Image capture device with rolling band shutter

• US 7,830,565 B2
• Filed: 06/27/2006
• Issued: 11/09/2010
• Est. Priority Date: 06/27/2006
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Google Technology Holdings LLC (Alphabet Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Motorola, Inc. (Motorola Solutions, Inc.)
• Inventors: John, George C.
• Primary Examiner(s): Worku; Negussie
• Application Number:
  US11/426,618
• Publication Number:
  US 20070297026A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,596 Days
• Field of Search: 358/474, 358/1.2, 358/3.26, 358/509, 358/475, 358/473, 358/906, 358/909.1, 358/520, 358/523, 358/540, 358/538, 358/504, 358/482, 358/483, 358/463, 358/527, 382/107, 382/236, 382/274, 382/275, 382/319, 382/318, 348/208.99, 348/208.4, 348/294, 348/296, 348/699, 348/416.1, 348/376, 375/240.16, 375/E7.107, 375/631
• US Class Current: 358/514
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 1/00002 Diagnosis, testing or measuring; Detecting, analysing or monitoring not otherwise provided for error detection, error correction or monitoring in digital computers or digital computer components G06F11/00
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 1/00005 relating to image data
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 1/00037 Detecting, i.e. determining the occurrence of a predetermined state H04N1/00031 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 1/00068 Calculating or estimating
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 1/00087 Setting or calibrating picture signal circuits H04N1/40
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 2101/00 Still video cameras

Abstract

A device and method for compensating for motion in image capture are provided. A processor (205) initiates partially concurrent scanning sweeps (208,209) across a digital image sensor (203) to obtain sets of digital values (210,211). At least a first set of digital values (210) and a second set of digital values (211) are stored in memory (206). An image construction module (213) compares ones of the first set of digital values (210) with ones of the second set of digital values (211) to estimate an amount of motion. The estimation may be accomplished by determining a moment between the first set of digital values (210) and the second set of digital values (211). Upon compensating for any motion, resulting digital values (412) are written to memory (206) as a compensated image. To improve an overall signal to noise ratio, noise reduction filters may also be applied to the first set of digital values (210), the second set of digital values (211), or combinations thereof.

Claims

1. A digital image sensor comprising:

a. a plurality of photosites disposed along the digital image sensor; and

b. a data capture module configured to initiate multiple scanning sweeps of the plurality of photosites to obtain sets of digital values corresponding to incident light upon the plurality of photosites,

wherein the multiple scanning sweeps are at least partially concurrent,

wherein the sets of digital values each comprise a partial image.

2. The digital image sensor of claim 1, wherein the multiple scanning sweeps comprise a first scanning sweep to obtain a first set of digital values and a second scanning sweep to obtain a second set of digital values.

3. The digital image sensor of claim 2, further comprising an image construction module configured to compensate for differences between ones of the first set of digital values and corresponding ones of the second set of digital values.

4. The digital image sensor of claim 3, wherein the image construction module is configured to estimate an amount of motion of the digital image sensor by comparing the ones of the first set of digital values with the corresponding ones of the second set of digital values.

5. The digital image sensor of claim 3, wherein the image construction module is configured to estimate an amount of motion by determining a moment between the ones of the first set of digital values with the corresponding ones of the second set of digital values.

6. The digital image sensor of claim 3, wherein the second set of digital values includes fewer digital values than does the first set of digital values.

7. The digital image sensor of claim 1, further comprising a memory module coupled to the data capture module, wherein the memory module is configured to store both the digital values obtained from each of the multiple scanning sweeps.

8. A method for motion compensation in a digital image capture apparatus comprising an image sensor having groups of photosites, the method comprising the steps of:

a. initiating a first scanning sweep of the groups of photosites, the scanning sweep comprising a digitization of incident light upon the groups of photosites;

b. storing a first set of digital values obtained from the first scanning sweep;

c. prior to completion of the first scanning sweep, initiating a second scanning sweep of the groups of photosites;

d. storing a second set of digital values obtained from the second scanning sweep;

e. compensating for changes between the first set of digital values and the second set of digital values; and

f. constructing an image.

9. The method of claim 8, wherein the step of compensating comprises:

a. estimating an amount of motion in the image capture apparatus by comparing the first set of digital values with the second set of digital values; and

b. correcting for the amount of motion.

10. The method of claim 9, wherein the step of estimating the amount of motion comprises determining a moment between ones of the first set of digital values with ones of the second set of digital values.

11. The method of claim 9, further comprising the step of applying a noise reduction filter to the one of the first set of digital values, the second set of digital values or combinations thereof.

12. The method of claim 11, wherein the step of applying a noise reduction filter to the one of the first set of digital values, the second set of digital values, and combinations thereof comprises averaging ones of the first set of digital values with corresponding ones of the second set of digital values.

13. The method of claim 11, wherein the step of applying a noise reduction filter to the one of the first set of digital values, the second set of digital values, and combinations thereof comprises determining a geometric mean between the ones of the first set of digital values and the corresponding ones of the second set of digital values.

14. The method of claim 9, wherein both the first set of digital values and the second set of digital values comprise a partial image.

15. The method of claim 9, wherein the second scanning sweep is displaced from the first scanning sweep by a portional width of the image sensor, wherein the first set of digital values comprises a set of values greater than an amount of photosites disposed within the portional width of the image sensor and less than an amount of photosites disposed within the image sensor.

16. A portable electronic device comprising:

a. an image capture apparatus comprising;

i. a digital image sensor comprising a plurality of photosites; and

ii. a data capture module coupled to the digital image sensor, the data capture module being configured to initiate a first scanning sweep of the plurality of photosites to obtain a first set of digital values, the data capture module being further configured to, prior to completion of the first scanning sweep, initiate a second scanning sweep to obtain a second set of digital values;

b. a processor coupled to the image capture apparatus; and

c. a display module;

wherein the processor is configured to compensate for motion of the portable electronic device by comparing ones of the first set of digital values to ones of the second set of digital values.

17. The portable electronic device of claim 16, wherein each of the first set of digital values and the second set of digital values comprises a partial image.

18. The portable electronic device of claim 17, wherein the processor is configured to determine a moment between the ones of the first set of digital values and the ones of the second set of digital values.

19. The portable electronic device of claim 17, wherein the digital image sensor comprises one of a charge coupled device and a complimentary metal oxide semiconductor device.

20. The portable electronic device of claim 17, wherein the portable electronic device comprises a radiotelephone.