Method and apparatus for dual exposure settings using a pixel array

• US 9,986,171 B2
• Filed: 09/25/2015
• Issued: 05/29/2018
• Est. Priority Date: 09/30/2014
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Samsung Electronics Co. Ltd.
• Original Assignee: Samsung Electronics Co. Ltd.
• Inventors: Yoon, Young-Kwon, Kang, Hwa-Young, Kim, Moon-Soo, Kim, Tae-Ho
• Primary Examiner(s): Selby, Gevell
• Application Number:
  US14/865,235
• Publication Number:
  US 20160094797A1
• Time in Patent Office: 977 Days
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 23/73 by influencing the exposure time
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 25/583 with different integration times

Abstract

An electronic device is provided including an image sensor that includes a pixel array, and a processor configured to control operations of: obtaining an image data set; processing the image data set to identify a first portion of the pixel array that is associated with a first subject and a second portion of the pixel array; and capturing an image by operating the first portion of the pixel array in accordance with a first exposure setting value and operating the second portion of the pixel array in accordance with a second exposure setting value.

Claims

1. An electronic device comprising:

an image sensor that includes a pixel array including a plurality of pixels arranged in a matrix having rows and columns, and

at least one processor configured to control operations of;

obtaining an image data set;

by processing the image data set, identifying a first pixel group including at least one first pixel corresponding to a first subject from among the plurality of pixels and a second pixel group including at least one second pixel corresponding to a second subject from among the plurality of pixels except the at least one first pixel;

determining a first distance between the electronic device and the first subject and a second distance between the electronic device and the second subject;

determining a first exposure setting value according to the first distance and a second exposure setting value according to the second distance;

setting the first exposure setting value to the first pixel group corresponding to the first subject and setting the second exposure setting value to the second pixel group corresponding to the second subject; and

capturing an image by using the image sensor in which the first pixel group corresponding to the first subject is set to the first exposure setting value and the second pixel group corresponding to the second subject is set to the second exposure setting value.

2. The electronic device of claim 1, wherein the exposure setting includes one of exposure time or ISO speed.

3. The electronic device of claim 1, wherein the image is captured by operating the first pixel group in accordance with a first reset timing and operating the second pixel group in accordance with a second reset timing.

4. The electronic device of claim 1, wherein the first pixel group is identified by processing the image data set to detect the first subject.

5. The electronic device of claim 4, further comprising an image plane phase detection sensor that detects the first subject.

6. The electronic device of claim 1, wherein a first image data of the image data set is obtained without using a flash and a second image data of the image data set is obtained by using the flash, and wherein the first pixel group and the second pixel group are identified based on a brightness difference between the first image data of the image data set and the second image data of the image data set.

7. The electronic device of claim 1, wherein the processor further configured to determine the first distance and the second distance based on brightness on the first subject and the second subject.

8. The electronic device of claim 7, wherein, when the exposure setting includes exposure time, the image is captured by using a flash.

9. The electronic device of claim 1, wherein,

the second pixel group is associated with a second subject,

the first exposure setting value includes a first exposure time value,

the second exposure setting value includes a second exposure time value, and

the second exposure time value is determined according to the equation:

Second Exposure Time Value=First Exposure Time Value×

{(d2/d1)2}+C,

wherein “

d1”

is a distance between the electronic device and the first subject, “

d2”

is a distance between the electronic device and the second subject, and “

C”

is a positive or a negative constant.

10. The electronic device of claim 1, further comprising a touch screen that displays at least one of the image data set and receives an input for selecting the first subject.

11. The electronic device of claim 1, wherein the second pixel group is a portion that fully surrounds the first pixel group.

12. A method for capturing images by using an image sensor having a pixel array including a plurality of pixels arranged in a matrix having rows and columns, the method comprising:

obtaining an image data set by using a group of pixels;

by processing the image data set, identifying a first pixel group including at least one first pixel corresponding to a first subject from among the plurality of pixels and a second pixel group including at least one second pixel corresponding to a second subject from among the plurality of pixels except the at least one first pixel;

determining a first distance between an electronic device and the first subject and a second distance between the electronic device and the second subject;

determining a first exposure setting value according to the first distance and a second exposure setting value according to the second distance;

setting the first exposure setting value to the first pixel group corresponding to the first subject and setting the second exposure setting value to the second pixel group corresponding to the second subject; and

capturing an image by using the image sensor in which first pixel group corresponding to the first subject is set to the first exposure setting value and the second pixel group corresponding to the second subject is set to the second exposure setting value.

13. The method of claim 12, wherein the exposure setting includes one of exposure time or ISO speed.

14. The method of claim 12, wherein the image is captured by operating the first pixel group in accordance with a first reset timing and operating the second pixel group in accordance with a second reset timing.

15. The method of claim 12, wherein the first pixel group is identified by processing the image data set to detect the first subject.

16. The method of claim 12, wherein:

a first image data of the image data set is obtained without using a flash and a second image data of the image data set is obtained by using the flash, and

the first pixel group and the second pixel group are identified based on a brightness difference between the first image data of the image data set and the second image data of the image data set.

17. The method of claim 12, wherein the determining the first distance and the second distance further comprising determining the first distance and the second distance, based on brightness on the first subject and the second subject.

18. The method of claim 17, further comprising, when the exposure setting includes exposure time, the image is captured by using a flash.

19. The method of claim 12, wherein:

the second pixel group is associated with a second subject,

the first exposure setting value includes a first exposure time value,

the second exposure setting value includes a second exposure time value, and

the second exposure time value is determined according to the equation;

Second Exposure Time Value=First Exposure Time Value×

{(d2/d1)2}+C,

wherein “

d1”

is a distance between the image sensor and the first subject, “

d2”

is a distance between the image sensor and the second subject, and “

C”

is a positive or a negative constant.

20. The method of claim 12, wherein the first pixel group is identified based on an input for selecting the first subject through a touch screen that displays at least one of the image data set.

21. The method of claim 12, wherein the second pixel group is a portion that fully surrounds the first pixel group.