Method and unit for generating high dynamic range image and video frame
AssigneeSony Corporation
InventorsMuhammad Siddiqui, Muhammad Atif, Klaus Zimmermann
Life of this patent
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Abstract
An embodiment of the invention relates to a method for High Dynamic Range (HDR) image creation by generating a mean difference curve for use in aligning the images of a sequence of images taken with different exposures, wherein the difference in exposure might derive from a difference in exposure time or a difference in aperture size. A further embodiment of the invention relates to a method for HDR image creation by generating images with different exposures from a single image. A further embodiment of the invention relates to a method for HDR video creation by generating frames with different exposures from a single frame.
Claims13
Method for generating a high dynamic range image, comprising:
- taking with a camera a first sequence of n images of an object with different exposures wherein the object and the camera remain static with respect to each other, wherein the sequence contains one reference image with pixel values and n−1 further images with n≧2,
- calculating for each pixel value of the reference image an array containing x difference values, each array corresponding to one of the n−1 further images, wherein x is the number of times the considered pixel value appears in the reference image
- calculating a mean difference curve for each of the n−1 further images, each mean difference curve representing a mean difference value for each pixel value and
- storing the mean difference values for each pixel value and for each of the n−1 further images in a look-up table.
Generation unit (100) for generating a high dynamic range image, comprising:
- an imaging unit (110) configured to take a sequence of n images of an object with different exposures wherein the object and the imaging unit (110) remain static with respect to each other and wherein the sequence contains one reference image with pixel values and n−1 further images with n≧2,
- a first processor (120) configured to calculate for each pixel value of the reference image arrays containing n−1 difference values, each array corresponding to one of the n−1 further images,
- a second processor (130) configured to calculate a mean difference curve for each of the n−1 further images, each mean difference curve representing a mean difference value for each pixel value and
- a storage (140) configured to store the mean difference values for each pixel value and for each of the n−1 further images in a look-up table.
A computer readable medium including computer program instructions that cause a computer to execute a method for generating a high dynamic range image, comprising
- taking with a camera a sequence of n images of an object with different exposures wherein the object and a camera remain static with respect to each other, wherein the sequence contains one reference image with pixel values and n−1 further images with
- calculating for each pixel value of the reference image arrays containing n−1 difference values, each array corresponding to one of the n−1 further images,
- calculating a mean difference curve for each of the n−1 further images, each mean difference curve representing a mean difference value for each pixel value and
- storing the mean difference values for each pixel value and for each of the n−1 further images in a look-up table.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.