Image blurring

• US 7,953,287 B2
• Filed: 10/17/2008
• Issued: 05/31/2011
• Est. Priority Date: 02/14/2006
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: FotoNation Limited (Adeia Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Tessera Technologies Ireland Limited (Adeia Inc.)
• Inventors: Corcoran, Peter, Steinberg, Eran, Drimbarean, Alexandru
• Primary Examiner(s): Tran; Phuoc
• Application Number:
  US12/253,839
• Publication Number:
  US 20090040342A1
• Time in Patent Office: 956 Days
• Field of Search: 382/254, 382/255, 382/264, 382/274, 382/275, 382/284, 382/298
• US Class Current: 382/254
• CPC Class Codes: G03B 13/18 Focusing aids
• CPC Class Codes: G06T 2207/10144 Varying exposure
• CPC Class Codes: G06T 2207/20012 Locally adaptive
• CPC Class Codes: G06T 2207/20208 High dynamic range [HDR] image processing
• CPC Class Codes: G06T 5/20 using local operators
• CPC Class Codes: G06T 5/50 using two or more images, e.g. averaging or subtraction
• CPC Class Codes: G06T 5/73 Deblurring; Sharpening
• CPC Class Codes: G06T 5/94 based on local image properties, e.g. for local contrast enhancement
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 23/70 Circuitry for compensating brightness variation in the scene
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 23/741 by increasing the dynamic range of the image compared to the dynamic range of the electronic image sensors

Abstract

A method of blurring an image includes acquiring two images of nominally a same scene taken at a different light exposure levels. At least one region of one of the images includes pixels having saturated intensity values. For at least one of the saturated pixels, values are extrapolated from the other image. At least a portion of a third image is blurred and re-scaled including pixels having the extrapolated values.

Claims

1. A digital image processing device operable to blur an acquired image, comprising a controller and one or more processor readable storage devices having processor readable code embodied thereon, said processor readable code for programming one or more processors to perform a method of generating a digital image, the method comprising:

(a) acquiring at least two images, including a full resolution image having one or more pixels with a saturated intensity value;

(b) determining one or more intensity ratios from unsaturated pixels of another of the at least two acquired images that was taken at a lower exposure level than the full resolution image;

(c) modifying the full resolution image including restoring the one or more intensity ratios determined from the unsaturated pixels of said other acquired image;

(d) blurring a portion of the modified image; and

(e) printing, image processing, or electronically storing, transmitting or displaying the modified image, or combinations thereof.

2. The device of claim 1, wherein the modifying comprises adding intensity to the one or more saturated pixels.

3. The device of claim 2, wherein the modifying further comprises subtracting intensity from one or more unsaturated pixels.

4. The device of claim 1, wherein the modifying further comprises subtracting intensity from one or more unsaturated pixels.

5. The device of claim 1, the blurring comprising:

determining one or more portions of said modified image which correspond to foreground of the image and portions which correspond to background of the image; and

blurring said background portions.

6. The device of claim 1, the method further comprising re-scaling the blurred portion of the modified image.

7. A method of generating a digital image, the method comprising:

(a) acquiring at least two images, including a full resolution image having one or more pixels with a saturated intensity value;

(b) determining one or more intensity ratios from unsaturated pixels of another of the at least two acquired images that was taken at a lower exposure level than the full resolution image;

(c) modifying the full resolution image including restoring the one or more intensity ratios determined from the unsaturated pixels of said other acquired image;

(d) blurring a portion of the modified image; and

(e) printing, image processing, or electronically storing, transmitting or displaying the modified image, or combinations thereof.

8. The method of claim 7, wherein the modifying comprises adding intensity to the one or more saturated pixels.

9. The method of claim 8, wherein the modifying further comprises subtracting intensity from one or more unsaturated pixels.

10. The method of claim 7, wherein the modifying further comprises subtracting intensity from one or more unsaturated pixels.

11. The method of claim 7, the blurring comprising:

determining one or more portions of said modified image which correspond to foreground of the image and portions which correspond to background of the image; and

blurring said background portions.

12. The method of claim 7, the method further comprising re-scaling the blurred portion of the modified image.

13. One or more non-transitory processor-readable storage devices having processor readable code embodied thereon for programming one or more processors to perform a method of generating a digital image, the method comprising:

(a) acquiring at least two images, including a full resolution image having one or more pixels with a saturated intensity value;

(b) determining one or more intensity ratios from unsaturated pixels of another of the at least two acquired images that was taken at a lower exposure level than the full resolution image;

(c) modifying the full resolution image including restoring the one or more intensity ratios determined from the unsaturated pixels of said other acquired image;

(d) blurring a portion of the modified image; and

(e) printing, image processing, or electronically storing, transmitting or displaying the modified image, or combinations thereof.

14. The one or more non-transitory processor-readable storage devices of claim 13, wherein the modifying comprises adding intensity to the one or more saturated pixels.

15. The one or more non-transitory processor-readable storage devices of claim 14, wherein the modifying further comprises subtracting intensity from one or more unsaturated pixels.

16. The one or more non-transitory processor-readable storage devices of claim 13, wherein the modifying further comprises subtracting intensity from one or more unsaturated pixels.

17. The one or more non-transitory processor-readable storage devices of claim 13, the blurring comprising:

determining one or more portions of said modified image which correspond to foreground of the image and portions which correspond to background of the image; and

blurring said background portions.

18. The one or more non-transitory processor-readable storage devices of claim 13, the method further comprising re-scaling the blurred portion of the modified image.