CAMERA EXPOSURE OPTIMIZATION TECHNIQUES THAT TAKE CAMERA AND SCENE MOTION INTO ACCOUNT

• US 20090256921A1
• Filed: 06/05/2009
• Published: 10/15/2009
• Est. Priority Date: 10/25/2005
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Qualcomm, Inc.
• Original Assignee: Zoran Corporation (Qualcomm, Inc.)
• Inventors: Pertsel, Shimon, Meitav, Ohad, Pozniansky, Eli
• Granted Patent: US 8,189,057 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 348/208.160
• 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 23/684 performed by controlling the image sensor readout, e.g. by controlling the integration time

Abstract

Quantities of motion regarding an imaging device such as an electronic camera are calculated and used to adjust the exposure time and one or more other exposure parameters used to capture an image to improve the quality of the image. Motion blur caused by movement of the camera or by movement of an object within the scene being photographed is reduced by selecting appropriate exposure parameters. Further, when there is little or no motion detected, the exposure parameters may be selected to improve the depth of field and reduce the noise in the captured image.

Claims

1. A method of controlling operation of an imaging device to capture data of a scene, comprising:

monitoring motion within two or more images of the scene prior to its capture and relative to the imaging device, such that a quantity of relative motion is determined independent of another quantity of total motion that is separately monitored along each directional vector from a vector used for monitoring the relative motion within the two or more images of the scene, and wherein said separate monitoring of each directional vector provides a velocity and an acceleration of the total motion;

utilizing information from monitoring motion within the two or more images to calculate one or more exposure parameters including duration for use to capture data of each image; and

capturing data of the scene by use of the calculated one or more exposure parameters.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein at least one other exposure parameter that is calculated includes a size of an aperture through which light of the two or more images pass.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein at least one other exposure parameter that is calculated includes a gain, wherein the calculated gain is characterized by at least one of a gain of an analog signal or digital representations of the two or more images.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein utilizing information from monitoring motion within the image includes utilizing individual motion vectors of at least one distinct area within the two or more images to recognize motion of one portion of the two or more images with respect to another portion when calculating the one or more exposure parameters used to capture the data for the two or more images.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein utilizing information from monitoring motion within the two or more images includes utilizing at least one overall motion quantity calculated from individual motion vectors of at least one distinct area of each image when calculating the one or more exposure parameters used to capture the data for the two or more images.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein utilizing information to calculate the duration and at least one other exposure parameter includes first calculating a preliminary duration and at least one other preliminary exposure parameter without information from monitoring motion of at least one distinct area within the two or more images, and thereafter adjusting the preliminary duration and at least one other preliminary exposure parameter by use of the information from monitoring motion of a plurality of distinct areas of the two or more images.

7. The method of claim 1, further comprises monitoring motion of a plurality of distinct areas of the two or more images to indicate a level of image motion that is either below or above at least one predetermined threshold.

8. The method of claim 1, further comprises utilizing information from monitoring motion within at least one distinct area within the two or more images to estimate a time for capturing data of the two or more images, and thereafter capturing the data of the two or more images at the estimated time.

9. The method of claim 1, wherein information from monitoring motion within the image from includes an estimate of the motion at an estimated time for capturing data of the image.

10. The method of claim 1, wherein the determined quantity of relative motion is variable over time.

11. The method of claim 1, further comprises enabling a display of at least one of the two or more images from said monitoring of motion within the two or more images prior to the capture of data for the scene.

12. An imaging device to capture data of a scene, comprising:

a photodetector;

an optical system that projects light from the scene onto the photodetector;

a processing unit that receives data of at least two images of the scene projected onto the photodetector and enables actions including;

monitoring motion within two or more images of the scene prior to its capture and relative to the imaging device, such that a quantity of relative motion is determined independent of another quantity of total motion that is separately monitored along each directional vector from a vector used for monitoring the relative motion within the two or more images of the scene, and wherein said separate monitoring of each directional vector provides a velocity and an acceleration of the total motion;

utilizing information from monitoring motion within the two or more images to calculate one or more exposure parameters including duration for use to capture data of each image; and

capturing data of the scene by use of the calculated one or more exposure parameters.

13. The device of claim 12, wherein at least one other exposure parameter that is calculated includes a size of an aperture through which light of the two or more images pass.

