Camera Lens Recovery Filter Generation via OTF Data

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Solution Overview

Problem

Existing image processing systems for single-lens reflex cameras with interchangeable lenses face challenges in efficiently storing and managing recovery process information due to the large amount of data required for various combinations of imaging lenses and camera bodies, leading to cumbersome operations and memory limitations.

Innovation Solution

An image processing apparatus and method that generates recovery filters by reading lens and camera characteristic values from non-volatile memories, using OTF data and device characteristics to create coefficients for correction filters, reducing the need for extensive data storage and simplifying the process of updating recovery information with new lens or camera models.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Measurement precision

If recovery process information is stored for all combinations of imaging lenses and camera bodies, then image recovery accuracy is improved, but data storage requirements and device complexity increase significantly

Engineering Contradiction:
Improveimage recovery accuracyVSAvoiddata storage requirements
Core Design Contradiction:
Measurement precisionVSQuantity of substance

Solution Approach 1:

The patent segments the recovery process information into two parts: (1) common information stored in the camera body (lens mounting information, camera characteristics), and (2) lens-specific information stored in the imaging lens (optical characteristics, PSF data). This segmentation allows the system to maintain high recovery accuracy for each lens-camera combination without requiring the camera body to store all possible combination data, thereby reducing overall data storage requirements.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #1Segmentation

Solution Approach 2:

The imaging lens acts as an intermediary that stores and transmits lens-specific recovery information (optical characteristics and PSF data) to the camera body. This intermediary approach allows the system to achieve accurate recovery for specific lens-camera combinations without the camera body needing to maintain extensive databases for all possible combinations, thus reducing device complexity and storage requirements.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #24Intermediary (Mediator)

2Measurement precision

If recovery process information is stored for all combinations of imaging lenses and camera bodies, then image recovery accuracy is improved, but device complexity and memory size requirements increase

Engineering Contradiction:
Improveimage recovery accuracyVSAvoidmemory management complexity
Core Design Contradiction:
Measurement precisionVSDevice complexity

Solution Approach 1:

The patent divides the memory management responsibility between two devices: the camera body stores common recovery information and lens mounting data, while the imaging lens stores its own optical characteristics and PSF data. This segmentation simplifies the memory management complexity for each individual device, as neither needs to handle all possible lens-camera combination data.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #1Segmentation

Solution Approach 2:

The imaging lens is designed to self-identify and provide its own optical characteristics and PSF data to the camera body through communication protocols. This self-service approach eliminates the need for the camera body to maintain extensive databases for all lens models, thereby reducing device complexity and memory management burden.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #25Self-service

3Measurement precision

If extensive recovery data is stored in the camera body, then recovery filter generation accuracy is improved, but data communication efficiency decreases

Engineering Contradiction:
Improverecovery filter generation accuracyVSAvoiddata communication efficiency
Core Design Contradiction:
Measurement precisionVSLoss of energy

Solution Approach 1:

The patent extracts lens-specific recovery information (optical characteristics and PSF data) from the camera body's database and relocates it to the imaging lens itself. This extraction reduces the amount of data that needs to be communicated between the lens and camera body during recovery filter generation, as the lens now provides its own data locally, thereby improving data communication efficiency while maintaining recovery accuracy.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #2Taking out (Extraction)

Solution Approach 2:

The imaging lens serves as an intermediary that locally stores and provides its own optical characteristics and PSF data to the camera body during recovery filter generation. This intermediary approach eliminates the need for the camera body to retrieve extensive lens-specific data from external sources or large internal databases, thereby reducing data communication requirements while maintaining accurate recovery filter generation.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #24Intermediary (Mediator)

Data Source

PatentEP2377308B1Image processing apparatus and image processing method, and data processing apparatus and data processing method
Publication Date: 2015.10.28 CANON KK
  • EP2377308B1 patent drawingFigure 1~2
  • EP2377308B1 patent drawingFigure 3
  • EP2377308B1 patent drawingFigure 4

AI summary

Optical transfer information of an imaging lens is input from the imaging lens, and characteristic information of an image capturing unit of an image capturing apparatus is acquired. The optical transfer information is converted into that, which depends on the characteristics of the image capturing unit, based on the characteristic information. A correction filter, which corrects degradation of an image captured via the imaging lens, is generated based on the optical transfer information which depends on the characteristics of the image capturing unit.