Apparatus for correcting motion blur

• US 10,205,876 B2
• Filed: 04/25/2016
• Issued: 02/12/2019
• Est. Priority Date: 03/25/2011
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Gary S. Shuster
• Original Assignee: Gary S. Shuster
• Inventors: Shuster, Gary Stephen
• Primary Examiner(s): Jerabek, Kelly L
• Application Number:
  US15/138,110
• Publication Number:
  US 20160241780A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,023 Days
• CPC Class Codes: G01B 11/22 for measuring depth
• CPC Class Codes: G01B 11/24 for measuring contours or curvatures
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 7/32 using active means, e.g. light emitter including both an active and a passive focus detecting device G02B7/285; using ultrasound G02B7/40
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 13/236 using varifocal lenses or mirrors
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 13/271 wherein the generated image signals comprise depth maps or disparity maps
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 23/671 in combination with active ranging signals, e.g. using light or sound signals emitted toward objects
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 23/676 Bracketing for image capture at varying focusing conditions
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 23/681 Motion detection
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 23/683 performed by a processor, e.g. controlling the readout of an image memory
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 23/74 by influencing the scene brightness using illuminating means
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 23/80 Camera processing pipelines; Components thereof

Abstract

A camera apparatus includes a photogrammetric range sensor, small aperture lens and a processor configured to carry out a method for simulating a large aperture lens. The method includes capturing a photographic image data of a scene using the camera with the lens set to a small aperture size. Simultaneously or near-simultaneously with capturing the image, the camera captures photogrammetric range data pertaining to depth of objects in a field of view of the camera, using the range sensor. The processor then processes the photographic image data using the photogrammetric range data to obtain second photographic data simulating an image captured using a lens set to an aperture size larger than the small aperture size.

Claims

1. An apparatus, comprising:

one or more light generation elements, wherein the light generation element(s), when triggered, generate a plurality of narrow-band lights spaced at different frequency bands;

at least one sensor, wherein, for each of the plurality of narrow-band lights, the at least one sensor measures the intensity of reflected light from a scene illuminated by the plurality of narrow band lights;

wherein a camera is programmed to identify motion blur in objects in an image utilizing positions of the objects as illuminated by at least one of the plurality of narrow band lights and the positions of the objects as illuminated by a standard flash; and

wherein the camera is further programmed to correct the image generated for motion blur utilizing the identified motion blur.

2. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein at least one of the plurality of narrow-band lights is outside of the light spectrum visible to humans.

3. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein at least two of the plurality of narrow band lights are outside of the light spectrum visible to humans.

4. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the apparatus is attached to a camera and the camera captures photogrammetric range data.

5. The apparatus of claim 4, wherein the camera measures time between generating the multiple narrow-band lights and receiving reflections of the multiple narrow band lights.

6. The apparatus of claim 4, wherein the camera is programmed to receive from the apparatus, the frequency or frequencies of at least one of the plurality of narrow-band lights and store the frequency or frequencies.

7. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the plurality of narrow-band lights are spread over the scene in a defined pattern.

8. An apparatus, comprising:

one or more light generation elements, wherein the light generation element(s), when triggered, generate a plurality of narrow-band lights spaced at different frequency bands;

at least one sensor, wherein, for each of the plurality of narrow-band lights, the at least one sensor measures the intensity of reflected light from a scene illuminated by the plurality of narrow band lights;

wherein a camera is programmed to identify motion blur in objects in an image utilizing positions of the objects as illuminated by at least a first one of the plurality of narrow band lights and positions of the objects as illuminated by at least a second one of the plurality of narrow band lights; and

wherein the camera is further programmed to correct the image generated for motion blur utilizing the identified motion blur.

9. The apparatus of claim 8, wherein at least one of the plurality of narrow-band lights is outside of the light spectrum visible to humans.

10. The apparatus of claim 8, wherein the apparatus is attached to the camera and the camera captures photogrammetric range data.

11. The apparatus of claim 8 wherein at least one of the plurality of narrow-band lights is within the light spectrum visible to humans.

12. The apparatus of claim 8, wherein the plurality of narrow-band lights are spread over the scene in a defined pattern.