Electronic still imaging apparatus and method having function for acquiring synthesis image having wide-dynamic range

• US 7,379,094 B2
• Filed: 04/15/2003
• Issued: 05/27/2008
• Est. Priority Date: 04/18/2002
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Olympus Corporation
• Original Assignee: Olympus Corporation
• Inventors: Higuchi, Masayu, Yoshida, Hideaki
• Primary Examiner(s): Hannett; James M.
• Application Number:
  US10/413,803
• Publication Number:
  US 20040095472A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,869 Days
• Field of Search: 348/208.99, 348/208.12, 348/218.1
• US Class Current: 348/208.99
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 23/70 Circuitry for compensating brightness variation in the scene
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 23/741 by increasing the dynamic range of the image compared to the dynamic range of the electronic image sensors

Abstract

A still imaging apparatus includes an imaging device, a storage device, and a positional displacement correcting device. The imaging device continuously executes imaging of a plurality of times with exposure amounts different from each other. The storage device stores a plurality of original images acquired by the imaging of the plurality of times executed by the imaging device. The positional displacement detecting device detects positional displacements of common objects included in the plurality of original images stored in the storage device and stores a plurality of corrected original images whose positional displacements are corrected based on detected positional displacements in the storage device through updating.

Claims

1. An electronic still imaging apparatus comprising:

an imaging element for acquiring an image of an object as image data;

monitor means for controlling the imaging element and outputting a dynamic image to monitor the image of the object;

detection means for detecting a shift vector from the output of the monitor means;

exposure control means for controlling the imaging element and acquiring a plurality of original images whose exposure amounts are different from each other;

a storage device which stores the plurality of original images acquired by the exposure control means;

a positional displacement correcting device which obtains positional displacements of the plurality of original images stored in the storage device, on the basis of the shift vector detected by the detection means, and stores a plurality of corrected original images whose positional displacements are corrected based on the obtained positional displacements in the storage device through updating, wherein the shift vector is detected from an image other than the plurality of original images; and

synthesis means for synthesizing an image whose dynamic range has been expanded from the plurality of corrected original images that are stored through updating.

2. The electronic still imaging apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the monitor mode is a movie output mode.

3. The electronic still imaging apparatus according to claim 2, wherein the movie output mode has no expanded dynamic range applied.

4. An electronic still imaging method comprising:

acquiring a dynamic image for monitoring an image of an object;

detecting a shift vector from the dynamic image;

detecting a luminance range in a picture to be imaged according to a result of preliminary imaging;

determining a number of times of an exposure which is executed by changing an exposure amount according to a detected luminance range;

storing a plurality of original images acquired by sequentially executing the exposure of a determined number of times, respectively;

detecting positional displacements of common objects included in the plurality of original images from the shift vector, and storing a plurality of corrected original images whose positional displacements are corrected based on detected positional displacements through updating; and

outputting an image signal whose dynamic range is expanded by synthesizing the plurality of corrected original images stored through updating, wherein the shift vector is detected from an image other than the plurality of original images.

5. An electronic still imaging method according to claim 4, wherein the luminance range is detected by analyzing a histogram.

6. An electronic still imaging method of outputting an image signal whose dynamic range is expanded by synthesizing partial image signals in respective image signals acquired by continuously executing imaging of a plurality of original images with exposure amounts different from each other, comprising:

acquiring a dynamic image for monitoring an image of an object, and detecting a shift vector from the dynamic image;

detecting a luminance range of the object and appropriately setting a number of. times of the imaging which is executed for the plurality of times according to a detected luminance range of the object; and

detecting the positional displacements of the object in imaging signals acquired by the imaging executed for the plurality of times from the shift vector and correcting and synthesizing the imaging signals of the plurality of times based on detected positional displacements, wherein the shift vector is detected from an image other than the plurality of original images.

7. An electronic still imaging apparatus comprising:

an imaging element for acquring animage of an object as image data;

monitor means for controlling the imaging element and outputting a dynamic image to monitor the image of the object;

detection means for detecting a shift vector from the output of the monitor means;

exposure control means for controlling the imaging element and acquiring a plurality of original images whose exposure amounts are different from each other;

storage means for storing a plurality of original images acquired by the exposure control means;

positional displacement correcting means for detecting positional displacements of common objects included in the plurality of original images stored in the storage means from the shift vector detected by the detection means and storing a plurality of corrected original images whose positional displacements are corrected based on detected positional displacements in the storage means through updating, wherein the shift vector is detected from an image other than the plurality of original images; and

synthesis means for synthesizing an image whose dynamic range has been expanded from the plurality of corrected original images that are stored through updating.

8. An electronic still imaging method comprising:

acquiring a dynamic image for monitoring an image of an object;

detecting a shift vector from the dynamic image;

continuously executing imaging of a plurality of times with exposure amounts different from each other;

storing a plurality of original images acquired by the imaging of the plurality of times, respectively;

detecting positional displacements of common objects included in the plurality of original images from the detected shift vector and storing a plurality of corrected original images whose positional displacements are corrected based on detected positional displacements through updating; and

outputting an image signal whose dynamic range is expanded by synthesizing the plurality of corrected original images stored through updating, wherein the shift vector is detected from an image other than the plurality of original images.