US 9,438,827 B2 · Imaging systems and methods for generating binned high-dynamic-range images

Abstract

Electronic devices may include image sensors that capture interleaved images having rows of long-exposure pixel values interleaved with rows of short-exposure pixel values. Processing circuitry in the electronic device may (spatially) partition the interleaved images into multiple bins. The processing circuitry may generate a weighted long-exposure pixel value for each bin and a weighted short-exposure pixel value for each bin. The weighted long and short exposure values in each bin may be combined to generate a binned high-dynamic-range (HDR) pixel value for that bin. The processing circuitry may output a binned HDR image formed from the binned HDR pixel values to additional circuitry such as video processing circuitry for performing additional image processing operations. If desired, the image sensor and processing circuitry may be combined into an integrated structure that generates a single binned HDR pixel value and multiple integrated structures may be used.

Claims20

Dependent claims

A method of using an imaging system having image processing circuitry to process an interleaved high-dynamic-range image having rows of short-exposure pixel values interleaved with rows of long exposure-pixel values, the method comprising:

with the image processing circuitry, partitioning the interleaved high-dynamic-range image into at least first and second pixel value bins;
with the image processing circuitry, generating a weighted long-exposure pixel value by performing a linear combination of long-exposure pixel values in the first pixel value bin;
with the image processing circuitry, generating a weighted short-exposure pixel value by performing a linear combination of short-exposure pixel values in the first pixel value bin;
and
with the image processing circuitry, generating a binned pixel value by performing a linear combination of the weighted long-exposure pixel value and the weighted short-exposure pixel value.

2 more elements

A method of using an image sensor and image processing circuitry to generate a binned high-dynamic-range image, the method comprising:

with the image sensor, capturing a high-dynamic-range image having rows of long-exposure pixel values interleaved with rows of short-exposure pixel values;
with the image processing circuitry, partitioning the captured high-dynamic-range image into a plurality of pixel value regions, wherein each pixel value region comprises pixel values from at least one row of long-exposure pixel values and at least one row of short-exposure pixel values, and wherein each row of long-exposure pixel values and each row of short-exposure pixel values include pixel values from multiple pixel value regions;
and
with the image processing circuitry, combining the pixel values in each pixel value region of the plurality of pixel value regions to generate a plurality of binned pixel values for the binned high-dynamic-range image.

1 more element

A system, comprising:

a central processing unit;
memory;
input-output circuitry;
and
an imaging device, wherein the imaging device comprises:
a pixel array;
a lens that focuses an image onto the pixel array, wherein the pixel array is configured to capture an interleaved high-dynamic-range image having rows of short-exposure pixel values interleaved with rows of long exposure-pixel values;
and
processing circuitry, wherein the processing circuitry comprises:
a high-dynamic-range binning engine configured to partition the captured interleaved high-dynamic-range image into at least first and second pixel value zones;
a filtering engine configured to generate a weighted long-exposure pixel value by performing a linear combination of long-exposure pixel values in the first pixel value zone and configured to generate a weighted short-exposure pixel value by performing a linear combination of short-exposure pixel values in the first pixel value zone;
and
a high-dynamic-range image reconstruction engine configured to generate a combined high-dynamic-range pixel value for a binned high-dynamic-range image by performing a linear combination of the weighted long-exposure pixel value and the weighted short-exposure pixel value.

10 more elements

Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.

Imaging systems and methods for generating binned high-dynamic-range images

Life of this patent

Imaging systems and methods for generating binned high-dynamic-range images

Life of this patent

Abstract

Claims20