SYSTEM AND METHOD FOR IMPLEMENTATION MOTION-DRIVEN MULTI-SHOT IMAGE STABILIZATION

• US 20090009612A1
• Filed: 09/14/2005
• Published: 01/08/2009
• Est. Priority Date: 09/14/2005
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Nokia Technologies Oy (Nokia Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Nokia Corporation
• Inventors: Tico, Marius, Vehvilainen, Markku
• Granted Patent: US 7,965,317 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 348/208.100
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 1/00307 with a mobile telephone apparatus constructional features of portable telephone sets H04M1/0202; mobile radio systems H04W84/00
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 2101/00 Still video cameras
• 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 23/684 performed by controlling the image sensor readout, e.g. by controlling the integration time
• 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

Abstract

An improved system and method for capturing an image using a camera or a camera module. In the present invention, the number of image shots taken, as well as the integration time of each image shot, are controlled based upon knowledge about the existence or absence of camera motion. Whenever a motion is detected above a predetermined motion threshold, the integration phase of the current image shot ends, and the integration of the next image shot begins. The present invention therefore adapts to the actual camera motion during exposure. If there is no camera motion, a single, long exposed image shot is captured. If there is camera motion, the total exposure time is divided between multiple shots in accordance with the degree of camera motion.

Claims

1. A method of capturing an image using a camera over an image capture period, comprising:

starting an integration phase for capturing a frame;

if a motion above a predetermined motion threshold is detected in the camera, or if the end of a predetermined integration period is reached, ending the integration phase and saving the captured frame;

if the time of the integration phase for the captured frame does not reach the time of the image capture period, continuing to capture and save frames until a total time of the integration phases reaches the time of the image capture period; and

creating a final picture by combining each of the captured frames.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein motion in the camera is detected using at least one motion sensor.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein the motion detection threshold is automatically adjusted in accordance with a zoom ratio used when capturing the image.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein the motion detection threshold is manually adjustable by the user.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein each integration phrase has a minimum amount of exposure time.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein the beginning of each integration phase comprises the opening of a camera shutter, and wherein the end of each integration phase comprises the closing of the camera shutter.

7. The method of claim 1, wherein the creation for the final picture comprises, for each pixel calculating a final pixel value based upon the pixel values in each of the captured images for the same pixel.

8. The method of claim 1, wherein the predetermined integration period comprises the image capture period.

9. The method of claim 2, wherein the at least one motion sensor comprises at least one accelerometer.

11. The method of claim 1, wherein the processing comprises color interpolation.

29. A set of computer-executable instructions, comprising computer-executable instructions for a controlling a processor to perform the method of claim 1.

10. The method of claim 10, further comprising processing each of the captured frames before saving.

12. A computer program product for capturing an image using a camera over an image capture period, comprising:

computer code for starting an integration phase for capturing a frame;

computer code for, if a motion above a predetermined motion threshold is detected in the camera, or if the end of a predetermined integration period is reached, ending the integration phase and saving the captured frame;

computer code for, if the time of the integration phase for the captured frame does not reach the time of the image capture period, continuing to capture and save frames until a total time of the integration phases reaches the time of the image capture period; and

computer code for creating a final picture by combining each of the captured frames.

13. The computer program product of claim 12, wherein the motion detection threshold is automatically adjusted in accordance with a zoom ratio used when capturing the image.

14. The computer program product of claim 12, wherein the motion detection threshold is manually adjustable by the user.

15. The computer program product of claim 12, wherein each integration phrase has a minimum amount of exposure time.

16. The computer program product of claim 12, wherein the beginning of each integration phase comprises the opening of a camera shutter, and wherein the end of each integration phase comprises the closing of the camera shutter.

17. The computer program product of claim 12, wherein the creation for the final picture comprises for each pixel, calculating a final pixel value based upon the pixel values in each of the captured images for the same pixel.

18. The computer program product of claim 12, wherein the predetermined integration period comprises the image capture period.

19. The computer program product of claim 12, further comprising computer code for processing each of the captured frames before saving.

20. The computer program product of claim 19, wherein the processing comprises color interpolation.

21. An electronic device, comprising:

a processor;

a camera module operatively connected to the processor; and

a memory unit operatively connected to the processor and including;

computer code for starting an integration phase for capturing a frame with the camera module;

computer code for, if a motion above a predetermined motion threshold is detected in the camera, or if the end of a predetermined integration period is reached, ending the integration phase and saving the captured frame;

computer code for, if the time of the integration phase for the captured frame does not reach the time of the image capture period, continuing to capture and save frames with the camera module until a total time of the integration phases reaches the time of the image capture period; and

computer code for creating a final picture by combining each of the captured frames.

22. The electronic device of claim 21, wherein the motion detection threshold is automatically adjusted in accordance with a zoom ratio used when capturing the image.

23. The electronic device of claim 21, wherein the motion detection threshold is manually adjustable by the user.

24. The electronic device of claim 21, wherein the creation for the final picture comprises for each pixel, calculating a final pixel value based upon the pixel values in each of the captured images for the same pixel.

25. The electronic device of claim 21, wherein each integration phrase has a minimum amount of exposure time.

26. The electronic device of claim 21, wherein the predetermined integration period comprises the image capture period.

27. The electronic device of claim 21, wherein the memory unit further comprises computer code for processing each of the captured frames before saving.

28. A camera module, comprising:

a lens positioned for focusing an image;

a sensor unit receiving the image focused by the lens;

a processor operatively connected to the sensor unit; and

a memory unit operatively connected to the processor, the memory unit including;

computer code for starting an integration phase for capturing a frame,

computer code for, if a motion above a predetermined motion threshold is detected in the camera module, or if the end of a predetermined integration period is reached, ending the integration phase and saving the captured frame,

computer code for, if the time of the integration phase for the captured frame does not reach the time of the image capture period, continuing to capture and save frames until a total time of the integration phases reaches the time of the image capture period, and

computer code for creating a final picture by combining each of the captured frames.

30. A computer program for capturing an image using a camera module over an image capture period, comprising:

means for starting an integration phase for capturing a frame;

means for, if a motion above a predetermined motion threshold is detected in the camera, or if the end of a predetermined integration period is reached, ending the integration phase and saving the captured frame;

means for, if the time of the integration phase for the captured frame does not reach the time of the image capture period, continuing to capture and save frames until a total time of the integration phases reaches the time of the image capture period; and

computer code for creating a final picture by combining each of the captured frames.