Image generating apparatus

• US 10,136,080 B2
• Filed: 11/06/2017
• Issued: 11/20/2018
• Est. Priority Date: 11/07/2016
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: DENSO Corporation
• Original Assignee: DENSO Corporation
• Inventors: Nishikawa, Masato, Akiba, Kazuyoshi
• Primary Examiner(s): Fosselman, Joel W
• Application Number:
  US15/804,782
• Publication Number:
  US 20180131884A1
• Time in Patent Office: 379 Days
• Field of Search: 348239
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 2300/303 using joined images, e.g. multiple camera images
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 23/73 by influencing the exposure time
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 23/741 by increasing the dynamic range of the image compared to the dynamic range of the electronic image sensors
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 23/80 Camera processing pipelines; Components thereof
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 25/589 with different integration times, e.g. short and long exposures

Abstract

In an image generating apparatus, an image combining unit combines, for each of first and second processes in sequence, first and second images to generate a composite image having a digital pixel value representing a luminance level of the corresponding pixel by a first bit width. A range setter sets, for each of the first and second processes, a target luminance-level distribution range of at least one target with respect to the composite image; the distribution range represents a range within which luminance levels of the at least one target are distributed. A dynamic range adjuster adjusts a dynamic range of the composite image generated for one of the first and second processes such that the dynamic range of the composite image generated for the corresponding one of the first and second processes matches with the target luminance-level distribution range set for the first process.

Claims

1. An image generating apparatus comprising:

a controller configured to cause, based on control parameters for a camera, the camera to capture a first image based on a first shutter time and a second image based on a second shutter time for each of first and second processes in sequence, the first and second images each including at least one target to be imaged, the first shutter time being longer than the second shutter time, the control parameters including the first shutter time and the second shutter time;

an image combining unit configured to combine, for each of the first and second processes, the first image and the second image to thereby generate a composite image having a digital pixel value of each pixel thereof, the digital pixel value of each pixel representing a luminance level of the corresponding pixel by a first bit width;

a range setter configured to set, for each of the first and second processes, a target luminance-level distribution range of the at least one target with respect to the composite image, the target luminance-level distribution range representing a range within which luminance levels of the at least one target are distributed;

a compression characteristic generator configured to generate, for each of the first and second processes, a compression characteristic for compressing the digital pixel value of each pixel of the composite image by a second bit width, the second bit width being smaller than the first bit width;

a compression unit configured to compress, in accordance with the compression characteristic, the composite image for each of the first and second processes to thereby generate a compressed composite image; and

a dynamic range adjuster configured to adjust a dynamic range of the composite image generated for one of the first and second processes such that the dynamic range of the composite image generated for the corresponding one of the first and second processes matches with the target luminance-level distribution range set by the range setter for the first process.

2. The image generating apparatus according to claim 1, wherein:

the dynamic range adjuster is configured to determine, for the second process, a value of at least one of the control parameters such that the dynamic range of the composite image generated for the second process matches with the target luminance-level distribution range set by the range setter for the first process.

3. The image generating apparatus according to claim 1, wherein:

the control parameters for the current image generating process for the first process are determined such that the dynamic range of the composite image for the first process matches with a maximum dynamic range previously determined by design specifications of the camera; and

the dynamic range adjuster is configured to extract, from the composite image generated by the image combining unit for the first process, a corrected composite image whose dynamic range matches with the target luminance-level distribution range set by the range setter for the first process,

the compression unit being configured to compress, in accordance with the compression characteristic, the corrected composite image for the first process as the composite image.

4. The image generating apparatus according to claim 1, wherein:

the control parameters for the current image generating process for the first process are determined such that the dynamic range of the composite image for the first process matches with a maximum dynamic range previously determined by design specifications of the camera; and

the dynamic range adjuster is installed in the camera and is configured to clip, from the composite image generated by the image combining unit for the first process, a corrected composite image whose dynamic range matches with the target luminance-level distribution range set by the range setter for the first process.

5. The image generating apparatus according to claim 1, wherein:

the range determiner is configured to set the target luminance-level distribution range such that the number of first pixels of luminance levels of the composite image is smaller than a predetermined high-contrast threshold, the luminance levels of the first pixels being higher than a predetermined upper limit.

6. The image generating apparatus according to claim 1, wherein:

the range determiner is configured to set the target luminance-level distribution range such that the number of second pixels of luminance levels of the composite image is smaller than a predetermined low-contrast threshold, the luminance levels of the second pixels being lower than a predetermined lower limit.

7. The image generating apparatus according to claim 1, wherein:

the range determiner is configured to eliminate at least one luminance level from the luminance levels of the composite image to thereby set the target luminance-level distribution range based on the remaining luminance levels of the composite image if the at least one luminance level is higher than a predetermined upper limit threshold.