US 9,438,794 B2Granted

Method and apparatus for distributed image processing in cameras for minimizing artifacts in stitched images

AssigneeOmniVision Technologies, Inc.

InventorGabor Mikes

Life of this patent

Estimating the term…

Loading patent…

Abstract

A method for coordinated adjustment of a first image captured by a first camera and a second image captured by a second camera includes determining a first set of image processing parameters from the first image and a second set of image processing parameters from the second image, transmitting the first set of image processing parameters to a master, the master not being the first camera; combining at least the first and second sets of processing parameters into a combined or composite set of parameters; transmitting the composite parameters from the master to the first camera; and using a processor of the first camera to apply the composite parameters to the first image, and a processor of the second camera to apply composite parameters to the second image. An apparatus has at least two cameras configured to implement the method.

Claims19

Dependent claims

A method for coordinated adjustment of images captured by a first and a second camera, the images suitable for stitching on a host, comprising:

capturing a first image in the first camera and a second image in the second camera;
determining a first set of image processing parameters from the first image;
determining a second set of image processing parameters from the second image;
determining whether the first camera is able to communicate with the host;
determining a master, the master comprising the host if the first camera is able to communicate with the host, and the master comprising the second camera if the first camera is unable to communicate with the host;
transmitting the first set of image processing parameters to the master;
determining a set of composite image processing parameters from at least the first and second sets of image processing parameters, the composite image processing parameters being derived from both the first and second sets of image processing parameters, and the composite image processing different from both the first and second sets of image processing parameters unless the first and second sets are identical;
transmitting the set of combined image processing parameters to the first camera;
using a processor of the first camera to apply the composite image processing parameters to the first image to form a first preprocessed image;
and
using a processor of the second camera to apply the composite image processing parameters to the second image to form a second preprocessed image.

8 more elements

An apparatus for generating stitched images comprising:

a first and a second camera, each camera further comprising:
a processor;
a memory system coupled to the processor, the memory system comprising a firmware memory;
a communications subsystem coupled to the processor,
a coordination firmware in the firmware memory, the coordination firmware comprising machine readable instructions for:
transmitting a first set of image processing parameters derived from an image captured by the camera to a master, and
receiving a set of image processing parameters from the master;
and
image adjustment firmware in the firmware memory, the image adjustment firmware comprising machine readable instructions for using the image processing parameters to perform at least one of color-balance adjustment, contrast adjustment, and brightness adjustment;
wherein the coordination firmware of each of the first and second cameras further comprises machine readable instructions for:
determining a master camera of the first and second cameras,
in the determined master camera, receiving a second set of image processing parameters from another camera other than the master camera, determining a composite set of parameters from the first set of image processing parameters and the second set of image processing parameters, and transmitting the composite parameters to the other camera.

9 more elements

Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.