Abstract: An image capture system and method for adjusting a focal length of a lens based on an amount of available light. The image capture system may include a lens assembly having a focal length, an image capture media capable of receiving light from the lens assembly, and a controller configured to adjust the focal length of the lens assembly and to access an amount of the image capture media to form an image of an object.

Abstract: Imaging methods, cameras, projectors, and articles of manufacture are described according to some aspects of the disclosure.

Abstract: A product has a data encoding pattern thereon. The pattern is formed from groups of marks. Each group occupies a respective area of the product. The marks are of different colours and each group is arranged to have the same average colour.

Abstract: A method and system for deblurring an image based on motion tracking. Light is recorded at an image sensor of an imaging device to capture an image. Motion of said image sensor is recorded at a motion sensor of the imaging device during the recording of the light at the image sensor. A blur kernel is generated based on the motion.

Abstract: An exemplary method includes identifying defects in a first image among a series of images, by identifying a first portion of the first image at a first location in the first image, wherein a brightness of the first portion is different from a second portion at the first location in a previous image and a third portion at the first location in a subsequent image, by an amount exceeding a first threshold value, determining whether a first region of the first image that includes the first portion, matches a second region of the previous image and a third region of the subsequent image, wherein the second and third regions are at second and third locations displaced from the first location, and characterizing the first portion as a defect when the first region does not match the second and third regions.

Abstract: Denoising of a plurality of pixels of a color digital image includes analyzing the plurality of pixels to identify those pixels having a high likelihood of containing significant noise; and forcing those pixels having a high likelihood of containing significant noise to be photometrically coherent with nearby pixels having a lower likelihood of containing significant noise.

Abstract: A method and apparatus for detection of optical elements. The apparatus includes an illumination unit for projecting light into a target area to illuminate the target area, and an image capture unit for capturing images of the target area in an illuminated condition and a non-illuminated condition. An image comparison unit compares images of the target area in an illuminated condition and a non-illuminated condition to detect Fresnel reflections of light from the illumination unit.

Abstract: A method performed by a processing system is provided. The method comprises performing a first set of correlations between a first plurality of pixel values in a first frame and a target pixel value in a target frame of a digital video across all of a plurality of color channels of the target pixel value, performing a second set of correlations between the first plurality of pixel values in the first frame and the target pixel value in the target frame across less than all of the plurality of color channels of the target pixel value, and determining whether the target pixel value is an artifact using the first set of correlations and the second set of correlations.

Abstract: A method of correcting vignetting in an image. The image inlcudes a plurality of pixels, each pixel having an intensity. The image is flattened by adjusting the intensity of each pixel based on a vignette function representative of vignetting characteristics of the image, the vignette function having a plurality of free parameters, each free parameter having a value. A vignette metric is determined based on the flattened image. The values of one or more of the free parameters are adjusted based on the vignette metric, and the flattening is performed based on the adjusted values of the free parameters.

Abstract: A method of blending a pair of images, each image comprising a plurality of pixels having an intensity. A blending edge is determined for each image, each blending edge comprising at least one group of pixels, with each pixel at a pixel position, and an average intensity of pixels of the blending edges is determined at each pixel position. The method includes determining a scaling factor based on a relationship between the average intensity and the intensity of the pixel of the at least one group of pixels of the blending edge at each pixel position of each image. A blending area is determined for each image, each blending area comprising at least one group of pixels having a pixel at each of the pixel positions. The intensity of the pixel at each pixel position of the at least one group of pixels of the blending area of each image is scaled with the corresponding scaling factor.

Abstract: A method and system for automatically adjusting exposure parameters of an imaging device. Motion of the imaging device is detected using a motion sensor of the imaging device. Exposure parameter information for the imaging device is accessed. At least one exposure parameter is automatically adjusted based on a measure of the motion and the exposure parameter information.

Abstract: A method and apparatus for calibrating a motion sensing device in a portable apparatus includes sampling an output of a secondary motion sensing device and determining if the output of the secondary motion sensing device is indicative of a stationary portable apparatus. If the output of the secondary motion sensing device is indicative of a stationary portable apparatus, a bias offset of a primary motion sensing device is determined from an output of the primary motion sensing device. The output of the primary motion sensing device is adjusted to remove the effects of the bias offset.

