Zoran Corporation

Csr Technology Inc.

Ohad Meitav

Shimon Pertsel

Eli Pozniansky

Daniel Seltz

Itzhak Shenberg

Erez Galil

A parameter of a digital camera or other digital image acquisition device is adjusted to maintain the resulting digital signal within a range carried by a digital processing path that carries a limited number of bits. The magnitude of the parameter is then also used to represent the image. Examples of the parameter include analog signal gain and exposure time. This is a cost effective way to increase the dynamic range of a digital camera, instead of increasing the width of its digital processing path. The digital data may be processed to obtain either tone mapped images, which are compatible with current cameras and other equipment, or to obtain images with a greater dynamic range for use with suitable displays and the like.

Digital camera with selectively increased dynamic range by control of parameters during image acquisition

Quantities of motion regarding an imaging device such as an electronic camera are calculated and used to adjust the exposure time and one or more other exposure parameters used to capture an image to improve the quality of the image. Motion blur caused by movement of the camera or by movement of an object within the scene being photographed is reduced by selecting appropriate exposure parameters. Further, when there is little or no motion detected, the exposure parameters may be selected to improve the depth of field and reduce the noise in the captured image.

Camera exposure optimization techniques that take camera and scene motion into account

An image capture system is presented where the dynamic range of photo imaging devices, such as a still or video camera, is increased by varying sensor exposure time on a pixel-by-pixel basis under digital camera processor control. The system's photo sensors are continuously illuminated without reset over the exposure interval. In addition to being interrogated at the end of the exposure interval, the pixels are also non-destructively interrogated at one or more intermediate times during the interval. At each interrogation, the image capture system determines individually whether the pixels have saturated and if not, the parameter value is recorded; if the pixel has saturated, the previously stored value from the preceding interval is maintained. To produce the final sensor value for the whole exposure interval, the data for pixels that reached the saturation level are adjusted to compensate for their shortened exposure.

Wide dynamic range image capturing system method and apparatus

A digital camera system in which capture, processing and storage functions are partitioned differently than in existing systems. A hand-held digital camera is used with a workstation that may exist in a commercial image processing service center. A minimal amount of image data processing is performed in the digital camera, thereby allowing significant digital camera cost reductions due to lower memory requirements, lower processing requirements, and lower power requirements. Real-time single pass image compression techniques are employed within this digital camera to permit rapid gathering and storage of raw or minimally processed image data. The workstation to which the image data are transferred performs the image processing normally done within existing cameras. This processing takes advantage of the increased computational power that is possible to have in such a workstation, compared to that of a small camera, and the increased time over which such processing may be performed.

Digital camera with reduced image buffer memory and minimal processing for recycling through a service center

An image capture system is presented where the dynamic range of photo imaging devices, such as a still or video camera, is increased by varying sensor exposure time on a pixel-by-pixel basis under digital camera processor control. The systems photo sensors are continuously illuminated without reset over the exposure interval. In addition to being interrogated at the end of the exposure interval, the pixels are also non-destructively interrogated at one or more intermediate times during the interval. At each interrogation, the image capture system determines individually whether the pixels have saturated and if not, the parameter value is recorded; if the pixel has saturated, the previously stored value from the preceding interval is maintained. To produce the final sensor value for the whole exposure interval, the data for pixels that reached the saturation level are adjusted to compensate for their shortened exposure.

Quantities of motion between images of an electronic camera are calculated and used to adjust the exposure time and one or more other exposure parameters used to capture an image in order to improve the quality of the image. Motion blur caused by movement of the camera or by movement of an object within the scene being photographed is reduced by selecting appropriate exposure parameters. Further, when there is little or no motion detected, the exposure parameters may be selected to improve the depth of field and reduce the noise in the captured image.

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Cupertino, CA, United States of America

Ohad Meitav