Patent application number | Description | Published |
20080218612 | CAMERA USING MULTIPLE LENSES AND IMAGE SENSORS IN A RANGEFINDER CONFIGURATION TO PROVIDE A RANGE MAP - An electronic camera for producing an output image of a scene from a captured image signal includes a first imaging stage comprising a first image sensor for generating a first sensor output and a first lens for forming a first image of the scene on the first image sensor, and a second imaging stage comprising a second image sensor for generating a second sensor output and a second lens for forming a second image of the scene on the second image sensor, where the lenses have different focal lengths. A processing stage uses the sensor output from one of the imaging stages as the captured image signal and uses the images from both imaging stages to generate a range map identifying distances to the different portions of the scene. | 09-11-2008 |
20090021810 | METHOD OF SCENE BALANCE USING PANCHROMATIC PIXELS - A method of providing an enhanced image including color and panchromatic pixels, includes using a captured image of a scene that was captured by a two-dimensional sensor array having both color and panchromatic pixels; providing an image having paxels in response to the captured image so that each paxel has color and panchromatic values; converting the paxel values to at least one luminance value and a plurality of chrominance values; and computing scene balance values from the luminance and chrominance values to be applied to an uncorrected image having color and panchromatic pixels that is either the captured image of the scene or an image derived from the captured image of the scene and using the computed scene balance values to provide an enhanced image including color and panchromatic pixels. | 01-22-2009 |
20090087087 | PATTERN CONVERSION FOR INTERPOLATION - A method of processing a digital image having a predetermined color pattern, includes converting the predetermined color pattern of the digital image into a converted digital image having a different desired color pattern; and using algorithms adapted for use with the desired color pattern for processing the converted digital image. | 04-02-2009 |
20090160970 | REMOTE DETERMINATION OF IMAGE-ACQUISITION SETTINGS AND OPPORTUNITIES - Pre-image-acquisition information is obtained by a digital camera and transmitted to a system external to the digital camera. The system is configured to provide image-acquisition settings to the digital camera. In this regard, the digital camera receives the image-acquisition settings from the external system and performs an image-acquisition sequence based at least upon the received image-acquisition settings. Accordingly, the determination of image-acquisition settings can be performed remotely from the digital camera, where data-processing resources can greatly exceed those within the digital camera. | 06-25-2009 |
20090244301 | CONTROLLING MULTIPLE-IMAGE CAPTURE - According to some embodiments of the present invention, pre-capture information is acquired, and based at least upon an analysis of the pre capture information, it may be determined that a multiple-image capture is to be performed, where the multiple-image capture is configured to acquire multiple images for synthesis into a single image. Subsequently, execution of the multiple-image capture is performed. | 10-01-2009 |
20090268055 | CONCENTRIC EXPOSURE SEQUENCE FOR IMAGE SENSOR - A method for image capture includes providing an image sensor having at least one segmented row of pixels, wherein the at least one segmented row comprises at least first and second disjoint row subsets of pixels, wherein the reset and readout operations for each row subset are controllably independent of each other; timing the exposure interval of the first subset to be photographically centered with the exposure interval of the second subset; and combining the image data obtained from the first and second row subset exposures to form a row of pixel values. | 10-29-2009 |
20090273681 | AUTOMATIC FOCUS SYSTEM CALIBRATION FOR IMAGE CAPTURE SYSTEMS - Imaging systems and methods for calibrating imaging systems are provided. The imaging system has a body, a scene image capture system that captures images using a taking lens system that can be set to a plurality of different focus distances, and a rangefinder that is capable of determining a distance between the imaging system and at least one portion of a field of view of the taking lens system. The method comprises: automatically capturing a first calibration image of a first field of view through the taking lens system with the taking lens system set to a first focus distance setting; identifying a portion of the first calibration image having a predetermined degree of focus; using the rangefinder to determine a first calibration distance from the imaging device to the identified portion. A focus correlation is determined based upon the first calibration distance and the first focus distance setting. | 11-05-2009 |
20090278964 | METHOD AND APPARATUS FOR CAPTURING HIGH QUALITY LONG EXPOSURE IMAGES WITH A DIGITAL CAMERA - A digital camera captures high quality long exposure images by capturing and summing several images of the same scene. The effective ISO of the camera is reduced by scaling the summed image, thus reducing image noise and improving long exposure quality. | 11-12-2009 |
