Digital photographing apparatus, method of controlling the digital photographing apparatus, and recording medium having recorded thereon a program for executing the method

• US 8,350,955 B2
• Filed: 02/04/2009
• Issued: 01/08/2013
• Est. Priority Date: 02/18/2008
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Samsung Electronics Co. Ltd.
• Original Assignee: Samsung Electronics Co. Ltd.
• Inventors: Jang, Soon-geun, Gwak, Jin-pyo, Ahn, Eun-sun
• Primary Examiner(s): Daniels, Anthony J
• Application Number:
  US12/322,581
• Publication Number:
  US 20090207258A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,434 Days
• Field of Search: 348/208.4, 348/208.16, 348/221.1, 348/362
• US Class Current: 348/362
• 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 23/743 Bracketing, i.e. taking a series of images with varying exposure conditions
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 23/76 by influencing the image signals

Abstract

Provided are a digital photographing apparatus by which a clear image may be obtained despite shaking of the digital photographing apparatus during a photographing operation, a method of controlling the digital photographing apparatus, and a recording medium having recorded thereon a program for executing the method. The digital photographing apparatus includes a data obtaining unit for obtaining first data of a first image captured using a long time exposure and obtaining second data of a second image captured using a short time exposure; a motion vector extraction unit for extracting a motion vector between a position of a subject in the first image and the position of the subject in the second image; a blurring determination unit for determining whether blurring exists in the first image; a subject location determination unit for determining whether the position of the subject in the first image is identical to the position of the subject in the second image; and a data combination unit for creating data having luminance data of the second data and having composite color data obtained by combining color data of the first and second data, as ultimate data.

Claims

1. A digital photographing apparatus comprising:

a data obtaining unit to obtain first data of a first image captured using a long time exposure and to obtain second data of a second image captured using a short time exposure;

a motion vector extraction unit to determine a motion vector between a first position of a subject in the first image and a second position of the subject in the second image;

a blurring determination unit to determine whether blurring exists in the first image;

a subject location determination unit to determine whether the first position of the subject in the first image is substantially identical to the second position of the subject in the second image; and

a data combination unit to form third data comprising luminance data of only the second data and composite color data obtained by combining first color data of the first data and second color data of the second data.

2. The digital photographing apparatus of claim 1, wherein:

the data combination unit is to select the second data as the third data when the motion vector extraction unit fails to extract the motion vector;

the subject location determination unit is to determine whether the first position of the subject in the first image is substantially identical to the second position of the subject in the second image when the motion vector extraction unit fails to extract the motion vector;

the data combination unit is to select the first data as the third data when the subject location determination unit determines that the first position of the subject in the first image is substantially identical to the second position of the subject in the second image; and

the data combination unit is to form the third data comprising luminance data of the second data and composite color data obtained by combining first color data of the first data and second color data of the second data when the subject location determination unit determines that the first position of the subject in the first image is not substantially identical to the second position of the subject in the second image.

3. The digital photographing apparatus of claim 1, wherein the motion vector extraction unit is to extract the motion vector between the first position of the subject in the first image and the second position of the subject in the second image using the luminance data of the second data and second luminance data of the first data.

4. The digital photographing apparatus of claim 1, wherein the subject location determination unit is to determine that the first position of the subject in the first image is substantially identical to the second position of the subject in the second image when the motion vector between the first position of the subject in the first image and the second position of the subject in the second image is smaller than a threshold.

5. The digital photographing apparatus of claim 1, wherein the subject location determination unit is to determine that the first position of the subject in the first image is substantially identical to the second position of the subject in the second image when a difference between the first position of the subject in the first image and the second position of the subject in the second image is equal to or smaller than two pixels, both in horizontal and vertical directions.

