# US 10,321,072 B2 · Image obtaining apparatus and method for obtaining an image based on pixel binning > Agents: this data is available as JSON from the patentgrep API and MCP server — see https://patentgrep.com/llms.txt - Number: US 10,321,072 B2 - Document ID: US10321072B2 - Status: Granted - Kind: B2 - Application number: 15/117,184 - Filed: 2015-01-15 - Published: 2017-01-05 - Granted: 2019-06-11 - Earliest claimed: 2014-03-13 - Assignees: Beijing Zhigu Rui Tuo Tech Co., Ltd - Applicants: Beijing Zhigu Rui Tuo Tech Co., Ltd - Inventors: Hanning Zhou; Dayong Ding - Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US10321072B2 ## CPC - H04N 25/46: by combining or binning pixels - G06T 5/40: using histogram techniques - G06T 5/50: using two or more images, e.g. averaging or subtraction - G06T 5/90: Dynamic range modification of images or parts thereof - H04N 23/741: by increasing the dynamic range of the image compared to the dynamic range of the electronic image sensors - H04N 23/80: Camera processing pipelines; Components thereof - H04N 25/57: Control of the dynamic range - H04N: PICTORIAL COMMUNICATION, e.g. TELEVISION - G06T: IMAGE DATA PROCESSING OR GENERATION, IN GENERAL ## Abstract Image processing technologies, an image acquisition method and an image acquisition apparatus are provided. A method comprises exposing an image sensor, reading a charge on the image sensor and performing analog-to-digital conversion, where a charge of pixels on a partial region of the photosensitive sensor is read by means of pixel binning according to data characteristics of an image of a target scene, and obtaining a target image of the target scene according to the read charge. Local combination can be performed on at least two images of different image quality according to data characteristics of the images, so that the dynamic range and/or signal-to-noise ratio can be improved locally on the basis of presenting image details as fully as possible, that is, the image quality can be improved according to requirements. ## Claims ### Claim 1 A method, comprising: exposing, by a device comprising a processor, an image sensor; determining a partial region of the image sensor according to at least one reference image of a target scene, wherein a resolution of the at least one reference image is lower than a full-pixel resolution of the image sensor; reading a charge on the image sensor and performing analog-to-digital conversion, wherein a charge of pixels on the partial region of the image sensor is read by means of pixel binning according to data characteristics of an image of the target scene, the data characteristics of the image of the target scene being features that represent a grayscale distribution, an amount of noise, and an amount of information of the image; and obtaining a target image of the target scene according to the charge on the image sensor, wherein the partial region does not comprise a region having semantic information that exceeds a preset threshold. ### Claim 2 (depends on 1) The method of claim 1, wherein the determining the partial region according to the at least one reference image of the target scene comprises: determining the partial region according to a dynamic range of the at least one reference image. ### Claim 3 (depends on 2) The method of claim 2, wherein the determining the partial region according to the at least one reference image of the target scene comprises: analyzing a histogram of the at least one reference image region by region; and determining the partial region according to the histogram. ### Claim 4 (depends on 3) The method of claim 3, wherein the determining the partial region according to the histogram comprises: determining a target region according to a preset threshold number of pixels; performing upsampling processing on the target region according to the full-pixel resolution of the image sensor; and determining the partial region on the image sensor corresponding to the target region. ### Claim 5 (depends on 3) The method of claim 3, wherein the determining the partial region according to the histogram comprises: determining a target region according to a preset information entropy threshold; performing upsampling processing on the target region according to the full-pixel resolution of the image sensor; and determining the partial region on the image sensor corresponding to the target region. ### Claim 6 (depends on 3) The method of claim 3, wherein the region in the “region by region” is a region of an irregular shape. ### Claim 7 (depends on 1) The method of claim 1, wherein the determining the partial region according to the at least one reference image of the target scene comprises: determining the partial region according to a signal-to-noise ratio of the at least one reference image. ### Claim 8 (depends on 7) The method of claim 7, wherein the determining the partial region according to the at least one reference image of the target scene comprises: performing downsampling processing on a second reference image of a second resolution according to a first reference image of a first resolution in the at least one reference image, wherein the first resolution is lower than the second resolution; determining, according to an image obtained by the downsampling processing and the second reference image, a mean square error of noise signals region by region; determining a target region on the second reference image according to the mean square error; performing upsampling processing on the target region according to the full-pixel resolution of the image sensor; and determining the partial region on the image sensor corresponding to the target region. ### Claim 9 (depends on 1) The method of claim 1, wherein the determining the partial region according to at least one reference image of the target scene further comprises: detecting respective semantic information of the at least one reference image. ### Claim 10 (depends on 1) The method of claim 1, further comprising: obtaining the at least one reference image. ### Claim 11 An apparatus, comprising: a processor, coupled to a memory, that executes or facilitates execution of executable modules, comprising: an exposure control module configured to expose an image sensor; a determining module configured to determine a partial region of the image sensor according to a reference image of a target scene, wherein a resolution of the reference image is lower than a full-pixel resolution of the image sensor; an analog-to-digital conversion module configured to read a charge on the image sensor and perform analog-to-digital