Technique for removing blurring from a captured image

• US 20020114531A1
• Filed: 02/19/2002
• Published: 08/22/2002
• Est. Priority Date: 02/16/2001
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Microsoft Technology Licensing LLC (Microsoft Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Canesta Incorporated (Microsoft Corporation)
• Inventors: Torunoglu, Ilhami H.
• Granted Patent: US 6,876,775 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 382/255
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 23/81 for suppressing or minimising disturbance in the image signal generation

Abstract

A technique is provided for removing blurring from an image captured by an imaging device. The imaging device may include a lens and an imaging medium comprised of a plurality of imaging pieces. According to an embodiment, a distance is determined between individual imaging pieces of the imaging medium and a region on the target object that corresponds to the respective individual imaging piece. The image of the target object is captured on the imaging medium. Blurring is removed from the captured image using the distances identified for the individual imaging pieces.

Claims

1. A method for removing blurring from an image captured by an imaging device, the image device having a lens and an imaging medium, the imaging medium including a plurality of imaging pieces, the method comprising:

capturing the image on the imaging medium;

for at least some of the individual imaging pieces in the plurality of imaging pieces, determining a distance between each of the individual imaging pieces and a corresponding region of a target object, wherein the corresponding region of the target object for each imaging piece is imaged primarily by that imaging piece; and

removing blurring from the captured image using the distance identified for the individual imaging pieces in the plurality of imaging pieces.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein removing blurring from the captured image includes:

on each of the at least some of the individual imaging pieces, determining a primary image component for the region of the target object captured on that imaging piece, and

on one or more adjacent imaging pieces to each imaging piece in which the primary image component is determined, determining an adjacent image component on each of the one or more adjacent imaging pieces, wherein the adjacent image component is attributable to the region of the target object that is captured with the primary image component.

3. The method of claim 2, wherein removing blurring from the captured image includes:

for each imaging piece in which the primary image component is determined, determining a secondary image component captured on that imaging piece, wherein the secondary image component corresponds to a region of the target object that has a primary image component captured on one or more of the adjacent imaging pieces to that imaging piece.

4. The method of claim 3, wherein removing blurring from the captured image includes:

for each imaging piece in which the primary image component is determined, adjusting the primary image component to account for (i) the adjacent image components captured on the one or more adjacent imaging pieces to that imaging piece, and (ii) the secondary image component captured on that imaging piece.

5. The method of claim 3, wherein removing blurring from the captured image includes, for each imaging piece in which the primary image component is determined:

adding to a value of the primary image component to compensate for a value of the one or more adjacent image components for that imaging piece;

subtracting from a value of the primary image component to compensate for a value of the secondary image component captured on that imaging piece.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein capturing the image on the imaging medium includes capturing the image on a plurality of pixels.

7. The method of claim 1, wherein determining a distance between each of the individual imaging pieces and a corresponding region of a target object for the individual imaging pieces includes using time-of-flight information and light intensity information recorded on the individual image pieces from the corresponding regions of the target object to determine the distances between each of the individual imaging pieces being imaged by that imaging piece and the corresponding region of the target object.

8. An imaging device for capturing an image of a target object, the imaging device comprising:

a light source configured to reflect a light beam off of the target object;

an imaging medium comprising a plurality of imaging pieces to capture the image of the target object, one or more of the plurality of imaging pieces being adapted to sense the light beam in order to indicate a distance between that imaging piece and a corresponding region on the target object that is imaged primarily by that imaging piece when the image of the target object is captured;

a lens to receive light that is sensed by the imaging pieces of the imaging medium; and

a correction mechanism being configured to remove blurring from the captured image of the target object using the indicated distance between each of the one or more imaging pieces and the corresponding region on the target object.

9. The imaging device of claim 8, further comprising a plurality of lenses, each lens being configured to receive light that is sensed by the imaging pieces of the imaging medium.

10. The imaging device of claim 8, wherein the imaging medium is an array of pixels, and wherein each pixel in the array of pixels captures substantially an image from only the corresponding region of that pixel if the captured image is in-focus.

