IMAGE COMBINING DEVICE AND IMAGING APPARATUS
First Claim
1. An image combining device comprising:
- a motion vector calculating portion calculating a motion vector between different divided exposure images of a plurality of divided exposure images obtained as a result of continuous shooting,wherein the image combining device positions the divided exposure images based on the motion vector thus calculated, and combines the divided exposure images together one on top of another so as to form one composite image,wherein the image combining device further comprises;
a mixture proportion calculating portion calculating, based on information commensurate with a motion of an image between the different divided exposure images, a mixture proportion of each divided exposure image to the composite image,wherein the image combining device combines the divided exposure images together one on top of another in mixture proportions thus calculated so as to form the composite image.
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Accused Products
Abstract
A plurality of divided exposure images (first to fourth images) are obtained by dividing a normal exposure time. By an image matching method, a motion detection circuit calculates a plurality of cumulative total correlation values between different divided exposure images, and searches the plurality of cumulative total correlation values for the smallest cumulative total correlation value, thereby calculating a motion vector between the different divided exposure images. In addition, based on the level of the smallest cumulative total correlation value, the level of reliability B[i] indicating the accuracy of the motion vector is calculated. An image combining circuit uses the level of reliability B[i] as a mixture proportion. The image combining circuit positions the divided exposure images based on the motion vector, and combines the divided exposure images together one on top of another in mixture proportions (B[i]), so as to form one still image that suffers less from camera shake.
33 Citations
12 Claims
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1. An image combining device comprising:
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a motion vector calculating portion calculating a motion vector between different divided exposure images of a plurality of divided exposure images obtained as a result of continuous shooting, wherein the image combining device positions the divided exposure images based on the motion vector thus calculated, and combines the divided exposure images together one on top of another so as to form one composite image, wherein the image combining device further comprises; a mixture proportion calculating portion calculating, based on information commensurate with a motion of an image between the different divided exposure images, a mixture proportion of each divided exposure image to the composite image, wherein the image combining device combines the divided exposure images together one on top of another in mixture proportions thus calculated so as to form the composite image. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 9)
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5. An image combining device comprising:
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a motion vector calculating portion calculating a motion vector between different divided exposure images of a plurality of divided exposure images obtained as a result of continuous shooting, wherein the image combining device sets one of the plurality of divided exposure images as a reference image, positions the divided exposure images based on the motion vector with respect to the reference image, and combines the divided exposure images together one on top of another so as to form one composite image, wherein the image combining device further comprises a reference image setting portion operable to change the reference image, wherein the reference image setting portion sets the reference image based on information commensurate with a motion of an image between the different divided exposure images. - View Dependent Claims (6, 7, 8, 10)
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11. An image combining method comprising the steps of:
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calculating a motion vector between different divided exposure images of a plurality of divided exposure images obtained as a result of continuous shooting; and positioning the divided exposure images based on the motion vector thus calculated, and combining the divided exposure images together one on top of another so as to form one composite image, wherein, based on information commensurate with a motion of an image between the different divided exposure images, a mixture proportion of each divided exposure image to the composite image is calculated, wherein the divided exposure images are combined together one on top of another in mixture proportions thus calculated so as to form the composite image.
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12. An image combining method comprising the steps of:
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calculating a motion vector between different divided exposure images of a plurality of divided exposure images obtained as a result of continuous shooting; setting one of the plurality of divided exposure images as a reference image; and positioning the divided exposure images based on the motion vector thus calculated with respect to the reference image, and combining the divided exposure images together one on top of another so as to form one composite image, wherein the reference image can be changed based on information commensurate with a motion of an image between the different divided exposure images.
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Specification