Methods, apparatuses, systems, and computer program products for high dynamic range imaging

• US 8,547,443 B2
• Filed: 10/31/2011
• Issued: 10/01/2013
• Est. Priority Date: 10/23/2007
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: AT&T Intellectual Property I LP (AT&T, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: AT&T Intellectual Property I LP (AT&T, Inc.)
• Inventors: Tischer, Steven
• Primary Examiner(s): Ho, Tuan
• Assistant Examiner(s): LE, QUANG V
• Application Number:
  US13/285,308
• Publication Number:
  US 20120044329A1
• Time in Patent Office: 701 Days
• Field of Search: 348 46- 48, 348/218.1, 348/207.1, 348/159, 396/325
• US Class Current: 348/218.1
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/21805 enabling multiple viewpoints, e.g. using a plurality of cameras
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 23/70 Circuitry for compensating brightness variation in the scene
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 5/765 Interface circuits between an apparatus for recording and another apparatus
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 5/772 the recording apparatus and the television camera being placed in the same enclosure

Abstract

High dynamic range imaging includes creating a high dynamic range image file for a subject image captured from a first angle. The high dynamic range image file is created by an image capturing device and is stored on the image capturing device. High dynamic range imaging also includes receiving, at the image capturing device over a communications network, a second high dynamic range image file for the subject image captured from a second angle. The second high dynamic range image file is subject to an authorization requirement. High dynamic range imaging further includes creating, by the image capturing device, a composite high dynamic range image file by combining elements of both of the high dynamic range image files, and generating, by the first image capturing device, a three-dimensional high dynamic range image from the composite high dynamic range image file.

Claims

1. A method for high dynamic range imaging, comprising:

creating a first high dynamic range image file for a subject image captured from a first angle, the first high dynamic range image file created by a first image capturing device and stored on the first image capturing device;

receiving, at the first image capturing device over a communications network, a second high dynamic range image file for the subject image captured from a second angle, the second high dynamic range image file subject to an authorization requirement prior to the receiving;

creating, by the first image capturing device, a first composite high dynamic range image file by combining elements of the first high dynamic range image file with elements of the second high dynamic range image file; and

generating, by the first image capturing device, a first three-dimensional high dynamic range image from the first composite high dynamic range image file.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the first high dynamic range image file and the second high dynamic range image file are captured at a first time increment, the method further comprising:

creating a third high dynamic range image file for the subject image captured from the first angle, at a second time increment;

creating a second composite high dynamic range image file by combining elements of the third high dynamic range image file with elements of a fourth high dynamic range image file for the subject image captured from the second angle at the second time increment; and

concatenating the first composite high dynamic range image file with the second composite high dynamic range image file to produce a high dynamic range motion video.

3. The method of claim 2, further comprising:

storing the high dynamic range motion video on the first image capturing device;

wherein the second high dynamic range image file is received from a second image capturing device.

4. The method of claim 2, wherein the first high dynamic range image file is created by:

successively capturing multiple instances of the subject image at varying exposure levels, such that each of the instances includes elements that are over-exposed, under-exposed, and elements having light intensity levels and contrast ratios that substantially approximate the light intensity levels and contrast ratios seen by a human eye;

for each of the elements, selecting an instance from each of the multiple instances in which the element has an intensity level and contrast ratio that substantially approximates the light intensity levels and contrast ratios seen by a human eye; and

combining selected instances to form the first high dynamic range image file.

5. The method of claim 4, wherein the selected instances are combined using data retrieved from captured instances of the subject image, including date and time of the captured instances, aperture, shutter speed, and error correction information, the method further comprising:

mapping the data among corresponding instances of the subject image.

6. The method of claim 2, wherein the second high dynamic range image file is received at the first image capturing device over the communications network, such that the first three-dimensional high dynamic range image reflects the subject image at the first time increment.

7. An image capturing device for implementing high dynamic range imaging, the image capturing device comprising:

a sensor array for receiving luminance data for a subject image;

a liquid lens for managing focal depth of elements of the subject image;

a filter for processing chrominance data for the subject image;

a computer processor in communication with the sensor array, liquid lens, and the filter; and

a high dynamic range imaging application executing on the computer processor, the high dynamic range imaging application implementing a method, comprising;

receiving image data for the subject image from the sensor array, the filter, and the liquid lens, the image data including the luminance data, the focal depth, and the chrominance data;

creating a first high dynamic range image file for the subject image using the image data, the subject image captured from a first angle using the image data, the high dynamic range image file stored on the image capturing device;

receiving, at the computer processor over a communications network, a second high dynamic range image file for the subject image, the subject image of the second high dynamic range file captured from a second angle, the second high dynamic range image file subject to an authorization requirement prior to the receiving;

creating a first composite high dynamic range image file by combining elements of the first high dynamic range image file with elements of the second high dynamic range image file; and

generating a first three-dimensional high dynamic range image from the first composite high dynamic range image file.

