Image stabilization apparatus, method thereof, and program product thereof

• US 7,773,825 B2
• Filed: 11/01/2006
• Issued: 08/10/2010
• Est. Priority Date: 11/02/2005
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Renesas Electronics Corporation
• Original Assignee: NEC Electronics Corporation (Renesas Electronics Corporation)
• Inventors: Nishida, Takashi, Takami, Kazuhiko, Oya, Akitaka, Niikura, Kentarou
• Primary Examiner(s): COUSO, YON JUNG
• Application Number:
  US11/590,815
• Publication Number:
  US 20070098291A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,378 Days
• Field of Search: 382/274, 382/254, 348/208.1, 348/208.14, 348/208.3, 348/208.4, 348/208.6, 348/208.99, 348/221.1, 348/362, 396/238, 396/215, 396/161
• US Class Current: 382/274
• CPC Class Codes: G06T 5/50 using two or more images, e.g. averaging or subtraction
• CPC Class Codes: G06T 5/73 Deblurring; Sharpening
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 23/68 for stable pick-up of the scene, e.g. compensating for camera body vibrations
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 23/683 performed by a processor, e.g. controlling the readout of an image memory

Abstract

An image stabilization apparatus of the present invention includes a detection unit which detects an amount of an image blur between a plurality of image data, an evaluation unit which selects at least one image data to use in correcting image blur from the plurality of image data according to a result of the detection of the amount of image blur, and a correction unit which generates image data with its image blur corrected using the image data selected by the evaluation unit.

Claims

1. An image stabilization apparatus, comprising:

a detection unit detecting an amount of an image blur between first captured image data and other image data included in a plurality of consecutively captured image data;

an evaluation unit selecting at least one image data as appropriate image data to use in correcting image blur from the plurality of consecutively captured image data according to a result of the detection of the amount of image blur; and

a correction unit generating corrected image data with its image blur corrected using the appropriate image data and excluding the image data not selected by the evaluation unit,

wherein the evaluation unit;

is configured to be capable of determining, in time series of an image capturing from a second captured image data, whether the image data is suitable for an image stabilization by superposing with the first captured image data; and

in case of determining m^th image data is not suitable for the image stabilization, selects at least one image data as the appropriate image data from the first captured image data to m−

1^th image data without selecting the m^th image data or later, wherein m is an integer larger than or equal to 2.

2. The image stabilization apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the correction unit generates the corrected image data by superposing the appropriate image data to cancel out the amount of image blur.

3. The image stabilization apparatus according to claim 2, wherein when the number of the appropriate image data is less than a predetermined amount, the correction unit generates the corrected image data by superposing at least one of the appropriate image data for a plurality of times so as to adjust a luminance of the corrected image data to a specified luminance corresponding to the predetermined number.

4. The image stabilization apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the evaluation unit selects only one image data as the appropriate image data form the first captured image data to the m−

1^th image data.

5. The image stabilization apparatus according to claim 4, wherein the only one image data is the first captured image data.

6. The image stabilization apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the evaluation unit selects all of the first captured image data to the m-1^th image data as the appropriate image data.

7. The image stabilization apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the detection unit sequentially detects an amount of an image blur between consecutive two image data.

8. An image stabilization method for correcting an image blur by an image stabilization apparatus, the method comprising:

detecting an amount of an image blur between first captured image data and other image data included in a plurality of consecutively captured image data using a detection unit;

selecting at least one image data as appropriate image data to use in correcting image blur from the plurality of consecutively captured image data according to a result of the detection of the amount of image blur using an evaluation unit; and

generating corrected image data with its image blur corrected using the appropriate image data and excluding the image data not selected for the appropriate image data using a correction unit,

wherein the selecting step includes;

determining, in time series of an image capturing from a second captured image data, whether the image data is suitable for an image stabilization by superposing with the first captured image data; and

in case of determining m^th image data is not suitable for the image stabilization, selecting at least one image data as the appropriate image data from the first captured image data to m−

1^th image data without selecting the m^th image data or later, wherein m is an integer larger than or equal to 2.

9. The image stabilization method according to claim 8, wherein the selecting step comprises selecting only one image data as the appropriate image data from the first captured image data to the m1^th image data.

10. The image stabilization method according to claim 9, wherein the only one image data is the first captured image data.

11. The image stabilization method according to claim 8, wherein the selecting step comprises selecting all of the first captured image data to the m−

1^th image data as the appropriate image data.

12. The image stabilization method according to claim 8, wherein the generating step comprises generating the corrected image data by superposing the appropriate image data to cancel out the amount of image blur.

13. The image stabilization method according to claim 8, wherein the detecting step comprises sequentially detecting an amount of an image blur between consecutive two image data.

14. A computer program product for executing an image stabilization process by an image stabilization apparatus, wherein the image stabilization process comprises:

detecting an amount of an image blur between first captured image data and other image data included in a plurality of consecutively captured image data using a detection unit;

selecting at least one image data as appropriate image data to use in correcting image blur from the plurality of consecutively captured image data according to a result of the detection of the amount of image blur using an evaluation unit; and

generating corrected image data with its image blur corrected using the appropriate image data and excluding the image data not selected for the appropriate image data using a correction unit,

wherein the selecting step includes;

determining, in time series of an image capturing from a second captured image data, whether the image data is suitable for an image stabilization by superposing with the first captured image data; and

in case of determining m^th image data is not suitable for the image stabilization, selecting at least one image data as the appropriate image data from the first captured image data to m−

1^th image data without selecting the m^th image data or later, wherein m is an integer larger than or equal to 2.

15. The computer program product according to claim 14, wherein the selecting step comprises selecting only one image data as the appropriate image data from the first captured image data to the m−

1^th image data.

16. The computer program product according to claim 15, wherein the only one image data is the first captured image data.

17. The computer program product according to claim 14, wherein the selecting step comprises selecting all of the first captured image data to the m−

1^th image data as the appropriate image data.

18. The computer program product according to claim 14, wherein the generating step comprises generating the corrected image data by superposing the appropriate image data to cancel out the amount of image blur.

19. The computer program product according to claim 14, wherein the detecting step comprises sequentially detecting an amount of an image blur between consecutive two image data.