Patent ID: 6975352

Claim:
An apparatus for capturing an image, comprising: an image capture device for capturing plural image segments of an object scene at different focus distances and zoom settings; the image capture device having: a variable focus mechanism for varying the focus distance for the image capture device, a variable zoom mechanism for varying the zoom setting for the image capture device, and a controller operative to control the variable focus mechanism and the variable zoom mechanism to vary the focus setting and the zoom setting in combination; a perspective correction device for determining at least one geometric transform to correct the plural image segments for perspective distortion; and an image compositor for compositing a perspective corrected image of said object scene from the plural image segments with varied focus and magnification to which said at least one geometric transform has been applied; wherein the image capture device is positioned at an oblique angle to the object scene when capturing the plural image segments; and wherein the image capture device compensates for the perspective distortion by increasing, at a level that varies depending on the oblique angle to the object scene, the zoom setting as the focus distance is increased.