Apparatus and method for removing motion blur of image

• US 8,346,004 B2
• Filed: 10/31/2007
• Issued: 01/01/2013
• Est. Priority Date: 04/16/2007
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Samsung Electronics Co. Ltd.
• Original Assignee: Samsung Electronics Co. Ltd.
• Inventors: Oh, Hyun-hwa, Ko, Sung-Jea, Jung, Seung-won, Lee, Seong-deok, Wey, Ho-cheon
• Primary Examiner(s): Chu, Randolph I
• Application Number:
  US11/980,377
• Publication Number:
  US 20080253676A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,889 Days
• Field of Search: None
• US Class Current: 382/255
• CPC Class Codes: G06T 2207/10016 Video; Image sequence
• CPC Class Codes: G06T 2207/20201 Motion blur correction
• 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 23/6811 based on the image signal
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 23/683 performed by a processor, e.g. controlling the readout of an image memory

Abstract

An apparatus for removing motion blur of an image is disclosed. The apparatus includes a motion-blur-function-estimation unit that estimates the motion-blur function of an input image, an image-restoration unit that restores the input image using the estimated motion-blur function, a cost-calculation unit that calculates the blur cost of the restored image, and a control unit that determines the re-estimation of the motion-blur function depending on the calculated blur cost.

Claims

1. An apparatus removing motion blurs of an image, the apparatus comprising:

at least one processing device to execute;

a motion-blur-function-estimation unit that estimates the motion-blur function for non-linear motion of an input image;

an image-restoration unit that restores the input image using the estimated motion-blur function;

a cost-calculation unit that calculates the blur cost of the restored image; and

a control unit that determines the re-estimation of the motion-blur function depending on the calculated blur cost,

wherein the motion-blur-function-estimation unit estimates the motion-blur function by applying predetermined coefficients to an initial motion-blur function of the input image for multiple directions, compares the result with the motion-blur function of the input image, considers the coefficient of the most similar direction as valid in order to estimate the motion-blur function, and considers the coefficients of non-similar directions as invalid.

2. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the coefficients are defined for four directions, and decrease in the set direction from the basis pixel.

3. The apparatus of claim 2, wherein a sum of the coefficients is 1.

4. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the cost-calculation unit calculates the blur cost using the blur level and artifact level of the restored image as parameters.

5. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the control unit controls the motion-blur-function-estimation unit until the calculated blur cost converges to a predetermined basis value, by which the motion-blur function is repeatedly estimated.

6. The apparatus of claim 1, further comprising:

a motion-blur-function-update unit that updates the input image restored by the estimated motion-blur function and the estimated motion-blur function.

7. A method of removing motion blur of an image, the method comprising:

estimating the motion-blur function for non-linear motion of an input image;

restoring the input image using the estimated motion-blur function;

calculating the blur cost of the restored image; and

determining the re-estimation of the motion-blur function depending on the calculated blur cost,

wherein the estimating the motion-blur function applies predetermined coefficients to an initial motion-blur function of the input image for multiple directions, compares the result with the motion-blur function of the input image, considers the coefficient of the most similar direction as valid in order to estimate the motion-blur function, and considers the coefficients of non-similar directions as invalid.

8. The method of claim 7, wherein the coefficients are defined for four directions, and decrease in the set direction from the basis pixel.

9. The method of claim 8, wherein the sum of the coefficients is 1.

10. The method of claim 7, wherein the calculating includes calculating the blur cost using the blur level and artifact level of the restored image as parameters.

11. The method of claim 7, wherein the determining includes controlling the process until the calculated blur cost converges to a predetermined basis value, by which the motion-blur function is repeatedly estimated.

12. The method of claim 7, further comprising:

updating the input image restored by the estimated motion-blur function and the estimated motion-blur function.