conversion, wherein a charge of pixels on the partial region of the image sensor is read by pixel binning according to data characteristics of an image of the target scene, the data characteristics of the image of the target scene being features that represent a grayscale distribution, an amount of noise, and an amount of information of the image; and a processing module configured to obtain a target image of the target scene according to the charge on the image sensor, wherein the partial region does not comprise a region having semantic information that exceeds a preset threshold. ### Claim 12 (depends on 11) The apparatus of claim 11, wherein the determining module determines the partial region according to a dynamic range of the reference image. ### Claim 13 (depends on 12) The apparatus of claim 12, wherein the determining module comprises: an analysis unit configured to analyze a histogram of the reference image region by region; and a determining unit configured to determine the partial region according to the histogram. ### Claim 14 (depends on 13) The apparatus of claim 13, wherein the determining unit comprises: a target region determining subunit configured to determine a target region according to a preset threshold number of pixels; a processing subunit configured to perform upsampling processing on the target region according to the full-pixel resolution of the image sensor; and a partial region determining subunit configured to determine the partial region on the image sensor corresponding to the target region. ### Claim 15 (depends on 13) The apparatus of claim 13, wherein the determining unit comprises: a target region determining subunit configured to determine a target region according to a preset information entropy threshold; a processing subunit configured to perform upsampling processing on the target region according to the full-pixel resolution of the image sensor; and a partial region determining subunit configured to determine the partial region on the image sensor corresponding to the target region. ### Claim 16 (depends on 12) The apparatus of claim 12, wherein the semantic information of the region is first semantic region, and wherein the determining module is further configured to detect second semantic information of the reference image. ### Claim 17 (depends on 11) The apparatus of claim 11, wherein the determining module determines the partial region according to a signal-to-noise ratio of the reference image. ### Claim 18 (depends on 17) The apparatus of claim 17, wherein the determining module comprises: a first processing unit configured to perform downsampling processing on a second reference image of a second resolution according to a first reference image of a first resolution in the reference image, wherein the first resolution is lower than the second resolution; a calculating unit configured to calculate, according to an image obtained by the downsampling processing and the second reference image, a mean square error of noise signals region by region; a target region determining unit configured to determine a target region on the second reference image according to the mean square error; a second processing unit configured to perform upsampling processing on the target region according to the full-pixel resolution of the image sensor; and a partial region determining unit configured to determine the partial region on the image sensor corresponding to the target region. ### Claim 19 (depends on 11) The apparatus of claim 11, wherein the executable modules further comprise: a reference image obtaining module configured to obtain the reference image. ### Claim 20 A computer readable storage device, comprising at least one executable instruction, which, in response to execution, causes a system comprising a processor to perform operations, comprising: exposing an image sensor; determining a partial region of the image sensor according to at least one reference image of a target scene, wherein a resolution of the at least one reference image is lower than a full-pixel resolution of the image sensor; reading a charge of the image sensor and performing analog-to-digital conversion, wherein a charge of pixels on the partial region of the image sensor is read using pixel binning according to data characteristics of an image of the target scene, the data characteristics of the image of the target scene being features that represent a grayscale distribution, an amount of noise, and an amount of information of the image; and obtaining a target image of the target scene according to the charge of the image sensor, wherein the partial region excludes a region having semantic information that exceeds a preset threshold. ### Claim 21 (depends on 20) The computer readable storage device of claim 20, wherein the operations further comprise: determining the partial region according to a signal-to-noise ratio of at least one reference image of the target scene. ### Claim 22 (depends on 20) The computer readable storage device of claim 20, wherein the determining the partial region comprises determining the partial region according to a dynamic range of the at least one reference image. ### Claim 23 A device for image acquisition, comprising a processor and a memory, wherein the memory stores executable instructions, the processor being connected with the memory via a communication bus, and when the device is operating, the processor executes or facilitates execution of the executable instructions stored by the memory to cause the device to perform operations, comprising: exposing an image sensor; determining a partial region of the image sensor according to a reference image of a target scene, wherein a resolution of the reference image is lower than a full-pixel resolution of the image sensor; reading a charge of the image sensor and performing analog-to-digital conversion, wherein a charge of pixels on a partial region of the image sensor is read by pixel binning according to data characteristics of an image of a target scene, the data characteristics of the image of the target scene being features that represent a grayscale distribution, an amount of noise, and an amount of information of the image; and obtaining a target image of the target scene according to the charge of the image sensor, wherein the partial region does not comprise a region having semantic information that exceeds a preset threshold. ### Claim 24 (depends on 23) The device of claim 23, wherein the operations further comprise: determining the partial region according to a signal-to-noise ratio of the reference image of the target scene.