Image processing apparatus and method, recording medium, and program for correcting camera shake

• US 7,750,942 B2
• Filed: 01/21/2004
• Issued: 07/06/2010
• Est. Priority Date: 01/22/2003
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Sony Corporation (Sony Group Corp.)
• Original Assignee: Sony Corporation (Sony Group Corp.)
• Inventors: Kinoshita, Masaya, Tanaka, Kenji, Inaba, Seijiro
• Primary Examiner(s): Tran; Nhan T
• Assistant Examiner(s): Dagnew; Mekonnen
• Application Number:
  US10/542,844
• Publication Number:
  US 20060072018A1
• Time in Patent Office: 2,358 Days
• Field of Search: 3482081-20816, 348/154, 348/317, 348/320, 396/55
• US Class Current: 348/208.1
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 23/68 for stable pick-up of the scene, e.g. compensating for camera body vibrations
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 23/683 performed by a processor, e.g. controlling the readout of an image memory
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 23/689 Motion occurring during a rolling shutter mode

Abstract

The present invention relates to an image processing apparatus and method enabling to correct for camera shake given in image capturing, a recording medium, and a program. Discrete data pieces indicating shifts are obtained. The discrete data pieces are interpolated to obtain data indicating a shift every line. By the interpolation, a correction is calculated every line on the basis of the corresponding shift. On the basis of the corrections, pixel data read positions are determined. Pixel data is read based on the determined read positions. When a pixel to be read overlaps two pixels, pixel data of the pixel to be read is produced (interpolated) from pixel data pieces. In this manner, the effects of camera shake are corrected. The present invention is applicable to video cameras.

Claims

1. An image processing apparatus for capturing and processing an image, comprising:

an X-Y addressing solid-state imaging device having differences in exposure time between lines;

a first shift generating unit to generate a first shift indicating a magnitude of a given vibration,

wherein a number of the first shift generated in every field or every frame is less than that of lines of the X-Y addressing solid-state imaging device;

a second shift generating unit to generate a second shift for every line of the X-Y addressing solid-state imaging device,

wherein the second shift is generated from at least two of the first shifts;

a calculating unit to calculate a correction from the second shift for every line of the X-Y addressing solid-state imaging device; and

a correction unit to correct the given vibration on the image captured by the X-Y addressing solid-state imaging device on a line by line basis according to the correction and to output a corrected image.

2. The image processing apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the first shift generating unit further includes:

output means for detecting the given vibration to generate vibration detection information; and

converting means for converting the vibration detection information generated from the output means into the first shift indicating the magnitude of the given vibration.

3. The image processing apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the second shift is generated from at least three of the first shifts.

4. An image processing apparatus for capturing and processing an image, comprising:

an X-Y addressing solid-state imaging device having differences in exposure time between lines;

a shift generating unit to generate a shift indicating a magnitude of a given vibration,

wherein a number of the shift generated in every field or every frame is less than that of lines of the X-Y addressing solid-state imaging device;

a first correction calculating unit to calculate a first correction from the shift,

wherein a number of the first corrections is same as that of the shifts;

a second correction calculating unit to calculate a second correction for every line of the X-Y addressing solid-state imaging device,

wherein the second correction is calculated from at least two of the first corrections; and

a correcting unit to correct the given vibration on the image captured by the X-Y addressing solid-state imaging device on a line by line basis according to the second correction and to output a corrected image.

5. The image processing apparatus according to claim 4, wherein the shift generating unit further includes:

output means for detecting the given vibration to generate vibration detection information; and

converting means for converting the vibration detection information generated from the output means into the shift indicating the magnitude of the given vibration.

6. The image processing apparatus according to claim 4, wherein the second correction is calculated from at least three of the first corrections.

7. An image processing method of an image processing apparatus for capturing and processing an image, wherein the image processing apparatus comprises an X-Y addressing solid-state imaging device having differences in exposure time between lines, the image processing method comprising the steps of:

generating a first shift indicating a magnitude of a given vibration,

wherein a number of the first shift generated in every field or every frame is less than that of lines of the X-Y addressing solid-state imaging device;

generating a second shift for every line of the X-Y addressing solid-state imaging device,

wherein the second shift is generated from at least two of the first shifts;

calculating a correction from the second shift for every line of the X-Y addressing solid-state device;

correcting the given vibration on the image captured by the X-Y addressing solid-state imaging device on a line by line basis according to the correction; and

outputting a corrected image.

8. The image processing method according to claim 7, wherein the first shift generating step further includes the steps of:

detecting the given vibration to generate vibration detection information; and

converting the vibration detection information into the first shift that indicates the magnitude of the given vibration.

9. The image processing method according to claim 7, wherein the second shift is generated from at least three of the first shifts.

10. An image processing method of an image processing apparatus for capturing and processing an image, wherein the image processing apparatus comprises an X-Y addressing solid-state imaging device having differences in exposure time between lines, the image processing method comprising the steps of:

generating a shift indicating a magnitude of a given vibration,

wherein a number of the shift generated in every field or every frame is less than that of lines of the X-Y addressing solid-state imaging device;

calculating a first correction from the shift,

wherein a number of the first corrections is same as that of the shifts;

calculating a second correction for every line of the X-Y addressing solid-state imaging device,

wherein the second correction is calculated from at least two of the first corrections; and

correcting the given vibration on the image captured by the X-Y addressing solid-state imaging device on a line by line basis according to the second correction and to output a corrected image.

11. The image processing method according to claim 10, wherein the shift generating step further includes the steps of:

detecting the given vibration to generate vibration detection information; and

converting the vibration detection information into the shift that indicates the magnitude of the given vibration.

12. The image processing method according to claim 10, wherein the second correction is calculated from at least three of the first corrections.