IMAGE DATA PROCESSING WITH MULTIPLE CAMERAS

• US 20100149372A1
• Filed: 12/15/2008
• Published: 06/17/2010
• Est. Priority Date: 12/15/2008
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: NVIDIA Corporation
• Original Assignee: NVIDIA Corporation
• Inventors: Silverstein, Amnon
• Granted Patent: US 8,675,091 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 348/223.100
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 13/133 Equalising the characteristics of different image components, e.g. their average brightness or colour balance
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 13/15 for colour aspects of image signals
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 23/45 for generating image signals from two or more image sensors being of different type or operating in different modes, e.g. with a CMOS sensor for moving images in combination with a charge-coupled device [CCD] for still images
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 23/88 for colour balance, e.g. white-balance circuits or colour temperature control

Abstract

Pictures can be taken with multiple (e.g., two) cameras, and the statistics associated with any of those pictures can be used to correct (e.g., color balance) any of the other pictures. Generally speaking, first image data captured by a first camera is accessed (e.g., retrieved from memory). Similarly, second image data captured by a second camera is accessed. The first image data and second image data are acquired at or about the same time using the first and second cameras together (e.g., at the same location, so that each camera is subject to the same light source). The first image data can then be processed (e.g., color balanced) using information that is derived using the second image data.

Claims

1. A computer-readable medium having computer-executable instructions for performing a method of processing image data, the method comprising:

accessing first image data captured by a first camera;

accessing second image data captured by a second camera; and

processing the first image data using information that is derived using the second image data.

2. The computer-readable medium of claim 1 wherein the method further comprises calibrating the second image data to compensate for differences between the second camera and the first camera.

3. The computer-readable medium of claim 1 wherein the processing comprises using the second image data to color balance the first image data.

4. The computer-readable medium of claim 1 wherein the second image data comprises an object having a color associated therewith, wherein the processing comprises:

identifying, in the second image data, pixels that correspond to the object;

deriving color correction factors based on the color of the pixels; and

applying the color correction factors to color balance the first image data.

5. The computer-readable medium of claim 1 wherein the method further comprises using the second image data to implement image stabilization in the first camera.

6. The computer-readable medium of claim 1 wherein the method further comprises using the second image data to adjust a setting of the first camera.

7. The computer-readable medium of claim 1 wherein the method further comprises using metadata associated with the second image data to categorize the first image data.

8. The computer-readable medium of claim 1 wherein the method further comprises capturing the first image data and the second image data concurrently with the first camera and the second camera together and subject to an in-common light source.

9. A system for processing image-based data, the system comprising:

a processor;

a memory coupled to the processor;

a first camera coupled to the processor; and

a second camera coupled to the processor, wherein information derived from second image data captured by the second camera and stored in said memory is accessed and used by said processor to process first image data captured by the first camera.

10. The system of claim 9 wherein the second image data is also adjusted to compensate for a difference between the second camera and the first camera.

11. The system of claim 9 wherein the second image data is used to color balance the first image data, wherein the information derived from the second image data comprises color correction values.

12. The system of claim 9 wherein the second image data comprises an object having a color associated therewith, wherein the pixels that correspond to the object are identified in the second image data and used to derive color correction factors for color balancing the first image data.

13. The system of claim 9 wherein the second image data is used to implement image stabilization in the first camera.

14. The system of claim 9 wherein the second image data is used to adjust a setting of the first camera.

15. The system of claim 9 wherein metadata associated with the second image data is used to categorize the first image data.

16. A computer-implemented method for processing image data, the method comprising:

accessing first image data captured by a first camera and stored in memory, the first image data comprising a picture;

accessing second image data captured by a second camera and stored in memory;

generating correction factors using the second image data; and

applying the correction factors to the first image data to generate third image data, wherein the third image data comprises a modified version of the picture.

17. The method of claim 16 further comprising using the second image data to implement image stabilization in the first camera.

18. The method of claim 16 wherein the correction factors are for color balancing.

19. The method of claim 16 further comprising adjusting a setting of the first camera based on the second image data.

20. The method of claim 16 further comprising categorizing the first image data using metadata derived from the second image data.