Image capturing apparatus and method for obtaining images with broad brightness range
US6833864B1 · kind B1 · utility
Assignee
Inventor
Key dates
| Filing date | Jul 8, 1999 |
| Grant date | Dec 21, 2004 |
| Priority date | — |
| Expiry date | Jul 8, 2019 |
Classification
- Technology area (CPC H)Electricity
- CPC primaryH04N23/75
- WIPO fieldAudio-visual technology
- WIPO sectorElectrical engineering
Abstract
An image capturing apparatus determines whether, if images are sequentially captured at a predetermined time interval, a main subject will hardly move in the images. The determination is made based on the detection by a tripod detection switch, which detects whether the image capturing apparatus is mounted on a tripod or not, etc. Only when it is determined that the main subject will be at the same position in the images, an imaging device including a solid state image sensor captures images multiple times at the predetermined time interval while an exposure control part changes exposures for the plurality of images, respectively. Then, the plurality of images with different exposures are combined into one image. Consequently, it is possible to combine the captured images, in which the main subject is at the same position, to obtain a desirable image with a broad dynamic range.
Source: USPTO / EPO open patent data. Objective bibliographic and citation counts.