| Patent application number | Description | Published |
| 20080211941 | DIGITAL CAMERA USING MULTIPLE IMAGE SENSORS TO PROVIDE IMPROVED TEMPORAL SAMPLING - A method and apparatus for capturing image data from multiple image sensors and generating an output image sequence are disclosed. The multiple image sensors capture data with one or more different characteristics, such as: staggered exposure periods, different length exposure periods, different frame rates, different spatial resolution, different lens systems, and different focal lengths. The data from multiple image sensors is processed and interleaved to generate an improved output motion sequence relative to an output motion sequence generated from an a single equivalent image sensor. | 09-04-2008 |
| 20090021588 | DETERMINING AND CORRECTING FOR IMAGING DEVICE MOTION DURING AN EXPOSURE - A system and method for determining and correcting for imaging device motion during an exposure is provided. According to various embodiments of the present invention, multiple sets of image pixels are defined on an image sensor, where each set of pixels is at least partially contained in the output image area of the image sensor. Signals from each set of image pixels are read out once or more during an exposure, motion estimates are computed using signal readouts from one or more sets of image pixels, and signal readouts from one or more sets of the image pixels are processed to form the final output image. | 01-22-2009 |
| 20100104209 | DEFECTIVE COLOR AND PANCHROMATIC CFA IMAGE - A method of improving a first color filter array image from an image sensor having a plurality of color channels and a panchromatic channel, includes capturing the panchromatic channel at a different exposure time than at least one of the color channels with the image sensor; using the color channels to provide a luminance channel; and analyzing the color filter array image and the luminance channel to determine defective pixels in the color channels and using neighboring color and luminance pixel values to improve the defective pixels to produce a second color filter array image or full-color image having at least one improved channel. | 04-29-2010 |
| 20100119148 | MODIFYING COLOR AND PANCHROMATIC CHANNEL CFA IMAGE - A method of modifying a CFA image or full-color image having a plurality of color channels and a panchromatic channel, includes capturing the panchromatic channel at a different exposure time than at least one of the color image channels with the CFA sensor within one image; producing a panchromatic edge map and a color edge map from the CFA image; using the panchromatic edge map and the color edge map to provide motion estimates; and using the motion estimates to modify at least one of the channels of the CFA image or full-color image. | 05-13-2010 |
| 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 |
| 20110052095 | USING CAPTURED HIGH AND LOW RESOLUTION IMAGES - A method for producing an improved high resolution image is disclosed including capturing low resolution images and a high resolution image; combining the low resolution images to provide an aggregate low resolution image; reducing the resolution of the high resolution image to provide an image representative of a low resolution image that could have been captured by the image capture device; interpolating the representative low resolution image to provide an interpolated high resolution image; calculating a residual image from the high resolution image and the interpolated high resolution image; combining the representative low resolution image and the aggregate low resolution image to provide a final low resolution image; and using the final low resolution image and the residual image to provide the improved high resolution image. | 03-03-2011 |
| 20110096179 | METHOD FOR IMPROVED DIGITAL VIDEO IMAGE QUALITY - A method of producing a digital video with reduced motion blur or increased brightness, including capturing a digital video using an exposure time that reduces image blur; selecting a first series of sequential images from the digital video capture; combining pixel values of said images to produce a first intermediate image that is brighter than each of the selected sequential images; choosing and processing a reference image to create a second intermediate image that is less blurry than the first intermediate image; identifying moving regions among the selected sequential images; replacing pixel values of moving regions in the first intermediate image with corresponding pixel values from the second intermediate image to produce a first digital video image having reduced motion blur or increased brightness; and repeating these steps for a second series of sequential images that includes at least one image from the first series of sequential images. | 04-28-2011 |
| 20110149111 | CREATING AN IMAGE USING STILL AND PREVIEW - A method for improving the dynamic range of a captured digital image, including acquiring at least one image from the live view image stream, wherein each acquired live view image has an effective exposure and a first resolution; capturing at least one still image at an effective exposure different than each of the acquired live view images, and at a resolution higher than the first resolution; and combining the at least one live view image and the at least one still image. | 06-23-2011 |