METHOD AND SYSTEM FOR OBTAINING A POINT SPREAD FUNCTION USING MOTION INFORMATION

• US 20110199492A1
• Filed: 02/03/2011
• Published: 08/18/2011
• Est. Priority Date: 02/18/2010
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Sony Corporation (Sony Group Corp.)
• Original Assignee: Sony Corporation (Sony Group Corp.)
• Inventors: Siddiqui, Muhammad, KAUKER, Daniel, Zimmermann, Klaus
• Granted Patent: US 8,648,918 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 348/208.1
• CPC Class Codes: G06T 2207/20201 Motion blur correction
• CPC Class Codes: G06T 5/003 Deblurring; Sharpening vibration or motion blur correction for cameras comprising an electronic image sensor H04N23/682
• CPC Class Codes: G06T 5/73 Deblurring; Sharpening

Abstract

The present invention relates to a method and system for obtaining a point spread function for deblurring image data captured by an imaging device comprising a motion sensor. First, motion path values indicating the motion of the imaging device during the exposure time are acquired. The motion path values of the imaging device are then projected onto the sensor plane and for each sensor pixel the projected motion path values are integrated over time. Said integrated value represents for each sensor pixel an initial estimate of the point spread function. Optionally, the size of the point spread function can also be estimated based on the distance of the focused object and taken into account during the projecting step.

Claims

1. A method for obtaining a point spread function for deblurring image data captured by an imaging device comprising a motion sensor,

the method comprising the steps of

acquiring motion path values indicating the motion of the imaging device during the exposure time,

projecting the motion path values of the imaging device onto the sensor plane, and integrating for each sensor pixel the projected motion path values over time,

said integrated value for each sensor pixel representing an initial estimate of the point spread function.

2. The method according to claim 1,

further comprising the step of

using a pitch-yaw-roll coordinate system,

defining the roll-axis as lying within the sensor plane, and

acquiring the motion path values along a pitch- and yaw-axis.

3. The method according to claim 1 or 2,

further comprising the step of

estimating the size of the point spread function based on distance between the sensor and a focused object.

4. The method according to claim 3,

wherein the step of estimating the size of the point spread function comprises

estimating the size based on parameters of the optical system, preferably based on focal distance, focal length and/or angle of view.

5. The method according to claim 3,

further comprising the step of

changing for the projecting step the relation between motion path values and sensor pixels depending on the estimated size.

6. The method according to claim 1 or 2,

further comprising the step of

obtaining a final point spread function by normalizing and centering the initial estimate of the point spread function.

7. A computer readable non-transitory medium having instructions stored thereon which, when carried out on a computer, cause the computer to perform the steps of the method as claimed in claim 1.

8. A system for obtaining a point spread function for deblurring image data, said system comprising

a motion sensor for acquiring motion path values indicating the motion of the system during the exposure time,

a projecting unit for projecting the motion path values of the system onto the sensor plane, and

an integrating unit for integrating for each sensor pixel the projected motion path values over time, said integrated value for each sensor pixel representing an initial estimate of the point spread function.

9. The system according to claim 8,

wherein the motion sensor is a gyroscope, accelerometer and/or magnetic sensors.

10. The system according to claim 8 or 9,

wherein the motion path values are obtained based on a pitch-yaw-roll coordinate system, whereby the roll-axis is defined as lying within the sensor plane, and

the motion sensor is adapted to acquire the motion path values along a pitch- and yaw-axis.

11. The system according to claim 8 or 9,

further comprising

a size estimator for estimating the size of the point spread function based on distance between the sensor and a focused object.

12. The system according to claim 11,

wherein the size estimator is adapted to estimate the size based on parameters of the optical system, preferably based on focal distance, focal length and/or angle of view.

13. The system according to claim 11,

wherein the projecting unit is adapted to change for the projecting step the relation between motion path values and sensor pixels depending on the estimated size.

14. The system according to claim 8 or 9,

further comprising a normalizing and centering unit for obtaining a final point spread function by normalizing and centering the initial estimate of the point spread function.

15. An imaging device, in particular a camera, comprising a system for noise reduction according to any of claims 8 to 14.

16. A system for obtaining a point spread function for deblurring image data captured by an imaging device comprising a motion sensor,

said system comprising

means for acquiring motion path values indicating the motion of the imaging device during the exposure time,

means for projecting the motion path values of the imaging device onto the sensor plane, and

means for integrating for each sensor pixel the projected motion path values over time,

said integrated value for each sensor pixel representing an initial estimate of the point spread function.