Patent application number | Description | Published |
20080212676 | Motion parameter engine for true motion - Local motion estimation is described herein. Each picture of a video is partitioned into blocks for the local motion estimation. An extended-block FFT is calculated for each block, where the extended-block denotes that a certain area around the block is also included for applying FFT. Extending the block for FFT helps to account for the motion of objects that are moving into or out of the block. Phase correlation is applied to attain a set of Motion Vector (MV) candidates for the blocks, and a cost function is evaluated for each MV. If no MV candidate produces a cost function below a pre-defined threshold, a hierarchical variable block matching search is applied and the process is repeated with blocks for finer resolution. Also, predictive MV candidates are used during the block matching search along with temporal constraints tracking to select an MV that yields the minimum cost function. | 09-04-2008 |
20090161756 | Method and apparatus for motion adaptive pre-filtering - A video filter includes a motion detector to detect motion between frames of a video for each pixel, a shape adaptive spatial filter and a weighted temporal filter. The spatial filter and the temporal filter are smoothly mixed together based on the amount of motion detected by the motion detector for each pixel. When the motion detected by the motion detector is low, the video filter tends to do more temporal filtering. When the motion detected by the motion detector is high, the video filter tends to do more spatial filtering. | 06-25-2009 |
20090278945 | Method and apparatus for image stabilization using multiple image captures - A method and apparatus for image stabilization while mitigating the amplification of image noise by using a motion adaptive system employing spatial and temporal filtering of pixel signals from multiple captured frames of a scene. | 11-12-2009 |
20090323808 | METHOD AND APPARATUS FOR MOTION COMPENSATED FILTERING OF VIDEO SIGNALS - A method and apparatus for filtering video data. First and second frames of the video data are stored. Motion adapted spatio-temporal filter (MASTF) pixel values of the second frame are calculated using pixel values of the first and second frames. The second frame is compared to the first frame to estimate motion vectors (MVs) for the second frame. Pixel MV error level indicators for the second frame are determined using the pixel values of the first and second frames and the MVs of pixels in the second frame. Motion compensated temporal filter (MCTF) pixel values of the second frame are calculated using the pixel values of the first and second frames and the MVs of pixels in the second frame. For each pixel in the second frame, a filtered pixel value is calculated using its MASTF and MCTF pixel values and its pixel MV error level indicator. | 12-31-2009 |
20100013919 | METHOD AND APPARATUS FOR LOW COST MOTION DETECTION - A non-frame-based motion detection method and apparatus for imagers requires only a few line buffers and little computation. The non-frame-based, low cost motion detection method and apparatus are well suited for “system-a-chip” (SOC) imager implementations. | 01-21-2010 |
20100201850 | NOISE REDUCTION METHODS AND SYSTEMS FOR IMAGING DEVICES - Embodiments describe noise reduction methods and systems for imaging devices having a pixel array having a plurality of pixels, each pixel representing one of a plurality of captured colors and having an associated captured color pixel value. Noise reduction methods filter a captured color pixel value for a respective pixel based on the captured color pixel values associated with pixels in a window of pixels surrounding the respective pixel. Disclosed embodiments provide a low cost noise reduction filtering process that takes advantage of the correlations among the red, green and blue color channels to efficiently remove noise while retaining image sharpness. A noise model can be used to derive a parameter of the noise reduction methods. | 08-12-2010 |
20100309333 | IMAGE SENSORS AND IMAGE RECONSTRUCTION METHODS FOR CAPTURING HIGH DYNAMIC RANGE IMAGES - High dynamic range image sensors and image reconstruction methods for capturing high dynamic range images. An image sensor that captures high dynamic range images may include an array of pixels having two sets of pixels, each of which is used to capture an image of a scene. The two sets of pixels may be interleaved together. As an example, the first and second sets of pixels may be formed in odd-row pairs and even-row pairs of the array, respectively. The first set of pixels may use a longer exposure time than the second set of pixels. The exposures of the two sets of pixels may at least partially overlap in time. Image processing circuitry in the image sensors or an associated electronic device may de-interlace the two images and may combine the de-interlaced images to form a high dynamic range image. | 12-09-2010 |
20100310190 | SYSTEMS AND METHODS FOR NOISE REDUCTION IN HIGH DYNAMIC RANGE IMAGING - This is generally directed to systems and methods for noise reduction in high dynamic range (“HDR”) imaging systems. In some embodiments, multiple images of the same scene can be captured, where each of the images is exposed for a different amount of time. An HDR image may be created by suitably combining the images. However, the signal-to-noise ratio (“SNR”) curve of the resulting HDR image can have discontinuities in sections of the SNR curve corresponding to shifts between different exposure times. Accordingly, in some embodiments, a noise model for the HDR image can be created that takes into account these discontinuities in the SNR curve. For example, a noise model can be created that smoothes the discontinuities of the SNR curve into a continuous function. This noise model may then be used with a Bayer Filter or any other suitable noise filter to remove noise from the HDR image. | 12-09-2010 |
