Abstract: A camera system includes lens units such that each lens unit is assigned to a single-color color filter unit. The lens and color filter assembly may be combined with pixel units such that a plurality of monochromatic, low-resolution images can be obtained, and the monochromatic images refer to shifted versions of the same image object. By a super-resolution technique that includes shift-compensation a mosaicked image is obtained, which is then demosaiced. In the resultant image, only few artifacts appear. Simple color filter arrays allow a simplified fabrication process and provide less chromatic aberrations at less computational effort.

Abstract: A lens unit (120) shows longitudinal chromatic aberration and focuses an imaged scene into a first image for the infrared range in a first focal plane and into a second image for the visible range in a second focal plane. An optical element (150) manipulates the modulation transfer function assigned to the first and second images to extend the depth of field. An image processing unit (200) may amplify a modulation transfer function contrast in the first and second images. A focal shift between the focal planes may be compensated for. While in conventional approaches for RGBIR sensors contemporaneously providing both a conventional and an infrared image of the same scene the infrared image is severely out of focus, the present approach provides extended depth of field imaging to rectify the problem of out-of-focus blur for infrared radiation. An imaging system can be realized without any apochromatic lens.

Abstract: A lens unit (120) shows longitudinal chromatic aberration and focuses an imaged scene into a first image for the infrared range in a first focal plane and into a second image for the visible range in a second focal plane. An optical element (150) manipulates the modulation transfer function assigned to the first and second images to extend the depth of field. An image processing unit (200) may amplify a modulation transfer function contrast in the first and second images. A focal shift between the focal planes may be compensated for. While in conventional approaches for RGBIR sensors contemporaneously providing both a conventional and an infrared image of the same scene the infrared image is severely out of focus, the present approach provides extended depth of field imaging to rectify the problem of out-of-focus blur for infrared radiation. An imaging system can be realized without any apochromatic lens.

Abstract: A method and optical system for determining a depth map of an image, the method including: determining a first focus measure of a first color in at least one region of the image; determining a second focus measure of a second color in the at least one region of the image; determining a ratio of the first and the second focus measure; and determining the depth map based on a ratio of the first and second focus measure.

Abstract: In a method for determining field of view dependent depth map correction values for correction of a depth map of an image taken with a lens having a field of view the following is performed: obtaining (31) relative depth information for at least two different depths and at least two different predetermined locations of the field of view of the lens; receiving (32) an image; determining (33) a depth of the received image; and determining (34) on the basis of the determined depth of the received image at least one depth map correction value on the basis of the relative depth information.

Abstract: The present invention relates to a method and system for obtaining a point spread function for deblurring image data captured by an imaging device comprising a motion sensor. First, motion path values indicating the motion of the imaging device during the exposure time are acquired. The motion path values of the imaging device are then projected onto the sensor plane and for each sensor pixel the projected motion path values are integrated over time. Said integrated value represents for each sensor pixel an initial estimate of the point spread function. Optionally, the size of the point spread function can also be estimated based on the distance of the focused object and taken into account during the projecting step.

Abstract: A lens unit of an imaging unit features longitudinal chromatic aberration. From an imaged scene, an imaging sensor unit captures non-color-corrected first images of different spectral content. An intensity processing unit computes broadband luminance sharpness information from the first images on the basis of information descriptive for imaging properties of the lens unit. A chrominance processing unit computes chrominance information on the basis of the first images. A synthesizing unit combines the computed chrominance and luminance information to provide an output image having, for example, extended depth-of-field. The imaging unit may be provided in a camera system, a digital microscope, as examples.

Abstract: A camera system (100) comprises a plurality of imaging units (190), wherein each imaging unit (190) includes a lens unit (120) and an aperture unit (110), and wherein the apertures (115) of the aperture units (110) have different size during an exposure period. A plurality of images of the same scene are captured at different aperture sizes during an exposure period, wherein the images are shifted versions of the scene and feature different depth-of-field and exposure value ranges. A processing unit (200) applies a high-dynamic resolution and/or a super-resolution method on the basis of the obtained images.

Abstract: The present invention proposes a digital camera and a corresponding method for capturing and deblurring images which remove several disadvantages of the prior art. In particular, the hardware limitation as well as the motion restriction of the known conventional MIP approach have been overcome. According to the proposed approach, image frames are electronically moved by an electronic frame shifting means. This allows a frame shifting in any type or fashion, wherein no complicated hardware arrangement is needed, as this has been required according to the known conventional MIP approach. The proposed deblurring approach is not limited to any type of frame shifting pattern, and it is furthermore not limited to a one-dimensional motion of the frames, as it also works for the case of a two-dimensional frame motion. Similar as in the conventional Motion Invariant Photography approach, the frame shifting results in a motion-invariant blurred image which can be deconvoluted by a single deconvolution.

Abstract: The present invention relates to a method for reducing motion blur. According to the method, at least two image frames are captured. A sequence of values is provided. All captured frames are processed by subsequently associating one sequence value with each captured frame. The processed captured frames are accumulated and a deconvolution is applied to the accumulated frame. The present invention further relates to system for reducing motion blur.

