Abstract: A mobile communication apparatus comprises: a first camera unit for capturing an image of a subject; a second camera unit for capturing an image of the camera operator or an image of an object possessed by the camera operator; an activation control unit; an operation recognizing unit; and an image capture control unit. The activation control unit controls, in response to an activation instruction, the second camera unit to start an image capture operation and sequentially generate still-image data. The operation recognizing unit compares, in response to an instruction to start the image capture operation, still-image data, specifically, current still-image data and the previous still-image data. If the current still-image data have varied relative to the previous still-image data, the image capture control unit controls the first camera unit to capture an image of the subject to generate image capture data.

Abstract: Digital video stabilization is selectively turned off in circumstances where it could actually decrease the quality of a captured video. A video camera includes a device for directly detecting physical motion of the camera. Motion data from the motion detector are analyzed to see if video stabilization is appropriate. If the motion data indicate that the video camera is stable, for example, then video stabilization is not applied to the video, thus preventing the possibility of introducing “motion artifacts” into the captured video. In another example, motion as detected by the motion detector can be compared with motion as detected by the video-stabilization engine. If the two motions disagree significantly, then the video-stabilization engine is probably responding more to motion in the captured video rather than to motion of the camera itself, and video stabilization should probably not be applied to the video.

Abstract: A mobile terminal and a method for controlling the operation of the same are provided. The mobile terminal includes a first camera including a first lens, a second camera including a second lens having a wider angle than the first lens, and a controller configured to generate a stereoscopic 3D image using disparity between images captured through the first and second cameras. It is possible to generate a stereoscopic 3D image having the same resolution as that of a 2D image that can be captured.

Abstract: A method of compensating for camera shake includes reading a sequential series of images from an image sensing array, establishing a sharpness value for each of the sequential series of images, and performing an image selection based upon each sharpness value. The sharpness value is calculated for each image of the sequential series thereof during the reading.

Abstract: A method for reducing noise in a sequence of frames may include generating a transformed frame from an input frame according to a perspective transform of a transform matrix, wherein the transform matrix corrects for motion associated with input frame. A determination may be made to identify pixels in the transformed frame that have a difference with corresponding pixels in a neighboring frame below a threshold. An output frame may be generated by adjusting pixels in the transformed frame that are identified to have the difference with the corresponding pixels in the neighboring frame below the threshold.

Abstract: Systems and methods for digital video stabilization via constraint-based rotation smoothing are provided. Digital video data including a set of image frames having associated time stamps and a set of camera orientation data having associated time stamps may be provided. A smoothed set of camera orientation data may be generated by minimizing a rate of rotation between successive image frames while minimizing an amount of empty regions in a resulting set of smoothed image frames reoriented based on the smoothed set of camera orientation data.

Abstract: Image capture can be improved by capturing a sequence of images and analyzing the images to select the image with the least blur and/or an acceptable amount of blur. Gradients can be calculated for at least a portion of the images, and gradient histograms generated. Two or more component curves can be fit to each histogram, such as by using a Gaussian mixture model, and the curves can be compared to determine an amount of variation between the curves. The image with the smallest differences between component curves, or with differences less than a specified blur threshold, can be selected as a sufficiently sharp image and provided for viewing, processing, or another intended purpose of the image to be captured.

Abstract: In an image capturing and processing system, a device and method is provided. The lens is made of simple lens with high diffractive materials and known strong color aberrations. The method includes the steps of: calibrating or measuring a Point Spread Function (PSF) for each color components at a set of distances, capturing image data, and calculating the image obtained using a de-convolution method based on the PSF found.

Abstract: A digital camera system has integrated accelerometers for determining static and dynamic accelerations of the digital cameral system. Data relating to static and dynamic accelerations are stored with recorded image data for further processing, such as for correcting image data for roll, pitch and vibrations and for displaying recorded images with a predetermined orientation using information about, e.g., roll. Data may also be used on-the-fly for smear suppression caused by vibrations.

