IMAGING APPARATUS AND IMAGING METHOD

• US 20080252741A1
• Filed: 04/08/2008
• Published: 10/16/2008
• Est. Priority Date: 04/10/2007
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Sony Corporation (Sony Group Corp.)
• Original Assignee: Sony Corporation (Sony Group Corp.)
• Inventors: KAMEYAMA, Takashi
• Granted Patent: US 8,325,246 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 348/222.1
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 23/72 Combination of two or more compensation controls
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 23/951 by using two or more images to influence resolution, frame rate or aspect ratio

Abstract

An imaging method is provided. The method includes the steps of: amplifying an imaging signal obtained from an image sensor for converting imaging light into an imaging signal; carrying out nonlinear processing on the amplified signal; adding a predetermined plurality of frames of the imaging signal subjected to the nonlinear processing per frame; and carrying out the variable setting of amplification gain of each frame on the basis of a signal accumulation period of each frame in the plurality of frames subjected to the addition.

Claims

1. An imaging apparatus comprising:

an image sensor for converting imaging light obtained through an optical system into an imaging signal;

an imaging signal processing unit for amplifying the imaging signal obtained from the image sensor;

a frame addition unit for adding a predetermined plurality of frames of the imaging signal processed by the imaging signal processing unit per frame; and

a control unit for a variable setting of amplification gain of each frame in the imaging signal processing unit on the basis of a signal accumulation period of each frame in the plurality of frames to be added in the frame addition unit by control of the signal accumulation period in the image sensor.

2. The imaging apparatus according to claim 1, wherein

the variable setting of amplification gain of each frame in the imaging signal processing unit on the basis of a signal accumulation period of each frame in the plurality of frames to be added in the frame addition unit is a setting resulting in a reverse relation between the signal accumulation period and the amplification gain in a predetermined range in which the signal accumulation period is not zero (0).

3. The imaging apparatus according to claim 1, wherein

the signal accumulation period is defined by electronic shuttering.

4. The imaging apparatus according to claim 1, wherein

gamma correction processing is carried out on the signal being amplified in the imaging signal processing unit.

5. The imaging apparatus according to claim 4, wherein

gamma correction characteristic in the imaging signal processing unit is changed depending on the number of frames added in the frame addition unit.

6. The imaging apparatus according to claim 1, wherein

knee correction processing is carried out on the signal being amplified in the imaging signal processing unit.

7. An imaging method comprising the steps of:

amplifying an imaging signal obtained from an image sensor for converting imaging light into an imaging signal;

carrying out nonlinear processing on the amplified signal;

adding a predetermined plurality of frames of the imaging signal subjected to the nonlinear processing per frame; and

carrying out the variable setting of amplification gain of each frame on the basis of a signal accumulation period of each frame in the plurality of frames subjected to the addition.