Abstract: An imaging device may have an array of image pixels that includes red, green, blue, and infrared pixels. The imaging device may include a dual-band filter that allows transmission of light in the visible band and in the near-infrared band and may include color processing circuitry that produces a color image with marked infrared regions. The color processing circuitry may include a standard color processing pipeline with a color correction matrix that produces a tone-mapped standard red, green, and blue image and may include infrared marking circuitry. The infrared marking circuitry may include hue angle determination circuitry, cell means determination circuitry, and near-infrared determination circuitry that determine portions of the image with high infrared reflectance to be marked. The infrared-marked tone-mapped standard red, green, and blue image may be output to a machine vision system to identify objects in the imaged scene with high infrared reflection.

Abstract: Imaging systems employing active illumination such as in-cabin monitoring or LiDAR systems may include a laser or LED source and an image sensor that is triggered by light reflecting off a target scene. The light has a spectral response that drifts as a function of temperature. To help compensate for such drifting in the spectral response of the light, a tiltable bandpass filter may be disposed over the image sensor. The bandpass filter is tilted or rotated using a filter tilting device. The filter tilting device may tilt or rotate the bandpass filter by an amount that causes a shift in the passband of the bandpass filter so that the shifted passband is aligned with the spectral response of the laser light across different ambient temperatures. Aligning the filter passband to the peak spectral response of the light source can help improve rejection of unwanted illumination from extraneous light sources.

Abstract: An imaging device may have an array of image pixels that includes red, green, blue, and infrared pixels. The imaging device may include a dual-band filter that allows transmission of light in the visible band and in the near-infrared band and may include color processing circuitry that produces a color image with marked infrared regions. The color processing circuitry may include a standard color processing pipeline with a color correction matrix that produces a tone-mapped standard red, green, and blue image and may include infrared marking circuitry. The infrared marking circuitry may include hue angle determination circuitry, cell means determination circuitry, and near-infrared determination circuitry that determine portions of the image with high infrared reflectance to be marked. The infrared-marked tone-mapped standard red, green, and blue image may be output to a machine vision system to identify objects in the imaged scene with high infrared reflection.

Abstract: An imaging system may include an image sensor with phase detection pixel groups for depth sensing or automatic focusing operations. Each phase detection pixel group may have two or more photosensitive regions covered by a single microlens so that each photosensitive region has an asymmetric angular response. The imaging system may use image data from the phase detection pixel group to determine a phase difference. Alternatively, to improve accuracy, the imaging system may obtain two sets of image data using two different aperture sizes. The phase difference associated with each aperture size may be determined. The difference between the two phase differences may be determined and used as a more accurate metric for depth sensing or automatic focusing operations.

Abstract: Image sensors may include phase detection pixels that are used to determine the distance between the image sensor and objects in a scene. To account for variations in the angular response of phase detection pixels across a pixel array, calibration may be performed. During calibration, an image sensor may take images of targets at known distances from the sensor. The known distances may be used to determine scaling factors that account for differences between the initially calculated distances between the sensor and the targets and the actual distances between the sensor and the targets. The scaling factors may then be stored on the image sensor for future reference. During subsequent use of the image sensor, the image sensor may then obtain the appropriate scaling factor in real time for more accurate phase and distance determinations.

Abstract: Image sensors may include phase detection pixels that are used to determine the distance between the image sensor and objects in a scene. To account for variations in the angular response of phase detection pixels across a pixel array, calibration may be performed. During calibration, an image sensor may take images of targets at known distances from the sensor. The known distances may be used to determine scaling factors that account for differences between the initially calculated distances between the sensor and the targets and the actual distances between the sensor and the targets. The scaling factors may then be stored on the image sensor for future reference. During subsequent use of the image sensor, the image sensor may then obtain the appropriate scaling factor in real time for more accurate phase and distance determinations.

Abstract: An imaging system may include an image sensor with phase detection pixel groups for depth sensing or automatic focusing operations. Each phase detection pixel group may have two or more photosensitive regions covered by a single microlens so that each photosensitive region has an asymmetric angular response. The imaging system may use image data from the phase detection pixel group to determine a phase difference. Alternatively, to improve accuracy, the imaging system may obtain two sets of image data using two different aperture sizes. The phase difference associated with each aperture size may be determined. The difference between the two phase differences may be determined and used as a more accurate metric for depth sensing or automatic focusing operations.

Abstract: A digital camera having a burst image capture mode, comprising: an image sensor; an optical system; a data processing system; an image memory; and a program memory storing instructions configured to implement a method for capturing a sequence of digital images in the burst image capture mode. The instructions include: capturing two or more evaluation digital images of a scene that includes a moving object; analyzing the evaluation digital images to determine a rate of motion for the moving object; determining a frame rate responsive to the rate of motion for the moving object; initiating an image capture sequence; capturing a sequence of digital images; and storing a set of captured digital images corresponding to the determined frame rate in the image memory.

