SYSTEM AND METHOD FOR GENERATING A DIGITAL IMAGE

• US 20150229819A1
• Filed: 02/12/2014
• Published: 08/13/2015
• Est. Priority Date: 02/12/2014
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: Adam B. Feder, Brian J. Kindle, William G. Rivard
• Original Assignee: Adam B. Feder, Brian J. Kindle, William G. Rivard
• Inventors: Rivard, William G., Feder, Adam B., Kindle, Brian J.
• Application Number:
  US14/178,305
• Publication Number:
  US 20150229819A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 23/56 provided with illuminating means
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 23/71 Circuitry for evaluating the brightness variation
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 23/74 by influencing the scene brightness using illuminating means
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 23/743 Bracketing, i.e. taking a series of images with varying exposure conditions

Abstract

A system, method, and computer program product for generating an image set is disclosed. The method comprises receiving a shutter release command, generating a first image of a photographic scene based on a first set of sampling parameters in response to the shutter release command, storing the first image within the image set, generating a second image of the photographic scene based on a second set of sampling parameters in response to the shutter release command, and storing the second image within the image set. The first set of sampling parameters specifies a first strobe intensity, and the second set of sampling parameters specifies a second strobe intensity. A strobe unit is configured to generate strobe illumination within the photographic scene according to the first strobe intensity or the second strobe intensity.

Claims

1. A method for generating an image set, comprising:

receiving a shutter release command;

generating a first image of a photographic scene during a first time interval, based on a first set of sampling parameters in response to the shutter release command, wherein the first set of sampling parameters specifies a first strobe intensity that is non-zero;

storing the first image within the image set;

generating a second image of the photographic scene during a second time interval, based on a second set of sampling parameters in response to the shutter release command, wherein the second set of sampling parameters specifies a second strobe intensity that is non-zero and different than the first strobe intensity; and

storing the second image within the image set,

wherein a strobe unit is configured to generate strobe illumination within the photographic scene according to the first strobe intensity during the first time interval and the second strobe intensity during the second time interval.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the first set of sampling parameters specifies a first set of exposure parameters and the second set of sampling parameters specifies a second set of exposure parameters.

3. The method of claim 2, wherein the first set of exposure parameters specifies a first exposure time, and the second set of exposure parameters specifies a second exposure time.

4. The method of claim 3, wherein the first exposure time is substantially equal to the second exposure time, and wherein the first exposure time is determined for the photographic scene with the strobe unit disabled.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein generating the first image comprises:

configuring the strobe unit to generate strobe illumination according to the first strobe intensity;

preparing a camera module to sample the photographic scene according to the first set of sampling parameters; and

causing the camera module to sample the first image of the photographic scene based on the first set of sampling parameters.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein generating the second image comprises:

configuring the strobe unit to generate strobe illumination according to the second strobe intensity;

preparing a camera module to sample the photographic scene according to the second set of sampling parameters; and

causing the camera module to sample the second image of the photographic scene based on the second set of sampling parameters.

7. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

upon determining that an image should be sampled without strobe illumination,

preparing a camera module to sample the photographic scene according to ambient exposure parameters determined for the photographic scene with the strobe unit disabled;

causing the camera module to sample an ambient image of the photographic scene based on the ambient exposure parameters; and

storing the ambient image within the image set.

8. The method of claim 7, wherein the ambient image comprises a high-dynamic range image.

9. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

recommending an image from the image set based on exposure quality metric values associated with images comprising the image set; and

displaying the recommended image on a display unit.

10. The method of claim 9, wherein each exposure quality metric value comprises a count of over-exposed pixels for a corresponding image.

11. The method of claim 1, wherein the first strobe intensity and the second strobe intensity define an intensity range associated with a strobe intensity function.

12. The method of claim 1, wherein the second strobe intensity is adaptively determined based on at least one previously sampled image.

13. The method of claim 1, wherein generating the first image is associated with a first time interval of less than two-hundred milliseconds, and generating the second image is associated with a second time interval of less than two-hundred milliseconds.

14. The method of claim 1, wherein the strobe unit comprises a light-emitting diode (LED), and strobe intensity is associated with average current driving the LED.

15. The method of claim 1, wherein the strobe unit comprises a Xenon tube, and strobe intensity is associated with pulse duration for the Xenon tube.

16. A computer program product embodied in a non-transitory computer-readable medium that, when executed by a processor, causes the processor to generate an image set by performing the steps of:

receiving a shutter release command;

generating a first image of a photographic scene during a first time interval, based on a first set of sampling parameters in response to the shutter release command, wherein the first set of sampling parameters specifies a first strobe intensity that is non-zero;

storing the first image within the image set;

generating a second image of the photographic scene during a second time interval, based on a second set of sampling parameters in response to the shutter release command, wherein the second set of sampling parameters specifies a second strobe intensity that is non-zero and different than the first strobe intensity; and

storing the second image within the image set,

wherein a strobe unit is configured to generate strobe illumination within the photographic scene according to the first strobe intensity during the first time interval and the second strobe intensity during the second time interval.

17. The computer program product of claim 16, wherein generating the first image comprises:

configuring the strobe unit to generate strobe illumination according to the first strobe intensity;

preparing a camera module to sample the photographic scene according to the first set of sampling parameters; and

causing the camera module to sample the first image of the photographic scene based on the first set of sampling parameters.

18. The computer program product of claim 16, wherein generating the second image comprises:

configuring the strobe unit to generate strobe illumination according to the second strobe intensity;

preparing a camera module to sample the photographic scene according to the second set of sampling parameters; and

causing the camera module to sample the second image of the photographic scene based on the second set of sampling parameters.

19. The computer program product of claim 16, further comprising:

recommending an image from the image set based on exposure quality metric values associated with images comprising the image set; and

displaying the recommended image on a display unit.

20. A photographic system, comprising:

A camera module, configured to sample a photographic scene according to exposure parameters included in a set of sampling parameters;

A strobe unit, configured to generate strobe illumination within the photographic scene according to strobe parameters included in the set of sampling parameters;

A processing unit, configured to generate an image set by performing the steps of;

receiving a shutter release command;

generating a first image of a photographic scene during a first time interval, based on a first set of sampling parameters in response to the shutter release command, wherein the first set of sampling parameters specifies a first strobe intensity that is non-zero;

storing the first image within the image set;

generating a second image of the photographic scene during a second time interval, based on a second set of sampling parameters in response to the shutter release command, wherein the second set of sampling parameters specifies a second strobe intensity that is non-zero and different than the first strobe intensity; and

storing the second image within the image set,

wherein a strobe unit is configured to generate strobe illumination within the photographic scene according to the first strobe intensity during the first time interval and the second strobe intensity during the second time interval.