Abstract: The present invention relates to the field of image processing and image stabilization methodologies used on image acquisition and processing systems. A method and apparatus to generate an image sequence output that is stable and free of any sudden jumps from an image sequence input acquired with an imaging system whose line of sight is fixed but may drift in time, and by efficiently updating the reference frames that are used in the image stabilization, the method can be optimized.

Abstract: An image capturing apparatus detects the angular rotational shake and translational shake generated in the apparatus using an angular velocity sensor and an accelerometer. An angular rotational shake correction coefficient calculation unit calculates a first correction coefficient using a zoom lens position and a focus lens position. A translational shake correction coefficient calculation unit calculates a second correction coefficient using the imaging magnification of an imaging optical system.

Abstract: Video image stabilization provides better performance on a generic platform for computing devices by evaluating available multimedia digital signal processing components, and selecting the available components to utilize according to a hierarchy structure for video stabilization performance for processing parts of the video stabilization. The video stabilization has improved motion vector estimation that employs refinement motion vector searching according to a pyramid block structure relationship starting from a downsampled resolution version of the video frames. The video stabilization also improves global motion transform estimation by performing a random sample consensus approach for processing the local motion vectors, and selection criteria for motion vector reliability. The video stabilization achieves the removal of hand shakiness smoothly by real-time one-pass or off-line two-pass temporal smoothing with error detection and correction.

Abstract: An image capturing system for capturing and transmitting digital video images comprises an image sensor for acquiring digital image data at a particular time, a position control configured to control a position of at least one of the image sensor and the image capturing system based on a mechatronic model, at least one motion sensor configured to acquire position changes of the at least one of the image sensor and the image capturing system, and an output interface via which the acquired image data and associated metadata can be transmitted to an image data processing system, the metadata comprising the following data: up-to-date control data for position control at the particular time of the image data acquisition, an up-to-date parameter set of the mechatronic model at the particular time of the image data acquisition, and accumulated output data of the at least one motion sensor between the particular time of the image data acquisition and a time of a previous image data acquisition.

Abstract: An apparatus and method for compensating hand blur are disclosed. The method according to an exemplary embodiment of the present invention comprises receiving an angular velocity by tilt of the camera module, determining a first driving signal for driving the second actuator using the angular velocity, calculating a ratio of effective focal length relative to a lens moving distance using the driving of the first actuator, and determining a second driving signal amplifying the first driving signal, using the ratio of effective focal length relative to the lens moving distance.

Abstract: An image processing device 102 includes a background-object reference image estimation unit 1, a background-object optical flow calculation unit 2, moving-object reference image estimation units 4 and 9, moving-object heat-haze fluctuation calculation units 5, 6, 7, 10 and 11, and a motion correction unit 3. The image processing device 102 is configured such that optical flow of a background object and heat-haze fluctuation of a moving-object are obtained from input images inputted in succession, partial images of the input images are moved so as to cancel the heat-haze fluctuation, and a corrected image, which has the heat-haze fluctuation upon the background object and the moving-object within the input images removed, is generated.

Abstract: Several methods, devices and systems for correcting rolling shutter artifacts are described. In one embodiment, an image capturing system includes a rolling shutter image sensor that may cause a rolling shutter artifact (e.g., warping). The system includes a processing system that is configured to perform an automatic rolling shutter correction mechanism that utilizes calibration data based on a relationship between pixel locations in an image plane of the image sensor and their corresponding rays of light in a coordinate space. The rolling shutter mechanism determines pixel velocity components based on the calibration data and estimates for each image an aggregate pixel velocity based on an aggregation of the pixel velocity components.

Abstract: A moving image processing apparatus includes a shake amount acquisition unit configured to acquire and output a shake amount, a period acquisition unit configured to acquire a period during which a change in composition occurs in a video image, a setting unit configured to set a size and position of a cut-out range of image data for each frame of the video image based on the shake amount output from the shake amount acquisition unit, and a correction unit configured to change, based on the shake amount, the position of the cut-out range set by the setting unit in such a way as to correct shaking of the video image.