20110285737 | SYSTEMS AND METHODS FOR LOCAL TONE MAPPING OF HIGH DYNAMIC RANGE IMAGES - This is generally directed to systems and methods for local tone mapping of high dynamic range (“HDR”) images. For example, a HDR image can have its larger dynamic range mapped into the smaller dynamic range of a display device. In some embodiments, to perform the local tone mapping, a RGB to Y converter can be used to convert the input image signal to a luminance signal in the YCgCo color space, a shape adaptive filter can be used to separate the luminance signal into its illumination and reflectance components, contrast compression can be applied to the illumination component, image sharpening can be applied to the reflectance component, and the processed illumination and reflection components can be used to calculate a processed RGB signal. The dynamic range of the processed RGB signal can then be mapped into the dynamic range of the display device. | 11-24-2011 |
20120170843 | METHODS FOR PERFORMING LOCAL TONE MAPPING - Adaptive local tone mapping may be used to convert a high dynamic range image to a low dynamic range image. Tone mapping may be performed on an on a Bayer domain image. A high dynamic range image may be filtered to produce a luminance signal. An illumination component of the luminance signal may be compressed. A reflectance component of the luminance signal may be sharpened. After the luminance signal has been processed, it may be used in producing an output image in the Bayer domain that has a lower dynamic range than the input image. The output Bayer domain image may be demosaiced to produce an RGB image. Tone-mapping may be performed with a tone-mapping processor. | 07-05-2012 |
20120188389 | METHOD AND APPARATUS FOR PARALLAX CORRECTION IN FUSED ARRAY IMAGING SYSTEMS - Electronic devices may include camera modules. A camera module may include an array camera having an array of lenses and an array of corresponding image sensors. Parallax correction and depth mapping methods may be provided for array cameras. A parallax correction method may include a global and a local parallax correction. A global parallax correction may be determined based on one-dimensional horizontal and vertical projections of edge images. Local parallax corrections may be determined using a block matching procedure. Further improvements to local parallax corrections may be generated using a relative block color saturation test, a smoothing of parallax correction vectors and, if desired, using a cross-check between parallax correction vectors determined for multiple image sensors. Three dimensional depth maps may be generated based on parallax correction vectors. | 07-26-2012 |
20120188420 | IMAGING SYSTEMS WITH ARRAY CAMERAS FOR DEPTH SENSING - Electronic devices may include camera modules. A camera module may be formed from an array of lenses and corresponding image sensors. The array of image sensors may include three color image sensors for color imaging and a fourth image sensor positioned to improve image depth mapping. Providing a camera module with a fourth image sensor may increase the baseline distance between the two most distant image sensors, allowing parallax and depth information to be determined for objects a greater distance from the camera than in a conventional electronic device. The fourth image sensor may be a second green image sensor positioned at a maximal distance from the green color image sensor used for color imaging. The fourth image sensor may also be a clear image sensor, allowing capture of improved image depth information and enhanced image resolution and low-light performance. | 07-26-2012 |
20120194686 | METHODS FOR MOTION CORRECTION FOR HIGH-DYNAMIC-RANGE IMAGING SYSTEMS - Electronic devices may include image sensors and processing circuitry. Image sensors may be used to capture multiple exposure images. Processing circuitry may be used to combine multiple exposure images into high-dynamic-range images. A motion correction method is provided that detects motion between multiple exposure images without using a frame buffer. A noise model is used to separate noise from motion for more accurate motion detection. A dilation operator may be used to enlarge a motion mask generated by the motion detector. Motion-corrected images may be generated from the multiple exposure images using a soft switch based on the motion strength. Motion-corrected multiple exposure images may be combined to generate a motion-corrected HDR image. A smoothing filter may be applied to the motion region of the motion-corrected HDR image. A blooming correction may be used to eliminate color artifacts in the motion-corrected HDR image. | 08-02-2012 |
20120219235 | BLOOMING FILTER FOR MULTIPLE EXPOSURE HIGH DYNAMIC RANGE IMAGE SENSORS - Multiple-exposure high dynamic range image processing may be performed that filters pixel values that are distorted by blooming from nearby saturated pixels. Pixel values that are near saturated pixels may be identified as pixels that may be affected by blooming. The contributions from those pixels may be minimized when producing a final image. Multiple-exposure images may be linearly combined to produce a final high dynamic range image. Pixel values that may be distorted by blooming may be given less weight in the linear combination. | 08-30-2012 |
20120274822 | METHOD AND APPARATUS FOR CAPTURING HIGH DYNAMIC RANGE IMAGES USING MULTI-FRAME INTERLACED EXPOSURE IMAGES - An imager includes an array of pixels arranged in rows and a control circuit for sequentially capturing first and second image frames from the array of pixels. The control circuit is configured to sequentially capture first and second pairs of adjacent rows of pixels during first and second exposure times, respectively, when capturing the first image frame. The control circuit is also configured to sequentially capture first and second pairs of adjacent rows of pixels during second and first exposure times, respectively, when capturing the second image frame. The first exposure times during the first and second frames are of similar duration; and the second exposure times during the first and second frames are of similar duration. The control circuit is configured to detect motion of an object upon combining the first and second image frames and, then, correct for the motion of the object. | 11-01-2012 |