Imaging Device Tilt-Distortion Correction Focus Bracket Control
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Solution Overview
Problem
Cameras using tilt photography often fail to capture images with the entire subject in focus due to a tilted image projection plane, leading to partial subject blur even after distortion correction, and existing methods like lens shift mechanisms are complex for generating natural tilt photography images.
Innovation Solution
An imaging device with a focusing lens, image sensor, and signal converter that inputs a tilt-distortion correction level, generates tilt-distortion correction image data, and performs focus bracket control by moving the focusing lens to multiple positions, allowing for real-time display and correction of tilt-distortion, and synthesis of in-focus image data.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Measurement precision
If tilt photography is performed to capture buildings or upward subjects, then distortion correction can be applied, but the image projection plane becomes tilted causing partial subject blur
Solution Approach 1:
The patent divides the imaging process into multiple steps: first capturing images at multiple focus positions (focus bracket photography), then selectively focusing on specific regions. This segmentation allows the system to capture multiple focal planes and then composite them, resolving the contradiction between distortion correction and focus accuracy by processing images in stages rather than attempting to achieve both simultaneously.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent performs focus bracket photography before final image processing, capturing multiple images at different focus positions in advance. This preliminary action enables the system to later select and composite the appropriate focal planes, ensuring both distortion correction and overall focus accuracy without requiring the image projection plane to remain perfectly tilted-free during capture.
2Manufacturing precision
If a lens shift mechanism is used to keep the image projection plane parallel to the subject, then the entire subject can be in focus, but the device complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent replaces the mechanical lens shift mechanism with an image processing approach. Instead of physically moving the lens to maintain parallelism, the system captures images at multiple focus positions and uses computational methods to composite them, achieving the same focus accuracy without the mechanical complexity of a lens shift mechanism.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent creates multiple copies of the scene at different focus positions through focus bracket photography, then selectively combines these copies to produce the final image. This copying approach achieves the effect of a lens shift mechanism by synthesizing multiple focal planes computationally rather than mechanically.
3Manufacturing precision
If focus bracket photography is performed to capture multiple images at different focus positions, then the entire subject can be in focus, but the number of images and processing complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent applies local quality by selectively focusing on specific regions of interest within the image. Instead of requiring the entire image to be in focus, the system identifies and processes only the relevant areas, reducing the number of images needed and simplifying the composite processing while maintaining focus accuracy where it matters most.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent performs partial focus bracket photography by capturing images at a limited number of focus positions rather than exhaustively scanning all possible focus distances. This partial action is sufficient to achieve the desired focus accuracy for the specific imaging task, improving processing efficiency while maintaining acceptable quality.
Data Source
AI summary
An imaging device performs live view control in which control of imaging a subject image formed by a focusing lens so as to output image data, generating tilt-distortion correction image data in accordance with the tilt-distortion correction level on the basis of the image data, and displaying a tilt-distortion correction image represented by the tilt-distortion correction image data is performed repeatedly, and performs focus bracket control in which control of moving the focusing lens to each of a plurality of lens positions determined on the basis of the tilt-distortion correction level and imaging a subject image formed by the focusing lens so as to output image data when the focusing lens has moved to each of the plurality of lens positions is performed.