Still image stabilization/optical image stabilization synchronization in multi-camera image capture

    公开(公告)号:US10771697B2

    公开(公告)日:2020-09-08

    申请号:US15696583

    申请日:2017-09-06

    Applicant: Apple Inc.

    Abstract: Techniques are disclosed for managing image capture and processing in a multi-camera imaging system. In such a system, a pair of cameras each may output a sequence of frames representing captured image data. The cameras' output may be synchronized to each other to cause synchronism in the image capture operations of the cameras. The system may assess image quality of frames output from the cameras and, based on the image quality, designate a pair of the frames to serve as a “reference frame pair.” Thus, one frame from the first camera and a paired frame from the second camera will be designated as the reference frame pair. The system may adjust each reference frame in the pair using other frames from their respective cameras. The reference frames also may be processed by other operations within the system, such as image fusion.

    Scene motion correction in fused image systems

    公开(公告)号:US10432861B2

    公开(公告)日:2019-10-01

    申请号:US16362253

    申请日:2019-03-22

    Applicant: Apple Inc.

    Abstract: Techniques to capture and fuse short- and long-exposure images of a scene from a stabilized image capture device are disclosed. More particularly, the disclosed techniques use not only individual pixel differences between co-captured short- and long-exposure images, but also the spatial structure of occluded regions in the long-exposure images (e.g., areas of the long-exposure image(s) exhibiting blur due to scene object motion). A novel device used to represent this feature of the long-exposure image is a “spatial difference map.” Spatial difference maps may be used to identify pixels in the short- and long-exposure images for fusion and, in one embodiment, may be used to identify pixels from the short-exposure image(s) to filter post-fusion so as to reduce visual discontinuities in the output image.

    Mismatched Foreign Light Detection And Mitigation In The Image Fusion Of A Two-Camera System

    公开(公告)号:US20170359534A1

    公开(公告)日:2017-12-14

    申请号:US15617503

    申请日:2017-06-08

    Applicant: Apple Inc.

    Abstract: Foreign lighting effects, such as lens flare, are very common in natural images. In a two-camera-system, the two images may be fused together to generate one image of a better quality. However, there are frequently different foreign light patterns in the two images that form the image pair, e.g., due to the difference in lens design, sensor and position, etc. Directly fusing such pairs of images will result in non-photorealistic images, with composed foreign light patterns from both images from the image pair. This disclosure describes a general foreign light mitigation scheme to detect all kinds of foreign light region mismatches. The detected foreign light mismatch regions may be deemphasized or excluded in the fusion step, in order to create a fused image that keeps a natural-looking foreign light pattern that is close to what was seen by the user of an image capture device during an image capture preview mode.

    Image registration methods for still image stabilization
    35.
    发明授权
    Image registration methods for still image stabilization 有权
    用于静止图像稳定的图像配准方法

    公开(公告)号:US09384552B2

    公开(公告)日:2016-07-05

    申请号:US13911793

    申请日:2013-06-06

    Applicant: Apple Inc.

    CPC classification number: G06T7/0028 G06T7/33 G06T2207/10016 G06T2207/20016

    Abstract: Systems, methods, and computer readable media to improve image stabilization operations are described. A novel approach to pixel-based registration of non-reference images to a reference frame in a set of commonly captured images is disclosed which makes use of pyramid decomposition to more efficiently detect corners. The disclosed pixel-based registration operation may also be combined with motion sensor data-based registration approaches to register non-reference images with respect to the reference frame. When the registered non-reference images are combined with the pre-selected reference image, the resulting image is a quality stabilized image.

    Abstract translation: 描述了用于改善图像稳定操作的系统,方法和计算机可读介质。 公开了一种将非参考图像基于像素的注册到一组共同拍摄的图像中的参考帧的新颖方法,其利用金字塔分解来更有效地检测角落。 所公开的基于像素的注册操作还可以与基于运动传感器数据的注册方法组合以便相对于参考帧来注册非参考图像。 当登记的非参考图像与预先选择的参考图像组合时,所得图像是质量稳定图像。

    Region of interest based image registration
    37.
    发明授权
    Region of interest based image registration 有权
    基于图像注册的兴趣区域

    公开(公告)号:US09058655B2

    公开(公告)日:2015-06-16

    申请号:US13670080

    申请日:2012-11-06

    Applicant: Apple Inc.

