Csr Technology Inc.

Qualcomm Technologies, Inc.

Guy Rapaport

Meir Tzur

Noam Levy

Artemy Baxansky

Ayelet Mashiah

Embodiments are directed towards enabling digital cameras to digitally process a captured a Low Dynamic Range image sequence at a real time video rate, and to convert the image sequence into an High Dynamic Range (HDR) image sequence using a pipelined architecture. Two or more image frames are captured using different exposure settings and then combined to form a single HDR output frame in a video sequence. The pipelined architecture operate on adjacent image frames by performing an image alignment, an image mixing, and a tone mapping on the adjacent image frames to generate the HDR image sequence.

Device and algorithm for capturing high dynamic range (HDR) video

A digital camera captures a sequence of frames such that captured frames of the sequence alternate between sets of frames, in which each frame in the set has a different exposure setting. Each set of frames includes a nominal exposure frame. For each set of frames of the sequence that is captured after the reference set of frames has been captured, a determination is made as to whether or not the captured set of frames should be saved, based, at least in part, on overlap. For each of the saved sets of frames, the frames in the set are aligned with each other, and then image mixing of the frames in the set of frames is performed to generate a high dynamic range image. A panoramic, high dynamic range image is generated from each of the high dynamic range images.

Method, apparatus, and manufacture for on-camera HDR panorama

A system, method, and computer program product are provided for automatically progressively determining focus depth estimates for an imaging device from defocused images. After a depth-from-defocus (DFD) system generates sometimes-noisy estimates for focus depth and optionally a confidence level that the focus depth estimate is correct, embodiments of the present invention process a sequence of such input DFD measures to iteratively decrease the likelihood of focus depth ambiguity and to increase an overall focus depth estimate confidence level. Automatic focus systems for imaging devices may use the outputs of the embodiments to operate more quickly and accurately, either directly or in combination with other focus depth estimation methods, such as calculated sharpness measures. A depth map of a 3D scene may be estimated for creating a pair of images based on a single image.

Method for progressively determining depth from defocused images

Techniques for creating a High Dynamic Range (HDR) image within a consumer grade digital camera from a series of images of a scene captured at different exposure levels, and displaying the HDR image on the camera's built-in display are provided. The approach employs mixing images of the series to incorporate both scene shadow and highlight details, and the removing of 'ghost' image artifacts appearing in the mixed HDR image resulting from movement in the scene over the time the series images are captured. The low computational resource utilization of the image mixing and ghost removal processing operations, along with the ability to commence image mixing and ghost removal prior to the acquisition of all series images, can significantly reduce the time required to generate and display a tone mapped HDR image.

Multiple exposure high dynamic range image capture

A device and methods are provided for calculating depth estimation for a digital imaging device are disclosed and claimed. In one embodiment, a method includes detecting a first image associated with a first focus parameter, detecting a second image associated with a second focus parameter, calculating a statistical representation of a region of interest in the first and second images, and determining a ratio for the region of interest based on the statistical representation. The method may further include determining one or more focus characteristics using a memory table based on the determined ratio for the region of interest, and calculating a focus depth for capture of image data based on the determined one or more focus characteristics associated with the memory table.

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Haifa, Israel

Guy Rapaport