Method and apparatus for uniform lineal motion blur estimation using multiple exposures
AssigneeCanon Kabushiki Kaisha
InventorsKieran Gerard Larkin, Dominic Yip, Ian Richard Gibson
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
A method and apparatus (9) for estimating the blur parameters of blurred images (g1, g2) are disclosed. The apparatus (9) has one or more image sensors (10) for capturing the blurred images (g1, g2), a plurality of correlators (20, 30) for performing autocorrelation of the blurred image (g1) and cross-correlation between the two images (g1, g2) respectively, and an error function calculator (40) for evaluating an error function over all possible displacements using the results from the correlators (20, 30). The apparatus (9) further includes an extreme locater (50) for finding the displacement with the minimum value for the error function.
Claims25
A method of estimating motion of a moving object, said method comprising the steps of:
- capturing at least first and second blurred images of the moving object, the blur in the first and second blurred images arising from at least motion blur of the object, wherein exposure durations of the first and second blurred images overlap at least partially;
- generating an error function, the error function being a function of the first blurred image and the second blurred image;
- minimising the error function;
- and
- estimating the motion of the object from the minimised error function.
A method of estimating motion of a moving object, said method comprising the steps of:
- capturing at least first and second blurred images of the moving object, the blur in the first and second blurred images arising from at least motion blur of the object, wherein exposure durations of the first and second blurred images overlap at least partially;
- generating an error function, the error function comprising a cross-correlation term being a cross-correlation between the first blurred image and the second blurred image;
- minimising the generated error function;
- and
- estimating the object motion from the minimised error function.
An apparatus for estimating motion of a moving object, said apparatus comprising:
- one or more capture devices for capturing at least first and second blurred images of the moving object, the blur in the first and second blurred images arising from at least motion blur of the object, wherein exposure durations of the first and second blurred images overlap at least partially;
- means for generating an error function, the error function being a function of the first blurred image and the second blurred image;
- means for minimising the error function;
- and
- means for estimating the motion of the object from the minimised error function.
An apparatus for estimating motion of a moving object, said apparatus comprising:
- one or more capture devices for capturing at least first and second blurred images of the moving object, the blur in the first and second blurred images arising from at least motion blur of the object, wherein exposure durations of the first and second blurred images overlap at least partially;
- means for generating an error function, the error function comprising a cross-correlation term being a cross-correlation between the first blurred image and the second blurred image;
- means for minimising the generated error function;
- and
- means for estimating the object motion from the minimised error function.
A computer program product including a computer readable medium incorporating a computer program estimating motion of a moving object, said computer program product comprising:
- code for capturing at least first and second blurred images of the moving object, the blur in the first and second blurred images arising from at least motion blur of the object, wherein exposure durations of the first and second blurred images overlap at least partially;
- code for generating an error function, the error function being a function of the first blurred image and the second blurred image;
- code for minimising the error function;
- and
- code for estimating the motion of the object from the minimised error function.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.