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; and
a processing device operably coupled to said camera wherein said processing device receives signals indicative of the field of view of said camera and images captured by said camera, said processing device automatically tracking movements of at least one object in the images, said processing device determining a stabilizing adjustment for the video image as a function of an unintended change in the field of view of said camera during a time interval between capture of a first image and capture of a second image, the determining being based upon said signals indicative of the field of view and an analysis of said first and second images, the analysis of said first and second images including aligning one of said first and second images with an other of said first and second images based upon said signals indicative of the field of view and determining if said aligned images indicate an occurrence of unintentional camera movement by determining an image difference of said aligned images, said processing device generating a histogram of said 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, and wherein when said maximum peak is not substantially centered on zero, unintentional camera movement is determined to have occurred and wherein determination of said stabilizing adjustment includes identifying adjustments that reduce the image difference.
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Accused Products
Abstract
A video image stabilization system includes a camera having an image capturing device capturing a video image. The camera has a selectively adjustable field of view. A processing device is operably coupled to the camera. The processing device receives signals indicative of the field of view of the camera and images captured by the camera. The processing device automatically tracks movements of at least one object in the images. The processing device determines a stabilizing adjustment for the video image as a function of an unintended change in the field of view of the camera during a time interval between capture of a first image and capture of a second image. The determining is based upon the signals indicative of the field of view and an analysis of the first and second images.
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Citations
13 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; and a processing device operably coupled to said camera wherein said processing device receives signals indicative of the field of view of said camera and images captured by said camera, said processing device automatically tracking movements of at least one object in the images, said processing device determining a stabilizing adjustment for the video image as a function of an unintended change in the field of view of said camera during a time interval between capture of a first image and capture of a second image, the determining being based upon said signals indicative of the field of view and an analysis of said first and second images, the analysis of said first and second images including aligning one of said first and second images with an other of said first and second images based upon said signals indicative of the field of view and determining if said aligned images indicate an occurrence of unintentional camera movement by determining an image difference of said aligned images, said processing device generating a histogram of said 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, and wherein when said maximum peak is not substantially centered on zero, unintentional camera movement is determined to have occurred and wherein determination of said stabilizing adjustment includes identifying adjustments that reduce the image difference. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9)
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10. A method of stabilizing video images, said method comprising:
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capturing a plurality of images with a video camera; identifying a location of an object in each of a first captured image and a second captured image; adjusting a field of view of the camera during a time interval between the capture of the first image and the capture of the second image; displaying a selected display portion of the first captured image and the second captured image, the selected display portion of each image being less than the entire captured image, at least one of the adjusting and displaying steps being dependent upon said identifying step; and determining a stabilizing adjustment for the second captured image dependent upon said adjusting step and an analysis of the first and second captured images wherein the stabilizing adjustment includes adjusting a relative location of the selected display portion within the second captured image, said determining step including ascertaining an unintended change in the field of view of said camera during the time interval between the capture of the first image and the second image by aligning one of the first and second images with an other of the first and second images based upon signals indicative of the field of view, and detecting whether the aligned images indicate an occurrence of unintentional camera movement by determining an image difference of the aligned images and generating a histogram of the 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 reduce the image difference. - View Dependent Claims (11, 12, 13)
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Specification