CONTROLLING MULTIPLE-IMAGE CAPTURE

• US 20090244301A1
• Filed: 04/01/2008
• Published: 10/01/2009
• Est. Priority Date: 04/01/2008
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: Omnivision Technologies Incorporated (Will Semiconductor Co., Ltd. Shanghai)
• Original Assignee: Omnivision Technologies Incorporated (Will Semiconductor Co., Ltd. Shanghai)
• Inventors: Enge, Amy D., Pillman, Bruce H., Border, John N., Hamilton, John F. JR.
• Application Number:
  US12/060,520
• Publication Number:
  US 20090244301A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 348/208.990
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 23/68 for stable pick-up of the scene, e.g. compensating for camera body vibrations
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 23/70 Circuitry for compensating brightness variation in the scene
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 23/741 by increasing the dynamic range of the image compared to the dynamic range of the electronic image sensors
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 23/951 by using two or more images to influence resolution, frame rate or aspect ratio

Abstract

According to some embodiments of the present invention, pre-capture information is acquired, and based at least upon an analysis of the pre capture information, it may be determined that a multiple-image capture is to be performed, where the multiple-image capture is configured to acquire multiple images for synthesis into a single image. Subsequently, execution of the multiple-image capture is performed.

Claims

1. A method implemented at least in part by a data processing system, the method for controlling an image capture and comprising the steps of:

acquiring pre-capture information;

determining that a multiple image capture is appropriate based at least upon an analysis of the pre-capture information, wherein the multiple-image capture is configured to acquire multiple images for synthesis into a single image; and

instructing execution of the multiple-image capture.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the multiple-image-capture includes capture of heterogeneous images.

3. The method of claim 2, wherein the heterogeneous images differ by resolution, integration time, exposure time, frame rate, pixel type, focus, noise cleaning methods, tone rendering, or flash mode.

4. The method of claim 3, wherein the pixel types of different images of the heterogeneous images are a pan pixel type and a color pixel type.

5. The method of claim 3, wherein the noise cleaning methods include adjusting gain settings.

6. The method of claim 1, further comprising the step of determining an image-capture-frequency for the multiple-image capture based at least upon an analysis of the pre-capture information.

7. The method of claim 1, wherein the pre-capture information indicates at least scene conditions, and wherein the determining step includes determining that a scene cannot be captured effectively by a single image-capture based at least upon an analysis of the scene conditions.

8. The method of claim 7, wherein the scene conditions include a light-level of the scene, and wherein the determining step determines that the light-level is insufficient for the scene to be captured effectively by a single image-capture.

9. The method of claim 1, wherein the pre-capture information includes motion of at least a portion of a scene, and wherein the determining step includes determining that the motion would cause blur to be too great in a single image-capture.

10. The method of claim 9, wherein the motion is local motion present only in a portion of the scene.

11. The method of claim 10, wherein the determining step includes determining, in response to the local motion, that the multiple-image-capture is to be configured to capture multiple heterogeneous images.

12. The method of claim 11, wherein at least one of the multiple heterogeneous images includes an image that includes only the portion or substantially the portion of the scene exhibiting the local motion.

13. The method of claim 1, wherein the pre-capture information includes motion information indicating different motion in at least two portions of a scene, and wherein the determining step determines that at least one of the different motions would cause blur to be too great in a single image-capture.

14. The method of claim 1, wherein the multiple-image-capture acquires a plurality of images, and wherein the method further comprises the steps of eliminating images from the plurality of images exhibiting a high point spread function, thereby forming a reduced set of images, and synthesizing the reduced set of images into a single synthesized image.

15. A processor-accessible memory system storing instructions configured to cause a data processing system to implement a method for controlling an image capture, wherein the instructions comprise:

instructions for acquiring pre-capture information;

instructions for determining that a multiple-image capture is appropriate based at least upon an analysis of the pre-capture information, wherein the multiple-image capture is configured to acquire multiple images for synthesis into a single image; and

instructions for instructing execution of the multiple-image capture.

16. A system comprising:

a data processing system; and

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 controlling an image capture, wherein the instructions comprise;

instructions for acquiring pre-capture information;

instructions for determining that a multiple-image capture is appropriate based at least upon an analysis of the pre-capture information, wherein the multiple-image capture is configured to acquire multiple images for synthesis into a single image; and

instructions for instructing execution of the multiple-image capture.