Image stabilization system and method for a video camera
First Claim
1. A video image stabilization system comprising:
- a camera including an image capturing device configured to capture a video image, said camera having a selectively adjustable field of view;
at least one processing device operably coupled to said system wherein said processing device receives signals indicative of the field of view of said camera and images captured by said camera, said processing device sequentially grabbing a first one of said images and a second one of said images, said processing device determining a stabilizing adjustment for the video image as a function of an intended change in the field of view of said camera during an interval between the capture of said first image and said second image based upon said signals indicative of the field of view and an analysis of said first and second images, wherein the analysis of said first and second images includes aligning said first and second images based upon said signals indicative of the field of view, generating a histogram of an image difference of said aligned images, and determining whether unintentional camera movement has occurred based upon identifying a maximum peak in said histogram and a location of said maximum peak, wherein when said maximum peak is not substantially centered on zero, unintentional motion is determined to have occurred and wherein determination of said stabilizing adjustment includes identifying adjustments that minimize said image difference.
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Accused Products
Abstract
A video image stabilization system including a camera having an image capturing device configured to capture a video image. The camera has a selectively adjustable field of view and at least one processing device is operably coupled to the system wherein the processing device receives signals indicative of the field of view of the camera and images captured by the camera. The processing device sequentially grabs a first and second image. The processing device determines a stabilizing adjustment for the video image as a function of an intended change in the field of view of the camera during the interval between the capture of the first and second images based upon the signals indicative of the field of view and an analysis of the first and second images. A portion of each image captured by the camera is selected for display. The selected display portion is less than the entire captured image and the stabilizing adjustment determined by the processing device involves adjusting the relative location of the selected display portion within the captured image.
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Citations
21 Claims
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1. A video image stabilization system comprising:
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a camera including an image capturing device configured to capture a video image, said camera having a selectively adjustable field of view; at least one processing device operably coupled to said system wherein said processing device receives signals indicative of the field of view of said camera and images captured by said camera, said processing device sequentially grabbing a first one of said images and a second one of said images, said processing device determining a stabilizing adjustment for the video image as a function of an intended change in the field of view of said camera during an interval between the capture of said first image and said second image based upon said signals indicative of the field of view and an analysis of said first and second images, wherein the analysis of said first and second images includes aligning said first and second images based upon said signals indicative of the field of view, generating a histogram of an image difference of said aligned images, and determining whether unintentional camera movement has occurred based upon identifying a maximum peak in said histogram and a location of said maximum peak, wherein when said maximum peak is not substantially centered on zero, unintentional motion is determined to have occurred and wherein determination of said stabilizing adjustment includes identifying adjustments that minimize said image difference. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11)
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12. A video image stabilization system comprising:
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a video camera including an image-capturing device configured to capture images, each captured image associated with a field of view, said camera having at least one selectively adjustable parameter wherein adjustment of said at least one camera parameter varies the field of view of said camera; a display device configured to display a selected portion of images captured by said camera; and a processing device operably coupled to said camera and to said display device wherein said processing device receives signals indicative of said at least one camera parameter and images captured by said camera, said processing device being operable to compensate for inadvertent movement of said video camera by adjusting the selected portion of the images displayed by said display device based upon the signals indicative of said at least one camera parameter and an analysis of a current captured image and a previously captured image, wherein the analysis comprises aligning the current and previously captured images based upon said signals indicative of said at least one camera parameter, generating a histogram of an image difference of said aligned images, and determining the occurrence of unintentional camera movement based on movement of a stationary background portion of the aligned images by identifying a maximum peak in said histogram and a location of said maximum peak, wherein when said maximum peak is not substantially centered on zero, unintentional motion is determined to have occurred and wherein said adjusting of the selected portion of the images displayed by said display device makes adjustments that minimize said image difference. - View Dependent Claims (13, 14, 15)
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16. A method of stabilizing a video image, said method comprising:
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intentionally varying a field of view of a video camera by use of control signals; capturing a plurality of images with the camera, each of the images being associated with a field of view; displaying a selected portion of each of the plurality of images; aligning a current captured image and a previously captured image based upon said control signals; generating a histogram of an image difference of said aligned images; determining whether inadvertent camera movement has occurred based upon identifying a maximum peak in said histogram and a location of said maximum peak, wherein when said maximum peak is not substantially centered on zero, inadvertent motion is determined to have occurred; and adjusting the selected portion that is displayed for at least one of the plurality of images, said adjusting step compensating for inadvertent movement of the video camera found in the determining step with adjustments that minimize the image difference. - View Dependent Claims (17)
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18. A method of stabilizing a video image, said method comprising:
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capturing a plurality of images with a video camera, the video camera being mounted on a stationary support and having an adjustable field of view; adjusting the field of view of the camera; grabbing a first image and a subsequent second image captured by the video camera; displaying a selected display portion of each of the first and second images, the selected display portion of each image being less than the entire captured image; determining a stabilizing adjustment for the second image as a function of an intended change in the field of view of the camera during an interval between the capture of the first image and the capture of the second image and an analysis of the first and second images wherein the stabilizing adjustment involves adjusting a relative location of the selected display portion within the second image, the analysis of the first and second images comprising aligning one of the first and second images with the other of the first and second images based upon signals indicative of the field of view received from a system in operative communication with the camera, generating a histogram of an image difference of the aligned images, and determining whether unintentional camera movement has occurred based upon identifying a maximum peak in the histogram and a location of the maximum peak, wherein when the maximum peak is not substantially centered on zero, unintentional motion is determined to have occurred and wherein determination of said stabilizing adjustment includes identifying adjustments that minimize the image difference. - View Dependent Claims (19, 20, 21)
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Specification