Bokeh amplification

A camera comprising an image capture system coupled to memory in which captured images are stored, a processor, and a program executable by the processor to modify the blur in at least a part of an image of a scene, said program comprising:

• code for causing the capture system to capture at least two images of the scene, said images being captured with different camera parameters to produce a different amount of blur in each of the captured images;
• code for selecting a corresponding image patch in each of the captured images, each of the selected image patches having an initial amount of blur;
• code for calculating a set of frequency domain pixel values from a combined function of Fourier transforms of two of the selected image patches;
• code for raising each of the pixel values in the set of frequency domain pixel values to a predetermined power, thereby forming an amplified set of frequency domain pixel values;
• and
• code for combining the amplified set of frequency domain pixel values with the pixels of the selected image patch in one of the captured images to produce an output image patch with blur modified with respect to the initial amount of blur in the image patch, wherein the amount of modification with respect to blur varies across different regions of the image patch.

A camera system comprising:

• a lens formed of optics producing a relatively large depth of field;
• a sensor configured capture an image of a scene focussed through the lens;
• a memory in which images captured by the sensor are stored;
• a capture mechanism configured to capture at least two images of the scene with different capture parameters and to store the images in the memory;
• a processor;
• a program stored in the memory and executable by the processor to modify blur in at least a part of one of the captured images of the scene, said program comprising:
• code for causing the capture system to capture at least two images of the scene with different camera parameters to produce a different amount of blur in each of the captured images;
• code for selecting a corresponding image patch in each of the captured images, each of the selected image patches having an initial amount of blur;
• code for calculating a set of frequency domain pixel values from a combined function of Fourier transforms of two of the selected image patches;
• code for raising each of the pixel values in the set of frequency domain pixel values to a predetermined power, thereby forming an amplified set of frequency domain pixel values;
• and
• code for combining the amplified set of frequency domain pixel values with the pixels of the selected image patch in one of the captured images to produce an output image patch with blur modified with respect to the initial amount of blur in the image patch, wherein the amount of modification with respect to blur varies across different regions of the image patch.

A non-transitory computer readable storage medium having a program recorded thereon, the program being executable by a processor to modify blur in at least a part of an image of a scene, said program comprising:

• code for receiving at least two images of the scene, said images being captured with different camera parameters to produce a different amount of blur in each of the captured images;
• code for selecting a corresponding image patch in each of the captured images, each of the selected image patches having an initial amount of blur;
• code for calculating a set of frequency domain pixel values from a combined function of Fourier transforms of two of the selected image patches;
• code for raising each of the pixel values in the set of frequency domain pixel values to a predetermined power, thereby forming an amplified set of frequency domain pixel values;
• and
• code for combining the amplified set of frequency domain pixel values with the pixels of the selected image patch in one of the captured images to produce an output image patch with blur modified with respect to the initial amount of blur in the image patch, wherein the amount of modification with respect to blur varies across different regions of the image patch.