US 2012/0236169 A1Published application

Apparatus and method for obtaining motion adaptive high dynamic range image

AssigneeSamsung Electronics Co., Ltd.

InventorsHyun-Hwa Oh, Won-Hee Choe, Seong-Deok Lee, Hyun-Chul Song, Sung-Chan Park, Young-Jin Yoo, Jae-Hyun Kwon, Kang-Eui Lee

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Abstract

Disclosed is an apparatus and method for obtaining a motion adaptive high dynamic range image, in which a motion degree of a first image and a second taken using different exposure times is calculated. The motion calculation intensity is adjusted based on the calculated motion degree. The motion compensation intensity involves a global motion compensation and/or a location motion compensation. Images subjected to compensation are synthesized and output, so that an image having high dynamic range is obtained.

Claims7

Dependent claims

An apparatus for obtaining a motion adaptive high dynamic range image, the apparatus comprising:

a motion calculation unit configured to:
receive a first image and a second image that are taken using different exposure times;
and
calculate a motion degree of the second image by comparing the first image with the second image;
a first compensation unit configured to compensate the second image for global motion;
a second compensation unit configured to compensate the second image for local motion;
an image synthesizing unit configured to:
receive images output from the first compensation unit or the second compensation unit;
and
synthesize the received images;
a single image selection unit configured to select at least one of the first image, the second image, and an auto-exposure image;
and
a control unit configured to, based on the calculated motion degree, allow the first and second images to be provided to the image synthesizing unit via at least one of the first compensation unit and the second compensation unit or to the single image selection unit,
wherein:
in response to the motion degree being global and lying within a permissible range of compensation, the control unit is further configured to allow the first and second images to be input into the image synthesizing unit via the first compensation unit;
in response to the motion degree being local and lying within the permissible range of compensation, the control unit is further configured to allow the first and second image to be input into the image synthesizing unit via the second compensation unit;
in response to the motion degree being composite and lying within the permissible range of compensation, the control unit is further configured to allow the first and second images to be input into the image synthesizing unit via the first and second compensation units;
and
in response to the motion degree lying outside the permissible range of compensation, the control unit is further configured to allow the first and second images to be input into the single image selection unit, and
wherein the global motion compensation is performed through an image stabilizer.

17 more elements

An apparatus for obtaining a motion adaptive high dynamic range image, the apparatus comprising:

a motion calculation unit configured to:
receive a first image and a second image that are taken using different exposure times;
and
calculate a motion degree of the second image by comparing the first image with the second image;
a first compensation unit configured to compensate the second image for global motion;
a second compensation unit configured to compensate the second image for local motion;
an image synthesizing unit configured to:
receive images output from the first compensation unit or the second compensation unit;
and
synthesize the received images;
a single image selection unit configured to select at least one of the first image, the second image, and an auto-exposure image;
and
a control unit configured to, based on the calculated motion degree, allow the first and second images to be provided to the image synthesizing unit via at least one of the first compensation unit and the second compensation unit or to the single image selection unit,
wherein:
in response to the motion degree being global and lying within a permissible range of compensation, the control unit is further configured to allow the first and second images to be input into the image synthesizing unit via the first compensation unit;
in response to the motion degree being local and lying within the permissible range of compensation, the control unit is further configured to allow the first and second image to be input into the image synthesizing unit via the second compensation unit;
in response to the motion degree being composite and lying within the permissible range of compensation, the control unit is further configured to allow the first and second images to be input into the image synthesizing unit via the first and second compensation units;
and
in response to the motion degree lying outside the permissible range of compensation, the control unit is further configured to allow the first and second images to be input into the single image selection unit, and
wherein the first compensation unit is further configured to sequentially perform sub-sampling on the first image and the second image to reduce the longitudinal size and transverse size of the first and second images.

