IMAGE PICKUP APPARATUS, IMAGE PICKUP METHOD, AND STORAGE MEDIUM STORING PROGRAM

• US 20120044379A1
• Filed: 08/15/2011
• Published: 02/23/2012
• Est. Priority Date: 08/18/2010
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Casio Computer Company Limited
• Original Assignee: Casio Computer Company Limited
• Inventors: MANABE, Yoshitsugu
• Granted Patent: US 8,493,502 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 348/222.1
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 23/74 by influencing the scene brightness using illuminating means
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 23/743 Bracketing, i.e. taking a series of images with varying exposure conditions
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 5/272 Means for inserting a foreground image in a background image, i.e. inlay, outlay

Abstract

An image pickup apparatus includes an image pickup unit, a light emission unit, an image acquisition unit configured to drive the image pickup unit and the light emission unit to acquire an image while the light emission unit is emitting light and acquire images while the light emission unit is emitting no light at substantially the same view angle, a difference acquisition unit configured to acquire a luminance difference between the image acquired while the light emission unit is emitting light and one of the images acquired while the light emission unit is emitting no light, and an image composing unit configured to compose a composite image from the images acquired while the light emission unit is emitting no light and the image acquired while the light emission unit is emitting light, using the luminance difference acquired by the difference acquisition unit as transmission intensity data.

Claims

1. An image pickup apparatus comprising:

an image pickup unit;

a light emission unit;

an image acquisition unit configured to drive the image pickup unit and the light emission unit to acquire an image while the light emission unit is emitting light and acquire images while the light emission unit is emitting no light at substantially the same view angle;

a difference acquisition unit configured to acquire a luminance difference between the image acquired while the light emission unit is emitting light and one of the images acquired while the light emission unit is emitting no light; and

an image composing unit configured to compose a composite image from the images acquired while the light emission unit is emitting no light and the image acquired while the light emission unit is emitting light, using the luminance difference acquired by the difference acquisition unit as transmission intensity data.

2. The image pickup apparatus according to claim 1, wherein:

the images the image acquisition unit acquires while the light emission unit is emitting no light include images acquired continuously and a reference image the difference acquisition unit uses to acquire the luminance difference,

the difference acquisition unit acquires the luminance difference between the image acquired while the light emission unit is emitting light and the reference image, and

the image composing unit compose the composite image from the images acquired continuously and the image acquired while the light emission unit is emitting light.

3. The image pickup apparatus according to claim 1, further comprising an emphasizing unit configured to emphasize the luminance difference acquired by the difference acquisition unit to increase contrast of the images,

wherein the image composing unit composes the composite image from the images acquired while the light emission unit is emitting no light and the image acquired while the light emission unit is emitting light, using the luminance difference between the images having the contrast increased as transmission intensity data.

4. The image pickup apparatus according to claim 1, further comprising a smoothing unit configured to smooth a luminance difference acquired by the difference acquisition unit,

wherein the image composing unit composes the composite image from the images acquired while the light emission unit is emitting no light and the image acquired while the light emission unit is emitting light, using the luminance difference smoothed by the smoothing unit as transmission intensity data.

5. A image pickup method comprising:

driving an image pickup unit and a light emission unit to acquire an image while the light emission unit is emitting light and acquire images while the light emission unit is emitting no light at substantially the same view angle;

acquiring a luminance difference between the image acquired while the light emission unit is emitting light and one of the images acquired while the light emission unit is emitting no light; and

composing a composite image from the images acquired while the light emission unit is emitting no light and the image acquired while the light emission unit is emitting light, using the luminance difference acquired by the difference acquisition unit as transmission intensity data.

6. A non-transitory computer-readable storage medium having program code stored thereon for controlling a computer as an image pickup apparatus that includes an image pickup unit and a light emission unit, the program code comprising:

driving the image pickup unit and the light emission unit to acquire an image while the light emission unit is emitting light and acquire images while the light emission unit is emitting no light at substantially the same view angle;

acquiring a luminance difference between the image acquired while the light emission unit is emitting light and one of the images acquired while the light emission unit is emitting no light; and

composing a composite image from the images acquired while the light emission unit is emitting no light and the image acquired while the light emission unit is emitting light, using the luminance difference acquired by the difference acquisition unit as transmission intensity data.