APPARATUS AND METHOD TO GENERATE IMAGE

• US 20070292048A1
• Filed: 06/13/2007
• Published: 12/20/2007
• Est. Priority Date: 06/16/2006
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Samsung Electronics Co. Ltd.
• Original Assignee: Samsung Electronics Co. Ltd.
• Inventors: CHOE, Won-hee, LEE, Seong-deok
• Granted Patent: US 8,116,588 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 382/286
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 23/68 for stable pick-up of the scene, e.g. compensating for camera body vibrations
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 23/683 performed by a processor, e.g. controlling the readout of an image memory
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 23/6845 by combination of a plurality of images sequentially taken
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 23/70 Circuitry for compensating brightness variation in the scene
• 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 23/951 by using two or more images to influence resolution, frame rate or aspect ratio

Abstract

An apparatus and method to generate an image in which images having different exposure amounts are generated, and by synthesizing the generated images, a high-sensitivity (or quality) image can be generated. The apparatus to generate an image includes an exposure adjustment unit to adjust an exposure amount, an image generation unit to generate a plurality of images of different exposure amounts and different resolutions, and an image synthesis unit to synthesize the plurality of generated images.

Claims

1. An apparatus to generate an image, the apparatus comprising:

an exposure adjustment unit to adjust an exposure amount of a plurality of images;

an image generation unit to generate the plurality of images by adjusting an exposure amount and a resolution thereof; and

an image synthesis unit to synthesize the generated plurality of images.

2. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the image generation unit comprises:

a first image generation unit to generate a first image; and

a second image generation unit to generate a second image with a lower resolution than that of the first image.

3. The apparatus of claim 2, wherein the exposure amount of the second image is expressed as a function of the exposure amount of the first image.

4. The apparatus of claim 2, wherein the first image generation unit generates the first image with a resolution corresponding to a total number of pixels of the first image.

5. The apparatus of claim 4, wherein the second image generation unit generates the second image corresponding to a combination of a plurality of pixels using identical color filters among the total number of pixels of the first image, and the resolution of the second image is determined according to the number of the plurality of pixels of the first image used in the second image.

6. The apparatus of claim 2, wherein the image synthesis unit increases the resolution of the second image to that of the first image, and synthesizes the second image having the increased resolution and the first image.

7. The apparatus of claim 2, wherein the image synthesis unit decreases the resolution of the first image to that of the second image, and synthesizes the first image having the decreased resolution and the second image.

8. The apparatus of claim 7, wherein the image synthesis unit increases the resolution of the synthesized image to an original resolution of the first image.

9. The apparatus of claim 2, wherein the image synthesis unit synthesizes an image from the first image having the plurality of pixels and the second image by referring to only the brightness and color information of a pixel belonging to the second image.

10. A method of generating an image, the method comprising:

generating a plurality of images by adjusting an exposure amount and a resolution of the plurality of images;

making the resolutions of the generated plurality of images identical; and

synthesizing the plurality of images having the identical resolutions.

11. The method of claim 10, wherein the generating of the plurality of images comprises:

generating a first image; and

generating a second image with a lower resolution than that of the first image.

12. The method of claim 11, wherein the exposure amount of the second image is expressed as a function of the exposure amount of the first image.

13. The method of claim 11, wherein the generating of the first image comprises generating the first image with a resolution corresponding to the total number of pixels of the first image.

14. The method of claim 13, wherein the generating of the second image comprises:

combining a plurality of pixels using identical color filters among the total number of pixels of the first image; and

generating the second image having a resolution that is determined according to the number of combined pixels using the identical color filters.

15. The method of claim 11, wherein the synthesizing of the images comprises:

increasing the resolution of the second image to that of the first image; and

synthesizing the second image having the increased resolution and the first image.

16. The method of claim 11, wherein the synthesizing of the images comprises:

decreasing the resolution of the first image to that of the second image; and

synthesizing the first image having the decreased resolution and the second image.

17. The method of claim 16, wherein the synthesizing of the images comprises increasing the resolution of the synthesized image to an original resolution of the first image.

18. The method of claim 11, wherein the synthesizing of the image comprises synthesizing an image from the first image having the plurality of pixels and the second image by referring to only the brightness and color information of a pixel belonging to the second image.

19. An apparatus to generate an image, the apparatus comprising:

an image generation unit to generate a first image having a first exposure amount and a first resolution, the first resolution corresponding to a plurality of pixels of the first image, and a second image having a second exposure amount and a second resolution, the second resolution corresponding to a plurality of pixels of the second image; and

a combiner to combine the generated first and second images, wherein each of the plurality of pixels of the second image corresponds two or more of the plurality of pixels of the first image.

20. The apparatus of claim 19, wherein each pixel of the second image corresponds to four pixels of the first image.

21. The apparatus of claim 19, wherein the combiner combines the first and second images by first equalizing the first and second resolutions of the respective first and second images.

22. The apparatus of claim 19, wherein an exposure time corresponding to the second image is reduced in proportion to the number of the plurality of pixels of the first image that corresponds to each of the plurality of pixels of the second image.

23. The apparatus of claim 19, wherein the first resolution is higher than the second resolution and the first exposure amount is smaller than the second exposure amount.

24. The apparatus of claim 19, wherein the combiner combines the first and second images by first reducing the first resolution of the first image to that of the second resolution of the second image.

25. The apparatus of claim 24, wherein the combiner enlarges a resolution of the combined image to that of an original first resolution of the first image.

26. A method of generating an image, comprising:

generating a first image having a first exposure amount and a first resolution, the first resolution corresponding to a plurality of pixels of the first image, and a second image having a second exposure amount and a second resolution, the second resolution corresponding to a plurality of pixels of the second image; and

combining the generated first and second images, wherein each of the plurality of pixels of the second image corresponds two or more of the plurality of pixels of the first image.

27. The method of claim 26, wherein each pixel of the second image corresponds to four pixels of the first image.

28. The method of claim 26, wherein combining of the first and second images includes first equalizing the first and second resolutions of the respective first and second images.

29. The apparatus of claim 26, further comprising reducing an exposure time corresponding to the second image in proportion to the number of the plurality of pixels of the first image that corresponds to each of the plurality of pixels of the second image.

30. The apparatus of claim 26, wherein the first resolution is higher than the second resolution and the first exposure amount is smaller than the second exposure amount.

31. The apparatus of claim 26, wherein combining of the first and second images includes first reducing the first resolution of the first image to that of the second resolution of the second image.

32. The apparatus of claim 31, further comprising enlarging a resolution of the combined image to that of an original first resolution of the first image.