Systems and methods for capturing stabilized images

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-12289536-B2
Application number	US-202217992801-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Nov 22, 2022
Priority date	Dec 16, 2021
Publication date	Apr 29, 2025
Grant date	Apr 29, 2025

Abstract

Systems and methods are disclosed for capturing stabilized images. Motion of the mobile device is determined so that the relative position of the lens and image sensor may be adjusted to compensate for unintended motion. The relative position of the lens and image sensor may be periodically reset in response to a synchronization signal in between capturing images.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A method for capturing a plurality of images with a mobile device, the method comprising the sequence of:
obtaining motion sensor data for the mobile device;
determining a motion of the mobile device from the sensor data;
adjusting a relative position of an image sensor and a lens based on the determined motion;
capturing a first image with the image sensor;
sending a synchronization signal after capturing the first image;
resetting the relative position of the lens and the image sensor in response to the synchronization signal, wherein resetting the relative position comprises returning to a known position;
recalibrating at least one sensor from which the motion sensor data is obtained based at least in part on the reset relative position;
determining further motion of the mobile device from the sensor data;
adjusting the relative position of the lens and the image sensor from the reset relative position based on the determined further motion; and
capturing a second image with the image sensor.

2. The method of claim 1 , wherein the first and second images are part of a sequence of images captured at a sampling rate.

3. The method of claim 2 , further comprising sending the synchronization signal sent periodically between each image capture of the sequence of images.

4. The method of claim 2 , further comprising applying electronic image stabilization to align sequential captured images.

5. The method of claim 4 , wherein the electronic image stabilization is based at least in part on the sensor data.

6. The method of claim 1 , wherein resetting the relative position of the lens and the image sensor comprises a recentering.

7. The method of claim 1 , wherein resetting the relative position of the lens and the image sensor comprises selecting a new relative position of the lens and the image sensor based at least in part on previous motion of the mobile device.

8. The method of claim 7 , wherein the first and second images are incorporated into a panoramic image.

9. The method of claim 1 , wherein adjusting the relative position of the lens and the image sensor comprises a translational motion correction.

10. The method of claim 1 , wherein determining further motion of the mobile device from the obtained motion sensor data comprises obtaining sensor data at an epoch corresponding to the synchronization signal.

11. The method of claim 1 , wherein the obtained sensor data comprises data from an inertial sensor assembly associated with the mobile device.

12. The method of claim 1 , wherein the obtained sensor data comprises non-inertial motion sensor data.

13. A mobile device comprising:
an image sensor;
a lens;
a motion sensor; and
at least one processor configured to receive data from the motion sensor; wherein the at least one processor is configured to:
determine a motion of the mobile device from the motion sensor data;
adjust a relative position of the lens and the image sensor based on the determined motion;
capture a first image with the image sensor;
reset the relative position of the lens and the image sensor in response to a synchronization signal sent after capturing the first image, wherein resetting the relative position comprises returning to a known position;
recalibrate the motion sensor based at least in part on the reset relative position;
determine further motion of the mobile device from the sensor data;
adjust the relative position of the lens and the image sensor from the reset relative position based on the determined further motion; and
capture a second image with the image sensor.

14. The mobile device of claim 13 , wherein the first and second images are part of a sequence of images captured at a sampling rate.

15. The mobile device of claim 13 , wherein the synchronization signal is sent periodically between each image capture of the sequence of images.

16. The mobile device of claim 15 , wherein at least one processor is configured to apply electronic image stabilization to align sequential captured images.

17. The mobile device of claim 16 , wherein the electronic image stabilization is based at least in part on the motion sensor data.

18. The mobile device of claim 13 , wherein the at least one processor is configured to reset the relative position of the lens and the image sensor by recentering.

19. The mobile device of claim 13 , wherein the at least one processor is configured to reset the relative position of the lens and the image sensor by selecting a new relative position of the lens and the image sensor based at least in part on previous motion of the mobile device.

20. The mobile device of claim 13 , wherein the motion sensor comprises an inertial sensor assembly.

21. The mobile device of claim 20 , wherein the inertial sensor assembly comprises an accelerometer and wherein the at least one processor is configured to adjust the relative position of the lens and the image sensor using a translational motion correction.

22. The mobile device of claim 13 , wherein the motion sensor comprises a non-inertial motion sensor.

Assignees

• Invensense Inc

Inventors

• Riccardi Sebastien
• Grenet Pierre
• Lachaux Jerome

Classifications

• H04N23/681

  Motion detection · CPC title

• H04N23/6815

  by distinguishing pan or tilt from motion · CPC title

• H04N23/6812

  based on additional sensors, e.g. acceleration sensors · CPC title

• H04N23/81

  for suppressing or minimising disturbance in the image signal generation · CPC title

• H04N23/60

  Control of cameras or camera modules · CPC title