Abstract: Determining an amount of motion in a second frame of video with reference to a first frame of video. Adaptively predicting a cropping factor for the second frame in response to the determined amount of motion. The cropping factor specifies a portion of the second frame that is to be excluded from the second frame. The predicted cropping factor is adaptively changed for a successive plurality of frames by buffering the first frame to predict a desired cropping factor for the second frame, wherein the first frame occurs prior to the second frame.

Abstract: A method of tonally stabilizing a video sequence is provided herein. The method includes the following stages: automatically selecting one or more anchor frames from a sequence of frames; obtaining an anchor adjustment map for each selected anchor frame; applying an edge-preserving smoothing algorithm to the sequence of frames; generating for any given pair of smoothed frames, a robust set of pixels indicating pixels affected by external tonal fluctuation only; initializing an adjustment map for any given frame by applying the anchor adjustment map to accumulated color differences between pixels of the robust set of the given frame and the anchor frame; and completing the initialized adjustment map by predicting values of pixels in each adjustment map not included in the robust set by applying an interpolation at a color space for these pixels, wherein the adjustment maps are usable for tonally aligning the video sequence with the anchor frame.

Abstract: A method described herein includes acts of receiving a sequence of images of a scene and receiving an indication of a reference image in the sequence of images. The method further includes an act of automatically assigning one or more weights independently to each pixel in each image in the sequence of images of the scene. Additionally, the method includes an act of automatically generating a composite image based at least in part upon the one or more weights assigned to each pixel in each image in the sequence of images of the scene.

Abstract: An image capturing apparatus having a plurality of executable image blurring correction modes selects an image blurring correction mode to be executed from among the executable image blurring correction modes in accordance with an image capturing situation, and executes the selected image blurring correction mode. The image capturing apparatus has a plurality of display items respectively associated with the image blurring correction modes, and displays the display item corresponding to the image blurring correction mode under execution on a display screen.

Abstract: Long and short exposure time pixel information are input to pixel information. A long exposure time image set with the pixel values assuming all of the pixels have been exposed for a long time and a short exposure time image set with the pixel values assuming all of the pixels have been exposed for a short time are generated. A point spread function corresponding to the long exposure time image is computed as a long exposure time image PSF. A corrected image is generated using the short exposure time image, the long exposure time image, and the long exposure time image PSF. The corrected image is generated as a wide dynamic range image utilizing the pixel information for the long and short exposure time image. Utilizing the pixel information for the short exposure time image with little blurring, makes the corrected image a high quality corrected image with little blurring.

Abstract: There is provided an image processing apparatus including a distortion component calculation unit calculating a distortion component in a time series, based on an image signal indicating a moving image composed of a frame image, for each of a first region corresponding to the whole frame image, a second region corresponding to one region obtained by dividing the frame image, and a third region corresponding to the other region obtained by dividing the frame image, and a decision unit deciding a scanning pattern of an imaging device having captured the moving image, which the image signal indicates, based on a combination of a correlation of distortion between the second region and the first region and a correlation of distortion between the second region and the third region.

Abstract: A Digital Image Stabilization method including selecting a principal transform representing a stationary/background object in the scene of a video frame, based on scoring each of a plurality of transforms of tile motion vector (Tile MV) groups and of feature point motion vector (FP MV) groups, and excluding large moving objects based on the history of the stationary (background) group and the history of each of the plurality motion vector groups.

Abstract: When interval capturing by an imaging section is performed, a CPU acquires a blur state at a capture timing from the detection result by an acceleration sensor, and performs pre-processing (camera-shake processing: trimming processing in consideration of a blur) on the captured image corresponding to the blur state. Also, when the blur is larger than a predetermined value, the CPU further performs post-processing (camera-shake processing: trimming processing in consideration of a blur) also on images captured at capture timings preceding to and subsequent to the capture timing for capturing the image based on the blur state (more specifically, processing lighter in load than the pre-processing at the capture timing).

Abstract: According to an embodiment, a high dynamic range synthesizing circuit includes an interpolation processing unit, a blur detection unit and a mix processing unit. The interpolation processing unit generates an interpolation signal. The blur detection unit uses a first image signal and a second image signal a signal level of which is adjusted for detecting the amount of blur. The mix processing unit performs processing of mixing the second image signal into the interpolation signal. The mix processing unit applies a weight of the second image signal depending on the amount of blur to the interpolation signal by the mix processing.

