Image processing for turbulence compensation

A computer readable medium having at least one computer program stored thereon for causing at least one processor to perform a method for determining a turbulence strength for processing image data, the method comprising:

• receiving image data for a portion of an image captured by a dual-pixel sensor through a wave deforming medium;
• determining a defocus disparity between left pixel data and right pixel data of the dual-pixel sensor, the defocus disparity corresponding to a defocus wavefront deviation of the wave deforming medium;
• and
• determining the turbulence strength caused by the wave deforming medium using the determined defocus disparity between left pixel data and right pixel data to process the image data.

An image capture apparatus configured to determine phase fluctuations of a wave deforming medium, the image capturing apparatus comprising:

• a memory;
• a lens system focusing light travelling from an imaging scene through the wave deforming medium on an image sensor;
• the image sensor configured to capture image data from the lens system as first pixel data and second pixel data for each of a plurality of pixel positions, the image sensor being coupled to the memory, the memory storing the captured first pixel data and second pixel data;
• and
• a processor coupled to the memory and configured to determine phase fluctuations caused by the wave deforming medium using a defocus disparity between the first pixel data and the second pixel data captured by the image sensor.

A system, comprising:

• an image capture sensor,
• a memory, and
• a processor, wherein the processor executes code stored on the memory to:
• receive, from the image capture sensor, first image data and second image data for each of a plurality of pixel positions of the image capture sensor, the image data capturing an object through a wave deforming medium causing a defocus disparity between the first image data and second image data;
• determine the defocus disparity between the first image data and the second image data, the defocus disparity corresponding to a defocus wavefront deviation of the wave deforming medium;
• and
• compensate the image data captured by the image capture sensor for phase fluctuations caused by the wave deforming medium using the determined defocus disparity.