Abstract: An embodiment of the invention relates to a method for generating a radiance map in High Dynamic Range (HDR) image creation by calculating mean difference curves for a sequence of images taken with different exposures and a transformation curve from the mean difference curve by an algorithm approximated to the Debevec function, by the means of which a radiance map can be calculated from the taken images. A further embodiment of the invention relates to a unit for performing this method.

Abstract: A method and unit for noise reduction in a current image frame, wherein the current image frame is a part of a sequence of image frames. The method compares a current pixel value of a pixel within the current image frame with a corresponding pixel value of the pixel in at least one adjacent image frame, and determines a piled-up value of the current pixel value and the corresponding pixel value if a pixel difference between the current pixel value and the corresponding pixel value is below a pixel threshold, wherein the pixel threshold depends on the corresponding pixel value and/or the current pixel value. The method and unit can be applied for block and color processing as well.

Abstract: A lens unit (120) shows longitudinal chromatic aberration and focuses an imaged scene into a first image for the infrared range in a first focal plane and into a second image for the visible range in a second focal plane. An optical element (150) manipulates the modulation transfer function assigned to the first and second images to extend the depth of field. An image processing unit (200) may amplify a modulation transfer function contrast in the first and second images. A focal shift between the focal planes may be compensated for. While in conventional approaches for RGBIR sensors contemporaneously providing both a conventional and an infrared image of the same scene the infrared image is severely out of focus, the present approach provides extended depth of field imaging to rectify the problem of out-of-focus blur for infrared radiation. An imaging system can be realized without any apochromatic lens.

Abstract: An embodiment of the invention relates to a method for High Dynamic Range (HDR) image creation by generating a mean difference curve for use in aligning the images of a sequence of images taken with different exposures, wherein the difference in exposure might derive from a difference in exposure time or a difference in aperture size. A further embodiment of the invention relates to a method for HDR image creation by generating images with different exposures from a single image. A further embodiment of the invention relates to a method for HDR video creation by generating frames with different exposures from a single frame.

Abstract: The present invention relates to a method for reducing noise in image data, comprising the steps of performing (S4, S7, S10) a spatial noise reduction on the image data and applying (S12) a gamma correction on the spatial noise reduced image data. The present invention further relates to a system for noise reduction in image data.

Abstract: Method for motion detection in a current picture (CP) with respect to a reference picture (RP), wherein for a plurality of locations in the current picture (CP) respective difference values (|D|) are determined (B100). A respective difference value is determined based on a difference between a first value and a second value, wherein the first value is descriptive of a photometric measure of one of the locations in the current picture (CP) and the second value is descriptive of the photometric measure of a corresponding location in the reference picture (RP). Based on the difference values, a histogram is determined (B102). The histogram is used as a basis for determining (B104) a threshold (T1, T2, T3). At a respective location in the current picture (CP), motion is detected by comparing the threshold (T1, T2, T3) to the difference value (|D|) of the respective location.

Abstract: A camera system (100) comprises a plurality of imaging units (190), wherein each imaging unit (190) includes a lens unit (120) and an aperture unit (110), and wherein the apertures (115) of the aperture units (110) have different size during an exposure period. A plurality of images of the same scene are captured at different aperture sizes during an exposure period, wherein the images are shifted versions of the scene and feature different depth-of-field and exposure value ranges. A processing unit (200) applies a high-dynamic resolution and/or a super-resolution method on the basis of the obtained images.

Abstract: A lens and colour filter assembly (100) contains lens units (110), wherein each lens unit (110) is assigned to a single-colour colour filter unit (120). The lens and colour filter assembly (100) may be combined with pixel units (230) such that a plurality of monochromatic, low-resolution images can be obtained, wherein the monochromatic images refer to shifted versions of the same image object. By a super-resolution technique comprising shift-compensation a mosaicked image is obtained which is then demosaiced. In the resultant image only few artefacts appear. Simple colour filter arrays allow a simplified fabrication process and provide less chromatic aberrations at less computational effort.

Abstract: A method for tracking a moving object in a sequence of images is provided, comprising: partitioning each of said images of said sequence into blocks, identifying blocks which have moved between consecutive images of said sequence, grouping adjacent blocks, which have moved in a same direction by a same distance, into a first group of blocks, initializing an initial template for said moving object with said first group of blocks and tracking said template in said sequence of images. A corresponding system for tracking moving objects is presented as well.

Abstract: The present invention proposes a digital camera and a corresponding method for capturing and deblurring images which remove several disadvantages of the prior art. In particular, the hardware limitation as well as the motion restriction of the known conventional MIP approach have been overcome. According to the proposed approach, image frames are electronically moved by an electronic frame shifting means. This allows a frame shifting in any type or fashion, wherein no complicated hardware arrangement is needed, as this has been required according to the known conventional MIP approach. The proposed deblurring approach is not limited to any type of frame shifting pattern, and it is furthermore not limited to a one-dimensional motion of the frames, as it also works for the case of a two-dimensional frame motion. Similar as in the conventional Motion Invariant Photography approach, the frame shifting results in a motion-invariant blurred image which can be deconvoluted by a single deconvolution.