Imaging apparatus and imaging method

• US 8,704,900 B2
• Filed: 10/11/2006
• Issued: 04/22/2014
• Est. Priority Date: 10/14/2005
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Kyocera Corporation
• Original Assignee: Kyocera Corporation
• Inventors: Watanabe, Go, Hatori, Toshiki, Kawano, Takeshi, Sawada, Ryuuichi
• Primary Examiner(s): Tran, Sinh
• Assistant Examiner(s): Peterson, Christopher K
• Application Number:
  US12/090,242
• Publication Number:
  US 20100053349A1
• Time in Patent Office: 2,750 Days
• Field of Search: 34820899-20816, 348/222.1
• US Class Current: 348/208.13
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 2101/00 Still video cameras
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 23/68 for stable pick-up of the scene, e.g. compensating for camera body vibrations
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 23/6845 by combination of a plurality of images sequentially taken
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 23/951 by using two or more images to influence resolution, frame rate or aspect ratio
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 25/60 Noise processing, e.g. detecting, correcting, reducing or removing noise

Abstract

An imaging apparatus and an imaging method able to obtain images having no blurring with a small number of images under different exposure conditions and capable of shortening a processing time, wherein an imaging apparatus 10 captures a plurality of images including an image having a short exposure time and high resolution, but having much noise and an image having a long exposure time, but having little noise and low resolution by an optical system 11 and an imaging element 12. After the signal processing of a signal processing part 13, a CPU 14 detects positional deviation among the captured images and blurring, changes the ratio of the plurality of images according to the distances from the edge, and combines these to thereby form an image free from blurring and reducing noise.

Claims

1. An imaging apparatus having a function of combining a plurality of images captured under different exposure conditions, comprising:

a detecting means for detecting positional deviation among the plurality of images and blurring amounts and

a combining means for setting a ratio of images, captured under different exposure conditions, in combination according to a distance from an edge extracted based on detection results of the detecting means and combining images with the set ratio,

wherein the combining means makes the ratio of an image of a long time exposure and having little noise larger as the distance from the edge becomes larger and sets an edge portion so that the ratio of an image of a short time exposure and having high resolution becomes larger.

2. An imaging apparatus as set forth in claim 1, wherein the combining means combines images based on at least a luminance signal among a luminance signal Y and color difference signals U and V.

3. An imaging apparatus as set forth in claim 1, wherein the combining means combines images based on at least a G component among data of output of an imaging element.

4. An imaging apparatus as set forth in claim 1, wherein at least one of the plurality of images for combination includes an image having noise and a high resolution.

5. An imaging apparatus as set forth in claim 1, wherein at least one of the plurality of images for combination includes an image having a low resolution, but having little noise.

6. An imaging apparatus as set forth in claim 1, wherein the detecting means extracts positional deviation between images and a blurring amount from a difference image of the plurality of images.

7. An imaging apparatus as set forth in claim 6, wherein when the distance from the edge is nearer than the distance set in advance, the combining means combines images while making the ratio of the short time exposed image larger.

8. An imaging apparatus as set forth in claim 6, wherein when the distance from the edge is further than the distance set in advance, the combining means combines images while making the ratio of the long time exposed image larger.

9. An imaging method of combining a plurality of captured images under different exposure conditions, comprising:

a first step of detecting positional deviation among a plurality of images and blurring amounts,

a second step of extracting an edge based on detection results in, the first step,

a third step of setting a ratio in combination of an image captured under an exposure condition to another image captured under another exposure condition according to a distance from the extracted edge, and

a fourth step of combining images with a ratio set in the third step,

wherein the fourth step makes the ratio of an image of a long time exposure and having little noise larger as the distance from the edge becomes larger and sets an edge portion so that the ratio of an image of a short time exposure and having high resolution becomes larger.

10. An imaging method as set forth in claim 9, wherein the fourth step combines images based on at least a luminance signal among a luminance signal Y and color difference signals U and V.

11. An imaging method as set forth in claim 9, wherein the fourth step combines images based on at least a G component among data of output of an imaging element.

12. An imaging method as set forth in claim 9, wherein at least one of the plurality of images for combination includes an image having noise and a high resolution.

13. An imaging method as set forth in claim 9, wherein at least one of the plurality of images for combination includes an image having a low resolution, but having little noise.

14. An imaging method as set forth in claim 9, wherein the first step means extracts positional deviation between images and a blurring amount from a difference image of the plurality of images.

15. An imaging method as set forth in claim 14, wherein when the distance from the edge is nearer than the distance set in advance, the fourth step combines images while making the ratio of the short time exposed image larger.

16. An imaging method as set forth in claim 14, wherein when the distance from the edge is further than the distance set in advance, the fourth step combines images while making the ratio of the long time exposed image larger.