Cinematic image blur in digital cameras based on exposure timing manipulation

Abstract

Cinematic motion blur and other cinematic effects are enabled during image capture through exposure timing manipulation. The resulting captured images and videos include one or more cinematic effects without the need for a user to impose the cinematic effects post-capture.

What is claimed is: 
     
         1 . A method for capturing an image by a digital camera, the method comprising:
 receiving, by a camera interface from a user, a selection of an image capture effect;   generating, by a camera controller, a pulse pattern corresponding to the selected image capture effect, the pulse pattern including a plurality of pulse durations each separated by a non-zero spacing duration;   capturing, by an image sensor of the camera, image data by applying the generated pulse pattern to an exposure input of the image sensor, the image information representative of light incident upon the image sensor during the pulse durations and not representative of light incident upon the image sensor during the spacing durations; and   outputting, by the image sensor, the captured image data by applying a signal to a read input of the input sensor.   
     
     
         2 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the image capture effect comprises a motion blur effect. 
     
     
         3 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the image capture effect comprises a color emphasis effect. 
     
     
         4 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the image capture effect is representative of a film camera. 
     
     
         5 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the image capture effect specifies an exposure time. 
     
     
         6 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein two or more of the pulse durations comprise the same duration. 
     
     
         7 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein two or more of the pulse durations comprise different durations. 
     
     
         8 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein two or more of the spacing durations comprises the same duration. 
     
     
         9 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein two or more of the spacing durations comprise different durations. 
     
     
         10 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein generating the pulse pattern comprises accessing a stored pulse pattern corresponding to the selected image capture effect. 
     
     
         11 . A camera system comprising a camera interface, a controller, an image sensor, a processor, and a non-transitory computer-readable storage medium storing instructions configured to, when executed by the processor, cause the camera system to:
 receive, by the camera interface from a user, a selection of an image capture effect;   generate, by the controller, a pulse pattern corresponding to the selected image capture effect, the pulse pattern including a plurality of pulse durations each separated by a non-zero spacing duration;   capture, by the image sensor, image data by applying the generated pulse pattern to an exposure input of the image sensor, the image information representative of light incident upon the image sensor during the pulse durations and not representative of light incident upon the image sensor during the spacing durations; and   output, by the image sensor, the captured image data by applying a signal to a read input of the input sensor.   
     
     
         12 . The camera system of  claim 11 , wherein the image capture effect comprises a motion blur effect. 
     
     
         13 . The camera system of  claim 11 , wherein the image capture effect comprises a color emphasis effect. 
     
     
         14 . The camera system of  claim 11 , wherein the image capture effect is representative of a film camera. 
     
     
         15 . The camera system of  claim 11 , wherein the image capture effect specifies an exposure time. 
     
     
         16 . The camera system of  claim 11 , wherein two or more of the pulse durations comprise the same duration. 
     
     
         17 . The camera system of  claim 1 , wherein two or more of the pulse durations comprise different durations. 
     
     
         18 . The camera system of  claim 11 , wherein two or more of the spacing durations comprises the same duration. 
     
     
         19 . The camera system of  claim 11 , wherein two or more of the spacing durations comprise different durations. 
     
     
         20 . The camera system of  claim 11 , wherein generating the pulse pattern comprises accessing a stored pulse pattern corresponding to the selected image capture effect.