11. The imaging device of claim 10, wherein the correction mechanism is configured to identify a primary image component and a secondary image component on individual pixels in the array of pixels, wherein the primary image component corresponds to a portion of the image captured from the corresponding region of the target object for the individual pixels in the plurality of pixels, and wherein the secondary image component corresponds to images from the regions of the target object that are primary captured by adjacent pixels to each of the individual pixels in the plurality of pixels.

12. The imaging device of claim 11, wherein the correction mechanism is configured to identify an adjacent image component of individual pixels in the plurality of pixels, wherein the adjacent image component for each of the individual pixels is a portion of the image from the corresponding region of the target object for that pixel which is captured by one or more adjacent pixels to that individual pixel.

13. The imaging device of claim 11, wherein for each of the individual pixels in the plurality of pixels, the correction mechanism is configured to add to a value of the primary image component to account for the adjacent image components for that pixel, and to subtract a value from the primary image component to account for the secondary image component on that individual pixel.

14. The imaging device of claim 8, wherein each of the one or more imaging pieces measure time-of-flight information from the light source to a region of the target object being imaged by that imaging piece, and from the portion of the target object to that imaging piece.

16. The method of claim 15, wherein capturing an image on a first medium includes capturing the image on a printed medium.

17. The method of claim 16, wherein approximating a distance between that pixel in and a region of a target object for at least some of the pixels on the first medium includes measuring, for each of the at least some of the pixels on the first medium, time-of-flight information from a light source to a region on the target object that is imaged by that pixel in the first plurality of pixels, and from the region of the target object to a pixel on the second imaging medium that images that region.

18. The method of claim 15, wherein adjusting the image on the second medium to remove blurring using the measured distance includes identifying a primary image component and a secondary image component on individual pixels in the second medium.

19. The method of claim 18, wherein adjusting the image on the second medium to remove blurring using the measured distance includes identifying an adjacent image component for each pixel determined to have the primary image component.

20. The method of claim 19, wherein adjusting the image on the second medium to remove blurring using the measured distance includes adding to a value of the primary image component to account for the adjacent image components for that pixel, and subtracting a value from the primary image component to account for the secondary image component on that individual pixel.

15. A method for removing blurring from an image captured by an imaging device, the method comprising:

capturing an image on a first medium and on a second medium, the first medium comprising a first plurality of pixels and the second medium comprising a second plurality of pixels, wherein individual pixels in the second plurality of pixels each have a corresponding pixel on the first medium;

for each of at least some of the first plurality of pixels on the first medium, approximating a distance between that pixel and a region of a target object being imaged by one of the individual pixels in the second plurality of pixels that corresponds to that pixel; and

adjusting the image on the second medium to remove blurring using the approximated distance for the at least some of the first plurality of pixels in the first medium.

21. A method for removing blurring from an image captured by an imaging device, the method comprising:

capturing an image of the target object on a first medium, the first medium comprising a first plurality of pixels;

reflecting light off the target object and onto a second medium;

using light reflected onto the second medium to approximate a distance between individual pixels in the first plurality of pixels and a region on the target object being imaged by the individual pixel in the first plurality of pixels; and

adjusting the image on the first medium to remove blurring using the approximated distance for the individual pixels.

22. The method of claim 21, wherein reflecting light off the target object and onto a second medium includes reflecting the light onto a second plurality of pixels forming the second medium, and the method further comprises matching individual pixels in the first plurality of pixels to individual pixel sin the second plurality of pixels.

23. The method of claim 22, further comprising using light reflected onto the second medium to approximate the distance between individual pixels in the second plurality of pixels and regions on the target object being imaged by the individual pixels in the first plurality of pixels, each of the individual pixels in the first plurality of pixels corresponding to individual pixels in the second plurality of pixels.

24. The method of claim 23, further comprising detecting a blurring quantity for light reflected onto the second medium using the approximated distance for the individual pixels in the second plurality of pixels.

25. The method of claim 24, wherein adjusting the image on the first medium to remove blurring is performed after detecting a blurring quantity for light reflected onto the second medium.