Abstract: Systems, methods, and computer readable media for adaptively selecting what portion (aka slice) of a first image (aka frame) is selected to overlap and blend with a second frame during frame capture operations are disclosed. In general, for every new frame captured in a sequence the overlap between it and the slice selected from a prior frame may be determined based, at least in part, on sensor output. If the overlap so determined is below a desired threshold, the position of the current frame's slice may be adjusted so as to provide the desired overlap.

Abstract: Procedures are described for blending images in real-time that avoid ghosting artifacts (attributable to moving objects), maintain the proper appearance of contiguous edges in the final image, and permits the use of fast (real-time) blending operations. A “guard-band” may be defined around an initially identified seam that perturbs the path of the initial seam so that both the seam and the guard-band's edges avoid moving objects by at least a specified amount. Rapid blend operations may then be performed in the region demarcated by the guard-band. The seam may be further adjusted to bias its position toward a specified trajectory within the overlap region when there is no moving object present. If visual registration techniques are not able to provide a properly aligned overlap region, motion sensor data for the image capture device, may be used instead to facilitate blending operations.

Abstract: An image processing is applied in common to image data for a first image and to image data for a second image. The image data for the first image and the image data for the second image are moreover compared as a basis for matching a visual appearance of images for a stereoscopic presentation. The visual appearance can be matched in the current pair of images by adjusting at least one of the images accordingly and/or in future pairs of images by adjusting parameters of at least one of the image capturing components providing the image data.

Abstract: Disclosed herein is an apparatus. The apparatus includes a housing, electronic circuitry, and an audio-visual source tracking system. The electronic circuitry is in the housing. The audio-visual source tracking system includes a first video camera and an array of microphones. The first video camera and the array of microphones are attached to the housing. The audio-visual source tracking system is configured to receive video information from the first video camera. The audio-visual source tracking system is configured to capture audio information from the array of microphones at least partially in response to the video information. The audio-visual source tracking system might include a second video camera that is attached to the housing, wherein the first and second video cameras together estimate the beam orientation of the array of microphones.

Abstract: An improved system and method for capturing an image using a camera or a camera module. In the present invention, the number of image shots taken, as well as the integration time of each image shot, are controlled based upon knowledge about the existence or absence of camera motion. Whenever a motion is detected above a predetermined motion threshold, the integration phase of the current image shot ends, and the integration of the next image shot begins. The present invention therefore adapts to the actual camera motion during exposure. If there is no camera motion, a single, long exposed image shot is captured. If there is camera motion, the total exposure time is divided between multiple shots in accordance with the degree of camera motion.

Abstract: The specification and drawings present a new method, apparatus and software product for enhancing a dynamic range of an image with a multi-exposure pixel pattern taken by an image sensor of a camera for one or more color channels, wherein a plurality of groups of pixels of the image sensor have different exposure times (e.g., pre-selected or adjusted by a user through a user interface using a viewfinder feedback, or adjusted by a user through a user interface after taking and storing RAW image, etc.). Processing of the captured image for constructing an enhanced image of the image for each of the one or more color channels can be performed using weighted combination of exposure times of pixels having different pre-selected exposure times according to a predetermined criterion.

Abstract: A new method, system, apparatus and software product for constructing by an electronic device an image panorama from a plurality of images based on their visual quality is presented. The same portion of a panoramic image scene is typically captured on multiple neighborhood video frames from which one can choose the best visual representation to be pasted into the panorama. Constructing the image panorama from the plurality of captured images can comprise the following steps: a) evaluating image quality of K consecutive frames out of the captured plurality of images using a predetermined criterion, b) selecting one image out of the evaluated K frames with the best image quality using a predetermined rule, and c) appending the selected frame to previously selected frames for constructing the image panorama. On-line and off-line implementations are possible.

Abstract: The specification and drawings present a new method, apparatus and software product for image stabilization of an image taken with a fixed (i.e., pre-selected) multi-exposure pattern for at least one color channel by an image sensor of a camera, wherein a plurality of groups of pixels of the image sensor have different pre-selected exposure times for said at least one color channel. The camera can be a part of, e.g., an electronic device such as mobile phone or a portable electronic device.

Abstract: Disclosed herein is an apparatus. The apparatus includes a housing, electronic circuitry, and an audio-visual source tracking system. The electronic circuitry is in the housing. The audio-visual source tracking system includes a first video camera and an array of microphones. The first video camera and the array of microphones are attached to the housing. The audio-visual source tracking system is configured to receive video information from the first video camera. The audio-visual source tracking system is configured to capture audio information from the array of microphones at least partially in response to the video information. The audio-visual source tracking system might include a second video camera that is attached to the housing, wherein the first and second video cameras together estimate the beam orientation of the array of microphones.

Abstract: For applying a motion filter of a video stabilization system to a sequence of video frames, an estimate of a motion in the current video frame compared to a first video frame of the sequence of video frames is received. Based on the received motion estimate and on at least one state variable of the motion filter, a correction value for the motion in the current video frame is computed. The at least one state variable is updated in the computation. In case the computed correction value exceeds a system constraint of the video stabilization system, the at least one state variable is adjusted in accordance with an extent by which the system constraint is exceeded. The correction value is then recomputed based on the motion estimate and on the adjusted state variable.

