Exposure boundary selection for motion blur compensation

• US 20070098382A1
• Filed: 10/28/2005
• Published: 05/03/2007
• Est. Priority Date: 10/28/2005
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: Hewlett-Packard Development Company, L.P. (HP Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Hewlett-Packard Development Company, L.P. (HP Inc.)
• Inventors: Campbell, David, Stavely, Donald, Goris, Andrew
• Application Number:
  US11/261,552
• Publication Number:
  US 20070098382A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 396/55
• CPC Class Codes: G03B 2217/005 Blur detection
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 23/68 for stable pick-up of the scene, e.g. compensating for camera body vibrations
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 23/6812 based on additional sensors, e.g. acceleration sensors
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 23/682 Vibration or motion blur correction

Abstract

A method and apparatus are disclosed for selecting a starting time, and ending time, or both for a photographic exposure such that camera motion that occurs during the exposure is amenable to compensation by digital image processing. In one example embodiment, a camera includes logic configured to monitor motion of the camera. The logic selects, based on the camera motion, a starting time that is a time when the camera has recently exhibited substantially linear motion.

Claims

1. A method, comprising:

monitoring camera motion; and

selecting exposure boundaries for a photographic exposure such that the exposure boundaries encompass camera motion that is amenable to compensation by digital image processing.

2. A method, comprising:

monitoring camera motion; and

starting a photographic exposure when the camera motion is determined to be substantially linear.

3. The method of claim 2, wherein the linearity of the motion is evaluated by computing a curvature of recent motion.

4. The method of claim 2, wherein motion is found to be substantially linear when a motion trajectory in image space has not deviated from a straight line by more than a first predetermined number of pixels in a second predetermined number of pixels most recently traversed.

5. The method of claim 4, wherein motion is found to be substantially linear when the motion trajectory in image space has not deviated from a straight line by more than three pixels in the previous 10 pixels traversed.

6. A method, comprising:

monitoring camera motion during a photographic exposure; and

ending the photographic exposure when the camera motion departs substantially from linear motion.

7. The method of claim 6, wherein the linearity of the motion is evaluated by computing a curvature of recent motion.

8. The method of claim 6, wherein the motion is found to depart substantially from linear motion when a motion trajectory in image space has deviated from a straight line by more than a first predetermined number of pixels in a second predetermined number of pixels most recently traversed.

9. The method of claim 8, wherein the motion is found to depart substantially from linear motion when the motion trajectory in image space has deviated from a straight line by more than three pixels in the previous 10 pixels traversed.

10. A camera, comprising:

a motion sensing element producing a signal indicative of motion of the camera; and

logic receiving the signal, the logic configured to select exposure boundaries for a photographic exposure such that the exposure boundaries encompass camera motion that is amenable to compensation by digital image processing.

11. A camera, comprising:

a motion sensing element producing a signal indicative of motion of the camera; and

logic receiving the signal, the logic configured to start a photographic exposure when the camera motion is determined to be substantially linear.

12. The camera of claim 11, wherein the motion is determined to be substantially linear when a trajectory of the motion in image space has not deviated from a straight line by more than a first predetermined number of pixels in a second predetermined number of pixels most recently traversed.

13. The camera of claim 11, wherein the motion is determined to be substantially linear when the trajectory has not deviated by more than three pixels in image space in the previous 10 pixels traversed.

14. A camera, comprising:

a motion sensing element producing a signal indicative of motion of the camera; and

logic receiving the signal, the logic configured to end a photographic exposure when the camera motion is determined to depart substantially from linear motion.

15. The camera of claim 14, wherein the motion is determined to depart from linear motion when a trajectory of the motion in image space has deviated from a straight line by more than a first predetermined number of pixels in a second predetermined number of pixels most recently traversed.

16. The camera of claim 15, wherein the motion is determined to depart from linear motion when the trajectory of the motion in image space has deviated from a straight line by more than three pixels in the previous 10 pixels traversed.