Method and apparatus for motion compensation

• US 8,036,525 B2
• Filed: 03/19/2010
• Issued: 10/11/2011
• Est. Priority Date: 03/19/2009
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Samsung Electronics Co. Ltd., University-Industry Cooperation Group of KyungHee University
• Original Assignee: Samsung Electronics Co. Ltd., University-Industry Cooperation Group of KyungHee University
• Inventors: Lee, Yong-Gu, Chae, Ok-Sam, Kabir, Md Hasanul, Yoon, Young-Kwon
• Primary Examiner(s): PERKEY, WILLIAM B
• Application Number:
  US12/727,649
• Publication Number:
  US 20100239239A1
• Time in Patent Office: 571 Days
• Field of Search: 396/95, 396/153, 396/213, 396/233, 396/234, 396/246, 348/208.12, 348/208.14, 348/208.16
• US Class Current: 396/153
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 23/68 for stable pick-up of the scene, e.g. compensating for camera body vibrations
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 5/145 Movement estimation for video coding H04N19/51

Abstract

A motion compensation apparatus for a camera module with a half-shutter function is provided. The apparatus includes an initialization unit for selecting a subject, a motion of which is to be detected, from images secured in a half-shutter state, and calculates motion information of the subject; a tracking unit for tracking the selected subject and the motion information provided from the initialization unit, and calculates prediction information of the subject; and a controller for generating a control signal for controlling a speed of a shutter and a sensibility of an image sensor based on the prediction information provided from the tracking unit.

Claims

1. A motion compensation apparatus for a camera module with a half-shutter function, the motion compensation apparatus comprising:

an initialization unit for selecting a subject, a motion to be detected from images secured in a half-shutter state, and calculating motion information of the subject;

a tracking unit for tracking the selected subject and the motion information provided from the initialization unit, and calculating prediction information of the subject; and

a controller for generating a control signal for controlling a speed of a shutter and a sensitivity of an image sensor based on the prediction information provided from the tracking unit,

wherein the initialization unit includes a generation module for generating feature patterns of the subject and an estimation module for tracking the feature patterns generated by the generation module.

2. The motion compensation apparatus of claim 1, wherein the estimation module calculates a motion vector of each of the feature patterns, accumulates the motion vectors calculated by the estimation module in a Hough space and extracts initial motion information of the camera module and the subject.

3. The motion compensation apparatus of claim 2, wherein the initialization unit further comprises a motion elaboration module for calculating an initial motion of the subject based on additional information obtained by extending the feature patterns.

4. The motion compensation apparatus of claim 3, wherein the motion elaboration module comprises:

a background elaboration module for improving an accuracy of an initial motion vector of the camera module based on the additional information;

a search area restriction module for restricting a target area in an image, a motion of which is to be calculated; and

a subject elaboration module for improving an accuracy of each selected subject based on the additional information.

5. The motion compensation apparatus of claim 2, wherein the generation module comprises:

an extraction module for dividing an input image into multiple non-overlapping blocks, and then determining an initial pattern representing each of the non-overlapping blocks; and

a selection module for selecting, from the initial patterns, a key feature pattern for selecting initial patterns having a large motion.

6. The motion compensation apparatus of claim 5, wherein the initial patterns selected by the selection module are located in a boundary of the subject.

7. The motion compensation apparatus of claim 2, wherein the estimation module comprises:

a background motion detection module for calculating motion information of a background other than the subject; and

a subject motion detection module for calculating an initial motion of the subject.

8. A method for performing motion compensation in a camera module with a half-shutter function, the method comprising the steps of:

selecting, by an initialization unit, a subject, a motion of which is to be detected;

from images secured in a half-shutter state;

calculating, by the initialization unit, motion information of the subject;

tracking, by a tracking unit, the selected subject based on the motion information provided from the initialization unit;

calculating, by the tracking unit, prediction information of the subject; and

generating, by a controller, a control signal for controlling a speed of a shutter and a sensibility-sensitivity of an image sensor based on the prediction information provided from the tracking unit,

wherein the initialization unit includes a generation module for generating feature patterns of the subject and an estimation module for tracking the feature patterns generated by the generation module.

9. The method of claim 8, further comprising:

calculating, by the estimation module, a motion vector of each of the feature patterns;

accumulating, by the estimation module, the motion vectors calculated by the estimation module in a Hough space; and

extracting, by the estimation module, initial motion information of the camera module and the subject.

10. The method of claim 9, further comprising, calculating, by a motion elaboration module within the initialization unit, an initial motion of the subject based on additional information obtained by extending the feature patterns.

11. The method of claim 10, further comprising:

improving, by a background elaboration module within the motion elaboration module, an accuracy of an initial motion vector of the camera module based on the additional information;

restricting, by a search area restriction module within the motion elaboration module, a target area in an image, a motion of which is to be calculated; and

improving, by a subject elaboration module within the motion elaboration module, an accuracy of each selected subject based on the additional information.

12. The method of claim 9, further comprising:

dividing, by an extraction module within the generation module, an input image into multiple non-overlapping blocks, and then determining an initial pattern representing each of the non-overlapping blocks; and

selecting, by a selection module within the generation module, from the initial patterns, a key feature pattern for selecting initial patterns having a large motion.

13. The method of claim 12, wherein the initial patterns selected by the selection module are located in a boundary of the subject.

14. The method of claim 9, further comprising:

calculating, by a background motion detection module within the estimation module, motion information of a background other than the subject; and

calculating, by a subject motion detection module within the estimation module, an initial motion of the subject.