Abstract: The specification and drawings present a new method, apparatus and software product for restoring (i.e., de-noising and/or stabilizing) images using similar blocks of pixels of one or more different sizes in one or more available image frames of the same scene for providing, e.g., multi-frame image restoration/de-noising/stabilization.

Abstract: An image processing is applied in common to image data for a first image and to image data for a second image. The image data for the first image and the image data for the second image are moreover compared as a basis for matching a visual appearance of images for a stereoscopic presentation. The visual appearance can be matched in the current pair of images by adjusting at least one of the images accordingly and/or in future pairs of images by adjusting parameters of at least one of the image capturing components providing the image data.

Abstract: The specification and drawings present a new method, apparatus and software product for enhancing a dynamic range of an image with a multi-exposure pixel pattern taken by an image sensor of a camera for one or more color channels, wherein a plurality of groups of pixels of the image sensor have different exposure times (e.g., pre-selected or adjusted by a user through a user interface using a viewfinder feedback, or adjusted by a user through a user interface after taking and storing RAW image, etc.). Processing of the captured image for constructing an enhanced image of the image for each of the one or more color channels can be performed using weighted combination of exposure times of pixels having different pre-selected exposure times according to a predetermined criterion.

Abstract: An improved system and method for capturing an image using a camera or a camera module. In the present invention, the number of image shots taken, as well as the integration time of each image shot, are controlled based upon knowledge about the existence or absence of camera motion. Whenever a motion is detected above a predetermined motion threshold, the integration phase of the current image shot ends, and the integration of the next image shot begins. The present invention therefore adapts to the actual camera motion during exposure. If there is no camera motion, a single, long exposed image shot is captured. If there is camera motion, the total exposure time is divided between multiple shots in accordance with the degree of camera motion.

Abstract: A method of improving image quality of a digital image is provided. In particular, the motion blur in an image taken in a long exposure time is reduced by dividing the exposure time into several shorter periods and capturing a series of images in those shorter periods. Among the images, one reference image is selected and the remaining images are registered in reference to the reference image by image warping, for example. After identifying the pixels in each of the remaining images and the corresponding pixels in the reference image, a weighting factor is assigned to each of the pixels in the remaining images based on the similarity in the pixel values between the remaining images and reference image. A weight average operation is carried out to sum the corresponding pixels in the reference and the remaining images to generate the final image.

Abstract: The specification and drawings present a new method, apparatus and software product for image stabilization of an image taken with a fixed (i.e., pre-selected) multi-exposure pattern for at least one color channel by an image sensor of a camera, wherein a plurality of groups of pixels of the image sensor have different pre-selected exposure times for said at least one color channel. The camera can be a part of, e.g., an electronic device such as mobile phone or a portable electronic device.

Abstract: The specification and drawings present a new method, system, apparatus and software product for constructing by an electronic device an image panorama from a plurality of images based on their visual quality. The same portion of a panoramic image scene is typically captured on multiple neighborhood video frames from which one can choose the best visual representation to be pasted into the panorama. Constructing the image panorama from the plurality of captured images can comprise the following steps: a) evaluating image quality of K consecutive frames out of the captured plurality of images using a predetermined criterion, b) selecting one image out of the evaluated K frames with the best image quality using a predetermined rule, and c) appending the selected frame to previously selected frames for constructing the image panorama. On-line and off-line implementations are possible.

Abstract: The invention relates to methods for use in a wavetable based sound synthesis, wherein a first processor stores wavetable data and wherein a second processor generates an output audio signal frame-by-frame based on samples of the wavetable data. One method comprises at the first processor selecting samples of the stored wavetable data, which are expected to be required at the most at the second processor for generating a next output audio frame. The selection is based on a model of a pitch-shift evolution during a single frame and on the number of samples which have been used so far by the second processor. The selected samples are made available to the second processor. Another method allows the second processor to make use of the provided samples. The invention relates equally to corresponding processors, to a corresponding wavetable based sound synthesis system, to a corresponding device and to corresponding software program products.

Abstract: For applying a motion filter of a video stabilization system to a sequence of video frames, an estimate of a motion in the current video frame compared to a first video frame of the sequence of video frames is received. Based on the received motion estimate and on at least one state variable of the motion filter, a correction value for the motion in the current video frame is computed. The at least one state variable is updated in the computation. In case the computed correction value exceeds a system constraint of the video stabilization system, the at least one state variable is adjusted in accordance with an extent by which the system constraint is exceeded. The correction value is then recomputed based on the motion estimate and on the adjusted state variable.

Abstract: In wavetable based sound synthesis, the wavetable data may comprise samples in a loop section, which samples may be reused for a playback in a loop as often as required. According to a first aspect of the invention, it is proposed that the internal state of a decoder operating on a frame-by-frame basis is restored before each repetition of a decoding of a stored encoded frame comprising the beginning of a loop section. According to a second aspect of the invention, the original wavetable data is padded at the beginning before encoding the wavetable data on a frame-by-frame basis for storage, such that all samples of the loop section are included in a single frame, if possible. According to a third aspect of the invention, a last, possibly incomplete frame provided for encoding is filled up with samples resulting from a periodic extension of the loop section.