20100045819 | DETECTING ILLUMINANT FLICKER - A method of determining when an image capture device with a rolling shutter is in an environment having a flickering illuminant by using autocorrelation or frequency analysis of difference vectors produced from first and second captured images. | 02-25-2010 |
20100171837 | VARYING CAMERA SELF-DETERMINATION BASED ON SUBJECT MOTION - In a method and digital camera, an initial set of evaluation images are captured. A plurality of characteristics of the initial set of evaluation images are assessed to provide a first assessment. The characteristics include subject motion between the initial set of evaluation images. When the subject motion is in excess of a predetermined threshold, a final capture state of the camera is set responsive to the first assessment. When the subject motion is less than the predetermined threshold, the evaluation images are analyzed to provide analysis results and the final capture state of the camera is set responsive to the first assessment and the analysis results. | 07-08-2010 |
20100232692 | CFA IMAGE WITH SYNTHETIC PANCHROMATIC IMAGE - A method for forming a final digital color image with reduced motion blur including of a processor for providing images having panchromatic pixels and color pixels corresponding to at least two color photo responses, interpolating between the panchromatic pixels and color pixels to produce a panchromatic image and a full-resolution color image to produce a fall-resolution synthetic panchromatic image from the fill-resolution color image; and developing color correction weights in response to the synthetic panchromatic image and the panchromatic image; and using the color correction weights to modify the fill-resolution color image to provide a final color digital image. | 09-16-2010 |
20100238328 | ANTI-ALIASING SPATIAL FILTER SYSTEM - A sensor module for an image capture device including an image sensor and a filter system, the image capture device having a high resolution mode of operation and one or more lower resolution modes of operation; the filter system includes an adjustable spatial filter associated with the optical path of the image capture device having an adjustable optical structure which in response to a first signal causes the adjustable spatial filter to be effective in a high resolution mode of operation and in response to a second signal causes the adjustable spatial filter to be effective in a lower resolution mode of operation. | 09-23-2010 |
20100253833 | EXPOSING PIXEL GROUPS IN PRODUCING DIGITAL IMAGES - A method for producing a digital image from pixel signals captured by an image sensor array is disclosed. The method includes: providing an image sensor array having at least two groups of pixels wherein the pixels of each group are uniformly distributed over the sensor; exposing the image sensor array to scene light and reading pixel charge from only the first group of pixels to produce a first set of pixel signals; after producing the first set of pixel signals, exposing the image sensor array, and then reading pixel charge from the second group of pixels and reading again pixels from the first group to produce a second set of pixel signals; and using the first and second sets of pixel signals to produce the digital image. | 10-07-2010 |
20100302418 | FOUR-CHANNEL COLOR FILTER ARRAY INTERPOLATION - A method of forming a full-color output image from a color filter array image having a plurality of color pixels having at least two different color responses and panchromatic pixels, comprising capturing a color filter array image using an image sensor including panchromatic pixels and color pixels having at least two different color responses, the pixels being arranged in a repeating pattern having a square minimal repeating unit having at least three rows and three columns, the color pixels being arranged along one of the diagonals of the minimal repeating unit, and all other pixels being panchromatic pixels; computing an interpolated panchromatic image from the color filter array image; computing an interpolated color image from the color filter array image; and forming the full color output image from the interpolated panchromatic image and the interpolated color image. | 12-02-2010 |
20100302423 | FOUR-CHANNEL COLOR FILTER ARRAY PATTERN - An image sensor for capturing a color image comprising a two dimensional array of light-sensitive pixels including panchromatic pixels and color pixels having at least two different color responses, the pixels being arranged in a repeating pattern having a square minimal repeating unit having at least three rows and three columns, the color pixels being arranged along one of the diagonals of the minimal repeating unit, and all other pixels being panchromatic pixels. | 12-02-2010 |
20100309347 | INTERPOLATION FOR FOUR-CHANNEL COLOR FILTER ARRAY - A method is described for forming a full-color output image from a color filter array image comprising capturing an image using an image sensor including panchromatic pixels and color pixels having at least two different color responses, the pixels being arranged in a rectangular minimal repeating unit wherein for a first color response, the color pixels having the first color response alternate with panchromatic pixels in at least two directions, and for each of the other color responses there is at least one row, column or diagonal of the repeating pattern that only has color pixels of the given color response and panchromatic pixels. The method further comprising, computing an interpolated panchromatic image from the color filter array image; computing an interpolated color image from the color filter array image; and forming the full color output image from the interpolated panchromatic image and the interpolated color image. | 12-09-2010 |
