Methods and apparatus relating to detection and/or indicating a dirty lens condition
First Claim
1. A method of operating a device including a plurality of at least three optical chains, the method comprising:
- capturing a first image using a first lens of a first optical chain;
capturing a second image using a second lens of a second optical chain;
capturing a third image using a third lens of a third optical chain;
performing a first comparison of said first image or a characteristic of said first image to the second image or a characteristic of said second image;
performing a second comparison, said second comparison being a comparison of said third image or a characteristic of said third image to another image or a characteristic of said another image, said another image being either the first image or the second image;
determining, based on at least one of said first and second comparisons, that a dirty camera lens condition exists, at least one of said first, second and third lenses having been determined to be dirty when said dirty camera lens condition exists, said at least one lens being a dirty lens;
associating dirty lens information with an image captured using said dirty lens; and
combining captured images to generate a composite image, the image captured using the dirty lens being treated differently during the image combining process used to generate the composite image than an image captured using a clean lens.
5 Assignments
0 Petitions
Accused Products
Abstract
The present application relates to image capture and generation methods and apparatus and, more particularly, to methods and apparatus which detect and/or indicate a dirty lens condition. One embodiment of the present invention includes a method of operating a camera including the steps of capturing a first image using a first lens of the camera; determining, based on at least the first image, if a dirty camera lens condition exists; and in response to determining that a dirty lens condition exists, generating a dirty lens condition notification or initiating an automatic camera lens cleaning operation. In some embodiments multiple captured images with overlapping image regions are compared to determine if a dirty lens condition exists.
171 Citations
20 Claims
-
1. A method of operating a device including a plurality of at least three optical chains, the method comprising:
-
capturing a first image using a first lens of a first optical chain; capturing a second image using a second lens of a second optical chain; capturing a third image using a third lens of a third optical chain; performing a first comparison of said first image or a characteristic of said first image to the second image or a characteristic of said second image; performing a second comparison, said second comparison being a comparison of said third image or a characteristic of said third image to another image or a characteristic of said another image, said another image being either the first image or the second image; determining, based on at least one of said first and second comparisons, that a dirty camera lens condition exists, at least one of said first, second and third lenses having been determined to be dirty when said dirty camera lens condition exists, said at least one lens being a dirty lens; associating dirty lens information with an image captured using said dirty lens; and combining captured images to generate a composite image, the image captured using the dirty lens being treated differently during the image combining process used to generate the composite image than an image captured using a clean lens. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7)
-
-
8. A method, the method comprising:
-
capturing a first image using a first lens of a first optical chain of a device including a plurality of different optical chains, said first optical chain including a first sensor; capturing a second image using a second lens of a second optical chain, said second optical chain including a second sensor; capturing a third image using a third lens of a third optical chain, said third optical chain including a third sensor; performing a first comparison of said first image or a characteristic of said first image to the second image or a characteristic of said second image; performing a second comparison, said second comparison being a comparison of said third image or a characteristic of said third image to another image or a characteristic of said another image, said another image being either the first image or the second image; making a decision as to whether said dirty camera lens condition exists based on said first comparison and said second comparison; storing information indicating which of the plurality of optical chains includes a dirty lens; and using dirty lens information as part of a composite image generation process, an image indicated to correspond to a dirty lens being treated differently during an image combining process performed during said composite image generation process than an image corresponding to a clean lens. - View Dependent Claims (9, 10, 11, 12)
-
-
13. A system comprising:
-
a first optical chain including a first lens for capturing a first image; a second optical chain including a second lens; a third optical chain including a third lens; and a dirty lens determination module configured to; perform a first comparison of said first image or a characteristic of said first image to the second image or a characteristic of said second image; perform a second comparison, said second comparison being a comparison of said third image or a characteristic of said third image to another image or a characteristic of said another image, said another image being either the first image or the second image; determine, based on at least one of said first and second comparisons, that a dirty camera lens condition exists when one of the first, second or third lenses is a dirty lens; and combine captured images to generate a composite image, an image captured using the dirty lens being treated differently during the image combining process used to generate the composite image than an image captured using a clean lens. - View Dependent Claims (14, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19)
-
-
20. A non-transitory computer readable medium comprising computer executable instructions, said non-transitory computer readable medium comprising:
instructions, which when executed by a processor, cause the processor to; control a first optical chain having an outermost lens to capture a first image; control a second optical chain including a second outermost lens to capture a second image; control a third optical chain including a third outermost lens to capture a third image; perform a first comparison of said first image or a characteristic of said first image to the second image or a characteristic of said second image; perform a second comparison, said second comparison being a comparison of said third image or a characteristic of said third image to another image or a characteristic of said another image, said another image being either the first image or the second image; determine, based on at least one of said first and second comparisons, that a dirty camera lens condition exists, at least one of said first, second and third lenses having been determined to be dirty when said dirty camera lens condition exists, said at least one lens being a dirty lens; associate dirty lens information with an image captured using said dirty lens; and combine captured images to generate a composite image, the image captured using the dirty lens being treated differently during the image combining process used to generate the composite image than an image captured using a clean lens.
Specification