DETERMINING AND CORRECTING FOR IMAGING DEVICE MOTION DURING AN EXPOSURE

• US 20090021588A1
• Filed: 07/20/2007
• Published: 01/22/2009
• Est. Priority Date: 07/20/2007
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Omnivision Technologies Incorporated (Will Semiconductor Co., Ltd. Shanghai)
• Original Assignee: Omnivision Technologies Incorporated (Will Semiconductor Co., Ltd. Shanghai)
• Inventors: Deever, Aaron T., Border, John N., Anderson, Todd J.
• Granted Patent: US 8,896,712 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 348/208.100
• 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
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 23/682 Vibration or motion blur correction

Abstract

A system and method for determining and correcting for imaging device motion during an exposure is provided. According to various embodiments of the present invention, multiple sets of image pixels are defined on an image sensor, where each set of pixels is at least partially contained in the output image area of the image sensor. Signals from each set of image pixels are read out once or more during an exposure, motion estimates are computed using signal readouts from one or more sets of image pixels, and signal readouts from one or more sets of the image pixels are processed to form the final output image.

Claims

1. A method for determining motion of an imaging device during acquisition of an image, the imaging device including an image sensor comprising a plurality of image element acquisition devices, the method implemented at least in part by a data processing system and comprising the steps of:

instructing transmission of first image element signals from a first set of the image element acquisition devices comprising some, but not all of the plurality of image element acquisition devices;

instructing transmission of second image element signals from a second set of the image element acquisition devices comprising some or all of the plurality of image element acquisition devices, and wherein one of the first image element signals and one of the second image element signals originate from a same image element acquisition device;

receiving the first image element signals;

receiving the second image element signals;

determining motion of the imaging device based at least upon a comparison of the first image element signals and other received image element signals;

storing information identifying the determined motion in a processor-accessible memory system; and

assembling an image based at least upon (a) the information identifying the determined motion, and (b) at least some of the second image element signals.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the other received image element signals are the second image element signals.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein the first image element signals are transmitted from respective image element acquisition devices prior to or after transmission of the second image element signals from respective image element acquisition devices.

4. The method of claim 1, further comprising the step of:

receiving additional image element signals from the first set of the image element acquisition devices,

wherein the other received image element signals are the additional image element signals.

5. The method of claim 4, wherein the additional image element signals are transmitted from respective image element acquisition devices prior to or after transmission of the first image element signals from respective image element acquisition devices, and wherein the first image element signals are transmitted prior to or after transmission of the second image element signals from respective image element acquisition devices.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein the first image element signals are transmitted from a contiguous or substantially contiguous group of image element acquisition devices.

7. The method of claim 6, further comprising the step of identifying the group of image element acquisition devices at least partially by an analysis of an image scene just prior to initiating a capture of the image scene by the image element acquisition devices.

8. The method of claim 1, wherein the first image element signals are transmitted from a non-contiguous or a substantially non-contiguous group of image element acquisition devices.

9. The method of claim 1, wherein at least the first image element signals are generated by a destructive readout of corresponding image element acquisition devices.

10. The method of claim 1, wherein at least the first image element signals are generated by a non-destructive readout of corresponding image element acquisition devices.

11. The method of claim 1, wherein the information identifying the determined motion represents a translational motion during exposure.

12. The method of claim 1, further comprising the step of:

instructing execution of an image processing procedure acting on at least the second image element signals or signals derived therefrom, based at least upon the determined motion.

13. The method of claim 12, wherein the image processing procedure includes:

a deblurring procedure;

spatial alignment of at least some of the second image element signals;

sharpening of at least some of the second image element signals;

or exclusion of at least some of the second image element signals from contributing to an assembled image.

14. A method for determining motion of an imaging device during acquisition of an image, the imaging device including an image sensor comprising a plurality of image element acquisition devices, the method implemented at least in part by a data processing system and comprising the steps of:

instructing transmission of first image element signals from a first set of the image element acquisition devices comprising some, but not all of the plurality of image element acquisition devices;

instructing transmission of second image element signals from a second set of the image element acquisition devices, wherein the second set of the image element acquisition devices is mutually exclusive or substantially mutually exclusive to the first set of the image element acquisition devices;

receiving the first image element signals;

receiving the second image element signals;

determining motion of the imaging device based at least upon a comparison of the first image element signals and the second image element signals;

storing information identifying the determined motion in a processor-accessible memory system; and

assembling an image based at least upon (a) the information identifying the determined motion, (b) at least some of the first image element signals, and (c) at least some of the second image element signals.

15. The method of claim 14, wherein the first image element signals are transmitted prior to or after the second image element signals.

16. The method of claim 14, further comprising the step of:

receiving additional image element signals from an additional set of the image element acquisition devices, wherein the additional set of the image element acquisition devices is mutually exclusive or substantially mutually exclusive to (a) the first set of the image element acquisition devices, and (b) the second set of the image element acquisition devices,

wherein the additional image element signals are transmitted from respective image element acquisition devices during a period of time between transmission of the first image element signals from respective image element acquisition devices and transmission of the second image element signals from respective image element acquisition devices.

17. The method of claim 14, wherein the first image element signals are generated by a non-contiguous or a substantially non-contiguous group of image element acquisition devices.

18. The method of claim 14, further comprising the step of:

instructing execution of an image processing procedure acting on at least the second image element signals or signals derived therefrom, based at least upon the determined motion.

19. A system comprising:

a data processing system;

an imaging device communicatively connected to the data processing system, the imaging device including an image sensor comprising a plurality of image element acquisition devices;

a memory system communicatively connected to the data processing system and storing instructions configured to cause the data processing system to implement a method for determining motion of the imaging device during acquisition of an image, wherein the instructions comprise;

instructions for causing transmission of first image element signals from a first set of the image element acquisition devices comprising some, but not all of the plurality of image element acquisition devices;

instructions for causing transmission of second image element signals from a second set of the image element acquisition devices comprising some or all of the plurality of image element acquisition devices, and wherein one of the first image element signals and one of the second image element signals originate from a same image element acquisition device;

instructions for receiving the first image element signals;

instructions for receiving the second image element signals;

instructions for determining motion of the imaging device based at least upon a comparison of the first image element signals and other received image element signals;

instructions for storing information identifying the determined motion in a processor-accessible memory system; and

instructions for assembling an image based at least upon (a) the information identifying the determined motion, and (b) at least some of the second image element signals.

20. A system comprising:

a data processing system;

an imaging device communicatively connected to the data processing system, the imaging device including an image sensor comprising a plurality of image element acquisition devices;

a memory system communicatively connected to the data processing system and storing instructions configured to cause the data processing system to implement a method for determining motion of the imaging device during acquisition of an image, wherein the instructions comprise;

instructions for causing transmission of first image element signals from a first set of the image element acquisition devices comprising some, but not all of the plurality of image element acquisition devices;

instructions for causing transmission of second image element signals from a second set of the image element acquisition devices, wherein the second set of the image element acquisition devices is mutually exclusive or substantially mutually exclusive to the first set of the image element acquisition devices;

instructions for receiving the first image element signals;

instructions for receiving the second image element signals;

instructions for determining motion of the imaging device based at least upon a comparison of the first image element signals and the second image element signals;

instructions for storing information identifying the determined motion in a processor-accessible memory system; and

instructions for assembling an image based at least upon (a) the information identifying the determined motion, (b) at least some of the first image element signals, and (c) at least some of the second image element signals.