Capture optimization for composite images

Abstract

A composite image is an image created by combining portions of multiple separately-captured images. Stitching of captures of tiled portions of a larger scene can be used to produce a single composite image (a panorama) with a wider view angle and higher total resolution. Image stacking is a different type of compositing, in which the scene is not changing significantly across captures, but camera parameters might be systematically varied. Focus stacking can extend the depth of field, aperture stacking can implement apodization shaping the out-of-focus point spread function, and noise and motion reduction can be accomplished even using the same camera parameters for each capture to be stacked. These and other compositing methods are well known and commonly used, but the same fixed pattern is commonly used for ordering of captures and choice of capture parameters. This paper examines the problem of static, pseudo-static, or dynamic determination of the optimal capture parameters and ordering.