Dynamic image-based adjustment of image capture parameters

Abstract

A portable electronic device with image capturing capabilities automatically or semi-automatically adjusts one or more image capturing parameters based on an image metric calculated from image data captured by the device. The device can be configured for processing image data captured by an on-board camera to determine the image metric, and to perform an automated adjustment action based on the determined value of the image metric. In sonic embodiments, the image metric is an image brightness metric upon which automated adjustment of a camera sensitivity parameter is based.

1 . (canceled) 
     
     
         2 . A method comprising:
 using a camera incorporated in a portable electronic device, capturing image data according to a plurality of image capture parameters; and   using one or more computer processors incorporated in the portable electronic device, performing operations comprising:
 processing the image data to determine a sharpness metric for one or more images represented by the image data; and 
 based at least in part on the sharpness metric, performing automatic adjustment of a shutter speed parameter of the camera. 
   
     
     
         3 . The method of  claim 2 , wherein the processing of the image data includes determining, for one or more images represented by the image data, at least one further image metric in addition to the sharpness metric. 
     
     
         4 . The method of  claim 3 , wherein:
 the at least one further image metric includes an image brightness metric; and   wherein the automatic adjustment of the shutter speed parameter is based at least in part on both the sharpness metric and the image brightness metric.   
     
     
         5 . The method of  claim 3 , further comprising:
 based at least in part on the at least one further image metric, performing automatic modification of one or more further image capture parameters in addition to the shutter speed parameter.   
     
     
         6 . The method of  claim 5 , wherein the automatic modification of the one or more further image capture parameters comprises modifying a camera exposure setting of the camera based at least in part on the sharpness metric and based at least in part on an image brightness metric calculated as part of the at least one further image metric. 
     
     
         7 . The method of  claim 5 , wherein the automatic modification of the one or more further image capture parameters comprises modifying a camera focus setting based at least in part on the sharpness metric. 
     
     
         8 . The method of  claim 5 , wherein the automatic modification of the one or more further image capture parameters comprises modifying a camera white balance setting of the camera based at least in part on an image colorization metric calculated as part of the at least one further image metric. 
     
     
         9 . The method of  claim 5 , wherein the automatic modification of the one or more further image capture parameters comprises modifying a camera flash setting based at least in part on an image brightness metric calculated as part of the at least one further image metric. 
     
     
         10 . The method of  claim 5 . wherein the automatic modification of the one or more further image capture parameters comprises modifying an image stabilization setting based at least in part on the sharpness metric and based at least in part on an image brightness metric calculated as part of the at least one further image metrics. 
     
     
         11 . The method of  claim 2 , wherein the processing of the image data to determine the sharpness metric comprises:
 extracting a plurality of video frames from video content forming part of the image data;   calculating a respective sharpness value for each of the plurality of video frames;   determining a count of video frames in the plurality of video frames for which the sharpness metric transgresses a predefined threshold; and   in response to and conditional upon identifying that the count of threshold-transgressing video frames exceeds a pre-defined threshold number, performing the automatic adjusting of the shutter speed parameter of the camera.   
     
     
         12 . The method of  claim 11 , wherein the video content from which the plurality of video frames are extracted and with reference to which the sharpness metric is determined is limited to video content captured by the camera responsive to user engagement with an input mechanism to activate image-capture by the camera, with the shutter speed parameter being adjusted for immediately subsequent nonvideo photographic mode image-capture. 
     
     
         13 . A device comprising:
 a frame;   a camera mounted on the frame and configured to capture and process image data according to a plurality of image capture parameters; and   a camera controller incorporated in the frame and configured to perform operations comprising:
 processing the image data to determine a sharpness metric for one or more images represented by the image data; and 
 based at least in part on the sharpness metric, performing automatic adjustment of a shutter speed parameter of the camera. 
   
     
     
         14 . The device of  claim 13 , wherein the camera controller is configured such that the processing of the image data includes determining, for one or more images represented by the image data, at least one further image metric in addition to the sharpness metric. 
     
     
         15 . The device of  claim 14 , wherein the camera controller is configured such that:
 the at least one further image metric includes an image brightness metric; and   wherein the automatic adjustment of the shutter speed parameter is based at least in part on both the sharpness metric and the image brightness metric.   
     
     
         16 . The device of  claim 14 , wherein the camera controller is further configured to, based at least in part on the at least one further image metric, perform automatic modification of one or more further image capture parameters in addition to the shutter speed parameter. 
     
     
         17 . The device of  claim 16 , wherein the camera controller is configured such that the automatic modification of the one or more further image capture parameters comprises modifying a camera exposure setting of the camera based at least in part on the sharpness metric and based at least in part on an image brightness metric calculated as part of the at least one further image metric. 
     
     
         18 . The device of  claim 16 , wherein the camera controller is configured such that the automatic modification of the one or more further image capture parameters comprises modifying a camera focus setting based at least in part on the sharpness metric. 
     
     
         19 . The device of  claim 16 , wherein the camera controller is configured such that the automatic modification of the one or more further image capture parameters comprises modifying a camera white balance setting of the camera based at least in part on an image colorization metric calculated as part of the at least one further image metric. 
     
     
         20 . The device of  claim 13 , wherein the the camera controller is configured such that processing of the image data to determine the sharpness metric comprises:
 extracting a plurality of video frames from video content forming part of the image data;   calculating a respective sharpness value for each of the plurality of video frames;   determining a count of video frames in the plurality of video frames for which the sharpness metric transgresses a predefined threshold; and   in response to and conditional upon identifying that the count of threshold-transgressing video frames exceeds a pre-defined threshold number, performing the automatic adjusting of the shutter speed parameter of the camera.   
     
     
         21 . A non-transitory computer-readable storage medium having stored thereon instructions for causing a machine, when executing the instructions, perform operations comprising:
 receiving image data captured by a camera incorporated in a portable electronic device, the camera being configured to operate according to a plurality of image capture parameters;   processing the image data to determine a sharpness metric for one or more images represented by the image data; and   based at least in part on the sharpness metric, performing automatic adjustment of a shutter speed parameter of the camera.