17 more elements

A method for obtaining a motion adaptive high dynamic range image, the method comprising:

receiving a first image and a second image that are taken using different exposure times;
calculating a motion degree of the second image by comparing the first image with the second image;
compensating the second image for global motion by a first compensation unit;
compensating the second image for local motion by a second compensation unit;
receiving images output from the first compensation unit or the second compensation unit by an image synthesizing unit;
synthesizing the received images by the image synthesizing unit;
selecting at least one of the first image, the second image, and an auto-exposure image by a single image selection unit;
based on the calculated motion degree, allowing the first and second images to be provided to the image synthesizing unit via at least one of the first compensation unit and the second compensation unit or to the single image selection unit,
wherein:
in response to the motion degree being global and lying within a permissible range of compensation, the allowing of the first and second images to be provided to the image synthesizing unit operation includes allowing the first and second images to be input into the image synthesizing unit via the first compensation unit;
in response to the motion degree being local and lying within the permissible range of compensation, the allowing of the first and second images to be provided to the image synthesizing unit operation includes allowing the first and second images to be input into the image synthesizing unit via the second compensation unit;
in response to the motion degree being composite and lying within the permissible range of compensation, the allowing of the first and second images to be provided to the image synthesizing unit operation includes allowing the first and second images to be input into the image synthesizing unit via the first and second compensation units;
and
in response to the motion degree lying outside the permissible range of compensation, the allowing of the first and second images to be provided to the image synthesizing unit operation includes allowing the first and second images to be input into the single image selection unit, and
wherein the global motion compensation is performed through an image stabilizer.

12 more elements

A method for obtaining a motion adaptive high dynamic range image, the method comprising:

receiving a first image and a second image that are taken using different exposure times;
calculating a motion degree of the second image by comparing the first image with the second image;
compensating the second image for global motion by a first compensation unit;
compensating the second image for local motion by a second compensation unit;
receiving images output from the first compensation unit or the second compensation unit by an image synthesizing unit;
synthesizing the received images by the image synthesizing unit;
selecting at least one of the first image, the second image, and an auto-exposure image by a single image selection unit;
based on the calculated motion degree, allowing the first and second images to be provided to the image synthesizing unit via at least one of the first compensation unit and the second compensation unit or to the single image selection unit,
wherein:
in response to the motion degree being global and lying within a permissible range of compensation, the allowing of the first and second images to be provided to the image synthesizing unit operation includes allowing the first and second images to be input into the image synthesizing unit via the first compensation unit;
in response to the motion degree being local and lying within the permissible range of compensation, the allowing of the first and second images to be provided to the image synthesizing unit operation includes allowing the first and second images to be input into the image synthesizing unit via the second compensation unit;
in response to the motion degree being composite and lying within the permissible range of compensation, the allowing of the first and second images to be provided to the image synthesizing unit operation includes allowing the first and second images to be input into the image synthesizing unit via the first and second compensation units;
and
in response to the motion degree lying outside the permissible range of compensation, the allowing of the first and second images to be provided to the image synthesizing unit operation includes allowing the first and second images to be input into the single image selection unit, and
wherein the first compensation unit is further configured to sequentially perform sub-sampling on the first image and the second image to reduce the longitudinal size and transverse size of the first and second images.

12 more elements

Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.

Facts

Application: 13/485,357Filed 31 May 2012
Priority: KR 10-2009-006738723 Jul 2009
Published: 20 Sep 2012
Term ends: Not estimatedThe source records don’t support an estimate.

Classification9 codes

H04N 23/73
Circuitry for compensating brightness variation in the scene: by influencing the exposure time
G06T 5/50
Image enhancement or restoration: using two or more images, e.g. averaging or subtraction
H04N 5/2625
Studio circuits, e.g. for mixing, switching-over, change of character of image, other special effects ; Cameras specially adapted for the…: for…
H04N 23/741
Circuitry for compensating brightness variation in the scene: by increasing the dynamic range of the image compared to the dynamic range of the…

Family

Application12/842,109Division · filed 23 Jul 2010
Application13/485,357Division
US 2011/0019014 A1Published application
US 8,379,094 B2Related patent
US 8,462,214 B2Related patent
US 2012/0236169 A1This patent

From the US filing history. Foreign family members aren’t listed.