Image capturing apparatus and camera shake correction method, and computer-readable medium

• US 8,581,992 B2
• Filed: 05/13/2011
• Issued: 11/12/2013
• Est. Priority Date: 05/14/2010
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Casio Computer Company Limited
• Original Assignee: Casio Computer Company Limited
• Inventors: Hamada, Akira
• Primary Examiner(s): Tran, Nhan T
• Application Number:
  US13/107,136
• Publication Number:
  US 20110279693A1
• Time in Patent Office: 914 Days
• Field of Search: 348/208.4, 348/208.6, 348/208.13, 348/277, 348/223.1, 348/229.1, 348/362, 348/297, 382/276, 382/279
• US Class Current: 348/208.4
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 23/68 for stable pick-up of the scene, e.g. compensating for camera body vibrations
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 25/00 Circuitry of solid-state image sensors [SSIS]; Control thereof

Abstract

An image capturing apparatus includes: an image capturing unit capturing an image of an object; an image capture controller that causes the image capturing unit to capture first color component images having a first color component by multi-shot exposure, and causes the image capturing unit to capture second and third color component images, a displacement information acquiring unit that acquires displacement information; an image adding unit that aligns and adds the first color component images based on the displacement information to generate an added image; a calculator that calculates a first point spread function based on the displacement information; a first correcting unit that corrects the second and third color component images using the first point spread function; and a combining unit that combines the added image with the corrected second and third color component images.

Claims

1. An image capturing apparatus comprising:

an image capturing unit configured to capture an image of an object;

an image capture controller configured to;

(i) cause the image capturing unit to capture a plurality of first color component images of the object by multi-shot exposure within a given exposure time at the time of image shooting, wherein each of the first color component images has a first color component; and

(ii) causing the image capturing unit to capture a second color component image of the object and a third color component image of the object by a one-shot exposure within the given exposure time, wherein the second color component image and the third color component image have color components different from the first color component, respectively;

a displacement information acquiring unit configured to;

(i) set one of the first color component images as a reference image; and

(ii) acquire displacement information of the object in the first color component images other than the reference image, with respect to the object in the reference image;

an image adding unit configured to align and add the first color component images based on the displacement information so as to generate an added image;

a calculator configured to calculate a first point spread function (PSF) based on the displacement information;

a first correcting unit configured to correct the second and third color component images using the first point spread function; and

a combining unit configured to combine the added image with the corrected second and third color component images.

2. The apparatus according to claim 1, further comprising:

a second correcting unit configured to;

(i) estimate second point spread functions (PSF) for the first color component images, wherein each of the second point spread functions represents a trace of motion blur induced by camera shake at the time of image shooting; and

(ii) correct each of the first color component images using the second the point spread functions,

wherein the calculator is configured to calculate a new first point spread function (PSF) for the second and third color component images, based on the displacement information and the second point spread functions, wherein the new first point spread function represents a trace of motion blur induced by camera shake at the time of the image shooting.

3. The apparatus according to claim 1, further comprising:

a color information acquiring unit configured to acquire color information of the object; and

a setting unit configured to select the first color component based on the color information,

wherein each of the first color component images has the first color component selected by the setting unit.

4. The apparatus according to claim 3, further comprising:

a determining unit configured to determine a type of a light source in an image shooting environment based on the color information,

wherein the setting unit is configured to select the first color component in accordance with the type of the light source.

5. The apparatus according to claim 3, wherein the first color component is dominant in the color information of the object.

6. The apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the image capturing unit is a single-plate solid-state image sensing device comprising:

a plurality of first photoelectric conversion elements each having the first color component;

a plurality of second photoelectric conversion elements each having the second color component; and

a plurality of third photoelectric conversion elements each having the third color component,

wherein the image capture controller is configured to;

(i) cause the plurality of first photoelectric conversion elements to capture the first color component images of the object by the multi-shot exposure within the given exposure time at the time of image shooting;

(ii) cause the plurality of second photoelectric conversion elements to capture the second color component image of the object by the one-shot exposure within the given exposure time; and

(iii) cause the plurality of third photoelectric conversion elements to capture the third color component image of the object by the one-shot exposure within the given exposure time.

7. A camera shake correction method comprising

(a) capturing an image of an object;

(b) capturing a plurality of first color component images of the object by multi-shot exposure within a given exposure time at the time of image shooting, wherein each of the first color component images has a first color component;

(c) capturing a second color component image of the object and a third color component image of the object by a one-shot exposure within the given exposure time, wherein the second and third color component images have color components different from the first color component, respectively;

(d) setting one of the first color component images as a reference image;

(e) acquiring displacement information of the object in the first color component images other than the reference image, with respect to the object in the reference image;

(f) aligning and adding the first color component images based on the displacement information so as to generate an added image;

(g) calculating a first point spread function (PSF) based on the displacement information;

(h) correcting the second and third color component images using the first point spread function; and

(i) combining the added image with the corrected second and third color component images.

8. A computer-readable medium storing a program for causing the computer to perform operations comprising:

(a) capturing an image of an object;

(b) capturing a plurality of first color component images of the object by multi-shot exposure within a given exposure time at the time of image shooting, wherein each of the first color component images has a first color component;

(c) capturing a second color component image of the object and a third color component image of the object by a one-shot exposure within the given exposure time, wherein the second and third color component images have color components different from the first color component, respectively;

(d) setting one of the first color component images as a reference image;

(e) acquiring displacement information of the object in the first color component images excluding the reference image, with respect to the object in the reference image;

(f) aligning and adding the first color component images based on the displacement information so as to generate an added image;

(g) calculating a first point spread function (PSF) based on the displacement information;

(h) correcting the second and third color component images using the first point spread function; and

(i) combining the added image with the corrected second and third color component images.