Abstract: An imaging apparatus includes a first image shake correcting unit for correcting image shake and moves a correction lens in a direction perpendicular to the optical axis using detection information obtained by an attitude detection sensor. In a second image shake correcting unit, a translational motion detecting unit acquires information about an image captured by an imaging element from a pre-processing unit so as to detect the motion of the image in the translational direction. An in-plane rotational motion detecting unit detects the motion of the image in the rotational direction about the optical axis. A geometric deforming unit acquires detection information from the translational motion detecting unit and the in-plane rotational motion detecting unit so as to correct the image shake of the corrected image, which occurs when the image is subject to rotational correction based on the detection information obtained from the in-plane rotational motion detecting unit.

Abstract: A video transmission apparatus includes a camera controller that obtains camera movement amount data indicating a direction and an amount of movement of a camera, and an image encoder that performs motion compensation on image data received from the camera and determines an image search range for the motion compensation based on the camera movement amount data. The image encoder adjusts a motion vector indicated by the camera movement amount data for each coordinate position in the image data based on a lens characteristic of the camera, and determines the image search range for the motion compensation based on the adjusted motion vector for each coordinate position.

Abstract: A method for introducing controlled disturbance into a video being captured by a camera housed by an active stabilization system executing a stabilization process to stabilize a pointing angle of a camera housed by the active stabilization system in accordance with a commanded angle is provided. The method comprises acquiring a measurement associated with a movement of the active stabilization system, determining a noise value based on the acquired measurement, and injecting the noise value into the stabilization process causing the process to adjusting adjust the pointing angle of the camera in a direction away from the a commanded pointing angle of the camera using the noise value.

Abstract: According to one embodiment, an image processing method includes storing, in a frame memory, first and second images of continuously taken N (however, N is not less than 2) images, cutting an image as an image for correction from a plurality of reference areas of the first and second images stored in the frame memory, calculating such a hand shake correction amount that the first image and the second image overlap with high accuracy with the use of a plurality of images for correction of the first and second images and correcting the first image with the calculated hand shake correction amount, overwriting the corrected first image in the first image stored in the frame memory, composing the corrected first image and the second image to obtain a composite image, and overwriting the composited the composite image in the second image stored in the frame memory.

Abstract: An image capturing apparatus includes: an imaging device which receives incident light through an optical system, and converts the received light into image data of an image; a memory which stores the image data converted; a motion detecting unit which detects a motion of the image capturing apparatus during an exposure period; an image generating unit which generates an image indicating the detected motion; and a display control unit which causes the display unit to display the generated image.

Abstract: Several methods, devices and systems for correcting rolling shutter artifacts are described. In one embodiment, an image capturing system includes a rolling shutter image sensor that may cause a rolling shutter artifact (e.g., warping). The system includes a processing system that is configured to perform an automatic rolling shutter correction mechanism that utilizes calibration data based on a relationship between pixel locations in an image plane of the image sensor and their corresponding rays of light in a coordinate space. The rolling shutter mechanism determines pixel velocity components based on the calibration data and estimates for each image an aggregate pixel velocity based on an aggregation of the pixel velocity components.

Abstract: An offset corresponding to an amount of geometric deformation is added to an amount of drive of an optical member due to an optical image shake correction so that the center of a reference area necessary for geometric deformation processing comes closer to the center of an imaging area. Because of this, a possibility is increased that a reference area necessary for geometric deformation processing is fully contained in an imaging area, and blurring of an image due to a motion of an image capture apparatus is effectively corrected by combining an optical image shake correction and a geometric deformation process.

Abstract: Correcting image distortion during camera motion using a system including a processor and a camera having a rolling shutter. Multiple image frames are captured by the camera equipped with the rolling shutter. The captured image frames include a base image frame and a previous image frame. Multiple time stamps are recorded respectively for multiple corresponding image points in the previous and base image frames. For the corresponding image points, multiple ego-motions are computed responsive to the time stamps of the corresponding image points of the base image frame and the previous image frame to correct the image distortion caused by the rolling shutter.

