Automated camera mode selection using local motion vector

1. An image capture device with automated image acquisition mode selection, the image capture device comprising:

one or more image metric estimation units configured to detect a presence or level of an image metric in a scene of an image to capture based on one or more image metric inputs;

a motion estimation unit configured to:

compute norms, a norm corresponding to a local motion vector;

generate a data bin from the computed norms, the data bin including bins;

determine different movement metrics based on computing different ratios of all bins in the data bin associated with different norm thresholds and all bins in the data bin; and

determine a level of movement within the scene based on the determined different movement metrics;

a mode selection unit configured to select a camera mode to use for capturing the image based on outputs of the one or more image metric estimation units and the motion estimation unit; and

an image sensor configured to capture the image according to the selected camera mode.

2. The image capture device of claim 1 , wherein the motion estimation unit is further configured to:

determine a movement metric for all movements by using a first norm threshold; and

compute a ratio between all bins in the data bin meeting or exceeding the first norm threshold and all bins in the data bin.

3. The image capture device of claim 2 , wherein the motion estimation unit is further configured to:

determine a second movement metric for all medium movements by using a second norm threshold; and

compute a second ratio between all bins in the data bin meeting or exceeding the second norm threshold and all bins in the data bin.

4. The image capture device of claim 3 , wherein the motion estimation unit is further configured to:

determine a third movement metric for all big movements by using a third norm threshold; and

compute a third ratio between all bins in the data bin meeting or exceeding the third norm threshold and all bins in the data bin.

5. The image capture device of claim 1 , wherein the motion estimation unit is further configured to:

apply a weight vector to the data bin to generate a weighted data bin to favor defined movement metrics.

6. The image capture device of claim 5 , wherein the defined movement metrics have a norm threshold greater than unity.

7. The image capture device of claim 5 , wherein the weight vector has increasingly greater weight values for increasingly higher valued norms.

8. The image capture device of claim 1 , wherein the image metric is one of high dynamic range and light intensity.

9. A method for automated camera mode selection, the method comprising:

receiving local motion vectors corresponding to motion or movement in a scene of an image to capture;

computing a norm for each local motion vector;

generating a histogram from the computed norms;

determining movement metrics based on ratios of the histograms for different norm thresholds, wherein the determining comprising:

setting a defined norm threshold for each movement metric; and

computing a ratio between all bins in the histogram meeting or exceeding the defined norm threshold and all bins in the histogram;

identifying a level of movement in the scene based on the movement metrics; and

applying the identified level of movement to select a camera mode for a camera for capturing the image.

10. The method of claim 9 , further comprising:

multiplying the histogram with a weight vector to generate a weighted histogram which favors movement metrics having norm thresholds greater than unity.

11. The method of claim 10 , wherein the weight vector has increasingly greater weight values for increasingly higher valued defined norm thresholds.

12. The method of claim 10 , wherein the weight vector has a non-unitary weight for each defined norm threshold greater than unity.

13. The method of claim 9 , further comprising:

skewing the histogram with a weight vector toward certain defined movement metric thresholds.

14. A method for automated camera mode selection, the method comprising:

determining, for a scene of an image to capture, at least one image metric based on an associated image metric input;

computing norms, a norm corresponding to a local motion vector;

producing a data bin from the computed norms, the data bin including bins;

determining different movement metrics based on computing different ratios of all bins in the data bin associated with different norm thresholds and all bins in the data bin;

determining, for the scene, a motion level based on the determined different movement metrics;

selecting a camera mode to use for capturing the image based on each determined image metric and the motion level; and

capturing the image according to the selected camera mode.

15. The method of claim 14 , wherein the determining different movement metrics further comprises:

providing a set of defined movement metric thresholds;

computing ratios of data bins for each defined movement metric threshold; and

establishing the motion level in the scene based on the computed ratios.

16. The method of claim 15 , further comprising:

skewing the data bins with a weight vector toward certain defined movement metric thresholds.

17. The method of claim 16 , wherein the certain defined movement metric thresholds are greater than one.

18. The method of claim 16 , wherein increasingly greater weights are applied to increasingly higher defined movement metric thresholds.

19. The method of claim 16 , wherein the weight vector has a non-unitary weight for each defined movement metric threshold greater than unity.

20. The method of claim 16 , wherein at least one image metric is one of high dynamic range and light intensity.