Method and apparatus for computing an image stability measure

• US 20040218057A1
• Filed: 04/30/2003
• Published: 11/04/2004
• Est. Priority Date: 04/30/2003
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Hewlett-Packard Development Company, L.P. (HP Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Hewlett-Packard Development Company, L.P. (HP Inc.)
• Inventors: Goris, Andrew C., Yost, Jason E., Bloom, Daniel M.
• Granted Patent: US 7,379,091 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 348/208.99
• CPC Class Codes: G06T 2207/30168 Image quality inspection
• CPC Class Codes: G06T 7/0002 Inspection of images, e.g. flaw detection
• CPC Class Codes: G06T 7/13 Edge detection
• CPC Class Codes: G06T 7/97 Determining parameters from multiple pictures depth or shape recovery from multiple images G06T7/55; stereo camera calibration G06T7/85
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 23/64 Computer-aided capture of images, e.g. transfer from script file into camera, check of taken image quality, advice or proposal for image composition or decision on when to take image
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 23/68 for stable pick-up of the scene, e.g. compensating for camera body vibrations
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 23/6811 based on the image signal

Abstract

A camera computes an image stability measure by measuring the variability of an edge-detect figure of merit evaluated from several immediate past photographs.

Claims

1. A method of computing an image stability measure, comprising the steps of:

a) computing an edge-detect figure of merit value for each of at least two successive digital photographs; and

b) computing a variability of the edge-detect figure of merit values.

2. The method of claim 1 wherein computing the edge-detect figure of merit value comprises summing absolute values of differences in numerical value between proximate pixels.

3. The method of claim 1 wherein computing the edge-detect figure of merit value comprises summing absolute values of differences in numerical value between proximate pixels of like color.

4. The method of claim 1 wherein computing the edge-detect figure of merit value comprises summing absolute values of differences in numerical value between horizontally-adjacent pixels.

5. The method of claim 1 wherein computing the edge-detect figure of merit value comprises summing absolute values of differences in numerical value between horizontally-adjacent pixels of like color.

6. The method of claim 1 wherein computing the edge-detect figure of merit value comprises summing absolute values of differences in numerical value between vertically-adjacent pixels.

7. The method of claim 1 wherein computing the edge-detect figure of merit value comprises summing absolute values of differences in numerical value between vertically-adjacent pixels of like color.

8. The method of claim 1 wherein computing the edge-detect figure of merit value comprises summing absolute values of differences in numerical value between diagonally-adjacent pixels.

9. The method of claim 1 wherein computing the edge-detect figure of merit value comprises summing absolute values of differences in numerical value between diagonally-adjacent pixels of like color.

10. The method of claim 1 wherein computing the edge-detect figure of merit value comprises summing squares of differences in numerical value between proximate pixels.

11. The method of claim 2 wherein computing the edge-detect figure of merit value comprises summing squares of differences in numerical value between proximate pixels of like color.

12. The method of claim 1 wherein computing a variability of the edge-detect figure of merit values comprises computing a standard deviation of the values.

13. The method of claim 1 wherein computing a variability of the edge-detect figure of merit values comprises computing a variance of the values.

14. A camera, comprising:

a) an electronic array light sensor; and

b) logic that receives data from the electronic array light sensor;

the logic configured to perform the following method;

i. taking successive digital photographs;

ii. computing an edge-detect figure of merit value for each of at least two digital photographs; and

iii. computing a variability of the edge-detect figure of merit values.

15. The camera of claim 14 wherein computing an edge-detect figure of merit value comprises summing absolute values of differences in numerical value between proximate pixels.

16. The camera of claim 14 wherein the computing an edge-detect figure of merit value comprises summing absolute values of differences in numerical value between proximate pixels of like color.

17. The camera of claim 14 computing an edge-detect figure of merit value comprises summing squares of differences in numerical value between proximate pixels.

18. The camera of claim 14 wherein computing an edge-detect figure of merit value comprises summing squares of differences in numerical value between proximate pixels of like color.

19. The camera of claim 14 wherein computing a variability of the edge-detect figure of merit values comprises computing a standard deviation of the values.

20. The camera of claim 14 wherein computing a variability of the edge-detect figure of merit values comprises computing a variance of the values.

21. The camera of claim 14 wherein the camera is a digital camera.

22. The camera of claim 14 wherein the camera is a film camera.

23. A camera, comprising:

a) means for creating digital images;

b) means for computing an edge-detect figure of merit value from a digital image;

c) means for computing a variability from edge-detect figure of merit values from at least two digital images.