Enhanced image processing with lens motion

1. An imaging system comprising:

an imaging lens that is adjustable to different focal lengths;

an image sensor comprising a plurality of shutters and configured to receive image information from the imaging lens;

a mechanical mechanism to change a lens focal position during duration of a single image frame exposure of the image sensor; and

at least one hardware processing circuit configured to:

obtain a distance map of a scene from at least a first and second image captured by the image sensor while changing the lens focal position during an exposure of the first and second images, the lens focal position being changed with a first speed profile for the first image and a second speed profile for the second image, wherein the first and second speed profiles are asymmetric and associated with non-constant acceleration;

analyze the obtained distance map to identify first regions of the scene that are in focus and second regions of the scene that are out of focus;

construct a point spread function based at least on analyzing the obtained distance map;

capture a third image during a single image frame exposure of the image sensor by activating one or more of the plurality of shutters of the image sensor based on the distance map, the third image being captured subsequent to the first and second images; and

deconvolve the third image using the constructed point spread function to obtain an in-focus image.

2. The imaging system of claim 1 , wherein for the first, the lens focal position is continually changed at a first varying rate of speed during the exposure of the first image, wherein for the second image, the lens focal position is continually changed at a different varying rate of speed in an opposite direction during the exposure of the second image.

3. The imaging system of claim 1 , wherein each of the plurality of shutters is associated with a pixel of the image sensor, wherein each of the plurality of shutters is synchronized with the changing lens focal position of the imaging lens and is activated at a set lens focal position for a particular pixel to produce an in-focus capture of pixel data.

4. The imaging system of claim 1 , wherein the at least one hardware processing circuit is further configured to determine an autofocus setting to be used to capture a subsequent image scene at a particular distance from the imaging system to an object by capturing two image frames comprising a fourth image and a fifth image, wherein for the fourth image, the lens focal position is continually changed at a first varying rate of speed during exposure of the fourth image, wherein for the fifth image, the lens focal position is continually changed at a different varying rate of speed during exposure of the fifth image, wherein a comparison of the image information captured during the fourth image and the fifth image identifies lens focal positions to be used as autofocus settings for varying distances from the imaging system to objects in the subsequent image scene.

5. An imaging method comprising:

capturing, by an image sensor, image data comprising a first and a second image while changing a lens focal position of a lens during an exposure of the first and second images, the lens focal position of the lens being changed with a first speed profile for the first image and a second speed profile for the second image, wherein the first and second speed profiles are asymmetric and associated with non-constant acceleration;

obtaining a distance map of a scene from at least the first and second images;

analyzing the obtained distance map to identify first regions of the scene that are in focus and second regions of the scene that are out of focus;

constructing a point spread function based at least on analyzing the obtained distance map;

capturing a third image during a single image frame exposure of the image sensor by activating one or more of a plurality of shutters of the image sensor based on the distance map, the third image being captured subsequent to the first and second images; and

deconvolving the third image using the constructed point spread function to obtain an in-focus image.

6. The imaging method of claim 5 , wherein:

the first image is captured as the lens is moved within a defined first focal sweep, wherein the defined first focal sweep utilizes the first speed profile; and

the second image is captured as the lens is moved within a defined second focal sweep, wherein the defined second focal sweep utilizes the second speed profile, the defined second focal sweep including a same range of lens focal positions as the defined first focal sweep.

7. The imaging method of claim 5 , further comprising generating a stereoscopic image by combining distance map information with the in-focus image.

8. The imaging method of claim 5 , further comprising:

storing a lens focal position associated with a distance from the lens to an object in the scene corresponding to an identified sharpest focus depth position as an autofocus setting; and

in a subsequent image capture, using the stored autofocus setting to capture a second scene of an object at a same distance from the lens to an object in the scene.

9. The imaging method of claim 5 , further comprising synchronizing activation of the plurality of shutters with movement of the lens.

10. A non-transitory computer readable medium storing instructions executable by a processor, the instructions comprising:

instructions to capture image data of a scene by an image sensor during an exposure of a first image as a lens focal position of a lens is being changed with a first speed profile;

instructions to capture image data of the scene during an exposure of a second image as the lens focal position of the lens is being changed with a second speed profile, wherein the first and second speed profiles are asymmetric and associated with non-constant acceleration;

instructions to obtain a distance map of the scene from at least the first and second images;

instructions to analyze the obtained distance map to identify first regions of the scene that are in focus and second regions of the scene that are out of focus;

instructions to construct a point spread function based at least on analyzing the obtained distance map;

instructions to capture a third image during a single image frame exposure of the image sensor by activating one or more of a plurality of shutters of the image sensor based on the distance map, the third image being captured subsequent to the first and second images; and

instructions to deconvolve, using the constructed point spread function, the third image to obtain an in-focus image.

11. The computer readable medium of claim 10 , the instructions further comprising:

instructions to store a lens focal position associated with a distance from the lens to an object in the scene corresponding to an identified sharpest focus depth position as an autofocus setting; and

instructions to utilize, in a subsequent image capture, the stored autofocus setting to capture a second scene of an object at a same distance from the lens to an object in the scene.

12. The computer readable medium of claim 10 , the instructions further comprising instructions to identify depth positions of pixels at respective sharpest lens focal positions, wherein the obtained distance map is based at least in part on the identified depth positions of the pixels.

13. The computer readable medium of claim 10 , the instructions further comprising instructions to synchronize activation of the plurality of shutters with movement of the lens.

14. The imaging system of claim 1 , wherein the at least one hardware processing circuit is further configured to synchronize activation of the plurality of shutters with movement of the imaging lens.

15. The imaging system of claim 1 , wherein:

the imaging sensor is configured to capture the first image when the imaging lens is moved within a defined first focal sweep, wherein the defined first focal sweep utilizes the first speed profile;

the imaging sensor is configured to capture the second image when the imaging lens is moved within a defined second focal sweep, wherein the defined second focal sweep utilizes the second speed profile, the defined second focal sweep including a same range of lens focal positions as the defined first focal sweep; and

the at least one hardware processing circuit is configured to compare the first image and the second image to identify sharpest focus depth positions of pixels in the range of the lens focal positions, wherein the obtained distance map is based at least in part on the sharpest focus depth positions of the pixels.

16. The imaging system of claim 1 , wherein the at least one hardware processing circuit is further configured to generate a stereoscopic image by combining the distance map information with the in-focus image.

17. The imaging method of claim 5 , further comprising:

comparing the first image and the second image to identify sharpest focus depth positions of pixels in a range of the lens focal positions for the scene, wherein the obtained distance map is based at least in part on the sharpest focus depth positions of the pixels.

18. The imaging method of claim 17 , wherein the sharpest depth positions of the pixels are identified based at least on evaluating content of the scene.

19. The computer readable medium of claim 10 , the instructions further comprising instructions to compare the first image and the second image to identify sharpest focus depth positions of pixels in a range of the lens focal positions, wherein the obtained distance map is based at least in part on the sharpest focus depth positions of the pixels.

20. The computer readable medium of claim 10 , the instructions further comprising instructions to generate a stereoscopic image by combining distance map information with the in-focus image.