Apparatus and method for generating low-light images with improved bokeh using mobile electronic device

1. A method comprising:

capturing multiple pairs of images of a scene at different exposures using at least one camera of an electronic device, each pair of images comprising (i) an ambient image of the scene captured without using a flash of the electronic device and (ii) a flash image of the scene captured using the flash of the electronic device; and

rendering a final image of the scene with a bokeh that is determined using the multiple pairs of images;

wherein one of the ambient images or the flash images are captured in order of increasing exposure time and the other of the ambient images or the flash images are captured in order of decreasing exposure time.

2. The method of claim 1 , further comprising:

estimating a depth map associated with the scene using the pairs of images;

wherein the bokeh is based on the depth map.

3. The method of claim 2 , wherein estimating the depth map comprises:

aligning the images;

identifying exposure differences obtained using the flash based on different pairs of the aligned images; and

generating weighted averages of the exposure differences.

4. The method of claim 3 , wherein estimating the depth map further comprises:

performing a first de-ghosting process to generate first motion maps for the pairs of aligned images, wherein the exposure differences are based on the first motion maps; and

performing a second de-ghosting process to generate second motion maps for the flash images, wherein the weighted averages are based on the second motion maps.

5. The method of claim 3 , wherein estimating the depth map further comprises:

performing specularity filtering to remove one or more background objects having a strong response to the flash from the weighted averages of the exposure differences.

6. The method of claim 3 , wherein estimating the depth map further comprises:

applying a function to convert filtered weighted averages of the exposure differences to relative depths in the depth map.

7. The method of claim 1 , wherein:

the ambient images of the scene are captured with a linearly-increasing exposure time;

the flash images of the scene are captured with a linearly-decreasing exposure time;

a first of the ambient images and a third of the flash images both have a first exposure time and collectively capture a first amount of motion in the scene;

a second of the ambient images and a second of the flash images both have a second exposure time that is shorter than the first exposure time; and

a third of the ambient images and a first of the flash images both have a third exposure time that is shorter than the second exposure time and collectively capture a second amount of motion in the scene that is smaller than the first amount of motion in the scene.

8. An electronic device comprising:

at least one camera;

a flash; and

at least one processing device configured to:

capture multiple pairs of images of a scene at different exposures using the at least one camera, each pair of images comprising (i) an ambient image of the scene captured without using the flash and (ii) a flash image of the scene captured using the flash; and

render a final image of the scene with a bokeh that is determined using the multiple pairs of images;

wherein the at least one processing device is configured to capture one of the ambient images or the flash images in order of increasing exposure time and the other of the ambient images or the flash images in order of decreasing exposure time.

9. The electronic device of claim 8 , wherein:

the at least one processing device is further configured to estimate a depth map associated with the scene using the pairs of images; and

the bokeh is based on the depth map.

10. The electronic device of claim 9 , wherein, to estimate the depth map, the at least one processing device is configured to:

align the images;

identify exposure differences obtained using the flash based on different pairs of the aligned images; and

generate weighted averages of the exposure differences.

11. The electronic device of claim 10 , wherein, to estimate the depth map, the at least one processing device is further configured to:

perform a first de-ghosting process to generate first motion maps for the pairs of aligned images, wherein the exposure differences are based on the first motion maps; and

perform a second de-ghosting process to generate second motion maps for the flash images, wherein the weighted averages are based on the second motion maps.

12. The electronic device of claim 10 , wherein, to estimate the depth map, the at least one processing device is further configured to perform specularity filtering to remove one or more background objects having a strong response to the flash from the weighted averages of the exposure differences.

13. The electronic device of claim 10 , wherein, to estimate the depth map, the at least one processing device is further configured to apply a function to convert filtered weighted averages of the exposure differences to relative depths in the depth map.

14. The electronic device of claim 8 , wherein:

the at least one processing device is configured to capture the ambient images of the scene with a linearly-increasing exposure time and to capture the flash images of the scene with a linearly-decreasing exposure time;

a first of the ambient images and a third of the flash images both have a first exposure time and collectively capture a first amount of motion in the scene;

a second of the ambient images and a second of the flash images both have a second exposure time that is shorter than the first exposure time; and

a third of the ambient images and a first of the flash images both have a third exposure time that is shorter than the second exposure time and collectively capture a second amount of motion in the scene that is smaller than the first amount of motion in the scene.

15. A non-transitory machine-readable medium containing instructions that when executed cause at least one processor of an electronic device to:

capture multiple pairs of images of a scene at different exposures using at least one camera of the electronic device, each pair of images comprising (i) an ambient image of the scene captured without using a flash of the electronic device and (ii) a flash image of the scene captured using the flash of the electronic device; and

render a final image of the scene with a bokeh that is determined using the multiple pairs of images;

wherein the instructions that when executed cause the at least one processor to capture the multiple pairs of images comprise:

instructions that when executed cause the at least one processor to capture one of the ambient images or the flash images in order of increasing exposure time and the other of the ambient images or the flash images in order of decreasing exposure time.

16. The non-transitory machine-readable medium of claim 15 , further containing instructions that when executed cause the at least one processor to estimate a depth map associated with the scene using the pairs of images;

wherein the bokeh is based on the depth map.

17. The non-transitory machine-readable medium of claim 16 , wherein the instructions that when executed cause the at least one processor to estimate the depth map comprise:

instructions that when executed cause the at least one processor to:

align the images;

identify exposure differences obtained using the flash based on different pairs of the aligned images; and

generate weighted averages of the exposure differences.

18. The non-transitory machine-readable medium of claim 17 , wherein the instructions that when executed cause the at least one processor to estimate the depth map further comprise:

instructions that when executed cause the at least one processor to:

perform a first de-ghosting process to generate first motion maps for the pairs of aligned images, wherein the exposure differences are based on the first motion maps; and

perform a second de-ghosting process to generate second motion maps for the flash images, wherein the weighted averages are based on the second motion maps.

19. The non-transitory machine-readable medium of claim 17 , wherein the instructions that when executed cause the at least one processor to estimate the depth map further comprise:

instructions that when executed cause the at least one processor to apply a function to convert filtered weighted averages of the exposure differences to relative depths in the depth map.

20. The non-transitory machine-readable medium of claim 15 , wherein:

the instructions that when executed cause the at least one processor to capture the multiple pairs of images comprise:

instructions that when executed cause the at least one processor to capture the ambient images of the scene with a linearly-increasing exposure time and to capture the flash images of the scene with a linearly-decreasing exposure time;

a first of the ambient images and a third of the flash images both have a first exposure time and collectively capture a first amount of motion in the scene;

a second of the ambient images and a second of the flash images both have a second exposure time that is shorter than the first exposure time; and

a third of the ambient images and a first of the flash images both have a third exposure time that is shorter than the second exposure time and collectively capture a second amount of motion in the scene that is smaller than the first amount of motion in the scene.