14. The device of claim 12, wherein at least one other exposure parameter that is calculated includes a gain, wherein the calculated gain is characterized by at least one of a gain of an analog signal or digital representations of the two or more images.

15. The device of claim 12, wherein utilizing information from monitoring motion within the image includes utilizing individual motion vectors of at least one distinct area within the two or more images to recognize motion of one portion of the two or more images with respect to another portion if calculating the one or more exposure parameters used to capture the data for the two or more images.

16. The device of claim 12, wherein utilizing information from monitoring motion within the two or more images includes utilizing at least one overall motion quantity calculated from individual motion vectors of at least one distinct area within each of the two or more images when calculating the one or more exposure parameters that are used to capture the data for the two or more images.

17. The device of claim 12, wherein utilizing information to calculate the duration and at least one other exposure parameter includes first calculating a preliminary duration and at least one other preliminary exposure parameter without information from monitoring motion of at least one distinct area within the two or more images, and thereafter adjusting the preliminary duration and at least one other preliminary exposure parameter by use of the information from monitoring motion of a plurality of distinct areas within the two or more images.

18. The device of claim 12, further comprises monitoring motion of a plurality of distinct areas of the two or more images to indicate a level of image motion that is either below or above at least one predetermined threshold.

19. The device of claim 12, further comprises utilizing information from monitoring motion within at least one distinct area within the two or more images to estimate a time for capturing data of each image, and thereafter capturing the data of the each image at the estimated time.

20. The device of claim 12, wherein information from monitoring motion within the image from includes an estimate of the motion at an estimated time for capturing data of the image.

21. The device of claim 12, wherein the determined quantity of relative motion is variable over time.

22. The device of claim 12, further comprises a display for displaying at least one of the two or more images from said monitoring motion within the two or more images prior to the capture of data for the scene.

23. A processor readable storage media that includes a plurality of processor executable instructions for capturing data of a scene, wherein the execution of the instructions enables actions, comprising:

monitoring motion within two or more images of the scene prior to its capture and relative to the imaging device, such that a quantity of relative motion is determined independent of another quantity of total motion that is separately monitored along each directional vector from a vector used for monitoring the relative motion within the two or more images of the scene, and wherein said separate monitoring of each directional vector provides a velocity and an acceleration of the total motion;

utilizing information from monitoring motion within the two or more images to calculate one or more exposure parameters including duration for use to capture data of each image; and

capturing data of the scene by use of the calculated one or more exposure parameters.

24. The storage media of claim 23, wherein at least one other exposure parameter that is calculated includes a size of an aperture through which light of the two or more images pass.

25. The storage media of claim 23, wherein at least one other exposure parameter that is calculated includes a gain, wherein the calculated gain is characterized by at least one of a gain of an analog signal or digital representations of the two or more images.

26. The storage media of claim 23, wherein utilizing information from monitoring motion within the image includes utilizing individual motion vectors of at least one distinct area within the two or more images to recognize motion of one portion of the two or more images with respect to another portion when calculating the one or more exposure parameters used to capture the data for the two or more images.

27. The storage media of claim 23, wherein utilizing information from monitoring motion within the two or more images includes utilizing at least one overall motion quantity calculated from individual motion vectors of at least one distinct area of each image when calculating the one or more exposure parameters used to capture the data for the two or more images.

28. The storage media of claim 23, wherein utilizing information to calculate the duration and at least one other exposure parameter includes first calculating a preliminary duration and at least one other preliminary exposure parameter without information from monitoring motion of at least one distinct area within the two or more images, and thereafter adjusting the preliminary duration and at least one other preliminary exposure parameter by use of the information from monitoring motion of a plurality of distinct areas of the two or more images.

29. The storage media of claim 23, further comprises monitoring motion of a plurality of distinct areas of the two or more images to indicate a level of image motion that is either below or above at least one predetermined threshold.

30. The storage media of claim 23, further comprises utilizing information from monitoring motion within at least one distinct area within the two or more images to estimate a time for capturing data of the two or more images, and thereafter capturing the data of the two or more images at the estimated time.

31. The storage media of claim 23, wherein information from monitoring motion within the image from includes an estimate of the motion at an estimated time for capturing data of the image.

32. The storage media of claim 23, wherein the determined quantity of relative motion is variable over time.

33. The storage media of claim 23, wherein the actions further comprise enabling a display of at least one of the two or more images from said monitoring of motion within the two or more images prior to the capture of data for the scene.