20100309350 | COLOR FILTER ARRAY PATTERN HAVING FOUR-CHANNELS - An image sensor for capturing a color image comprising a two dimensional array of light-sensitive pixels including panchromatic pixels and color pixels having at least three different color responses, the pixels being arranged in a rectangular minimal repeating unit having at least eight pixels and having at least two rows and two columns, wherein for a first color response, the color pixels having the first color response alternate with panchromatic pixels in at least two directions, and for each of the other color responses there is at least one row, column or diagonal of the repeating pattern that only has color pixels of the given color response and panchromatic pixels. | 12-09-2010 |
20110193990 | CAPTURE CONDITION SELECTION FROM BRIGHTNESS AND MOTION - A model based method for capturing an improved archival image, including capturing at least two preview images of a scene that are analyzed for scene brightness and motion velocity in the scene. The analyzed data is used to calculate a ratio of pixel signal rate/pixel velocity which is used to select a capture mode, an ISO and an exposure time for capturing the archival image. | 08-11-2011 |
20110205402 | ZOOM LENS SYSTEM CHARACTERIZATION FOR IMAGE SHARPENING - A method for sharpening an input digital image captured using a digital camera having a zoom lens, determining a parameterized representation of lens acuity of the zoom lens as a function of at least the lens focal length and lens F# by fitting a parameterized function to lens acuity data for the zoom lens at a plurality of lens focal length and lens F/#; using a processor to sharpen the input digital image responsive to the particular lens focal length and lens F/# corresponding to the input digital image using the parameterized representation of the lens acuity. | 08-25-2011 |
20110228045 | REMOTE DETERMINATION OF IMAGE-ACQUISITION SETTINGS AND OPPORTUNITIES - Pre-image-acquisition information is obtained by a digital camera and transmitted to a system external to the digital camera. The system is configured to provide image-acquisition settings to the digital camera. In this regard, the digital camera receives the image-acquisition settings from the external system and performs an image-acquisition sequence based at least upon the received image-acquisition settings. Accordingly, the determination of image-acquisition settings can be performed remotely from the digital camera, where data-processing resources can greatly exceed those within the digital camera. | 09-22-2011 |
20110310279 | PROVIDING MULTIPLE VIDEO SIGNALS FROM SINGLE SENSOR - A method for using a capture device to capture at least two video signals corresponding to a scene, includes: providing a two-dimensional image sensor having a plurality of pixels; reading a first group of pixels from the image sensor at a first frame rate to produce a first video signal of the image scene; reading a second group of pixels from the image sensor at a second frame rate for producing a second video signal; and using at least one of the video signals for adjusting one or more of the capture device parameters. | 12-22-2011 |
20120019687 | AUTOMATIC DIGITAL CAMERA PHOTOGRAPHY MODE SELECTION - A digital camera having a plurality of photography modes, comprising: an image sensor; an optical system for imaging a scene onto the image sensor; an image capture control for initiating an image capture operation; a photography mode user interface for selecting between a plurality of photography modes, the photography modes having associated image capture and image processing settings; a power control for turning the digital camera on or off, wherein when the camera is in an off state and the power control is activated with a first activation pattern the digital camera is turned on and set to operate in a default photography mode and when the power control is activated with a second activation pattern the digital camera is turned on and set to operate in a previously selected photography mode. | 01-26-2012 |
20120300105 | EXPOSING PIXEL GROUPS IN PRODUCING DIGITAL IMAGES - An imaging system and method for producing a digital image from pixel signals captured by a pixel array is disclosed. First pixel signals, generated during a first exposure period, are read out from a first group of pixels of the pixel array. The first group of pixels is reset after reading out the first pixel signals. | 11-29-2012 |
20130329989 | PATTERN CONVERSION FOR INTERPOLATION - A method of processing a digital image having a predetermined color pattern, includes converting the predetermined color pattern of the digital image into a converted digital image having a different desired color pattern; and using algorithms adapted for use with the desired color pattern for processing the converted digital image. | 12-12-2013 |