Photographing apparatus

• US 20070153086A1
• Filed: 12/12/2006
• Published: 07/05/2007
• Est. Priority Date: 12/16/2005
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Maxell, Ltd.
• Original Assignee: Hitachi, Ltd.
• Inventors: Usui, Tsutomu, Sai, Hirotomo
• Granted Patent: US 7,590,348 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 348/153
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 23/70 Circuitry for compensating brightness variation in the scene
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 23/71 Circuitry for evaluating the brightness variation
• 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 23/90 Arrangement of cameras or camera modules, e.g. multiple cameras in TV studios or sports stadiums

Abstract

A photographing apparatuses, enabling to keep dynamic resolution, as well as, to obtain an image being wide in dynamic range, with using a plural number of cameras therein, and further enabling to photograph a further wider range, comprises: a plural number of photographing devices overlapping photographing regions thereof with each other; a brightness distribution detecting portion for detecting brightness levels of image signals, which are photographed by means of the plural number of photographing devices; an area determining portion for determining an area where the brightness level detected by the brightness distribution detecting portion is appropriate, among photographing regions overlapping with each other, in relation with the image signals photographed by the plural number of photographing devices; and a synthesizing portion for synthesizing the image signals photographed by the plural number of photographing devices, with using the image signal of the area, the brightness level of which is determined to be appropriate in the area determining portion, among the image signals photographed by the plural number of photographing devices, in relation with the photographing regions overlapping with each other.

Claims

1. A photographing apparatuses, comprising:

a plural number of photographing devices, a part of photographing region of at least one of which overlaps a portion of photographing region(s) of other photographing device(s) with each other;

a brightness distribution detecting portion, which is configured to detect brightness levels of image signals, which are photographed by means of the plural number of photographing devices;

an area determining portion, which is configured to determine an area where the brightness level detected by said brightness distribution detecting portion is appropriate, among photographing regions overlapping with each other, in relation with the image signals photographed by said plural number of photographing devices;

a synthesizing portion, which is configured to synthesize the image signals photographed by said plural number of photographing devices, with using the image signal of the area, the brightness level of which is determined to be appropriate in said area determining portion, among the image signals photographed by said plural number of photographing devices, in relation with the photographing regions overlapping with each other.

2. The photographing apparatuses, as described in the claim 1, wherein said area determining portion detects the brightness levels of the photographing regions overlapping with each other, by means of said brightness distribution detecting portion, among the images photographed by the respective photographing devices, and selects an image of the photographing device, which is high in an averaged brightness level thereof, among the image signals photographed by the respective photographing devices, within areas where the brightness level detected is lower than a predetermined reference level, while selecting an image of the photographing among the image signals photographed by the respective photographing devices, within areas where the brightness level detected is higher than said predetermined reference level.

3. The photographing apparatuses, as described in the claim 1, wherein said synthesizing portion synthesizes the image signals photographed by the respective photographing devices, for each of the areas selected by said area determining portion.

4. The photographing apparatuses, as described in the claim 1, wherein said photographing devices are controlled so that a difference in exposure is larger than a normal exposure control by an exposure control of each of the photographing devices, in case when the brightness levels differ on pictures, which are photographed respectively.

5. The photographing apparatuses, as described in the claim 4, wherein said photographing devices change directions thereof, respectively, so that the photographed regions overlapping with each other comes to be large, in case when conducting such control that the difference in the exposure comes to be large through the exposure control of the each of the photographing devices.

6. The photographing apparatuses, as described in the claim 1, wherein said photographing devices change directions thereof, respectively, so that the photographed regions overlapping with each other comes to be large, in case when there is a car running in opposite direction and/or a pedestrian within each of the photographing regions thereof.