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US 8,947,555 B2Granted
White balance optimization with high dynamic range images
AssigneeQUALCOMM Incorporated
InventorsRuben M. Velarde, Kalin M. Atanassov, Bob R. Hung, Liang Liang
Life of this patent
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Abstract
Systems and methods to improve the white balance of a high dynamic range image are disclosed. In a particular embodiment, an imaging device includes a camera sensor and a processor, the processor configured to capture a lighter image and a darker image of a scene. The processor is then configured to white balance the lighter image based on the lighter regions of the image, and to white balance the darker image based on the darker regions of the image. The two images can then be combined to produce a final image.
Claims28
A method of generating a high dynamic range digital image, comprising:
- determining a first exposure setting;
- capturing a first image of a scene from a at least one sensor, based on the first exposure setting;
- determining a bright threshold;
- determining one or more bright regions of the first image based on the bright threshold;
- filtering first pixels in the one or more bright regions based on each pixel's distance to a set of reference points;
- selecting a first reference point based at least on a shutter speed and an aperture used to capture the first image if a number of filtered first pixels is below a filtered pixels threshold, but if the number of filtered first pixels is greater than the filtered pixels threshold, determining a composite point based on the filtered first pixels, and selecting the first reference point based on the reference point's distance to the composite point;
- white balancing the first image based on the selected first reference point;
- determining a second exposure setting;
- capturing a second image of the scene from the at least one sensor using the second exposure setting;
- determining a dark threshold;
- determining one or more dark regions of the second image based on the dark threshold;
- filtering second pixels in the one or more dark regions based on each pixel's distance to a set of reference points;
- selecting a second reference point based at least on a shutter speed and an aperture used to capture the second image if a number of filtered second pixels is below the filtered pixels threshold, but if the number of filtered second pixels is greater than the filtered pixels threshold, determining a composite point based on the filtered second pixels, and selecting the second reference point based on the reference point's distance to the composite point;
- white balancing the second image based on the selected second reference point;
- and
- generating a high dynamic range digital image by combining the white balanced first image and the white balanced second image.
13 more elements
An imaging device, comprising:
- at least one camera sensor;
- a processor, configured to perform operations to:
- determine a first exposure setting;
- capture a first image of a scene from a at least one camera sensor using the first exposure setting;
- determine a bright threshold;
- determine one or more bright regions of the first image based on the bright threshold;
- filter first pixels in the one or more bright regions based on each pixel's distance to a set of reference points;
- select a first reference point based at least on a shutter speed and an aperture used to capture the first image if a number of filtered first pixels is below a filtered pixels threshold, wherein if the number of filtered first pixels is greater than the filtered pixels threshold, determining a composite point based on the filtered first pixels, and selecting the first reference point based on the first reference point's distance to the composite point;
- white balance the first image based on the selected first reference point,
- determine a second exposure setting;
- capture a second image of the scene from the at least one-camera sensor, using the second exposure setting
- determine a dark threshold;
- determine one or more dark regions of the second image based on the dark threshold;
- filter second pixels in the one or more dark regions based on each pixel's distance to a set of reference points;
- select a second reference point based at least on a shutter speed and an aperture used to capture the second image if a number of filtered second pixels is below the filtered pixels threshold, wherein if the number of filtered second pixels is greater than the filtered pixels threshold, determine a second composite point based on the filtered second pixels, and select the second reference point based on the second reference point's distance to the second composite point;
- white balance the second image based on the selected second reference point, and
- combine the white balanced first image and the white balanced second image to produce a final image;
- and
- a storage for storing the final image.
16 more elements
A non-transitory computer-readable medium containing processor executable first instructions that are operative to cause a processor to
- determine a first exposure setting;
- capture a first image of a scene from a at least one sensor, wherein the first image is captured using the first exposure setting;
- determine a bright threshold;
- determine one or more bright regions of the first image based on the bright threshold;
- filtering first pixels in the one or more bright regions based on each pixel's distance to a set of reference points;
- select a first reference point based at least on a shutter speed and an aperture used to capture the first image if a number of filtered first pixels is below a filtered pixels threshold, but if the number of filtered first pixels is greater than the filtered pixels threshold, determine a composite point based on the filtered first pixels, and select the first reference point based on the reference point's distance to the composite point;
- white balance the first image based on the selected first reference point;
- determine a second exposure setting;
- capture a second image of the scene from the at least one sensor using the second exposure setting;
- determine a dark threshold;
- determine one or more dark regions of the second image based on the dark threshold;
- filter second pixels in the one or more dark regions based on each pixel's distance to a set of reference points;
- select a second reference point based at least on a shutter speed and an aperture used to capture the second image if a number of filtered second pixels is below the filtered pixels threshold, but if the number of filtered second pixels is greater than the filtered pixels threshold, determine a second composite point based on the filtered second pixels, and select the second reference point based on the second reference point's distance to the second composite point;
- white balance the second image based on the selected second reference point;
- and
- combine the white balanced first image and the white balanced second image to produce a final image.
13 more elements
An imaging apparatus comprising:
- means for capturing a first image of a scene from a at least one sensor using the first exposure setting;
- means for determining a bright threshold;
- means for determining one or more bright regions of the first image based on the bright threshold;
- means for filtering first pixels in the one or more bright regions based on each pixel's distance to a set of reference points;
- means for selecting a first reference point based at least on a shutter speed and an aperture used to capture the first image if a number of filtered first pixels is below a filtered pixels threshold;
- means for determining a composite point based on the filtered first pixels if the number of filtered first pixels is greater than the filtered pixels threshold;
- means for selecting the first reference point based on the first reference point's distance to the composite point if the number of filtered first pixels is greater than the filtered pixels threshold;
- means for white balancing the first image based on the selected first reference point;
- means for determining a second exposure setting;
- means for capturing a second image of the scene from the at least one sensor using the second exposure setting;
- means for determining a dark threshold;
- means for determining one or more dark regions of the second image based on the dark threshold;
- means for filtering second pixels in the one or more dark regions based on each pixel's distance to a set of reference points;
- means for selecting a second reference point based at least on a shutter speed and an aperture used to capture the second image if a number of filtered second pixels is below the filtered pixels threshold;
- means for determining a second composite point based on the filtered second pixels if the number of filtered second pixels is greater than the filtered pixels threshold;
- means for selecting the second reference point based on the second reference point's distance to the second composite point if the number of filtered second pixels is greater than the filtered pixels threshold;
- means for white balancing the second image based on the selected second reference point;
- and
- means for generating a high dynamic range digital image by combining the white balanced first image and the white balanced second image.
16 more elements
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.