Digital Image Stabilization Using Motion Masking for Video Signal Correction
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing video image stabilization methods are either costly and resource-intensive, such as motorized camera mounts, or prone to errors when dealing with scene movements and deliberate camera operations like panning or zooming, especially when using electronic signal processing techniques like global motion estimation.
Innovation Solution
A video image stabilization system that estimates a Global Motion Offset (GMO) between successive images, using a mask to exclude regions that may mislead the calculation, and applies corrective movements, while also detecting and correcting for pan and zoom operations, and predicting motion offset errors to improve stabilization accuracy.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Stability of the object's composition
If motorized camera mount with gyroscopes and electric motors is used to physically stabilize the camera, then image stability is improved, but device complexity and electrical resource consumption increase
Solution Approach 1:
The patent replaces the mechanical stabilization system (gyroscopes, electric motors, motorized mounts) with an electronic image processing system. The system uses image sensors to detect camera motion and digitally processes the images to compensate for the motion, eliminating the need for complex mechanical components while achieving similar stabilization effects.
Solution Approach 2:
The system creates a digital copy of the image signal and processes this copy to remove motion artifacts. By working with the image data rather than the physical camera, the system can stabilize images without mechanically constraining the camera itself, thus reducing device complexity.
2Device complexity
If global motion estimation is used to electronically stabilize images, then device complexity is reduced, but measurement precision deteriorates due to errors from scene movement and deliberate camera operations
Solution Approach 1:
The patent divides the image into multiple regions or blocks and processes each region separately to estimate local motion characteristics. This segmentation allows the system to distinguish between global camera motion and local scene movement, improving measurement precision by analyzing motion patterns across different spatial regions rather than treating the entire image uniformly.
Solution Approach 2:
The system applies different processing techniques to different regions of the image based on their specific characteristics. By analyzing local motion patterns and adapting the stabilization approach to each region, the system can accurately distinguish between genuine camera motion and apparent motion caused by scene changes or deliberate camera operations.
Data Source
AI summary
A system for stabilizing video signals generated by a video camera which may be mounted in an unstable manner includes a digital processing means for manipulation of each incoming image that attempts to overlay features of the current image onto similar features of a previous image. A mask is used that prevents parts of the image that are likely to cause errors in the overlaying process from being used in the calculation of the required movement to be applied to the image. The mask may include areas where small movements of the image have been detected, and many also include areas where image anomalies including excess noise have been detected. The invention also discloses means for dealing with wanted movements of the camera, such as pan or zoom, and also discloses means for dealing with the edges of video signals as processed by the system. A method is also disclosed.