Motion Blur Device, Method and Program

• US 20110299793A1
• Filed: 02/15/2010
• Published: 12/08/2011
• Est. Priority Date: 02/13/2009
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: National University Corporation Shizuoka University
• Original Assignee: Nagaoka University of Technology
• Inventors: Miura, Kenjiro, Takahashi, Kenji
• Granted Patent: US 8,620,100 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 382/275
• CPC Class Codes: G06T 2207/10016 Video; Image sequence
• CPC Class Codes: G06T 2207/20201 Motion blur correction
• CPC Class Codes: G06T 5/75 Unsharp masking
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 23/68 for stable pick-up of the scene, e.g. compensating for camera body vibrations
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 23/6811 based on the image signal
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 23/683 performed by a processor, e.g. controlling the readout of an image memory

Abstract

A motion blur control device uses inter-frame movement computation means to compute an inter-frame movement direction and an inter-frame movement amount from plural frame images acquired at a specific time interval. Motion blur correction means then generates a corrected frame image by correcting motion blur in a specific frame image in plural frame images based on the blur amount set within a range not exceeding the inter-frame movement amount and based on the inter-frame movement direction. Evaluation means evaluates the corrected frame image using a motion blur evaluation function. The motion blur control device controls the blur amount such that the motion blur evaluation function satisfies a specific condition.

Claims

1. A motion blur control device for controlling motion blur in a specific frame image among a plurality of frame images acquired during a specific time interval, the motion blur control device comprising:

inter-frame movement computation means for computing an inter-frame movement direction and an inter-frame movement amount from the plurality of frame images acquired during the specific time interval;

motion blur correction means for generating a corrected frame image by correcting motion blur in the specific frame image based on a blur amount set in a range not exceeding the inter-frame movement amount and based on the inter-frame movement direction; and

evaluation means for evaluating the corrected frame image using a motion blur evaluation function, wherein the blur amount is controlled such that the motion blur evaluation function satisfies a specific condition.

2. The motion blur control device of claim 1, wherein the motion blur correction means comprises:

unsharp mask setting means for setting an unsharp mask based on the blur amount set in the range not exceeding the inter-frame movement amount and based on the inter-frame movement direction; and

unsharp processing means for generating the corrected frame image by correcting motion blur in the specific frame image based on the unsharp mask.

3. The motion blur control device of claim 1, wherein the motion blur correction means generates the corrected frame image by correcting motion blur in the specific frame image by performing deconvolution computation based on the blur amount set in the range not exceeding the inter-frame movement amount and based on the inter-frame movement direction.

4. The motion blur control device of claim 1, wherein the inter-frame movement computation means estimates global motion between the plurality of frame images and computes the inter-frame movement direction and the inter-frame movement amount based on affine transform parameters including a parallel movement amount and a rotation movement amount.

5. The motion blur control device of claim 4, wherein the affine transform parameters further include an image enlargement-reduction ratio.

6. The motion blur control device of claim 1, wherein the plurality of frame images are frame images that are components of a video image.

7. The motion blur control device of claim 1, wherein the blur amount is changed, correction is repeatedly performed by the motion blur correction means, and evaluation is repeatedly performed by the evaluation means, until the motion blur evaluation function satisfies the specific condition, thereby reducing the motion blur of the specific frame image.

8. The motion blur control device of claim 7, wherein correction is repeatedly performed by the motion blur correction means and evaluation is repeatedly performed by the evaluation means, until the motion blur evaluation function is a maximum value or a minimum value.

9. The motion blur control device of claim 1, wherein the motion blur evaluation function (E) is given by the following equation:

10. A motion blur control method for controlling motion blur of a specific frame image among a plurality of frame images acquired during a specific time interval, the motion blur control method comprising:

computing an inter-frame movement direction and an inter-frame movement amount from the plurality of frame images acquired during the specific time interval;

generating a corrected frame image by correcting motion blur in the specific frame image based on a blur amount set in a range not exceeding the inter-frame movement amount and based on the inter-frame movement direction; and

evaluating the corrected frame image using a motion blur evaluation function, wherein the blur amount is controlled such that the motion blur evaluation function satisfies a specific condition.

11. A motion blur control program for controlling motion blur of a specific frame image among a plurality of frame images acquired during a specific time interval, the motion blur control program executable by a computer to function as:

inter-frame movement computation means for computing an inter-frame movement direction and an inter-frame movement amount from the plurality of frame images acquired during the specific time interval;

motion blur correction means for generating a corrected frame image by correcting motion blur in the specific frame image based on a blur amount set in a range not exceeding the inter-frame movement amount and based on the inter-frame movement direction; and

evaluation means for evaluating the corrected frame image using a motion blur evaluation function, wherein the blur amount is controlled such that the motion blur evaluation function satisfies a specific condition.