Method and system for image construction using multiple exposures
First Claim
1. A method comprising:
- exposing a projected image on an image sensor of an imaging system during at least part of an exposure period for attaining at least two exposures;
sensing movement of the imaging system, during the exposure period, in order to determine an amount of movement of the imaging system relative to an initial position of the imaging system in the exposure period; and
constructing an image based on at least a first exposure and a second exposure, wherein the first exposure is attained during a first time period, within the exposure period, in which the determined amount of movement of the imaging system is within a predetermined movement range relative to the initial position of the imaging system, the second exposure is attained during a second time period, within the exposure period, in which the determined amount of movement of the imaging system is within the predetermined movement range relative to the initial position of the imaging system, and between the first time period and the second time period there is a third time period in which the determined amount of movement of the imaging system is outside the predetermined movement range relative to the initial position of the imaging system.
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Accused Products
Abstract
A motion sensor is used to sense the movement of the camera during an exposure period. The camera has an image sensor to form one or more exposures. When the movement is within a certain range, the exposures are used to provide one or more frames so that an image can be constructed based on the frames. In one embodiment, the exposure period is divided into several short intervals in order to capture several image frames and only the image frames captured when the position of the camera is within a predetermined range are used to form the final image. The exposure time for each frame is small in order to reduce the motion blur degradation of the individual frames. If the camera is stable and substantially stationary relative to the scene, then all or many of the shorter frames are used to form the final image.
15 Citations
42 Claims
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1. A method comprising:
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exposing a projected image on an image sensor of an imaging system during at least part of an exposure period for attaining at least two exposures; sensing movement of the imaging system, during the exposure period, in order to determine an amount of movement of the imaging system relative to an initial position of the imaging system in the exposure period; and constructing an image based on at least a first exposure and a second exposure, wherein the first exposure is attained during a first time period, within the exposure period, in which the determined amount of movement of the imaging system is within a predetermined movement range relative to the initial position of the imaging system, the second exposure is attained during a second time period, within the exposure period, in which the determined amount of movement of the imaging system is within the predetermined movement range relative to the initial position of the imaging system, and between the first time period and the second time period there is a third time period in which the determined amount of movement of the imaging system is outside the predetermined movement range relative to the initial position of the imaging system. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8)
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9. An imaging system comprising:
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an image sensor configured to attain at least a first exposure and a second exposure during an exposure period; a movement sensor configured to sense movement of the imaging system, during the exposure period, in order to enable an amount of movement of the imaging system to be determined, relative to an initial position of the imaging system in the exposure period; and a processor configured to construct an image based on at least the first exposure and the second exposure, wherein the first exposure is attained during a first time period, within the exposure period, in which the determined amount of movement of the imaging system is within a predetermined movement range relative to the initial position of the imaging system, the second exposure is attained during a second time period, within the exposure period, in which the determined amount of movement of the imaging system is within the predetermined movement range relative to the initial position of the imaging system, and between the first time period and the second time period there is a third time period in which the determined amount of movement of the imaging system is outside the predetermined movement range relative to the initial position of the imaging system. - View Dependent Claims (10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16)
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17. An imaging system, comprising:
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means for sensing an image; means for exposing a projected image on the image sensing means during an exposure period so as to allow the image sensing means to attain at least two exposures; means for sensing movement of the imaging system, during the exposure period, in order to determine an amount of movement of the imaging system relative to an initial position of the imaging system in the exposure period; and means for constructing an image based on at least a first exposure and a second exposure, wherein the first exposure is attained during a first time period, within the exposure period, in which the determined amount of movement of the imaging system is within a predetermined movement range relative to the initial position of the imaging system, the second exposure is attained during a second time period, within the exposure period, in which the determined amount of movement of the imaging system is within the predetermined movement range relative to the initial position of the imaging system, and between the first time period and the second time period there is a third time period in which the determined amount of movement of the imaging system is outside the predetermined movement range relative to the initial position of the imaging system. - View Dependent Claims (18, 19, 20)