6. A digital photographing apparatus comprising:

a data obtaining unit to obtain first data of a first image captured using a long time exposure and to obtain second data of a second image captured using a short time exposure;

a motion vector extraction unit to determine a motion vector between a first position of a subject in the first image and the position of the subject in the second image;

a blurring determination unit to determine whether blurring exists in the first image;

a subject location determination unit to determine whether the position of the subject in the first image is identical to the position of the subject in the second image; and

a data combination unit to create data having luminance data of the second data and having composite color data obtained by combining color data of the first and second data, as ultimate data,

wherein, assuming that I₁(x,y) indicates the luminance data of an (x,y) pixel of the first image, I₂(x,y) indicates the luminance data of an (x,y) pixel of the second image, (dx₁, dy₁) indicates an amount of movement of one of matched first and second images in one direction so as not to be matched to each other, and (dx₂, dy₂) indicates an amount of movement of one of the matched first and second images in another direction so as not to be matched to each other, the blurring determination unit matches the first and second images to each other, calculates R(0), R(−

1), and R(1) by respectively using Equations 1, 2, and 3, in a region A where the first and second images overlap each other, calculates C by using Equation 4, and determines that blurring exists in the first image if C is smaller than a preset value

7. The digital photographing apparatus of claim 6, wherein, assuming that Area indicates an area of the region where the first and second images overlap each other and κ

indicates a tuning parameter, the preset value is calculated by using Equation 5.

κ

×

Area 

 

(5).

8. The digital photographing apparatus of claim 7, wherein κ

has a value 14.

9. A digital photographing apparatus comprising:

a data obtaining unit to obtain first data of a first image captured using a long time exposure and to obtain second data of a second image captured using a short time exposure;

a motion vector extraction unit to determine a motion vector between a first position of a subject in the first image and the position of the subject in the second image;

a blurring determination unit to determine whether blurring exists in the first image;

a subject location determination unit to determine whether the position of the subject in the first image is identical to the position of the subject in the second image; and

a data combination unit to create data having luminance data of the second data and having composite color data obtained by combining color data of the first and second data, as ultimate data,

wherein, assuming that I₁(x,y) indicates the luminance data of an (x,y) pixel of the first image, I₂(x,y) indicates the luminance data of an (x,y) pixel of the second image, Area indicates an area of the region where the first and second images overlap each other, σ

² indicates a noise distribution of the first image, and κ

indicates a tuning parameter, the blurring determination unit matches the first and second images to each other, calculates R(0) by using Equation 1 in a region A where the first and second images overlap each other, and determines that blurring exists in the first image if R(0) is larger than a value calculated by using Equation

10. A method of controlling a digital photographing apparatus, the method comprising:

obtaining, in the digital photographing apparatus, first data of a first image captured using a long time exposure and obtaining second data of a second image captured using a short time exposure;

determining, in the digital photographing apparatus, whether a motion vector exists between a first position of a subject in the first image and a second position of the subject in the second image;

determining whether blurring exists on the first image when it is determined that the motion vector exists;

regarding the second data as the ultimate data when it is determined that the blurring exists in the first image;

determining whether the first position of the subject in the first image is substantially identical to the second position of the subject in the second image when it is determined that the blurring does not exist in the first image;

regarding the first data as the ultimate data when the first and second positions are determined to be substantially identical; and

combining luminance data of only the second data, first color data of the first data and second color data of the second data to form the ultimate data when the first and second positions are determined not to be substantially identical.

11. The method of claim 10, wherein determining whether the motion vector exists between the first position of a subject in the first image and the second position of the subject in the second image comprises determining that the motion vector exists when the first position of the subject in the first image is substantially identical to the second position of the subject in the second image and thus the motion vector has a value 0.

12. The method of claim 10, wherein determining whether the motion vector exists between the first position of a subject in the first image and the second position of the subject in the second image comprises determining whether the motion vector exists between the first position of the subject in the first image and the second position of the subject in the second image, by using the luminance data of the second data and second luminance data of the first data.

13. The method of claim 10, wherein determining whether the first position of the subject in the first image is substantially identical to the second position of the subject in the second image comprises determining whether the motion vector between the first position of the subject in the first image and the second position of the subject in the second image is smaller than a threshold.

14. The method of claim 10, wherein determining whether the first position of the subject in the first image is substantially identical to the second position of the subject in the second image comprises determining whether a difference between the first position of the subject in the first image and the second position of the subject in the second image is equal to or smaller than two pixels both in horizontal and vertical directions.

