Image pickup apparatus
First Claim
Patent Images
1. An image pickup apparatus, comprising:
- a light source section that can radiate at least two light beams of the same wavelength onto the same region of a subject at different timings within a one-frame period making up one image;
a brightness detection section that detects brightness of two returning light images based on the radiation of the at least two light beams of the same wavelength;
an amount-of-misalignment detection section that detects an amount of pixel misalignment between the at least two returning light images;
a determining section that determines whether or not to generate a synthetic image based on the detection result of the amount-of-misalignment detection section when the detection result of the brightness detection section is darker than a target brightness; and
a synthetic image generation section that generates the synthetic image obtained by synthesizing the two returning light images using the light beams of the same wavelength and under substantially the same exposure quantity based on the determination result of the determining section.
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Abstract
An image pickup apparatus includes a light source section that can radiate light of the same wavelength onto the same region of a subject twice within a one-frame period making up one image, a brightness detection section that detects brightness of two returning light images when light has been radiated twice, and a synthetic image generation section that generates a synthetic image obtained by synthesizing the two returning light images using the light of the same wavelength and under the same exposure quantity based on the detection result of the brightness.
13 Citations
18 Claims
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1. An image pickup apparatus, comprising:
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a light source section that can radiate at least two light beams of the same wavelength onto the same region of a subject at different timings within a one-frame period making up one image; a brightness detection section that detects brightness of two returning light images based on the radiation of the at least two light beams of the same wavelength; an amount-of-misalignment detection section that detects an amount of pixel misalignment between the at least two returning light images; a determining section that determines whether or not to generate a synthetic image based on the detection result of the amount-of-misalignment detection section when the detection result of the brightness detection section is darker than a target brightness; and a synthetic image generation section that generates the synthetic image obtained by synthesizing the two returning light images using the light beams of the same wavelength and under substantially the same exposure quantity based on the determination result of the determining section. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5)
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6. An image pickup apparatus, comprising:
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a light source section that can radiate at least two light beams of the same wavelength onto the same region of a subject at different timings within a one-frame period making up one image; a light quantity adjusting section provided in the light source section for adjusting a light quantity from the light source; a brightness detection section that detects brightness of two returning light images based on the radiation of the at least two light beams of the same wavelength; a synthetic image generation section that generates a synthetic image obtained by synthesizing the two returning light images using the light beams of the same wavelength and under substantially the same exposure quantity based on the adjustment result of the light quantity adjusting section and the detection result of the brightness detection section; an auto gain adjusting section that performs auto gain adjustment so that an image signal corresponding to the synthetic image generated by the synthetic image generation section has a predetermined amplitude; and a control section that controls the light quantity adjusting section, the synthetic image generation section and the auto gain adjusting section, so as to realize a target brightness in descending order of priority of light quantity adjustment by the light quantity adjusting section, adjustment of the amount of addition between the two returning light images by the synthetic image generation section and auto gain adjustment by the auto gain adjusting section, when the brightness detection result of the brightness detection section is darker than the target brightness. - View Dependent Claims (7, 8, 9, 10)
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11. An image pickup apparatus, comprising:
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a light source section that can radiate at least two light beams of the same wavelength onto the same region of a subject at different timings within a one-frame period making up one image; a light quantity adjusting section provided in the light source section for adjusting a light quantity from the light source section; a brightness detection section that detects brightness of two returning light images based on the radiation of the at least two light beams of the same wavelength; a synthetic image generation section that generates a synthetic image obtained by synthesizing the two returning light images using the light beams of the same wavelength and under substantially the same exposure quantity based on the adjustment result of the light quantity adjusting section and the detection result of the brightness detection section; and an auto gain adjusting section that performs auto gain adjustment so that an image signal corresponding to the synthetic image generated by the synthetic image generation section has a predetermined amplitude; wherein when the brightness detection result of the brightness detection section is brighter than a target brightness, the auto gain adjusting section, the synthetic image generation section and the light quantity adjusting section are controlled so as to realize the target brightness in descending order of priority of auto gain adjustment by the auto gain adjusting section, adjustment of the amount of addition between the two returning light images by the synthetic image generation section and light quantity adjustment by the light quantity adjusting section. - View Dependent Claims (12, 13, 14, 15)
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16. An image pickup apparatus, comprising:
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a light source section that can radiate at least two light beams of the same wavelength onto the same region of a subject at different timings within a one-frame period making up one image; a brightness detection section that detects brightness of two returning light images based on the radiation of the at least two light beams of the same wavelength; a motion vector detection section that divides the two returning light images from the light of the same wavelength into a plurality of blocks respectively and detects a motion vector between the returning light images corresponding to the plurality of divided blocks; a determining section that determines whether or not to generate a synthetic image based on the detection result of the motion vector detection section when the detection result of the brightness detection section is darker than a target brightness; and a synthetic image generation section that generates a synthetic image obtained by performing an aligned addition of the two returning light images using the light beams of the same wavelength and under substantially the same exposure quantity based on the determination result of the determining section. - View Dependent Claims (17, 18)
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Specification