Abstract: Methods and systems for processing a video for stabilization are described. A recorded video may be stabilized by removing at least a portion of shake introduced in the video. An original camera path for a camera used to record the video may be determined. A crop window size may be selected and a crop window transform may accordingly be determined. The crop window transform may describe a transform of the original camera path to a modified camera path that is smoother than the original camera path. A smoothness metric indicative of a degree of smoothness of the modified path may be determined. Based on a comparison of the smoothness metric to a predetermined threshold, for example, the crop window transform may be applied to the original video to obtain a stabilized modified video.

Abstract: An imaging apparatus includes: a base; an image sensor; and a correction mechanism that prevents an image blur, the correction mechanism including: a movable frame that holds the image sensor; a device for moving in an X-direction; a device for moving in a Y-direction; and an attracting and holding device including: an iron plate provided on one of the movable frame and the base; a magnet plate provided on the other one; and an iron ball provided between the iron plate and the magnet plate, the attracting and holding device attracting and holding the movable frame to the base by attracting the iron plate to the magnet plate via the iron ball, and wherein a guide device moves the movable frame to a side of the base when the movable frame is moved by the devices for moving in the X- and Y-directions in a predetermined direction.

Abstract: An image capturing device and an image processing method are provided. The present method includes following steps. A first image and a second image are captured with a first focal length and a second focal length correspondingly. The motion corrected second image is produced by performing geometric correction procedure on the second image. A gradient operation is performed on each of the pixels of the first image to obtain a plurality of first gradients, and the gradient operation is performed on each of the pixels of the motion corrected second image to obtain a plurality of second gradients. The first gradients and the second gradients are compared and a first parameter map is generated according to the comparison results. A blending image is produced in according with the first parameter map and the first image, and an output image is produced at least in according with the blending image.

Abstract: According to one embodiment, an image processing device includes a motion vector generator, a correction amount generator, and a correcting module. The motion vector generator is configured to generate a horizontal direction motion vector and a vertical direction motion vector of an input video signal photographed in an order of scanning lines. The correction amount generator is configured to generate a horizontal direction correction amount based on the horizontal direction motion vector and the vertical direction motion vector by each scanning line, and generate a vertical direction correction amount based on the vertical direction motion vector by a scanning line. The correcting module is configured to correct the input video signal to generate an output video signal based on the horizontal direction correction amount and the vertical direction correction amount.

Abstract: An amplification detection unit detects an amplification of a motion of an image in a motion correction with respect to the motion of the image generated by the motion, according to motion information which indicates a motion detection result and a frame rate of the image. An information suppressing unit suppresses the motion indicated by the motion information based on the detection result of the amplification detection unit such that the motion of the image is not amplified in the motion correction, and generates corrected motion information used in the motion correction.

Abstract: Provided is an apparatus and method for processing an image which can correct image distortion caused by hand shake. The apparatus includes: a reference image acquiring unit for acquiring a first and a second reference images by using different shutter times and international standard organization (ISO) values; and a color information correcting unit for correcting color information of an input image, which is obtained by using a shutter time that is shorter of the shutter times used to acquire the first and the second reference images, based on a brightness ratio and a chrominance ratio of the first and second reference images. Accordingly, image distortion caused by hand shake can be corrected.

Abstract: Described are techniques for image deconvolution to deblur an image given a blur kernel. Localized color statistics derived from the image to be deblurred serve as a prior constraint during deconvolution. A pixel's color is formulated as a linear combination of the two most prevalent colors within a neighborhood of the pixel. This may be repeated for many or all pixels in an image. The linear combinations of the pixels serve as a two-color prior for deconvolving the blurred image. The two-color prior is responsive to the content of the image and it may decouple edge sharpness from edge strength.

