Focus assist system and method

• US 9,692,958 B2
• Filed: 12/04/2014
• Issued: 06/27/2017
• Est. Priority Date: 11/20/2006
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Red.com, LLC
• Original Assignee: Red.com, LLC
• Inventors: Nattress, Thomas Graeme
• Primary Examiner(s): Epps, Georgia Y
• Assistant Examiner(s): WILLIAMS, DON J
• Application Number:
  US14/561,059
• Publication Number:
  US 20150215519A1
• Time in Patent Office: 936 Days
• Field of Search: 2502011, 2502012, 2502013, 2502014, 2502081, 2502018, 2502019, 250202, 396 78, 396 79, 396 80, 396 82, 396 89, 396123, 396124, 34820711, 34820799, 34820899, 3482201
• CPC Class Codes: G03B 13/18 Focusing aids
• CPC Class Codes: G06T 5/00 Image enhancement or restoration
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 23/633 for displaying additional information relating to control or operation of the camera

Abstract

Focus assist systems and methods for imaging devices are provided. The focus assist systems and methods display focus level data to a user. There are a variety of methods of displaying focus level data to a user, including, but not limited to, graphs, highlights, symbols, and varied levels of brightness or color.

Claims

1. A method of providing feedback to allow focusing of an image in real time, comprising:

receiving pixel data representing an image, the image comprising a first region and a second region different from the first region;

determining a degree of focus for the first region using a first set of the pixel data corresponding to the first region and a degree of focus for the second region using a second set of the pixel data corresponding to the second region;

generating a first visual indication of the degree of focus for the first region and a second visual indication of the degree of focus for the second region;

providing on an electronic display the first visual indication superimposed on a graphical representation of the first region together with the second visual indication superimposed on a graphical representation of the second region, the electronic display comprising one or more display screens;

subsequent to providing on the electronic display the first visual indication and the second visual indication, detecting a user adjustment of focus of the image;

in response to detecting the user adjustment, receiving updated pixel data representing the image subsequent to the user adjustment of focus of the image;

determining an updated degree of focus for the first region using a first set of the updated pixel data corresponding to the first region and an updated degree of focus for the second region using a second set of the updated pixel data corresponding to the second region; and

changing the first visual indication on the electronic display responsive to the updated degree of focus for the first region and the second visual indication on the electronic display responsive to the updated degree of focus for the second region.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the first visual indication on the electronic display is an outline around a feature of the graphical representation of the first region.

3. The method of claim 2, wherein said changing comprises changing a hue of the outline responsive to the updated degree of focus for the first region.

4. The method of claim 3, wherein said changing comprises changing the hue from violet to red.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein the first visual indication on the electronic display is a waveform.

6. The method of claim 5, wherein lines of the waveform indicate the degree of focus for the first region.

7. The method of claim 1, wherein the first visual indication on the electronic display indicates the degree of focus for the first region relative to the degree of focus for the second region, the first region being adjacent to the second region.

8. The method of claim 1, wherein the first visual indication on the electronic display indicates the degree of focus for the first region relative to an average degree of focus for a plurality of regions of the image other than the first region, the plurality of regions comprising the second region and each being adjacent to the first region.

9. The method of claim 1, wherein the first region corresponds to the same number of pixels of the pixel data as the second region.

10. The method of claim 1, wherein said determining the degree of focus for the first region comprises using an edge detection algorithm to determine one or more values indicative of the degree of focus for the first region, and said generating the first visual indication comprises generating the first visual indication using the one or more values.

11. The method of claim 1, wherein the first visual indication on the electronic display is a line graph.

12. The method of claim 11, wherein the line graph is a horizontal line graph.

13. The method of claim 11, wherein the line graph is a vertical line graph.

14. The method of claim 1, wherein

said determining the degree of focus for the first region comprises determining the degree of focus for the first region without using the pixel data other than the first set of the pixel data;

said determining the degree of focus for the second region comprises determining the degree of focus for the second region without using the pixel data other than the second set of the pixel data;

said determining the updated degree of focus for the first region comprises determining the updated degree of focus for the first region without using the updated pixel data other than the first set of the updated pixel data; and

said determining the updated degree of focus for the second region comprises determining the updated degree of focus for the second region without using the updated pixel data other than the second set of the updated pixel data.

15. An apparatus for providing feedback to allow focusing of an image in real time, the apparatus comprising:

an image sensor;

an electronic display comprising one or more display screens; and

one or more processors in communication with the image sensor and the electronic display, the one or more processors being configured to;

receive, from the image sensor, pixel data representing an image, the image comprising a first region and a second region different from the first region,

determine a degree of focus for the first region using a first set of the pixel data corresponding to the first region and a degree of focus for the second region using a second set of the pixel data corresponding to the second region,

generate a first visual indication of the degree of focus for the first region and a second visual indication of the degree of focus for the second region,

provide on the electronic display the first visual indication superimposed on a graphical representation of the first region together with the second visual indication superimposed on a graphical representation of the second region,

subsequent to providing on the electronic display the first visual indication and the second visual indication, detect a user adjustment of focus of the image,

in response to detecting the user adjustment, receive, from the image sensor, updated pixel data representing the image subsequent to the user adjustment of focus of the image,

determine an updated degree of focus for the first region using a first set of the updated pixel data corresponding to the first region and an updated degree of focus for the second region using a second set of the updated pixel data corresponding to the second region, and

change the first visual indication on the electronic display responsive to the updated degree of focus for the first region and the second visual indication on the electronic display responsive to the updated degree of focus for the second region.

16. The apparatus of claim 15, wherein the first visual indication on the electronic display is a waveform.

17. The apparatus of claim 15, wherein the first visual indication on the electronic display is an outline around a feature of the graphical representation of the first region.

18. The apparatus of claim 15, wherein the one or more processors is configured to provide on the electronic display an indication of boundaries of the first region and the second region superimposed on a graphical representation of the image.

19. The apparatus of claim 15, wherein the first visual indication on the electronic display indicates the degree of focus for the first region relative to the degree of focus for the second region, the first region being adjacent to the second region.

20. The apparatus of claim 15, wherein the first visual indication on the electronic display indicates the degree of focus for the first region relative to an average degree of focus for a plurality of regions of the image other than the first region, the plurality of regions comprising the second region and each being adjacent to the first region.