Method of calibrating an image signal processor to overcome lens effects

• US 9,414,052 B2
• Filed: 06/10/2014
• Issued: 08/09/2016
• Est. Priority Date: 04/16/2009
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: NVIDIA Corporation
• Original Assignee: NVIDIA Corporation
• Inventors: Lamburn, Elena, Cabral, Brian, He, Hu, Takemoto, Sohei
• Primary Examiner(s): Vieaux, Gary C
• Application Number:
  US14/301,253
• Publication Number:
  US 20140293066A1
• Time in Patent Office: 791 Days
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: G06T 17/30 Polynomial surface description
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 17/00 Diagnosis, testing or measuring for television systems or their details
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 25/61 the noise originating only from the lens unit, e.g. flare, shading, vignetting or "cos4"

Abstract

A system and method for correcting image data. Embodiments of the present invention provide calibration and image correction to overcome various lens effects including lens shading and lens imperfections. In one embodiment, the correction of image data is performed via utilization of a spline surface (e.g., Bezier surface). The use of spline surfaces facilitates efficient hardware implementation. The image correction may be performed on a per channel and illumination type basis. In another embodiment, the present invention provides a method for determine a spline surface to be used for calibrating an image signal processor to be used in correcting image data.

Claims

1. A method of calibrating an image signal processor, said method comprising:

passing light from a uniform field through a lens;

sampling light passing through said lens with a digital optical sensor;

determining a plurality of reciprocal values for a plurality of sensor locations; and

determining a plurality of control points based on said reciprocal values, wherein said plurality of control points define a surface based on said plurality of reciprocal values and wherein said surface is operable to be used for correcting a subsequent image detected by said digital optical sensor using said lens.

2. A method as described in claim 1 wherein said surface is a Bezier surface comprising a plurality of patches.

3. A method as described in claim 2 wherein said Bezier surface is bi-cubic in form.

4. A method as described in claim 2 wherein a portion of said control points are located within a boundary of a Bezier patch of said Bezier surface and are shared between Bezier patches of said Bezier surface.

5. A method as described in claim 1 wherein said plurality of control points are determined on a per channel basis.

6. A method as described in claim 1 wherein said plurality of control points are determined on an illumination type basis.

7. A method of calibrating an image signal processor, said method comprising:

passing light from a source through a lens, wherein said light is of a particular channel;

sampling light passing through said lens with a digital optical sensor;

determining a plurality of reciprocal values for a plurality of sensor locations;

determining a plurality of control points of said particular channel based on said reciprocal values, wherein said plurality of control points define a surface based on said plurality of reciprocal values and wherein said surface is operable to be used for correcting a subsequent image detected by said digital optical sensor using said lens; and

storing said plurality of control points within a computer readable memory unit.

8. A method as described in claim 7 wherein said surface is a Bezier surface comprising a plurality of patches.

9. A method as described in claim 8 wherein said Bezier surface is bi-cubic in form.

10. A method as described in claim 8 wherein a portion of said control points are located within a boundary of a Bezier patch of said Bezier surface and are shared between Bezier patches of said Bezier surface.

11. A method as described in claim 7 wherein said plurality of control points are determined on an illumination type basis.

12. A method of calibrating an image signal processor, said method comprising:

passing light from a source through a lens, wherein said light is of a first channel and a second channel;

sampling light passing through said lens with a digital optical sensor;

determining a plurality of reciprocal values for a plurality of sensor locations;

determining a first plurality of control points of said first channel based on said reciprocal values, wherein said first plurality of control points define a first surface based on said plurality of reciprocal values and wherein said first surface is operable to be used for correcting a subsequent image detected by said digital optical sensor using said lens;

determining a second plurality of control points of said second channel based on said reciprocal values, wherein said second plurality of control points define a second surface based on said plurality of reciprocal values and wherein said second surface is operable to be used for correcting a subsequent image detected by said digital optical sensor using said lens; and

storing said first and second plurality of control points within a computer readable memory unit.

13. A method as described in claim 12 wherein said first and second surfaces are each a Bezier surface comprising a plurality of patches.

14. A method as described in claim 13 wherein said Bezier surface is bi-cubic in form.

15. A method as described in claim 13 wherein a portion of said control points are located within a boundary of a Bezier patch of said Bezier surface and are shared between Bezier patches of said Bezier surface.