Abstract: A digital camera having a burst image capture mode, comprising: an image sensor; an optical system; a data processing system; an image memory; and a program memory storing instructions configured to implement a method for capturing a sequence of digital images in the burst image capture mode. The instructions include: capturing a sequence of digital images of the scene using the image sensor, each digital image being captured at a different time; identifying a moving object in the captured digital images; automatically determining the position of the moving object in each of the captured digital images; automatically selecting a subset of the captured digital images where the moving object has positions that most nearly correspond to a set of desirable positions; and storing the selected subset of captured digital images in the image memory.

Abstract: A method for determining image capture settings for an electronic image capture device, comprising: capturing at least two preview images of a scene; analyzing the preview images to determine a combined motion velocity; determining one or more image capture settings responsive to the combined motion velocity; and capturing an archival image according to the determined image capture settings. The determination of the combined motion velocity includes: defining a plurality image regions; determining local motion velocities for each of the image regions; and combining the local motion velocities to determine the combined motion velocity.

Abstract: A method for determining a motion estimate, comprising: capturing at least two digital images of a scene at different capture times; designating one of the digital images as a reference digital image; designating a plurality of image regions; determining motion estimates for each image region by shifting the image regions within the non-reference digital images according to each of a plurality of spatial offsets relative to the image region within the reference digital image, computing merit function values for each spatial offset providing an indication of a difference between the image region in the reference digital image and the shifted image regions, computing a fitting function that provides an estimated merit function value as a function of spatial offset; and determining the motion estimate responsive to the determined non-integer spatial offset. A combined motion estimate is determined using weighting coefficients determined responsive to the shapes of the fitting functions.

Abstract: A method for forming a composite image from a sequence of digital images, comprising: receiving a sequence of digital images of a scene, each digital image being captured at a different time, wherein the scene includes a moving object; using a data processor to automatically analyze two or more of the digital images in the sequence of digital images to determine a rate of motion for the moving object; determining a frame rate responsive to the rate of motion for the moving object; selecting a subset of the digital images from the sequence of digital images corresponding to the determined frame rate; and forming the composite image by combining the selected subset of digital images from the sequence of digital images.

Abstract: A digital camera having a burst image capture mode, comprising: an image sensor; an optical system; a data processing system; an image memory; and a program memory storing instructions configured to implement a method for capturing a sequence of digital images in the burst image capture mode. The instructions include: capturing a sequence of digital images of the scene using the image sensor, each digital image being captured at a different time; identifying a moving object in the captured digital images; automatically determining the position of the moving object in each of the captured digital images; automatically selecting a subset of the captured digital images where the moving object has positions that most nearly correspond to a set of desirable positions; and storing the selected subset of captured digital images in the image memory.

Abstract: A digital camera having a burst image capture mode, comprising: an image sensor; an optical system; a data processing system; an image memory; and a program memory storing instructions configured to implement a method for capturing a sequence of digital images in the burst image capture mode. The instructions include: capturing two or more evaluation digital images of a scene that includes a moving object; analyzing the evaluation digital images to determine a rate of motion for the moving object; determining a frame rate responsive to the rate of motion for the moving object; initiating an image capture sequence; capturing a sequence of digital images; and storing a set of captured digital images corresponding to the determined frame rate in the image memory.

Abstract: A method for determining a motion estimate, comprising: capturing at least two digital images of a scene at different capture times; designating one of the digital images as a reference digital image; designating a plurality of image regions; determining motion estimates for each image region by shifting the image regions within the non-reference digital images according to each of a plurality of spatial offsets relative to the image region within the reference digital image, computing merit function values for each spatial offset providing an indication of a difference between the image region in the reference digital image and the shifted image regions, computing a fitting function that provides an estimated merit function value as a function of spatial offset; and determining the motion estimate responsive to the determined non-integer spatial offset. A combined motion estimate is determined using weighting coefficients determined responsive to the shapes of the fitting functions.

Abstract: A method for determining image capture settings for an electronic image capture device, comprising: capturing at least two preview images of a scene; analyzing the preview images to determine a combined motion velocity; determining one or more image capture settings responsive to the combined motion velocity; and capturing an archival image according to the determined image capture settings. The determination of the combined motion velocity includes: defining a plurality image regions; determining local motion velocities for each of the image regions; and combining the local motion velocities to determine the combined motion velocity.

Abstract: A scanning apparatus for scanning an image that includes a transparent plate and a target region having a predetermined optical reflectance. Also included is a movable sensor array, having a home position that is in optical communication with the target region when a lid of the scanning apparatus is closed. A light source illuminates the target region, and a controller analyzes a signal sent from the movable sensor array and subsequently initiating at least one function for the scanning apparatus.

Abstract: A photofinishing system and method for providing for the digital processing of a set of photographs including a digital printer, buffer, laminator and cutter, and associated methods of use for improving the accuracy of printing, processing, laminating and cutting individual photos during a digital photofinishing process.