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  Image combination deviceUSPTO Application #: 20070040929Title: Image combination device Abstract: An image combination device which obtains a wide dynamic range image through combination of at least two images with different light exposure, including a photographing means for photographing an appropriate light exposure image and a different light exposure light image from the appropriate light exposure image, a dividing means for dividing a lower frequency region from the appropriate light exposure image on a frequency information of the appropriate light exposure image, a statistic means for calculating a statistics value relating to characteristic values of pixel signals in the lower frequency region, a determining means for determining a pixel signal level to divide pixel signals of the appropriate light exposure image into an appropriate region and a bright or dark region on the statistics value, and a combining means for correcting the appropriate light exposure image and the different light exposure image in tone commensurate with a light exposure ratio thereof and combining the appropriate light exposure image and the different light exposure image on the pixel signal level. (end of abstract)
Agent: Volpe And Koenig, P.C. - Philadelphia, PA, US Inventor: Yoshinori Ohno USPTO Applicaton #: 20070040929 - Class: 348362000 (USPTO) The Patent Description & Claims data below is from USPTO Patent Application 20070040929. Brief Patent Description - Full Patent Description - Patent Application Claims
[0001] This application is a continuation of U.S. application Ser. No. 10/412,875, filed Apr. 14, 2003, the entirety of which is incorporated by refernce, and claims the benefit of Japanese Application No. 2002-120261 filed Apr. 23, 2002, the contents of which are incorporated by this reference. BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION [0002] 1. Field of the Invention [0003] This invention relates to an image combination device which combines at least two images with their different light exposures to obtain wide dynamic range image with corrected luminance level. [0004] 2. Description of the Related Art [0005] Generally, in a solid-state image sensing device such a video camera or digital still camera, the dynamic range can not be enhanced efficiently, so that in the case of photographing in backlight or remarkable contrast, the background for an object becomes canescent if the light exposure is matched for the object and the object becomes black if the light exposure is matched for the background. As a result, the photographing process can not be performed efficiently. [0006] In this point of view, it is proposed to photograph plural images with their respective different light exposures, to define the too bright images and too dark images and to substitute the too bright images and too dark images with images of the appropriate light exposures to obtain a wide dynamic range image. [0007] In this case, however, the switching level for the too bright images and too dark image is defined uniformly, so that a psued-profile or an unnatural combined boundary is created in the resultant combined image. As a result, the quality of the combined image may be deteriorated. In this point of view, the switching level is an important factor in the high precise creation of the combined image. [0008] In Japanese patent Application laid-open 7-131708, such an image combination device is disclosed as to calculate thresholds for too bright regions and too dark regions through the brightness level control calculation at every combination of plural images with different their respective light exposures from an imaging device, and to substitute the too bright regions and too dark regions with non-standard images on the thresholds. In this case, the psued-profile, which is originated from ununiform brightness level due to the fluctuation of the illumination intensity, can be repressed in the resultant combined image. [0009] In Japanese patent Application laid-open 5-130499, such an image combination device is disclosed as to obtain a first image information and a second image information which are photographed with their respective different light exposures to make a brightness histogram on the first image information, to set the minimum bright level on the brightness histogram as a substitution standard brightness level, and to calculate the brightness average of the second image information. In this case, if some white areas are created on the brightness average, the pixels with brightness more than the standard brightness level are substituted, and if some black areas are created on the brightness average, the pixels with brightness less than the standard brightness level are substituted. SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION [0010] This invention relates to an image combination device (first image combination device) which obtains a wide dynamic range image through combination of at least two images with different light exposure, including: [0011] a photographing means for photographing an appropriate light exposure image and a different light exposure light image from the appropriate light exposure image, [0012] a dividing means for dividing a lower frequency region from the appropriate light exposure image, [0013] a statistic means for calculating a statistics value relating to characteristic values of pixel signals in the lower frequency region, [0014] a determining means for determining a pixel signal level to divide pixel signals of the appropriate light exposure image into an appropriate region and a bright or dark region on the statistics value, [0015] and [0016] a combining means for correcting the appropriate light exposure image and the different light exposure image in tone commensurate with a light exposure ratio thereof and combining the appropriate light exposure image and the different light exposure image on the pixel signal level. [0017] This invention also relates to an image combination device (second image combination device) which obtains a wide dynamic range image through combination of at least two images with different light exposure, including: [0018] a photographing means for photographing an appropriate light exposure image and a different light exposure light image from the appropriate light exposure image, [0019] a dividing means for dividing a lower frequency region from the appropriate light exposure image, [0020] a limiting means for determining a pixel signal level range which is composed of lower or higher pixel signals in brightness than a predetermined value within a range of the different light exposure image corresponding to the lower frequency region of the appropriate light exposure image, [0021] and [0022] a combining means for correcting the appropriate light exposure image and the different light exposure image in tone commensurate with a light exposure ratio thereof and combining the appropriate light exposure image and the different light exposure image on the pixel signal level. 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