Abstract: According to one embodiment, an image processing system includes a pickup apparatus, a motion vector generator, a motion vector converter, a motion vector interpolator, a correction amount generator, and a correcting module. The pickup apparatus is configured to capture an image per scanning line and to generate an input video signal from the captured image. The motion vector generator is configured to generate a first horizontal direction motion vector and a first vertical direction motion vector indicative of a horizontal direction moving distance and a vertical direction moving distance respectively between frames in the input video signal.

Abstract: An apparatus and method for adaptive camera control are provided. The method includes detecting motion information of a camera, predicting a motion of the camera based on the motion information, generating camera settings for controlling the camera, based on the predicted motion, controlling the camera to capture a frame according to the camera settings, performing digital image stabilizing on the captured frame, and outputting the stabilized frame.

Abstract: An image capturing apparatus includes an image capturing unit, a focal length detection unit, a shake detection unit, a translation correction amount calculation unit configured to calculate a correction amount of image blurring in a translation direction, a rotation correction amount calculation unit configured to calculate a correction amount of image blurring of the captured image in a rotation direction, a perspective correction amount calculation unit configured to calculate a correction amount for correcting a perspective component out of image deformations, an image stabilization unit configured to correct image blurring of the captured image, and a control unit configured to control to restrict correction of the image blurring in the rotational and perspective directions based on focal length information, and correct much more the image blurring in the translation direction.

Abstract: Methods and systems stabilization of a camera image for short term or ‘pole shake’ and longer term ‘pole drift’ are provided. The camera is attached to a fixed structure. The pole drift is over periods of times long enough that the imagery can change significantly between a base reference frame and the current stabilized transient frame. A multitude of mapped frames and associated information is maintained. The slowly varying camera orientation (“pole drift”) is decoupled from the rapid motion jitter (“pole shake”), and separate transformations are calculated for each. Up to three transformations may be combined together for any one input frame. The separate transformations are combined together, so that only one full-blown image transformation computation is performed for each frame. A surveillance system applies a stabilization method.

Abstract: Systems and methods for digital video stabilization via constraint-based rotation smoothing are provided. Digital video data including a set of image frames having associated time stamps and a set of camera orientation data having associated time stamps may be provided. A smoothed set of camera orientation data may be generated by minimizing a rate of rotation between successive image frames while minimizing an amount of empty regions in a resulting set of smoothed image frames reoriented based on the smoothed set of camera orientation data.

Abstract: An apparatus including one or more motion sensors, a first circuit, and a second circuit. The one or more motion sensors may be configured to generate motion samples representing motion of a camera. The first circuit may be configured to record a plurality of the motion samples from the one or more motion sensors while capturing image data with the camera. The second circuit may be configured to transfer information about the motion of the camera based on the plurality of motion samples. The information about the motion of the camera may be transferred within a bitstream carrying the image data captured by the camera.

Abstract: One of objects of the invention is to provide an image capturing device and an image capturing method, which is capable of capturing an image of the target at the proper angle by a simple device configuration. An image capturing device of the present invention includes: a housing; an image capturing unit capturing an image of a target; an image display unit that is capable of displaying the image; a position detection unit detecting a position of the housing; and an image correction unit correcting an original image acquired from the image capturing unit based on the position detected by the position detection unit, when a preview image of the captured image is displayed on the image display unit.

Abstract: An image processing apparatus includes: a shaking estimating unit configured to estimate the shaking information of an image generated within a predetermined period of time; a short-time-exposure shaking correcting unit configured to correct the shaking of a plurality of short-time-exposure images generated due to intermittent exposure within the predetermined period of time based on the estimated shaking information; a long-time-exposure shaking correcting unit configured to correct the shaking of a long-time-exposure image generated due to consecutive exposure within the predetermined period of time based on the estimated shaking information; and an image synthesizing unit configured to synthesize the corrected short-time-exposure images and the corrected long-time-exposure image.

Abstract: An endoscopic video system with still image capture stabilization, including a processor, an image capture device capturing a plurality of still images at a time interval, an image buffer temporarily storing a portion of the still images, and software executing on the processor for retrieving, upon receiving an image capture instruction, a first one of the still images from the image buffer, the first one of the still images representative of a still image captured a first length of time prior to the image capture instruction.