Capture condition selection from brightness and motion
AssigneeApple Inc.
InventorsBruce H. Pillman, John N. Border, Ann M. Taccardi
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
A model based method for capturing an improved archival image, including capturing at least two preview images of a scene that are analyzed for scene brightness and motion velocity in the scene. The analyzed data is used to calculate a ratio of pixel signal rate/pixel velocity which is used to select a capture mode, an ISO and an exposure time for capturing the archival image.
Claims19
A method for capturing an improved archival image, comprising:
- capturing at least two preview images of a scene with an image capture device;
- determining the scene's brightness;
- determining the scene's motion;
- determining, with a signal processor, a pixel signal rate based at least in part on the scene's brightness, the pixel signal rate having units of charge-per-unit-time;
- determining a scene pixel velocity;
- determining a signal ratio equal to the pixel signal rate divided by the scene pixel velocity;
- and
- using the signal ratio to select a capture mode for capturing an archival image.
A method for capturing an archival image, using an image capture device with selectable capture modes, ISO and exposure time comprising the steps of:
- using an image capture device to capture at least two preview images of a scene;
- using a signal processor for:
- analyzing the preview images to determine scene brightness and motion in the scene;
- determining a pixel signal rate based on the scene brightness and having units of charge-per-unit-time;
- determining a pixel velocity based on the motion in the scene;
- determining a signal ratio equal to the pixel signal rate divided by the pixel velocity;
- selecting a capture mode in accordance with the signal ratio;
- selecting an ISO in accordance with the capture mode and the signal ratio;
- and
- selecting an exposure time in accordance with the ISO and the scene brightness;
- and
- using the image capture device to capture an archival image with the selected capture mode, the ISO and the exposure time and causing storage of the archival image into a memory.
A method for capturing an archival image, using an image capture device with an inertial measurement device, selectable capture modes, ISO and exposure time comprising the steps of:
- determining global motion of an image capture device with an inertial measurement device;
- converting the global motion of the image capture device to a pixel velocity;
- determining scene brightness based on two or more preview images of the scene;
- determining, with a signal processor, a pixel signal rate, having units of charge-per-unit-time, based on the scene brightness;
- determining a signal ratio equal to the pixel signal rate divided by the pixel velocity;
- selecting a capture mode in accordance with the signal ratio;
- selecting an ISO in accordance with the signal ratio;
- selecting an exposure time in accordance with the ISO and the scene brightness;
- and
- using the image capture device to capture the archival image with the selected capture mode, the ISO and the exposure time and causing the archival image to be stored in memory.
A non-transitory program storage device comprising instructions stored thereon to cause one or more processors to:
- capture at least two preview images of a scene with an image capture device;
- determine the scene's brightness;
- determine the scene's motion;
- determine a pixel signal rate based at least in part on the scene's brightness, the pixel signal rate having units of charge-per-unit-time;
- determine a scene pixel velocity;
- determine a signal ratio equal to the pixel signal rate divided by the scene pixel velocity;
- and
- use the signal ratio to select a capture mode for capturing the archival image.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.