IMAGE CAPTURE DEVICE, IMAGE CAPTURE DEVICE CONTROL METHOD, AND PROGRAM
First Claim
1. An image capture device, comprising:
- an image capture portion;
an exposure control portion that performs control of exposure times for the image capture portion such that the exposure times are different for different pixel regions; and
an output image generation portion that generates an output image by performing signal processing on a current image that the image capture portion has output,wherein the exposure control portion includesa moving subject detection portion that generates a moving subject detection map that includes moving subject region identification information for the current image that the image capture portion has output, andan appropriate exposure value computation portion that generates an exposure control map and outputs exposure control signals that are based on the generated exposure control map, the exposure control map being generated by referring to the moving subject detection map and having an exposure pattern that cyclically applies a plurality of different exposure times to a moving subject region, and the exposure control signals being output to the image capture portion, with one signal being output for each of the pixel regions,andthe output image generation portion computes output image pixel values by combining a plurality of pixel value information items for a plurality of pixels for which the plurality of the different exposure times have been set that are derived from the moving subject region.
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Accused Products
Abstract
A moving subject detection map is generated by performing moving subject region determination based on input image information from an image capture portion, and is used to set an exposure pattern for a moving subject detected pixel region. The exposure pattern is cyclically arranged with multiple different exposure times. The exposure time for a stationary subject region is set according to the brightness of the subject. Regarding an image captured based on the exposure time control, an output image is generated by computing pixel values for a moving subject region, using pixel value combination processing that utilizes the pixel values of pixels with a plurality of different exposure times being set, and by computing pixel values for the stationary subject region by multiplying a gain according to the exposure time. This achieves the acquisition of a dynamic range image while keeping deterioration of the resolution to a minimum.
31 Citations
9 Claims
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1. An image capture device, comprising:
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an image capture portion; an exposure control portion that performs control of exposure times for the image capture portion such that the exposure times are different for different pixel regions; and an output image generation portion that generates an output image by performing signal processing on a current image that the image capture portion has output, wherein the exposure control portion includes a moving subject detection portion that generates a moving subject detection map that includes moving subject region identification information for the current image that the image capture portion has output, and an appropriate exposure value computation portion that generates an exposure control map and outputs exposure control signals that are based on the generated exposure control map, the exposure control map being generated by referring to the moving subject detection map and having an exposure pattern that cyclically applies a plurality of different exposure times to a moving subject region, and the exposure control signals being output to the image capture portion, with one signal being output for each of the pixel regions, and the output image generation portion computes output image pixel values by combining a plurality of pixel value information items for a plurality of pixels for which the plurality of the different exposure times have been set that are derived from the moving subject region. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7)
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8. An image capture device control method that is implemented in an image capture device, comprising the steps of:
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performing image capture by an image capture portion; performing control by an exposure control portion of exposure times for the image capture portion such that the exposure times are different for different pixel regions; and generating an output image by an output image generation portion by performing signal processing on a current image that the image capture portion has output, wherein the performing of the control of the exposure times includes the steps of generating a moving subject detection map that includes moving subject region identification information for the current image that the image capture portion has output, and generating an exposure control map and outputting exposure control signals that are based on the generated exposure control map, the exposure control map being generated by referring to the moving subject detection map and having an exposure pattern that cyclically applies a plurality of different exposure times to a moving subject region, and the exposure control signals being output to the image capture portion, with one signal being output for each of the pixel regions, and the generating of the output image includes the step of computing output image pixel values by combining a plurality of pixel value information items for a plurality of pixels for which the plurality of the different exposure times have been set that are derived from the moving subject region.
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9. A program that causes image capture device control processing to be performed in an image capture device, the program comprising the steps of:
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causing an image capture portion to perform image capture; causing an exposure control portion to perform control of exposure times for the image capture portion such that the exposure times are different for different pixel regions; and causing an output image generation portion to generate an output image by performing signal processing on a current image that the image capture portion has output, wherein the performing of the control of the exposure times includes the steps of generating a moving subject detection map that includes moving subject region identification information for the current image that the image capture portion has output, and generating an exposure control map and outputting exposure control signals that are based on the generated exposure control map, the exposure control map being generated by referring to the moving subject detection map and having an exposure pattern that cyclically applies a plurality of different exposure times to a moving subject region, and the exposure control signals being output to the image capture portion, with one signal being output for each of the pixel regions, and the generating of the output image includes the step of computing output image pixel values by combining a plurality of pixel value information items for a plurality of pixels for which the plurality of the different exposure times have been set that are derived from the moving subject region.
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Specification