Technique for removing blurring from a captured image

• US 6,876,775 B2
• Filed: 02/19/2002
• Issued: 04/05/2005
• Est. Priority Date: 02/16/2001
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Microsoft Technology Licensing LLC (Microsoft Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Canesta Incorporated (Microsoft Corporation)
• Inventors: Torunoglu, Ilhami H.
• Primary Examiner(s): Dastouri, Mehrdad
• Application Number:
  US10/079,196
• Publication Number:
  US 20020114531A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,141 Days
• Field of Search: 382/255, 382/266, 396/89, 2502012-2018, 348345-357, 355 55- 63
• 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. 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, wherein at least some of plurality of imaging pieces are adapted to sense the light beam in order to individually determine 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;

a correction mechanism that is configured to remove blurring from the captured image of the target object using the distance determined from the individual imaging pieces;

wherein the imaging medium is an array of pixels;

wherein each pixel in the array of pixels captures substantially an image from only the corresponding region of that pixel when the captured image is in-focus;

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; and

wherein the primary image component corresponds to a portion of the image captured from the corresponding region of the target object far the individual pixels in the plurality of pixels, and the secondary image component corresponds to images from the regions of the target object that are primarily captured by adjacent pixels to each of the individual pixels in the plurality of pixels.

2. The imaging device of claim 1, further comprising a plurality of lenses, each lens being configured to receive light that is sensed by the imaging pieces of the imaging medium.

3. The imaging device of claim 1, 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.

4. The imaging device of claim 1, 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.

5. The imaging device of claim 1, 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.

6. 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;

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, identifying an adjacent image component for each pixel determined to have the primary image component, adding a value to the primary 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 pixel.

7. 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;

actively 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;

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

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

wherein the method further comprises;

matching individual pixels in the first plurality of pixels to individual pixels in the second plurality of pixels; and

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.

8. The method of claim 7, 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.

9. The method of claim 8, wherein adjusting the image on the first medium remove blurring is performed after detecting a blurring quantity for light reflected onto the second medium.