Image processing apparatus and method

• US 20040160525A1
• Filed: 05/28/2003
• Published: 08/19/2004
• Est. Priority Date: 02/14/2003
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Minolta Co., Ltd. (Konica Minolta Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Minolta Co., Ltd. (Konica Minolta Inc.)
• Inventors: Nakamura, Kenji, Kingetsu, Yasuhiro
• Granted Patent: US 7,239,342 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 348/364
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 23/68 for stable pick-up of the scene, e.g. compensating for camera body vibrations
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 23/6812 based on additional sensors, e.g. acceleration sensors
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 23/683 performed by a processor, e.g. controlling the readout of an image memory
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 23/684 performed by controlling the image sensor readout, e.g. by controlling the integration time
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 23/6845 by combination of a plurality of images sequentially taken

Abstract

An object of the present invention is to generate an image which is prevented from being influenced by a movement while suppressing increase in noise components. When a movement is detected during exposure of an image capturing device to light, an image capturing apparatus stops the exposure of the image capturing device and amplifies an image signal obtained with the exposure, thereby compensating exposure shortage. Luminance information is extracted from a captured image, and color information is extracted from a live view image obtained at a timing different from a timing at which the captured image is obtained. By synthesizing the luminance information of the captured image and the color information of the live view image, noise components included in color information are reduced.

Claims

1. An image capturing apparatus comprising:

an image sensor for converting a subject image into an image signal;

a movement detector for detecting a movement of said image capturing apparatus relative to the subject;

an exposure controller for interrupting exposure of said image sensor when a movement is detected by said movement detector during exposure of said image sensor to light;

a first image generator for generating first image data by amplifying an image signal read out from said image sensor of which exposure is interrupted by said exposure controller; and

a second image generator for extracting luminance information from said first image data, extracting color information from second image data obtained from said image sensor at a timing different from the timing at which said first image is obtained, and generating image data obtained by synthesizing said luminance information and said color information.

2. The image capturing apparatus according to claim 1, further comprising:

an instructing member for instructing start of exposure by said image sensor; and

a memory for storing said second image data before an instruction from said instructing member, wherein

said second image generator extracts said color information from said second image data stored in said memory.

3. The image capturing apparatus according to claim 2, wherein

said second image data obtained from said image sensor just before the instruction from said instructing member is stored in said memory.

4. The image capturing apparatus according to claim 2, wherein

said movement detector detects an amount of the movement of said image capturing apparatus relative to the subject, and

said second image data is deleted from said memory when the amount of the movement detected by said movement detector becomes equal to or larger than a predetermined amount.

5. The image capturing apparatus according to claim 2, wherein

said second image data of a plurality of frames is stored in said memory, and

said second image generator extracts said color information on the basis of said second image data of the plurality of frames stored in said memory.

6. The image capturing apparatus according to claim 2, wherein

said movement detector detects an amount of the movement of said image capturing apparatus relative to the subject, and

said exposure controller starts exposing said image sensor to light after an instruction of starting exposure by said instructing member is given and the amount of the movement detected by said movement detector becomes equal to or smaller than a predetermined amount.

7. The image capturing apparatus according to claim 1, wherein

said movement detector detects an amount of the movement of said image capturing apparatus relative to the subject, and

when the amount of the movement detected by said movement detector becomes equal to or larger than a predetermined amount, said exposure controller interrupts the exposure of said image sensor to light.

8. The image capturing apparatus according to claim 1, wherein

said second image generator adjusts a synthesis position where said luminance information and said color information is synthesized on the basis of an output of said movement detector.

9. An image capturing apparatus comprising:

an image sensor for converting a subject image to an image signal;

a movement detector for detecting a movement of said image capturing apparatus relative to the subject;

a corrector for correcting said movement on the basis of an output of said movement detector;

a first selector for selecting whether a movement correction by said corrector is performed or not;

a second selector for selecting gain of said image signal; and

a controller for controlling another selection on the basis of one of the selections of said first and second selectors.

10. The image capturing apparatus according to claim 9, wherein

when a movement is detected by said movement detector during exposure of said image sensor to light, said corrector interrupts exposure of said image sensor and amplifies an image signal read from said image sensor of which exposure is interrupted, thereby correcting the movement.

11. The image capturing apparatus according to claim 9, wherein

when the maximum gain is selected by said second selector, said controller disables selection of execution of the movement correction by said first selector.

12. The image capturing apparatus according to claim 9, wherein

when the maximum gain is selected by said second selector and execution of the movement correction is selected by said first selector, said controller cancels selection of execution of the movement correction.

13. The image capturing apparatus according to claim 9, wherein

when execution of the movement correction is selected by said first selector, said controller disables selection of the maximum gain by said second selector.

14. The image capturing apparatus according to claim 9, wherein

when execution of the movement correction is selected by said first selector and the maximum gain is selected by said second selector, said controller cancels selection of the maximum gain.

15. An image processing apparatus comprising:

an input part for receiving first image data obtained in exposure time shorter than a proper value and second image data obtained at a timing different from a timing at which said first image data is obtained;

an extractor for extracting luminance information and color information from said first image data and extracting color information from said second image data; and

an image generator for generating a synthetic image obtained by synthesizing the luminance information and color information from said first image data and the color information of said second image data.

16. The image processing apparatus according to claim 15, wherein

said image generator uses luminance information obtained from said first image data as luminance information of said synthetic image and synthesizes the color information obtained from said first image data and the color information obtained from said second image data, thereby obtaining color information of said synthetic image.

17. The image processing apparatus according to claim 15, wherein

said input part is an image sensor for converting a subject image to an image signal,

said image processing apparatus further comprises:

a calculator for calculating proper exposure time of said image sensor;

a movement detector for detecting a movement of said image sensor relative to a subject; and

an exposure controller for interrupting exposure of said image sensor to light when a movement is detected by said movement detector during exposure of said image sensor to light, and

said first image data is generated by amplifying an image signal read from said image sensor of which exposure is interrupted by said exposure controller.

18. The image processing apparatus according to claim 15, wherein

said image generator further divides each of said first and second image data into a plurality of areas and performs a synthesizing process on each of the divided areas.

19. The image processing apparatus according to claim 18, wherein

when color information obtained from said first image data and color information obtained from said second image data are synthesized, said image generator divides each of said first and second image data into a plurality of areas.

20. The image processing apparatus according to claim 15, further comprising

a detector for detecting the degree of correlation between said first and second image data, wherein

said image generator generates said synthetic image on the basis of the degree of correlation detected by said detector.

21. The image processing apparatus according to claim 20, wherein

when the degree of correlation detected by said detector is higher than predetermined level, said image generator employs color information obtained from said second image data as color information of said synthetic image.

22. The image processing apparatus according to claim 20, wherein

when the degree of correlation detected by said detector is lower than predetermined level, said image generator employs color information obtained from said first image data as color information of said synthetic image.

23. The image processing apparatus according to claim 15, wherein

said image generator employs color information obtained from said first image data as color information of a peripheral portion of said synthetic image and employs color information obtained from said second image data as color information of a center portion of said synthetic image.

24. An image processing method comprising the steps of:

receiving first image data obtained in exposure time shorter than a proper value and second image data obtained at a timing different from a timing at which said first image data is obtained;

extracting luminance information and color information from said first image data and extracting color information from said second image data; and

generating a synthetic image by synthesizing the luminance information and color information of said first image data and the color information of said second image data.