8. The image capturing device of claim 7, wherein the first high dynamic range image file and the second high dynamic range image file are captured at a first time increment, the high dynamic range imaging application further implementing:

creating a third high dynamic range image file for the subject image, the subject image of the third high dynamic range image file captured from the first angle, at a second time increment;

creating a second composite high dynamic range image file by combining elements of the third high dynamic range image file with elements of a fourth high dynamic range image file for the subject image, the subject image of the fourth high dynamic range image file captured from the second angle at the second time increment; and

concatenating the first composite high dynamic range image file with the second composite high dynamic range image file to produce an high dynamic range motion video.

9. The image capturing device of claim 8, wherein the high dynamic range imaging application further implements:

storing the high dynamic range motion video on the image capturing device;

wherein the second high dynamic range image file is received from a second image capturing device.

10. The image capturing device of claim 8, wherein the first and second high dynamic range image files are respectively created by:

successively capturing multiple instances of the subject image at varying exposure levels, such that each of the instances includes elements that are over-exposed, under-exposed, and elements having light intensity levels and contrast ratios that substantially approximate the light intensity levels and contrast ratios seen by a human eye;

for each of the elements, selecting an instance from each of the multiple instances in which the element has a light intensity level and contrast ratio that substantially approximates the light intensity level and contrast ratio seen by a human eye; and

combining selected instances to form respective first and second high dynamic range image files.

11. The image capturing device of claim 10, wherein the selected instances are combined using data retrieved from captured instances of the subject image, including date and time of the captured instances, aperture, shutter speed, and error correction information, the method further comprising:

mapping the data among corresponding instances of the subject image.

12. The image capturing device of claim 8, wherein the second high dynamic range image file is received at the computer processor over the communications network, such that the first three-dimensional high dynamic range image reflects the subject image at the first time increment.

13. A computer program product stored on a non-transitory computer readable storage medium for high dynamic range imaging, the computer program product including instructions for causing a computer to implement a method, comprising:

creating a first high dynamic range image file for a subject image captured from a first angle, the first high dynamic range image file created by a first image capturing device and stored on the first image capturing device;

receiving, at the first image capturing device over a communications network, a second high dynamic range image file for the subject image captured from a second angle, the second high dynamic range image file subject to an authorization requirement prior to the receiving;

creating, by the first image capturing device, a first composite high dynamic range image file by combining elements of the first high dynamic range image file with elements of the second high dynamic range image file; and

generating, by the first image capturing device, a first three-dimensional high dynamic range image from the first composite high dynamic range image file.

14. The computer program product of claim 13, wherein the first high dynamic range image file and the second high dynamic range image file are captured at a first time increment, the method further comprising:

creating a third high dynamic range image file for the subject image captured from the first angle, at a second time increment;

creating a second composite high dynamic range image file by combining elements of the third high dynamic range image file with elements of a fourth high dynamic range image file for the subject image captured from the second angle at the second time increment; and

concatenating the first composite high dynamic range image file with the second composite high dynamic range image file to produce a high dynamic range motion video.

15. The computer program product of claim 14, further comprising instructions for performing:

storing the high dynamic range motion video on the first image capturing device;

wherein the second high dynamic range image file is received from a second image capturing device.

16. The computer program product of claim 14, wherein the first high dynamic range image file is created by:

successively capturing multiple instances of the subject at varying exposure levels, such that each of the instances includes elements that are over-exposed, under-exposed, and elements having light intensity levels and contrast ratios that substantially approximate the light intensity levels and the contrast ratios seen by a human eye;

for each of the elements, selecting an instance from each of the multiple instances in which the element has an intensity level and contrast ratio that is substantially approximate the light intensity level and the contrast ratio seen by a human eye; and

combining selected instances to form the first high dynamic range image file.

17. The computer program product of claim 16, wherein the selected instances are combined using data retrieved from captured instances of the subject image, including date and time of the captured instances, aperture, shutter speed, and error correction information, the method further comprising:

mapping the data among corresponding instances of the subject image.

18. The computer program product of claim 14, wherein the second high dynamic range image file is received at the first image capturing device over a communications network, such that the first three-dimensional high dynamic range image reflects the subject image at the first time increment.