# US 10,375,316 B2 · Imaging device provided with high dynamic range rendering function

> Agents: this data is available as JSON from the patentgrep API and MCP server — see https://patentgrep.com/llms.txt

- Number: US 10,375,316 B2
- Document ID: US10375316B2
- Status: Granted
- Kind: B2
- Application number: 15/722,838
- Filed: 2017-10-02
- Published: 2018-04-05
- Granted: 2019-08-06
- Earliest claimed: 2016-10-03
- Assignees: Denso Corporation
- Applicants: Denso Corporation
- Inventors: Kazuhiko Kobayashi; Toshikazu Murao; Masato Nishikawa
- Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US10375316B2

## CPC

- H04N 23/741: by increasing the dynamic range of the image compared to the dynamic range of the electronic image sensors
- H04N 23/72: Combination of two or more compensation controls
- H04N 23/743: Bracketing, i.e. taking a series of images with varying exposure conditions
- H04N 25/58: involving two or more exposures
- H04N 25/583: with different integration times
- H04N 25/589: with different integration times, e.g. short and long exposures
- H04N 25/7795: {Circuitry for generating timing or clock signals}
- H04N: PICTORIAL COMMUNICATION, e.g. TELEVISION

## Abstract

An imaging device performs imaging using an imaging element. The imaging device is provided with an imaging unit, a control unit and a synthesis unit. The imaging unit performs exposure with a predetermined exposure time, thereby performing image capture. The control unit successively performs an imaging process N-times. In each imaging process, a plurality of images are captured with different exposure times. The synthesis unit generates, using HDR rendering, a plurality of images acquired by the plurality of image captures. The control unit performs one of the plurality of image captures such that the exposure is completed at a corresponding synchronous timing, and performs a subsequent other image capture such that exposure is started at the synchronous timing.

## Claims

### Claim 1

An imaging device that performs imaging using an imaging element comprising:
an imaging unit that performs exposure with a predetermined exposure time, thereby performing the imaging;
a control unit that successively performs an imaging process N-times thereby performing a plurality of imaging processes, where N is integer and 2 or more, a plurality of image captures with different exposure times being performed by the imaging unit in each of the imaging processes; and
a synthesis unit that generates, by using High Dynamic Range Rendering (HDR) rendering based on a plurality of images acquired by the plurality of image captures, a synthesis image having an expanded dynamic range and being generated for each of the N-times imaging processes,
wherein
each of the synthesis images generated for each of the N-times imaging processes has a predetermined image quality determined corresponding to each of the synthesis images;
a maximum exposure time of each capturing in each of the N-times imaging processes is determined based on the image quality of the synthesis image generated in corresponding imaging process;
each of the N-times imaging processes is performed in accordance with a corresponding synchronous timing, the N synchronous timings being at regular intervals;
the control unit successively performs, in each of the N imaging processes, the plurality of image captures before/after the corresponding synchronous timing;
the control unit performs one of the plurality of image captures such that the exposure is completed at a time when the synchronous timing occurs, and performs a subsequent another capturing such that the exposure is started at a time when the synchronous timing occurs; and
an exposure timing is determined in each of the imaging process based on the maximum exposure time such that exposure times in the N-times imaging processes are not overlapped.

### Claim 2 (depends on 1)

The imaging device according to claim 1, wherein
the synthesis image is used for a driving assist in a vehicle;
different image objects are recognized based on a plurality of synthesis images generated by the N-times imaging processes in the driving assist; and
the image quality of each synthesis image generated by the N-times imaging processes is determined by each of the image objects recognized by the image captured in the imaging process.

### Claim 3 (depends on 2)

The imaging device according to claim 2, wherein
the imaging device is mounted on the vehicle.

### Claim 4 (depends on 1)

The imaging device according to claim 1, wherein
two types of imaging including a long-period exposure imaging and a short-period exposure imaging are performed as the plurality of image captures in each of the N-times image processes;
the exposure time of the long-period exposure imaging is longer than that of the short-period exposure imaging;
the exposure in one type of imaging in each of the N-times imaging processes is performed before the synchronous timing corresponding to a current imaging process in the N-times imaging processes, and the exposure in the other type of imaging in each of the N-time imaging processes is performed after the synchronous timing corresponding to the current imaging process in the N-times imaging processes, whereby the exposure times of respective imaging processes do not overlap with each other.

### Claim 5 (depends on 4)

The imaging device according to claim 4, wherein
the control unit performs two different types of imaging in each of the N-times imaging processes.