METHOD AND APPARATUS FOR INITIATING SUBSEQUENT EXPOSURES BASED ON DETERMINATION OF MOTION BLURRING ARTIFACTS
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Abstract
A digital image acquisition system includes a portable apparatus for capturing digital images and a digital processing component for detecting, analyzing, invoking subsequent image captures and informing the photographer regarding motion blur, and for reducing camera motion blur in an image captured by the apparatus. The digital processing component operates by comparing the image with at least one other image, for example a preview image, of nominally the same scene taken outside the exposure period of the main image. In one embodiment the digital processing component identifies at least one feature in a single preview image which is relatively less blurred than the corresponding feature in the main image, calculates a point spread function (PSF) in respect of such feature, and initiates a subsequent capture if determined that the motion blur exceeds a certain threshold. In another embodiment the digital processing determines the degree of blur by analyzing the motion blur in the captured image itself, and initiates a subsequent capture if determined that the motion blur exceeds a certain threshold. Such real time analysis may use the auto focusing mechanism to qualitatively determine the PSF.
127 Citations
34 Claims
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1. (canceled)
- 2. A digital image acquisition system comprising an apparatus for capturing digital images and a digital processing component for determining a camera motion blur function in a captured digital image based on a comparison of at least two sets of image data, including at least one relatively low resolution reference image and a captured digital image, each acquired with a same sensor, such that at least a same portion of said same sensor captures at least a portion of each of said at least two sets of image data, within a temporal range that includes an exposure period of the captured digital image, and times proximately before and after said exposure period, and of nominally the same scene as that of the captured digital image, and wherein said digital processing component is arranged to compare the at least two sets of image data for determining said camera motion blur function in said captured digital image including calculating a point spread function (PSF) to points within an object captured within the captured digital image, and to determine to de-blur said captured digital image when the camera motion blur function indicates that sufficient blur exists within the captured digital image, and to deblur the captured digital image by de-convolving the captured digital image using the point spread function (PSF).
- 17. In a digital image acquisition system including an apparatus for capturing digital images, including a lens, an image sensor and a processor, a method comprising programming said processor with program code embedded within a computer readable medium, and using said processor in determining a camera motion blur function in a captured digital image based on a comparison of at least two images each acquired with a same sensor, including at least one relatively low resolution reference image, such that at least a same portion of said same sensor captures at least a portion of each of said at least two sets of image data, within a temporal range that includes an exposure period of the captured digital image, and times proximately before and after said exposure period, and of nominally the same scene as that of the captured digital image, and wherein the determining of said camera motion blur function comprises calculating a point spread function (PSF) to points within an object captured within the captured digital image, and comprises comparing the at least two sets of image data for determining said camera motion blur function in said captured digital image, and further using the processor in determining to de-blur said captured digital image when the camera motion blur function indicates that sufficient blur exists within the captured digital image, and in deblurring the captured digital image including de-convolving the captured digital image using the point spread function (PSF).
- 26. One or more processor-readable storage devices having digital code embedded therein for programming a processor to perform a camera motion blur function determining method that comprises programming said processor with the embedded digital code, and using said processor in determining a camera motion blur function in a captured digital image based on a comparison of at least two images each acquired with a same sensor, including at least one relatively low resolution reference image, such that at least a same portion of said same sensor captures at least a portion of each of said at least two sets of image data, within a temporal range that includes an exposure period of the captured digital image, and times proximately before and after said exposure period, and of nominally the same scene as that of the captured digital image, and wherein the determining of said camera motion blur function comprises calculating a point spread function (PSF) to points within an object captured within the captured digital image, and comparing the at least two sets of image data for determining said camera motion blur function in said captured digital image, and further using the processor in determining to de-blur said captured digital image when the camera motion blur function indicates that sufficient blur exists within the captured digital image, and in deblurring the captured digital image including de-convolving the captured digital image using the point spread function (PSF).
Specification