Settings of a digital camera for depth map refinement

摘要

Systems and methods are disclosed for identifying depth refinement image capture instructions for capturing images that may be used to refine existing depth maps. The depth refinement image capture instructions are determined by evaluating, at each image patch in an existing image corresponding to the existing depth map, a range of possible depth values over a set of configuration settings. Each range of possible depth values corresponds to an existing depth estimate of the existing depth map. This evaluation enables selection of one or more configuration settings in a manner such that there will be additional depth information derivable from one or more additional images captured with the selected configuration settings. When a refined depth map is generated using the one or more additional images, this additional depth information is used to increase the depth precision for at least one depth estimate from the existing depth map.

主权项

1. A computer-implemented method for determining depth refinement image capture instructions by predictively determining configuration settings to be used by a camera to capture at least one next image of a scene for refining depth estimates in an existing depth map corresponding to an existing image of the scene, the method comprising:
identifying, by a computer system, a plurality of image patches of the existing image; determining, by the computer system, a depth range corresponding to each of the image patches, the depth range comprising possible depth values for the corresponding image patch; evaluating, by the computer system, each of the images patches using each of a plurality of configuration settings at each of the corresponding possible depth values to determine an amount of possible increase in depth precision for the image patch that can be achieved by accounting for additional depth information from the at least one next image of the scene if captured by the camera using the configuration setting, each of the configuration settings including at least one of an aperture setting and a focus setting; and generating, by the computer system, and based on the amount of possible increase in depth precision for each image patch, at least one depth refinement image capture instruction, each depth refinement image capture instruction including at least one of the configuration settings, wherein the additional depth information derived from the at least one next image when captured using the at least one of the configuration settings will result in an increase in depth precision for at least one depth estimate in the existing depth map.