    Abstract: Techniques for registering images based on an identified region of interest (ROI) are described. In general, the disclosed techniques identify a region of ROI within an image and assign areas within the image corresponding to those regions more importance during the registration process. More particularly, the disclosed techniques may employ user-input or image content information to identify the ROI. Once identified, features within the ROI may be given more weight or significance during registration operations than other areas of the image having high-feature content but which are not as important to the individual capturing the image.

    Abstract translation: 描述了基于所识别的感兴趣区域(ROI)来注册图像的技术。 通常,所公开的技术识别图像内的ROI的区域,并且在注册过程期间分配对应于那些区域的图像中的区域更重要。 更具体地,所公开的技术可以采用用户输入或图像内容信息来识别ROI。 一旦被识别,ROI中的特征可以在注册操作期间比具有高特征内容的图像的其他区域给予更多的权重或重要性,但对于捕获图像的个体而言并不重要。

    Exposure Mapping and Dynamic Thresholding for Blending of Multiple Images Using Floating Exposure
    38.
    发明申请
    Exposure Mapping and Dynamic Thresholding for Blending of Multiple Images Using Floating Exposure 有权
    使用浮动曝光混合多个图像的曝光映射和动态阈值

    公开(公告)号:US20140362173A1

    公开(公告)日:2014-12-11

    申请号:US13911243

    申请日:2013-06-06

    Applicant: Apple Inc.

    CPC classification number: H04N5/23238

    Abstract: Special blend operations for wide area-of-view image generation utilizing a “floating auto exposure” scheme are described. Pixel values in the two images being stitched together are blended within a transition band around a “seam.” identified in the overlap region between the images after changes in exposure and/or color saturation are accounted for. In some embodiments, changes in exposure and/or color saturation are accounted for through the use of one or more exposure mapping curves, the selection and use of which are based, at least in part, on a determined “Exposure Ratio” value, i.e., the amount that the camera's exposure settings have deviated from their initial capture settings. In other embodiments, the Exposure Ratio value is also used to determine regions along the seam where either: alpha blending, Poisson blending—or a combination of the two—should be used to blend in the transitional areas on each side of the seam.

    Abstract translation: 描述利用“浮动自动曝光”方案的广视野图像生成的特殊混合操作。 缝合在一起的两个图像中的像素值被混合在围绕在曝光和/或色彩饱和度变化之后的图像之间的重叠区域中识别的“接缝”周围的过渡带内。 在一些实施方案中,通过使用一个或多个暴露映射曲线来考虑暴露和/或色彩饱和度的变化,其选择和使用至少部分地基于确定的“曝光比”值,即 相机曝光设置的偏移量与其初始拍摄设置有偏差。 在其他实施例中,曝光比值也用于确定沿着接缝的区域,其中:α混合,泊松混合或两者的组合应当用于在接缝的每一侧上的过渡区域中混合。

    STILL IMAGE STABILIZATION/OPTICAL IMAGE STABILIZATION SYNCHRONIZATION IN MULTI-CAMERA IMAGE CAPTURE

    公开(公告)号:US20200374461A1

    公开(公告)日:2020-11-26

    申请号:US16990432

    申请日:2020-08-11

    Applicant: Apple Inc.

    Abstract: Techniques are disclosed for managing image capture and processing in a multi-camera imaging system. In such a system, a pair of cameras each may output a sequence of frames representing captured image data. The cameras' output may be synchronized to each other to cause synchronism in the image capture operations of the cameras. The system may assess image quality of frames output from the cameras and, based on the image quality, designate a pair of the frames to serve as a “reference frame pair.” Thus, one frame from the first camera and a paired frame from the second camera will be designated as the reference frame pair. The system may adjust each reference frame in the pair using other frames from their respective cameras. The reference frames also may be processed by other operations within the system, such as image fusion.

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