METHOD OF CONTROLLING AN IMAGE CAPTURING SYSTEM, IMAGE CAPTURING SYSTEM AND DIGITAL CAMERA

• US 20110228139A1
• Filed: 03/21/2011
• Published: 09/22/2011
• Est. Priority Date: 05/10/2005
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Silvercrest Investment Holdings Limited
• Original Assignee: Silvercrest Investment Holdings Limited
• Inventors: Wajs, Andrew Augustine
• Granted Patent: US 8,619,156 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 348/239
• 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
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 25/42 by switching between different modes of operation using different resolutions or aspect ratios, e.g. switching between interlaced and non-interlaced mode
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 25/443 by reading pixels from selected 2D regions of the array, e.g. for windowing or digital zooming
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 25/46 by combining or binning pixels
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 3/1562 for selective scanning, e.g. windowing, zooming

Abstract

A method of controlling an image capturing system comprising an interface for receiving an external trigger to capture an image, and an image capturing device provided with a photosensitive area and an array of pixel cells, each pixel cell including a device for generating a signal indicative of the intensity of light falling on an associated part of the photosensitive area, which image capturing device is further provided with readout circuitry for generating an array of pixel values to capture an image frame at a set spatial resolution, such that each pixel value represents an integral of the signal or signals generated in at least one of the pixel cells in an associated one of a number of areas over an exposure time interval, the number of areas being determined by the set spatial resolution, the areas together covering a region of the photosensitive area corresponding to a region in the image, comprises receiving an external trigger to capture an image, and, in response to the external trigger, directing the image capturing device to capture at least two image frames by generating respective arrays of pixel values representing integrals over respective consecutive exposure time intervals. The spatial resolutions of at least two of the captured image frames are set to different values.

Claims

1. A method of controlling an image capturing system to capture underexposed image frames used to provide a final combined image comprising an interface comprising a microprocessor 13, an output device 16 and an input device 17 for receiving an external trigger to capture an image, and an image capturing device provided with a photosensitive area and an array of pixel cells, each pixel cell including a device for generating a signal indicative of the intensity of light falling on an associated part of the photosensitive area, which image capturing device is further provided with readout circuitry consisting of a selection circuit and a readout circuit for generating an array of pixel values to capture an underexposed image frame at a set spatial resolution, such that each pixel value represents an integral of the signal or signals generated in at least one of the pixel cells in an associated one of a number of cluster areas over an exposure time interval, the number of cluster areas being determined by the set spatial resolution, the cluster areas together covering a region of the photosensitive area corresponding to a region in the image, which method comprises receiving an external trigger to capture an image, and, in response to the external trigger, directing the image capturing device to capture at least two underexposed image frames wherein the at least two underexposed image frames are captured by generating respective arrays of pixel values representing integrals over respective consecutive exposure time intervals, each exposure time interval being less than a desired exposure time of a final combined image, wherein the spatial resolutions of at least two of the captured image frames are set to different values.

2. The method according to claim 1, wherein one of the spatial resolutions of one of the at least two captured image frames is lower than the spatial resolution of the at least one other captured image frame.

3. The method according to claim 1, wherein at least the lower of the spatial resolution values is set by directing the image capturing device to generate an array of pixel values in such a manner that each pixel value is representative of the integral of the sum of the signals generated by at least two devices in pixel cells.

4. The method according to claim 1, including retrieving a desired exposure time for a combined final image, determining the number of image frames to be captured, for each image frame, calculating settings determining an exposure level applicable to the image frame, the settings including the length of the exposure time interval, wherein the settings are calculated so that the sum of the lengths of the exposure time intervals over the number of image frames is equal to or less than the desired exposure time.

5. The method according to claim 2, wherein at least the length of the exposure time interval applicable to the image frame at the lower of the spatial resolution values is calculated in dependence of the spatial resolution value.

6. The method according to claim 1, including the step of generating a set of arrays of pixel values, each array based on one of the captured image frames, in such a manner that each array encodes at least a region of an adjusted frame at the same spatial resolution.

8. A computer program configured, when loaded into a programmable processing device to enable the programmable processing device to carry out a method according to claim 1.

7. An image capturing system configured to capture underexposed image frames used to provide a final combined image comprising an interface comprising a microprocessor 13, an output device 16 and an input device 17 for receiving an external trigger to capture an underexposed image frame, an image capturing device provided with a photosensitive area and an array of pixel cells, each pixel cell including a device for generating a signal indicative of the intensity of light falling on an associated part of the photosensitive area, which image capturing device is further provided with readout circuitry comprising a selection circuit and a readout circuit for generating an array of pixel values to capture an underexposed image frame at a set spatial resolution, such that each pixel value represents an integral of the signal or signals generated in at least one of the pixel cells in an associated one of a number of cluster areas over an exposure time interval, the number of cluster areas being determined by the set spatial resolution, the cluster areas together covering a region of the photosensitive area corresponding to a region in the image, which image capturing system comprises a control system comprising a digital signal processor (DSP) and a microprocessor for controlling the operation of the image capturing device and for processing commands received through the interface, wherein the control system is configured to, in response to the external trigger, direct the image capturing device to capture at least two underexposed image frames wherein the at least two image frames are captured by generating respective arrays of pixel values representing integrals over respective consecutive exposure time intervals, each exposure time interval being less than a desired exposure time of a final combined image, wherein the control system is further configured to set the spatial resolutions of at least two of the captured image frames to different values.

9. A digital camera comprising an image capturing system and/or an image processing system according to claim 7.