Image capturing apparatus and program

• US 7,903,155 B2
• Filed: 11/28/2005
• Issued: 03/08/2011
• Est. Priority Date: 11/30/2004
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Konica Minolta Holdings Incorporated (Konica Minolta Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Konica Minolta Holdings Incorporated (Konica Minolta Inc.)
• Inventors: Sakurai, Mikio, Hara, Yoshihiro
• Primary Examiner(s): Ometz; David L
• Assistant Examiner(s): Berhan; Ahmed A
• Application Number:
  US11/287,934
• Publication Number:
  US 20060114340A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,926 Days
• Field of Search: 348/218.1, 348/364, 348/208.99, 348/294, 348/362, 348/208.13, 348271-283, 382/284
• US Class Current: 348/272
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 2101/00 Still video cameras
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 23/63 by using electronic viewfinders
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 23/68 for stable pick-up of the scene, e.g. compensating for camera body vibrations
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 23/6811 based on the image signal
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 23/6812 based on additional sensors, e.g. acceleration sensors
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 23/6842 by controlling the scanning position, e.g. windowing
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 23/6845 by combination of a plurality of images sequentially taken
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 23/741 by increasing the dynamic range of the image compared to the dynamic range of the electronic image sensors
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 25/134 based on three different wavelength filter elements

Abstract

An image capturing apparatus includes: an image pickup device in which photoelectric conversion elements corresponding to color components are arranged in a predetermined pattern; an acquisition unit that successively acquires a plurality of images by using the image pickup device; a detector that detects a positional deviation among the plurality of images; and a synthesis unit that compensates the positional deviation to synthesize the plurality of images by addition, wherein the synthesis unit adds the plurality of images in a state where the images have the same color layout as that of the photoelectric conversion elements in the image pickup device.

Claims

1. An image capturing apparatus comprising:

an image pickup device in which photoelectric conversion elements corresponding to color components are arranged in a predetermined pattern such that each color component in a given row repeats every two pixels, said predetermined pattern corresponding to a first color layout of a first format in which a color image is generated by said image pickup device;

an acquisition unit that successively acquires a plurality of color images by using said image pickup device;

a detector that detects a positional deviation among said plurality of color images shifting each pixel of the image by an amount of two pixels;

a synthesis unit that compensates said positional deviation to synthesize said plurality of color images in said first format to form a synthesized image in said first format so that pixel values of said plurality of images are added in a state where the pixels of the same color component in said plurality of images are associated with each other; and

a converter that receives the synthesized image from the synthesis unit and performs a converting process for converting the synthesized image to a color image in a second format where the color image has a second color layout which is different from the first color layout, wherein each pixel of the second format has multiple color components.

2. The image capturing apparatus according to claim 1, further comprising:

an image processor that performs at least one of a γ

correcting process, a white balance correcting process, and a noise reducing process on said synthesized image in said first format.

3. The image capturing apparatus according to claim 2, wherein

said plurality of images are acquired with exposure time of 1/f (where f denotes focal length (millimeter)) or less.

4. The image capturing apparatus according to claim 1, wherein

said detector detects a positional deviation among said plurality of images by comparing said plurality of images in said first format and computing a positional deviation of the pixels of the same color component in said plurality of images.

5. The image capturing apparatus according to claim 4, wherein

the positional deviation in said plurality of images is detected by obtaining a positional deviation of pixels of a single color component out of a plurality of color components of said photoelectric conversion elements.

6. The image capturing apparatus according to claim 5, wherein

said single color component is a green component.

7. The image capturing apparatus according to claim 4, wherein

said plurality of images are acquired with exposure time of 1/f (where f denotes focal length (millimeter)) or less.

8. The image capturing apparatus according to claim 1, wherein

said plurality of images are acquired with exposure time of 1/f (where f denotes focal length (millimeter)) or less.

9. The image capturing apparatus according to claim 1, wherein

said detector has a swing sensor that detects movement of the image capturing apparatus.

10. A computer software product including a recording medium in which computer-readable software programs are recorded, said programs being configured to control a computer to perform the steps of:

(a) reading a plurality of color images successively captured by using an image pickup device, said image pickup device having photoelectric conversion elements corresponding to color components arranged in a predetermined pattern such that each color component in a given row repeats every two pixels;

(b) detecting a positional deviation among said plurality of images by shifting each pixel of the image by an amount of two pixels;

(c) compensating said positional deviation to synthesize said plurality of color images by addition to form a synthesized image in a state where the plurality of color images are in a first format having a first color layout in which the pixels are arranged in a predetermined pattern corresponding to the arrangement of photoelectric conversion elements in said image pickup device, wherein pixel values of said plurality of color images are added in a state where the pixels of the same color component in the plurality of color images are associated with each other; and

(d) converting the synthesized image to a color image in a second format having a second color layout which is different from the first color layout, wherein each pixel of the second format has multiple color components.

11. The computer software product according to claim 10, wherein

in said step (b), said positional deviation among said plurality of images is detected by a swing sensor that detects movement of the image capturing apparatus.

12. The computer software product according to claim 11, wherein

in said step (b), said positional deviation among said plurality of color images is detected by comparing said plurality of images in said first format and computing a positional deviation of the pixels of the same color component in said plurality of images.

13. An image capturing apparatus for converting a color image in a first format where each pixel has only a single color component to a color image in a second format where each pixel has multiple color components comprising:

an image pickup device having photoelectric conversion elements corresponding to color components arranged in a predetermined pattern such that each color component in a given row repeats every two pixels, said predetermined pattern corresponding to the color arrangement of pixels in said first format;

an acquisition unit configured to utilize said image pickup device to successively acquire a plurality of images in said first format;

a detector configured to detect a positional deviation among said plurality of images in said first format by shifting each pixel of the image by an amount of two pixels;

a synthesis unit configured to utilize said positional deviation to synthesize said plurality of images by addition to form a synthesized image having pixels in said first format, wherein pixel values of said plurality of images are added in a state where the pixels of the same color component in the plurality of images are associated with each other; and

an image processor configured to perform an interpolating process for converting said synthesized image from said first format to said second format.

14. The image capturing apparatus according to claim 13, wherein

said first format is Bayer matrix image format and said second format is RGB image format.