Adaptive control of image capture parameters in virtual reality cameras

• US 10,491,810 B2
• Filed: 02/28/2017
• Issued: 11/26/2019
• Est. Priority Date: 02/29/2016
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Nokia Technologies Oy (Nokia Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Nokia Technologies Oy (Nokia Corporation)
• Inventors: Govindarao, Krishna, Uliyar, Mithun, Shenoy, Ravi
• Primary Examiner(s): Henn, Timothy J
• Application Number:
  US16/080,140
• Publication Number:
  US 20190052800A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,001 Days
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 13/20 Image signal generators
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 23/60 Control of cameras or camera modules
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 23/62 Control of parameters via user interfaces
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 23/64 Computer-aided capture of images, e.g. transfer from script file into camera, check of taken image quality, advice or proposal for image composition or decision on when to take image
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 23/698 for achieving an enlarged field of view, e.g. panoramic image capture
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 23/90 Arrangement of cameras or camera modules, e.g. multiple cameras in TV studios or sports stadiums

Abstract

In an example embodiment, method, apparatus and computer program product are provided. The method includes accessing image capture parameters of a plurality of component cameras at a first time instant, where the image capture parameters for a respective component camera of the component cameras are determined based on a scene appearing in a field of view (FOV) of the respective component camera. At a second time instant, a change in appearance of one or more objects of the scene from a FOV of a first component camera to a FOV of a second component camera is determined. Upon determining the change of the appearance of the one or more objects at the second time instant, image capture parameters of the second component camera are set based on image capture parameters of the first component camera accessed at the first time instant.

Claims

1. A method comprising:

accessing, at a first time instant, one or more image capture parameters of a plurality of component cameras, wherein one or more image capture parameters for a respective component camera of the plurality of component cameras are determined based on a scene appearing in a field of view of the respective component camera, wherein a virtual reality camera comprises the plurality of camera components;

determining, at a second time instant, if there is a change in appearance of one or more objects of the scene from a field of view of a first component camera of the plurality of component cameras to a field of view of a second component camera of the plurality of component cameras, wherein the one or more objects appear in the field of view of the first component camera at the first time instant and the one or more objects appear in the field of view of the second component camera at the second time instant, wherein the change in appearance of the one or more object is due to a relative movement between the virtual reality camera and the one or more objects of the scene; and

upon determining the change in the appearance of the one or more objects at the second time instant, setting one or more image capture parameters of the second component camera based on one or more image capture parameters of the first component camera accessed at the first time instant.

2. The method as claimed in claim 1, further comprising capturing, at the second time instant, an image frame of the scene by the second component camera based on the one or more image capture parameters that are set for the second component camera at the second time instant.

3. The method as claimed in claim 2, wherein the determining the change in appearance of the one or more objects at the second time instant comprises tracking the one or more objects.

4. The method as claimed in claim 1, wherein the determining the change in appearance of the one or more objects at the second time instant comprises tracking a movement of the virtual reality camera comprising the plurality of component cameras.

5. The method as claimed in claim 1, wherein setting the one or more image capture parameters for the second component camera further comprises computing the one or more image capture parameters for the second component camera if the one or more objects appearing in the field of view of the second component camera at the second time instant did not appear in each of the plurality of component cameras at the first time instant.

6. The method as claimed in claim 1, further comprising configuring the plurality of component cameras as the virtual reality camera to capture a 360 degree view of the scene.

7. The method as claimed in claim 1, wherein the one or more image capture parameters comprise one or more of a white balance, a focus, or an exposure.

8. An apparatus comprising:

at least one processor; and

at least one memory comprising computer program code, the at least one memory and the computer program code configured to, with the at least one processor, cause the apparatus to at least perform;

access, at a first time instant, one or more image capture parameters of the plurality of component cameras, wherein one or more image capture parameters for a respective component camera of the plurality of component cameras are determined based on a scene appearing in a field of view of the respective component camera, wherein a virtual reality camera comprises the plurality of camera components;

determine, at a second time instant, if there is a change in appearance of one or more objects of the scene from a field of view of a first component camera of the plurality of component cameras to a field of view of a second component camera of the plurality of component cameras, wherein the one or more objects appear in the field of view of the first component camera at the first time instant and the one or more objects appear in the field of view of the second component camera at the second time instant, wherein the change in appearance of the one or more object is due to a relative movement between the virtual reality camera and the one or more objects of the scene; and

upon determining the change in the appearance of the one or more objects at the second time instant, set one or more image capture parameters of the second component camera based on one or more image capture parameters of the first component camera that are accessed at the first time instant.

9. The apparatus as claimed in claim 8, wherein the apparatus is further caused, at least in part to facilitate capturing, at the second time instant, an image frame of the scene by the second component camera based on the one or more image capture parameters that are set for the second component cameras at the second time instant.

10. The apparatus as claimed in claim 9, wherein for determining the change in appearance of the one or more objects at the second time instant, the apparatus is further caused, at least in part to track the one or more objects.

11. The apparatus as claimed in claim 8, wherein for determining the change in appearance of the one or more objects at the second time instant, the apparatus is further caused, at least in part to, track a movement of the virtual reality camera.

12. The apparatus as claimed in claim 8, wherein for setting the one or more image capture parameters for the second component camera, the apparatus is further caused, at least in part to compute the one or more image capture parameters for the second component camera if the one or more objects appearing in the field of view of the second component camera at the second time instant did not appear in each of the plurality of component cameras at the first time instant.

13. The apparatus as claimed in claim 8, wherein the plurality of component cameras are configured in the virtual reality camera such that the plurality of component cameras capture a 360 degree view of the scene.

14. The apparatus as claimed in claim 8, wherein the one or more image capture parameters comprise one or more of a white balance, a focus, or an exposure.