METHOD AND APPARATUS TO CORRECT DIGITAL IMAGE BLUR DUE TO MOTION OF SUBJECT OR IMAGING DEVICE
First Claim
1. A method for use in imaging, comprising:
- capturing a plurality of sequential images, the sequential images being separated by short time intervals; and
selectively combining the sequential images to obtain a final image.
3 Assignments
0 Petitions
Accused Products
Abstract
Signal processing techniques are applied to digital image data to remove the distortion caused by motion of the camera, or the movement of the subject being photographed, or defective optics, or optical distortion from other sources. When the image is captured, the effect of relative motion between the camera and the subject is that it transforms the true image into a blurred image according to a 2-dimensional transfer function. The 2-dimensional transfer function representing the motion is derived using blind estimation techniques or by using information from sensors that detect the motion. The transfer function is inverted and used to define a corrective filter. The filter is applied to the image and the blur due to the motion is removed, restoring the correct image. Another embodiment uses the transfer function to avoid blur by combining multiple consecutive images taken at a fast shutter speed.
-
Citations
24 Claims
-
1. A method for use in imaging, comprising:
-
capturing a plurality of sequential images, the sequential images being separated by short time intervals; and selectively combining the sequential images to obtain a final image. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5)
-
-
6. A camera, comprising:
-
a recording medium configured to capture a plurality of sequential images separated by short time intervals; a memory configured to receive the sequential images; and a processor configured to selectively combine the sequential images to obtain a final image. - View Dependent Claims (7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12)
-
-
13. A computing device, comprising:
-
a memory configured to receive a plurality of sequential images separated by short time intervals; and a processor configured to selectively combine the sequential images to obtain a final image. - View Dependent Claims (14, 15, 16, 17, 18)
-
-
19. A method for use in an imager, comprising:
-
choosing a desired shutter speed; dividing the desired shutter speed by the imager'"'"'s fastest shutter speed and truncating a fractional part of the result to determine a desired number of images; capturing a plurality of sequential images, the plurality of images including the desired number of images; measuring a number of pixels the imager moves from the beginning of the capture of the first image of the plurality of images to the beginning of the capture of each subsequent image; offsetting each subsequent image by the measured number of pixels in the direction opposite to the measured imager motion; and selectively combining the offset images into a single image.
-
-
20. A camera, comprising:
-
a processor configured to divide a desired shutter speed by the camera'"'"'s fastest shutter speed, truncate the result and generate a desired number of images to capture; a recording medium configured to capture a plurality of images, the plurality of images including the desired number of images; a memory configured to store the plurality of images; a motion detector configured to measure movement of the camera from the beginning of the capture of the first image in the plurality of images to the beginning of the capture of each subsequent image in the plurality of images; wherein the processor is further configured to determine an image offset in pixels between the first image in the plurality of images and each subsequent image in the plurality of images, to offset each subsequent image by an amount opposite to the determined image offset, and to selectively combine each image into a single composite image.
-
-
21. A method for use in imaging, the method comprising:
-
using a high shutter speed of an imager to capture a plurality of images while measuring the motion of an imager; capturing and aligning the plurality of images in order to reverse the effect of the imager'"'"'s motion; and selectively combining the plurality of images to obtain a corrected image. - View Dependent Claims (22)
-
-
23. A camera, comprising:
-
a recording medium configured to capture a plurality of images using a high shutter speed; a motion detector configured to measure motion of the camera while the plurality of images is captured; a processor configured to align the plurality of images in order to reserve the effect of the motion and to selectively combine the plurality of images to obtain a corrected image. - View Dependent Claims (24)
-
Specification