code;

the at least one memory and the computer program code configured to, with the at least one processor, cause the first apparatus at least to perform;

receiving at least a first, second and third picture taken with at least one camera in a determined order of an object and a background, wherein said first picture is taken with a first exposure time, said second picture with a second exposure time, and said third picture with a third exposure time, said second exposure time being longer than said first and said third exposure time, such that said second picture contains a blurred image of the background and/or the object if said object and/or said background is moving with respect to said at least one camera;

generating a final image containing at least a portion of said blurred image of the second picture as well as a portion derived from said first and/or third picture using said first, second and third picture,

wherein generating of the final image comprises;

using the first and the third picture to determine a shape and a position of the object in said first and said third picture;

isolating the at least a portion of the blurred image from the second picture, using the position and shape of the object in the first and third picture; and

combining the isolated at least a portion of the blurred image with a portion derived from the first and/or third picture to obtain the final image.

7. The first apparatus of claim 5, wherein the at least one memory and the computer program code are configured to, with the at least one processor, cause the at least to perform:

using the first and the third picture to determine a shape and position of the object using stitching based on the object;

deriving a background image from said first and/or third pictures using the determined shape and/or position of the object in the first and/or third picture;

using the determined position in the first and third picture to determine the position of an optionally blurred image of the object in the second picture; and

overlaying the optionally blurred image of the second picture on said background image taking into account the position of the optionally blurred portion in the second picture, in order to obtain the final image.

8. The first apparatus of claim 5, wherein the at least one memory and the computer program code are configured to, with the at least one processor, cause the first apparatus at least to perform:

using the first and the third picture to determine a shape and position of the object using stitching based on the object;

removing the object from said first and said third picture taking into account the determined shape and position in order to generate a first and third background image;

combining said first and third background image to obtain a combined background image;

using the determined position in the first and third picture to determine the position of an optionally blurred image of the object in the second picture; and

overlaying the optionally blurred image of the second picture on said combined background image taking into account the position of the optionally blurred portion in the second picture, in order to obtain the final image.

9. The first apparatus of claim 5, wherein the at least one memory and the computer program code are configured to, with the at least one processor, cause the first apparatus at least to perform:

using the first and the third picture to generate a shape and position of the object using stitching based on the object;

deriving a non-blurred image of the object from said first and/or said third picture;

using the determined position in said first and third picture to determine the position of an optionally blurred image of the object in the second picture;

overlaying the non-blurred image of the object on the second picture taking into account the determined position of the optionally blurred image of the object in the second picture, in order to obtain the final image.

11. A second apparatus comprising:

at least one camera;

at least one processor; and

at least one memory including computer program code;

the at least memory and the computer program code configured to, with the at least one processor, cause the second apparatus at least to perform;

controlling the at least one camera to take a first, second and third picture, in a determined order, of an object and a background, such that said first picture is taken with a first exposure time, said second picture with a second exposure time, and said third picture with a third exposure time, said second exposure time being longer than said first and said third exposure time, such that said second picture contains a blurred image of the background and/or the object if said object and/or said background is moving with respect to said at least one camera;

the second apparatus further comprising the first apparatus of claim 5.

12. The second apparatus of claim 11, wherein the at least one memory and the computer program code are configured to, with the at least one processor, cause the second apparatus at least to perform controlling a single camera to take the first, second and third picture, such that the first, second and third pictures are taken one after the other.

13. The second apparatus of claim 11, wherein the at least one memory and the computer program code are configured to, with the at least one processor, cause the second apparatus at least to perform controlling the at least one camera to take the first and third picture with a first and third exposure time which are smaller than 1/100 s;

and for taking the second picture with a second exposure time which is larger than 1/80 s.

14. The second apparatus of claim 11:

wherein the at least one memory and the computer program code are configured to, with the at least one processor, cause the second apparatus at least to perform controlling the at least one camera to take the third picture after the second picture, and the second picture after the first picture.

15. The second apparatus of claim 11, wherein the at least one memory and the computer program code are configured to, with the at least one processor, cause the second apparatus at least to perform controlling the at least one camera to take the first and third pictures before the second picture, or the first and third pictures after the second picture.

16. The second apparatus of claim 11, wherein the at least one memory and the computer program code are configured to, with the at least one processor, cause the second apparatus at least to perform controlling the at least one camera to take the first and third pictures before the second picture, or the first and third picture after the second picture;

wherein the first and third pictures are used to determine a speed of the object with respect to the at least one camera;

wherein the speed is used to determine the position of the blurred image in the second picture.

10. A non-transitory computer readable medium comprising program instructions for causing an apparatus to perform at least a method of:

controlling at least one camera to take a first, second and third picture in a determined order of an object and a background, such that said first picture is taken with a first exposure time, said second picture with a second exposure time, and said third picture with a third exposure time, said second exposure time being longer than said first and said third exposure time, such that said second picture contains a blurred image of the background and/or the object if said object and/or said background is moving with respect to said at least one camera;

generating a final image containing at least a portion of said blurred image of the second picture as well as a portion derived from said first and/or third picture using said first, second and third picture,

wherein generating of the final image comprises;

using the first and the third picture to determine a shape and a position of the object in said first and said third picture;

isolating the at least a portion of the blurred image from the second picture, using the position and shape of the object in the first and third picture; and

combining the isolated at least a portion of the blurred image with a portion derived from the first and/or third picture to obtain the final image.