Patent ID: 7969475

Claim:
A system for capturing and processing multiple images of each of multiple frames of an image source, the system comprising: a camera, having an adjustable exposure setting and an adjustable focus setting, configured to capture a plurality of images of each frame; a control structure, coupled to the camera, that moves the camera within a three-dimensional space above the multi-frame image source to move the camera from one frame to another frame to capture different segments of the image source; an image compression mechanism configured to receive the images captured by the camera and to compress the images into compressed images; a memory configured to store the compressed images; and a processor, coupled to the memory, that identifies a preferred exposure setting and a preferred focus setting for each frame, independently of the other frames, by examining a first set of compressed images of that frame captured at a first focus setting, calculating a first average file size of the first set of compressed images, examining a second set of compressed images of that frame captured at a second focus setting, calculating a second average file size of the second set of compressed images, and comparing the first average file size to the second average file size to identify the preferred focus setting based on which focus setting generated the larger average compressed image file, the processor being further configured to combine the multiple frames, each captured at its independently determined preferred exposure and focus settings, together to form a single image.