Image capture device having tilt and/or perspective correction

• US 9,565,364 B2
• Filed: 08/17/2015
• Issued: 02/07/2017
• Est. Priority Date: 12/22/2009
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Apple Inc.
• Original Assignee: Apple Inc.
• Inventors: Chen, Jason Hau-Ping, Slack, Brandon Dean, Simon, David I.
• Primary Examiner(s): Nguyen, Luong T
• Application Number:
  US14/828,448
• Publication Number:
  US 20150358551A1
• Time in Patent Office: 540 Days
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 23/635 Region indicators; Field of view indicators
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 23/68 for stable pick-up of the scene, e.g. compensating for camera body vibrations
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 23/6815 by distinguishing pan or tilt from motion

Abstract

Methods and apparatuses are disclosed to correct for tilt and/or perspective distortion in image capture devices. In some embodiments, the method may include reading an orientation measurement associated with a relative position of an image capture device with respect to an object, determining if the orientation measurement is less than a threshold, and in the event that the orientation measurement is less than the threshold, correcting an image obtained by the image capture device. In some embodiments, the apparatus may include an image sensor, a memory coupled to the image sensor, an orientation measurement device coupled to the image sensor, and a distance measurement device coupled to the image sensor, where the image data may be stored in the memory along with a measurement from the accelerometer and along with a measurement from the distance measurement device.

Claims

1. A method comprising:

obtaining an orientation measurement representing a physical orientation of an image capture device during an image display operation, wherein a displayed image comprises data representative of a scene;

identifying one or more straight edges in the data corresponding to straight edges in the scene;

determining a difference based, at least in part, on the measured orientation of the image capture device and an orientation of at least one of the one or more straight edges in the data; and

displaying a distortion indicator with the displayed image when the difference is less than a threshold value.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein obtaining the orientation measurement of the image capture device comprises obtaining the orientation measurement of the image capture device along each of one or more axes relative to the image capture device.

3. The method of claim 2, wherein determining the difference comprises determining the difference based, at least in part, on the measured orientation of the image capture device along a first axis of the one or more axes and an orientation of at least one of the one or more straight edges in the data along the first axis.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein displaying a distortion indicator with the displayed image comprises displaying the distortion indicator along at least one of one or more axes relative to the image capture device.

5. The method of claim 2, further comprising receiving input to modify the data, wherein modifying the data comprises modifying the data so that the orientation of the at least one of the one or more straight edges in the data is aligned with the measured orientation of the image capture device.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein the distortion indicator provides a visual indication of the level of distortion such that the physical orientation of the image capture device may be altered to correct for the distortion.

7. The method of claim 1, wherein the distortion indicator provides a visual indication of an action to change the physical orientation of the image capture device.

8. A non-transitory program storage device, readable by a processor and comprising instructions stored thereon to cause one or more processors to:

obtain an orientation measurement representing a physical orientation of an image capture device during an image display operation, wherein a displayed image comprises data representative of a scene;

identify one or more straight edges in the data corresponding to straight edges in the scene;

determine a difference based, at least in part, on the measured orientation of the image capture device and an orientation of at least one of the one or more straight edges in the data; and

display a distortion indicator with the displayed image when the difference is less than a threshold value.

9. The non-transitory program storage device of claim 8, wherein the instructions to cause the one or more processors to obtain the orientation measurement of the image capture device comprise instructions to cause the one or more processors to obtain the orientation measurement of the image capture device along each of one or more axes relative to the image capture device.

10. The non-transitory program storage device of claim 9, wherein the instructions to cause the one or more processors to determine the difference comprise instructions to cause the one or more processors to determine the difference based, at least in part, on the measured orientation of the image capture device along a first axis of the one or more axes and an orientation of at least one of the one or more straight edges in the data along the first axis.

11. The non-transitory program storage device of claim 8, wherein the instructions to cause the one or more processors to display a distortion indicator with the displayed image comprise instructions to cause the one or more processors to display the distortion indicator along at least one of one or more axes relative to the image capture device.

12. The non-transitory program storage device of claim 9, wherein the instructions further comprise instructions to cause the one or more processors to receive input to modify the data, wherein modifying the data comprises modifying the data so that the orientation of the at least one of the one or more straight edges in the data is aligned with the measured orientation of the image capture device.

13. The non-transitory program storage device of claim 8, wherein the distortion indicator provides a visual indication of the level of distortion such that the physical orientation of the image capture device may be altered to correct for the distortion.

14. The non-transitory program storage device of claim 8, wherein the distortion indicator provides a visual indication of an action to change the physical orientation of the image capture device.

15. An image capture device comprising:

an image sensor;

a lens assembly configured to focus light from a scene onto the image sensor;

a sensor coupled to the image capture device;

a display unit;

a memory coupled to the image sensor and the display unit; and

one or more processors coupled to the sensor, the display unit, and the memory and programmed to execute instructions stored in the memory to cause the one or more processors to;

obtain an orientation measurement representing a physical orientation of the image capture device during an image display operation, wherein a displayed image comprises data representative of a scene;

identify one or more straight edges in the data corresponding to straight edges in the scene;

determine a difference based, at least in part, on the measured orientation of the image capture device and an orientation of at least one of the one or more straight edges in the data; and

display a distortion indicator with the displayed image when the difference is less than a threshold value.

16. The image capture device of claim 15, wherein the instructions to cause the one or more processors to obtain the orientation measurement of the image capture device comprise instructions to cause the one or more processors to obtain the orientation measurement of the image capture device along each of one or more axes relative to the image capture device.

17. The image capture device of claim 16, wherein the instructions to cause the one or more processors to determine the difference comprise instructions to cause the one or more processors to determine the difference based, at least in part, on the measured orientation of the image capture device along a first axis of the one or more axes and an orientation of at least one of the one or more straight edges in the data along the first axis.

18. The image capture device of claim 15, wherein the instructions to cause the one or more processors to display a distortion indicator with the displayed image comprise instructions to cause the one or more processors to display the distortion indicator along at least one of one or more axes relative to the image capture device.

19. The image capture device of claim 15, wherein the distortion indicator provides a visual indication of the level of distortion such that the physical orientation of the image capture device may be altered to correct for the distortion.

20. The image capture device of claim 15, wherein the distortion indicator provides a visual indication of an action to change the physical orientation of the image capture device.