15. A method of controlling a digital photographing apparatus, the method comprising:

(a) obtaining, in the digital photographing apparatus, first data of a first image captured using a long time exposure and obtaining second data of a second image captured using a short time exposure;

(b) determining, in the digital photographing apparatus, whether a motion vector exists between a position of a subject in the first image and the position of the subject in the second image;

(c) regarding the second data as ultimate data if it is determined that the motion vector does not exist in (b);

(d) determining whether blurring exists on the first image if it is determined that the motion vector exists in (b);

(e) regarding the second data as the ultimate data if it is determined that blurring exists in the first image in (d);

(f) determining whether the position of the subject in the first image is identical to the position of the subject in the second image if it is determined that blurring does not exist in the first image in (d);

(g) regarding the first data as the ultimate data if the positions are determined to be identical in (f); and

(h) regarding data having luminance data of the second data and having composite color data obtained by combining color data of the first and second data, as the ultimate data, if the positions are determined not to be identical in (f),

wherein, assuming that I₁(x,y) indicates the luminance data of an (x,y) pixel of the first image, I₂(x,y) indicates the luminance data of an (x,y) pixel of the second image, (dx₁, dy₁) indicates an amount of movement of one of matched first and second images in one direction so as not to be matched to each other, and (dx₂, dy₂) indicates an amount of movement of one of the matched first and second images in another direction so as not to be matched to each other, (d) comprises;

matching the first and second images to each other;

calculating R(0), R(−

1), and R(1) by respectively using Equations 1, 2, and 3, in a region A where the first and second images overlap each other;

calculating C by using Equation 4; and

determining that blurring exists in the first image if C is smaller than a preset value

16. The method of claim 15, wherein, assuming that Area indicates an area of the region where the first and second images overlap each other and κ

indicates a tuning parameter, the preset value is calculated by using Equation 5

κ

×

Area 

 

(5).

17. The method of claim 16, wherein κ

has a value 14.

18. A method of controlling a digital photographing apparatus, the method comprising:

(a) obtaining, in the digital photographing apparatus, first data of a first image captured using a long time exposure and obtaining second data of a second image captured using a short time exposure;

(b) determining, in the digital photographing apparatus, whether a motion vector exists between a position of a subject in the first image and the position of the subject in the second image;

(c) regarding the second data as ultimate data if it is determined that the motion vector does not exist in (b);

(d) determining whether blurring exists on the first image if it is determined that the motion vector exists in (b);

(e) regarding the second data as the ultimate data if it is determined that blurring exists in the first image in (d);

(f) determining whether the position of the subject in the first image is identical to the position of the subject in the second image if it is determined that blurring does not exist in the first image in (d);

(g) regarding the first data as the ultimate data if the positions are determined to be identical in (f); and

(h) regarding data having luminance data of the second data and having composite color data obtained by combining color data of the first and second data, as the ultimate data, if the positions are determined not to be identical in (f),

wherein, assuming that I₁(x,y) indicates the luminance data of an (x,y) pixel of the first image, I₂(x,y) indicates the luminance data of an (x,y) pixel of the second image, Area indicates an area of the region where the first and second images overlap each other, σ

² indicates a noise distribution of the first image, and κ

indicates a tuning parameter, (d) comprises;

matching the first and second images to each other;

calculating R(0) by using Equation 1 in a region A where the first and second images overlap each other; and

determining that blurring exists in the first image if R(0) is larger than a value calculated by using Equation 2

19. A tangible article of manufacture comprising a computer-readable storage medium storing machine-readable instructions that, when executed, cause a machine to at least:

obtain first data of a first image captured using a long time exposure and obtaining second data of a second image captured using a short time exposure;

determine whether a motion vector exists between a first position of a subject in the first image and a second position of the subject in the second image;

determine whether blurring exists on the first image when it is determined that the motion vector exists;

regard the second data as the ultimate data when it is determined that the blurring exists in the first image;

determine whether the first position of the subject in the first image is substantially identical to the second position of the subject in the second image when it is determined that the blurring does not exist in the first image;

regard the first data as the ultimate data when the first and second positions are determined to be substantially identical; and

combine luminance data of only the second data first color data of the first data and second color data of the second data to form the ultimate data when the first and second positions are determined not to be substantially identical.