US 9,313,417 B2 · Automated extended depth of field imaging apparatus and method

Abstract

An imaging apparatus and method enables an automated extended depth of field capability that automates and simplifies the process of creating extended depth of field images. An embodiment automates the acquisition of an image “stack” or sequence and stores metadata at the time of image acquisition that facilitates production of a composite image having an extended depth of field from at least a portion of the images in the acquired sequence. An embodiment allows a user to specify, either at the time of image capture or at the time the composite image is created, a range of distances that the user wishes to have in focus within the composite image. An embodiment provides an on-board capability to produce a composite, extended depth of field image from the image stack. One embodiment allows the user to import the image stack into an image-processing software application that produces the composite image.

Claims30

Dependent claims

A system for extended depth-of-field imaging comprising:

an imaging apparatus;
a processor;
a user interface that enables a specification by a user of a range of distances external to the imaging apparatus to be in focus for a composite, extended depth-of-field image;
and
a memory embodying program logic for automatically acquiring a stack of images having depths of field covering the specified range of distances;
wherein the processor is configured to execute the program logic;
and
wherein the system is configured to acquire the stack of images based upon the execution of the program logic.

5 more elements

Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.

Facts

Application

14/570,594Filed 15 Dec 2014 · continuation

Priority

5 Mar 2008

Published

US 2015/0097987 A19 Apr 2015

Granted

12 Apr 2016

Term ends

Not estimatedThe source records don’t support an estimate.

Classification9 codes

H04N 23/743
Circuitry for compensating brightness variation in the scene: bracketing, i.e. taking a series of images with varying exposure conditions
G03B 13/36
Power focusing: autofocus systems
H04N 5/2625
Studio circuits, e.g. for mixing, switching-over, change of character of image, other special effects ; Cameras specially adapted for the…: for…
H04N 23/62
Control of cameras or camera modules: control of parameters via user interfaces

Family

Application61/034,088Us provisional application · filed 5 Mar 2008

Application12/398,034Parent of this continuation · filed 4 Mar 2009

Application13/420,434Parent of this continuation · filed 14 Mar 2012

US 8,154,647 B2Parent of this continuation · filed 10 Apr 2012

US 2015/0097987 A1Pre-grant publication · published 9 Apr 2015

US 8,913,174 B2Parent of this continuation

US 2009/0225199 A1Published application

US 2012/0169849 A1Published application

US 9,313,417 B2This patent

From the US filing history. Foreign family members aren’t listed.

Automated extended depth of field imaging apparatus and method

Life of this patent

Automated extended depth of field imaging apparatus and method

Life of this patent

Abstract

Claims30