Abstract: A method of intensity correction of at least two frames, each frame comprising a sequence of at least two images, each image at a different image position in the sequence and each pair of adjacent images having an overlap region. The method includes selecting an image at a same image position in each frame as a reference image. A set of global intensity transformations is determined, one global intensity transformation for all pairs of adjacent images at corresponding pairs of adjacent images positions of all frames, wherein the global intensity transformations are relative to the reference images. Each global intensity transformation is applied to each pixel of one image at each corresponding pair of adjacent image positions.

Abstract: A color digital image is processed to reduce blur. First and second color channels of a high frequency feature (e.g., an edge) in the image are compared to derive information that is missing from the second channel due to the blur. The information is used to adjust the feature in the second channel so that sharpeness of the feature is similar in both the first and second channels. As a first example, the processing may be used to correct chromatic aberration in an image captured by a digital camera. As a second example, the processing may be used to reduce blur in images created during film restoration.

Abstract: A filter including multiple apertures for use in a camera's autofocus system is described. A variety of implementation examples of the filter are described. In one implementation, the filter includes an opaque portion which blocks light and apertures through which light travels. In another version, the apertures each include a color filter corresponding to a different color. In another example, the filter comprises a light blocking opaque portion with asymmetrically shaped apertures through which light travels. A defocus determination based on the filtered light is performed, and an adjustment to the distance between the optical system and an image sensing device is determined based on the determined defocus.

Abstract: An exemplary method for creating a composite image includes the steps of capturing a plurality of images with an image capture device which includes a sensor, determining an image capture device pose corresponding to each of the images based on data from the sensor, transforming each of the images based on its corresponding pose, projecting the transformed images to a common projection space, and combining the projected images to form a composite image.

Abstract: A method and system for blending images into a single image. Initially two images of a view are selected, wherein the images have overlapping content of the view. The images can differ from each other in such characteristics as time, camera location, camera settings, and lighting. The images are divided into strips along a common plane in a region of each image where the images overlap. A strip from each image is selected where the images are a close match. Pixel by pixel difference values between the two strips are calculated, and a cut line is determined where the differences between the two strips are minimized. Each image is cut along the corresponding cut line, and the cut images are blended together to form a single image of the view. The blended single image can be further processed by warping the image along the cut line to provide for a smoother fit between the two images.

Abstract: An image sensing device and a method of capturing an electronic representation of an image includes a plurality of photosensors arranged in one or more arrays, and a filter associated with each of the photosensors. The photosensors and their respective output signals are divided into a plurality of color channels. At least one of the color channels is divided into a plurality of sub-channels. Each of the sub-channels registers light in spectral bands which approximate the color of the respective color channel. However, the first sub-channel registers light in a spectral band which is broader in bandwidth than the second sub-channel.

Abstract: Cameras, optical systems, imaging methods and optical filter configuration methods are described. According to one embodiment, a camera includes an image device configured to receive light of a subject and to provide an image representation of the subject from the light, wherein the image representation is usable to generate a visible image of the subject, a lens system optically coupled with the image device and configured to direct the light to the image device, wherein the image device is configured to generate the image representation while having a first sensitivity to a first wavelength of light and a second sensitivity to a second wavelength of light different than the first sensitivity, and a filter optically coupled with the lens system and corresponding to the image device wherein the filter is configured to pass a first quantity of photons having the first wavelength of light for the subject and a second quantity of photons having the second wavelength of light for the subject.

Abstract: A process and apparatus is described to improve a digital camera user interface and increase ease of use and functionality of a digital camera by quickly, accurately and robustly permitting cursor control and designation in a digital camera display. A digital camera is used as a pointing device such as a mouse or trackball. The motion of the camera is detected, and the motion of the camera is used to position graphic elements on the camera's own display. The camera's motion can be detected with sensors, such as gyroscopes, or the camera itself can be used as a motion sensor. One application of this involves using the camera as a computer mouse, or like a gun-sight, to select images from a sheet of low-resolution (“thumbnail”) images. The motion of the camera is tracked, and the user aims at the desired image from a sheet of thumbnail images. The thumbnails appear to be fixed relative to the world because the camera can continuously reposition them in the display based upon the motion of the camera.