Imaging device and method, and image processing method for imaging device

• US 8,520,081 B2
• Filed: 01/25/2011
• Issued: 08/27/2013
• Est. Priority Date: 02/12/2010
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Dolby International AB (Dolby Laboratories Incorporated)
• Original Assignee: Panasonic Corporation (Panasonic Holdings Corporation)
• Inventors: Ishii, Yasunori, Monobe, Yusuke
• Primary Examiner(s): Tran, Nhan T
• Assistant Examiner(s): Wang, Xi
• Application Number:
  US13/260,597
• Publication Number:
  US 20120033094A1
• Time in Patent Office: 945 Days
• Field of Search: 348/208.99, 348/208.4, 348/208.6, 348/208.12, 348/208.13, 348335-357, 396/55
• US Class Current: 348/208.12
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 27/646 compensating for small deviations, e.g. due to vibration or shake movement of one or more optical elements for control of motion blur in cameras, projectors or printers G03B2205/0007; image stabilisation in cameras peculiar to the presence or use of an electronic image sensor H04N23/68
• CPC Class Codes: G06T 2207/20201 Motion blur correction
• CPC Class Codes: G06T 5/73 Deblurring; Sharpening
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 1/4092 Edge or detail enhancement
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 23/45 for generating image signals from two or more image sensors being of different type or operating in different modes, e.g. with a CMOS sensor for moving images in combination with a charge-coupled device [CCD] for still images
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 23/60 Control of cameras or camera modules
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 23/683 performed by a processor, e.g. controlling the readout of an image memory

Abstract

An image capture device of the present invention includes: a first image capture element 10A and a second image capture element 10B; and an optical system which is capable of forming a first image which is in focus on an image capture plane of the first image capture element 10A and forming a second image which is out of focus on an image capture plane of the second image capture element 10B. An image processing section 220 processes a signal obtained from the first image capture element 10A and a signal obtained from the second image capture element 10B and produces a restored image from an image obtained by the second image capture element 10B, the restored image having reduced camera shake blur and reduced out-of-focus blur.

Claims

1. An image capture device, comprising:

a first image capture element and a second image capture element;

an optical system which is capable of forming a first image which is in focus on an image capture plane of the first image capture element and forming a second image which is out of focus on an image capture plane of the second image capture element; and

an image processing section for processing a first signal obtained from the first image capture element and a second signal obtained from the second image capture element,

wherein the image processing section is configured to add the first signal and the second signal to generate a signal of a degraded image, and is configured to produce a restored image from the signal of the degraded image, the restored image having reduced camera shake blur and reduced out-of-focus blur.

2. The image capture device of claim 1, further comprising a memory for storing a point spread function which defines out-of-focus blur in the second image capture element, wherein

the image processing section retrieves from the memory a point spread function which defines out-of-focus blur caused during image capture and uses the retrieved point spread function for production of the restored image.

3. The image capture device of claim 1, wherein the optical system includes

a focus lens, and

a beam splitter for splitting light transmitted through the focus lens into two beams traveling in directions,

wherein one of the split beams enters the first image capture element while the other enters the second image capture element.

4. The image capture device of claim 3, wherein an optical distance from the focus lens to the first image capture element is different from an optical distance from the focus lens to the second image capture element.

5. The image capture device of claim 1, wherein the optical system includes

a beam splitter for splitting incoming light into two beams traveling in different directions,

a first focus lens for condensing one of the split beams on the first image capture element, and

a second focus lens for condensing the other one of the split beams on the second image capture element.

6. The image capture device of claim 1, further comprising a display section,

wherein an image obtained by the first image capture element is displayed in the display section.

7. A non-transitory computer-readable medium storing a program for controlling an operation of an image capture device, the image capture device including a first image capture element and a second image capture element, an optical system which is capable of forming a first image which is in focus on an image capture plane of the first image capture element and forming a second image which is out of focus on an image capture plane of the second image capture element, and an image processing section for processing a first signal obtained from the first image capture element and a second signal obtained from the second image capture element, the program comprising the steps of:

controlling the optical system to form a first image which is in focus on the image capture plane of the first image capture element and a second image which is out of focus on the image capture plane of the second image capture element; and

instructing the image processing section to add the first signal and the second signal to generate a signal of a degraded image, and to produce a restored image from the signal of the degraded image, the restored image having reduced camera shake blur and reduced out-of-focus blur.

8. An image processing method for an image capture device, the image capture device including a first image capture element and a second image capture element, an optical system which is capable of forming a first image which is in focus on an image capture plane of the first image capture element and forming a second image which is out of focus on an image capture plane of the second image capture element, and an image processing section for processing a first signal obtained from the first image capture element and a second signal obtained from the second image capture element, the method comprising the steps of:

controlling the optical system to form a first image which is in focus on the image capture plane of the first image capture element and a second image which is out of focus on the image capture plane of the second image capture element; and

instructing the image processing section to add the first signal and the second signal to generate a signal of a degraded image, and to produce a restored image from the signal of the degraded image, the restored image having reduced camera shake blur and reduced out-of-focus blur.

9. An image processing method for an image capture device, the image capture device including a first image capture element and a second image capture element, an optical system and an image processing section for processing a first signal obtained from the first image capture element and a second signal obtained from the second image capture element, the method comprising the steps of:

controlling the optical system to form a first image which is out of focus on an image capture plane of the first image capture element and a second image which is out of focus on an image capture plane of the second image capture element; and

instructing the image processing section to add the first signal and the second signal to generate a signal of a degraded image, and to produce a restored image from the signal of the degraded image, the restored image having reduced camera shake blur and reduced out-of-focus blur.