Patent ID: 7382400

Claim:
A video image stabilization system comprising: a camera including an image capturing device configured to capture a video image, said camera having a selectively adjustable field of view; at least one processing device operably coupled to said system wherein said processing device receives signals indicative of the field of view of said camera and images captured by said camera, said processing device sequentially grabbing a first one of said images and a second one of said images, said processing device determining a stabilizing adjustment for the video image as a function of an intended change in the field of view of said camera during an interval between the capture of said first image and said second image based upon said signals indicative of the field of view and an analysis of said first and second images, wherein the analysis of said first and second images includes aligning said first and second images based upon said signals indicative of the field of view, generating a histogram of an image difference of said aligned images, and determining whether unintentional camera movement has occurred based upon identifying a maximum peak in said histogram and a location of said maximum peak, wherein when said maximum peak is not substantially centered on zero, unintentional motion is determined to have occurred and wherein determination of said stabilizing adjustment includes identifying adjustments that minimize said image difference.