Pixel readout of a charge coupled device having a variable aperture

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-9749532-B1
Application number	US-201414458132-A
Country	US
Kind code	B1
Filing date	Aug 12, 2014
Priority date	Aug 12, 2014
Publication date	Aug 29, 2017
Grant date	Aug 29, 2017

Abstract

A system and method for obtaining, by an electronic device, a first set of image data recorded during an image capture event and a second set of image data recorded during an image capture event. During the image capture event, a characteristic of an image capture device is changed from a first state to a second state. The first and second sets of image data are recorded by an image capture device having one or more image recording components with one or more image sensor arrays. An image is generated based at least in part on the first and second sets of image data.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A method, comprising:
under the control of one or more devices that execute instructions,
obtaining a first set of values from a first group of one or more pixel elements of a charge-coupled device image sensor array, the first set of values corresponding to a first duration of an exposure of an image capture event for capturing an image of a scene, the first set of values including a first bokeh artifact having a first shape;
obtaining a second set of values from a second group of one or more pixel elements of the charge-coupled device image sensor array, the second group being different from the first group, the second set of values corresponding to a second duration of the exposure of the image capture event different than the first duration and including information of a second bokeh artifact having a second shape;
analyzing the first set of values and the second set of values to obtain information about the scene usable to affect quality of the image generated at least in part from at least one of the first set of values or the second set of values, wherein obtaining the information includes determining a motion vector associated with at least one pixel of the image based on a difference between a position of the first bokeh artifact and a position of the second bokeh artifact; and
generating the image based at least in part on the information obtained.

2. The method of claim 1 , wherein:
the first bokeh artifact corresponds to one or more bokeh artifacts of the first shape detected in the first set of values, and the second artifact corresponds to one or more bokeh artifacts of the second shape detected in the second set of values; and
the image is generated at least in part by deconvoluting at least one of the first set of values and the second set of values using the information corresponding to the first bokeh artifact, the second bokeh artifact, and the motion vector.

3. The method of claim 1 , wherein the information comprises light intensity levels at a plurality of points in time during the exposure and the image is generated to increase dynamic range of the image generated, at least in part by increasing detail in high-intensity regions or by increasing detail in shadows of the image based at least in part on the light intensity levels.

4. The method of claim 1 , wherein:
a focus of the device is established at a first focal point during the first duration of the exposure and the focus of the device is established at a second focal point during the second duration of the exposure;
the information comprises depth map information determined at least in part on the first focal point and the second focal point; and
the image is generated at least in part by applying the depth map information to the image.

5. A system, comprising:
one or more processors; and
memory including instructions that, as a result of execution by the one or more processors, cause an image capture device to:
obtain a first set of values from a first group of an image sensor array of an image capture device, wherein the first set of values corresponds to a first duration of an exposure;
obtain a second set of values from a second group of the image sensor array of the image capture device, wherein the second set of values corresponds to a second duration of the exposure;
analyze the first set of values and the second set of values to determine information about a scene, including a motion vector corresponding to a difference in position of a first bokeh artifact indicated by the first set of values and a second bokeh artifact indicated by the second set of values, the second bokeh artifact being a change in shape of the first bokeh artifact; and
generate an image based at least in part on the information determined.

6. The system of claim 5 , wherein the first group and the second group comprise one of alternating rows or columns of the image sensor array.

7. The system of claim 5 , wherein the first set of values is analyzed to determine details in a region of the scene having high light intensity and the second set of values is analyzed to determine details in a region of the scene having shadows.

8. The system of claim 5 , wherein:
the first set of values corresponds to a first aperture shape of the image capture device; and
the second set of values corresponds to a second aperture shape of the image capture device.

9. The system of claim 5 , wherein the information is determined by:
analyzing the first set of values to identify a first set of objects in focus in the scene at a first focal distance; and
analyzing the second set of values to identify a second set of objects in focus in the scene at a second focal distance.

10. The system of claim 5 , wherein the information about the scene includes a parallax of at least one object determined to be captured in both the first set of values and the second set of values, and the memory further includes instructions that cause the image capture device to:
construct a depth map based at least in part on the parallax; and
include the depth map in metadata of an image file encoding the image.

11. The system of claim 9 , wherein the instructions that cause the image capture device to generate the image comprises instructions that cause the image capture device to generate the image such that the first set of objects is in focus and the second set of objects is in focus.

12. The system of claim 9 , wherein the memory further includes instructions that cause the image capture device to:
receive a selection from a user of an object from the first set of objects or the second set of objects; and
generate the image such that the object selected is in focus and unselected objects in the first set of objects and the second set of objects are out-of-focus.

13. The system of claim 9 , wherein the instructions cause the image capture device to generate the image such that the first set of objects is in focus and the second set of objects is not in focus.

14. One or more non-transitory computer-readable storage media having collectively stored thereon executable instructions that, as a result of execution by one or more processors of an electronic device, cause the electronic device to at least:
obtain a first set of image data, from a first sensor array, generated during an image capture event wherein light passed through a first aperture to the first sensor array;
obtain a second set of image data, from a second sensor array, generated during the image capture event wherein light passed through a second aperture to the second sensor array;
changing an aperture shape of at least one of the first aperture and the second aperture from a first aperture shape to a second aperture shape during the image capture event; and
generate an image based at least in part on the first set of image data and the second set of image data.

15. The non-transitory computer-readable storage media of claim 14 , wherein the first aperture has a different optical characteristic than the second aperture.

16. The non-transitory computer-readable storage media of claim 14 , wherein the second aperture shape corresponds to an adjustment in orientation of the first aperture shape.

17. The non-transitory computer-readable storage media of claim 14 , further comprising:
changing, during the image capture event, a focal depth of the image capture device from a first focal depth to a second focal depth.

18. The non-transitory computer-readable storage media of claim 14 , further comprising:
changing, during the

Assignees

• Amazon Tech Inc

Inventors

• Hinkel Bradley Lawrence
• Hurst William Nathan John

Classifications

• H04N25/445

  by skipping some contiguous pixels within the read portion of the array · CPC title

• H04N23/55

  Optical parts specially adapted for electronic image sensors; Mounting thereof · CPC title

• H04N25/583

  with different integration times · CPC title

• H04N25/587

  acquired sequentially, e.g. using the combination of odd and even image fields · CPC title

• H04N23/6811 Primary

  based on the image signal · CPC title