Method and apparatus for operating a dual lens camera to augment an image

1. An electronic camera for producing an output image of a scene from a captured image signal, said electronic camera comprising:

a first imaging stage comprising a first lens for capturing a first image of the scene on a first image sensor;

a second imaging stage comprising a second lens for capturing second image of the scene on a second image sensor;

a processing stage for analyzing the first and second images to determine one or more capture parameters; and

wherein the first imaging stage utilizes a first setting of at least one of the capture parameters to capture a third image and the second imaging stage utilizes a second, different setting of said at least one of the capture parameters to capture a fourth image substantially simultaneously with the third image, and wherein the processor produces an augmented image from at least a portion of both the third and fourth images.

2. The electronic camera as claimed in claim 1 wherein at least a portion of the augmented image is sharpened.

3. The electronic camera as claimed in claim 2 wherein at least a portion of the augmented image has an extended depth of field.

4. The electronic camera as claimed in claim 2 wherein the augmented image includes sharpened and blurred portions.

5. The electronic camera as claimed in claim 1 wherein the third image is captured with a different focus setting than the fourth image.

6. The electronic camera as claimed in claim 1 wherein the secondary output image is used by the processing stage to modify the dynamic range of the primary image.

7. The electronic camera as claimed in claim 1 wherein the secondary output image is captured by the second imaging stage at a different exposure level than used by the first imaging stage to capture the primary output image.

8. The electronic camera as claimed in claim 1 wherein the captured image signal is a still image signal and the secondary output image modifies at least one of the depth of field and the dynamic range of the still image signal.

9. The electronic camera as claimed in claim 1 wherein the captured image signal is a video image signal and the secondary output image modifies at least one of the depth of field and the dynamic range of the video image signal.

10. The electronic camera as claimed in claim 1 wherein the imaging stages are set for different exposure times so that different levels of noise and motion blur are present in the respective primary and secondary output images, whereby a modified primary image is then formed by replacing portions of the primary image with portions of the secondary image such that the level of motion blur is reduced while minimizing an increase in the noise level.

11. The electronic camera as claimed in claim 1 wherein the third image is captured with a different exposure level than the fourth image.

12. A method for operating a digital camera having first and second imaging stages for forming separate images of a scene, said method comprising the steps of:

using the first imaging stage for capturing a first image;

using the second imaging stage for capturing a second image;

analyzing the first and second images to determine data indicative of capture conditions;

capturing third and fourth images substantially simultaneously with the first and second imaging stages, respectively, by processing the data to determine capture parameters, wherein one of the stages uses a setting of at least one of the capture parameters that is different from the setting used by the other stage; and

producing an augmented image from at least a portion of both the third and fourth images.

13. The method as claimed in claim 12 wherein at least a portion of the augmented image is sharpened.

14. The method as claimed in claim 13 wherein at least a portion of the augmented image has an extended depth of field.

15. The method as claimed in claim 13 wherein the augmented image includes sharpened and blurred portions.

16. The method as claimed in claim 12 wherein the third image, is captured with a different focus setting than the fourth image.

17. The method as claimed in claim 12 wherein the secondary output image is used to modify the dynamic range of the primary image.

18. The method as claimed in claim 12 wherein the secondary output image is captured by the second imaging stage at a different exposure level than used by the first imaging stage to capture the primary output image.

19. The method as claimed in claim 12 wherein the captured image signal is a still image signal and the secondary output image modifies at least one of the depth of field and the dynamic range of the still image signal.

20. The method as claimed in claim 12 wherein the captured image signal is a video image signal and the secondary output image modifies at least one of the depth of field and the dynamic range of the video image signal.

21. The electronic camera as claimed in claim 12 wherein the imaging stages are set for different exposure times so that different levels of noise and motion blur are present in the respective primary and secondary output images, whereby a modified primary image is then formed by replacing portions of the primary image with portions of the secondary image such that the level of motion blur is reduced while minimizing an increase in the noise level.

22. The method as claimed in claim 12 wherein the third image is captured with a different exposure level than the fourth image.