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21. A method for constructing an image, comprising:
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beginning an exposure cycle when a shutter button activation of an imaging system is detected; sensing movement of the imaging system during the exposure cycle for obtaining an amount of movement of the imaging system relative to an initial position of the imaging system; capturing a plurality of frames of a same scene during the exposure cycle; for each captured frame of the plurality of captured frames; determining whether a corresponding amount of movement of the imaging system during the capturing is within a predetermined movement range; responsive to a determination that the corresponding amount of movement is within the predetermined movement range, labeling the captured frame of the same scene with a first identifier, the first identifier indicating that the captured frame is not to be discarded; and responsive to a determination that the corresponding amount of movement is not within the predetermined movement range, labeling the captured frame of the same scene with a second identifier, the second identifier indicating that the captured frame is to be discarded; and constructing an image of the same scene based on at least one captured frame of the same scene that is labeled with the first identifier after discarding at least one captured frame of the same scene that is labeled with the second identifier. - View Dependent Claims (22, 23, 24)
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25. A method for constructing an image, comprising:
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beginning an exposure cycle when a shutter button activation of an imaging system is detected; sensing movement of the imaging system during the exposure cycle for obtaining an amount of movement of the imaging system relative to a fixed reference point; controlling the imaging system such that an image sensor is effectively exposed when the amount of movement of the imaging system is within a predetermined movement range relative to the fixed reference point, the image sensor is not effectively exposed when the amount of movement of the imaging system is not within the predetermined movement range relative to the fixed reference point, and the image sensor is effectively re-exposed when the amount of movement of the imaging system is back within the predetermined movement range relative to the fixed reference point; and constructing an image based at least one exposure, each exposure obtained when the image sensor is one of exposed and re-exposed during the exposure cycle. - View Dependent Claims (26, 27, 28, 29, 30, 31)
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32. An imaging system, comprising:
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a movement sensor for sensing movement of the imaging system during an exposure cycle to obtain an amount of movement of the imaging system relative to an initial position of the imaging system, the initial position determined a beginning of the exposure cycle, and the exposure cycle beginning when a shutter button activation of the imaging system is detected; an image sensor for capturing a plurality of frames of a same scene during the exposure cycle; a processor is configured, for each captured frame of the plurality of captured frames, to; determine whether a corresponding amount of movement of the imaging system during the capturing is within a predetermined movement range; responsive to a determination that the corresponding amount of movement is within the predetermined movement range, label the captured frame of the same scene with a first identifier, the first identifier indicating that the captured frame is not to be discarded; and responsive to a determination that the corresponding amount of movement is not within the predetermined movement range, label the captured frame of the same scene with a second identifier, the second identifier indicating that the captured frame is to be discarded; and control an overall operation of the imaging system and construct an image of the same scene based on at least one captured frame of the same scene that is labeled with the first identifier after discarding at least one captured frame of the same scene that is labeled with the second identifier. - View Dependent Claims (33, 34, 35)
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36. An imaging system, comprising:
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a movement sensor for sensing movement of the imaging system during an exposure cycle to obtain an amount of movement of the imaging system relative to a fixed reference point, the exposure cycle beginning when a shutter button activation of the imaging system is detected; a processor configured to; control the imaging system such that that an image sensor is effectively exposed when the amount of movement of the imaging system relative to the fixed reference point is within a predetermined movement range, the image sensor is not effectively exposed when the amount of movement of the imaging system relative to the fixed reference point is not within the predetermined movement range, and the image sensor is effectively re-exposed when the amount of movement of the imaging system relative to the fixed reference point is back within the predetermined movement range, and construct an image based at least one exposure, each exposure obtained when the image sensor is one of exposed and re-exposed during the exposure cycle. - View Dependent Claims (37, 38, 39, 40, 41, 42)
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Specification