Method and device for creating pictures

• US 7,962,034 B2
• Filed: 02/09/2006
• Issued: 06/14/2011
• Est. Priority Date: 03/08/2005
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Sony Ericsson Mobile Communications AB (Sony Group Corp.)
• Original Assignee: Sony Ericsson Mobile Communications AB (Sony Group Corp.)
• Inventors: Wernersson, Mats
• Primary Examiner(s): FULLER, RODNEY EVAN
• Application Number:
  US11/817,824
• Publication Number:
  US 20080170848A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,951 Days
• Field of Search: 396/335, 396/55
• US Class Current: 396/335
• CPC Class Codes: G06T 2207/10144 Varying exposure
• 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: H01L 27/14643 Photodiode arrays; MOS imagers
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 23/68 for stable pick-up of the scene, e.g. compensating for camera body vibrations
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 23/684 performed by controlling the image sensor readout, e.g. by controlling the integration time
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 23/6845 by combination of a plurality of images sequentially taken
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 23/689 Motion occurring during a rolling shutter mode
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 23/741 by increasing the dynamic range of the image compared to the dynamic range of the electronic image sensors
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 23/76 by influencing the image signals
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 5/2625 for obtaining an image which is composed of images from a temporal image sequence, e.g. for a stroboscopic effect sequence generated by event triggered capturing H04N7/188

Abstract

The invention relates to a method and a device for creating an enhanced picture by means of several consecutive exposures. The method comprises the steps of: exposing a light sensitive sensor to a series of exposures, wherein the whole light sensitive sensor in each exposure is exposed simultaneously, and all the exposures of the series are combined to form a finished picture. Preferably, the exposures are combined with a correction for sharpness enhancement. The problem of motion distortion in an image stabilization system is solved by letting each exposure of the series be exposed by means of a global shutter.

Claims

1. A method for creating a picture comprising the steps of:

exposing a light sensitive sensor adapted to be exposed by means of a rolling shutter to a series of exposures, each exposure being underexposed;

wherein the whole light sensitive sensor in each exposure is exposed simultaneously, for each exposure the method further comprising the steps of;

resetting all pixels of the light sensitive sensor with a mechanical global shutter closed;

opening the mechanical global shutter;

exposing the whole light sensitive sensor to light for the desired exposure time;

closing the mechanical global shutter; and

reading out the pixels values in a rolling mode.

2. A method according to claim 1, wherein each exposure is taken with an exposure time that reduces motion blurredness.

3. A method according to claim 1, wherein each exposure is taken with an aperture that increases the depth of field.

4. A method according to claim 1, wherein the exposures are combined with a correction for sharpness enhancement.

5. A method according to claim 1, wherein all pixels of the light sensitive sensor are reset simultaneously.

6. A device for creating a picture comprising an optical system for exposing a light sensitive sensor adapted to be exposed by means of a rolling shutter, a mechanical global shutter capable of exposing the whole light sensitive sensor simultaneously, wherein:

the optical system is arranged to expose the light sensitive sensor for a series of exposures, so that the whole light sensitive sensor in each exposure is exposed simultaneously, further each exposure being underexposed, and in that the device is arranged to combine all the exposures of the series to form a finished picture, the device is further arranged to perform the following steps for each exposure;

resetting all pixels of the light sensitive sensor with the mechanical global shutter closed;

opening the mechanical global shutter;

exposing the whole light sensitive sensor to light for the desired exposure time;

closing the mechanical global shutter; and

reading out the pixels values in a rolling mode.

7. A device according to claim 6, wherein the device is arranged to take each exposure with an exposure time that reduces motion blurredness.

8. A device according to claim 6, wherein the device is arranged to take each exposure with an aperture that increases the depth of field.

9. A device according to claim 7, wherein the device is arranged to combine the series of exposures with a correction for sharpness enhancement.

10. A device according to claim 6, wherein the device is arranged to reset all pixels of the light sensitive sensor simultaneously.

11. A device according to claim 6, wherein the sensor is a digital CMOS image sensor, and the global shutter is a mechanical shutter.