EP1173010A2
Expired / Lapsed
EP
⏱️ 0.0 years remaining
Method and apparatus to extend the effective dynamic range of an image sensing device
Assignee: Omnivision Technologies Inc
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Filing: 2001-07-02
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Granted: —
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Expires: 2021-07-02
Abstract
Abstract An image capture system generates an extended effective dynamic range from a signal provided by an image sensor by utilizing an image sensing device having standard photosites with a predetermined response to a light exposure and non-standard photosites with a slower response to the same light exposure. An optical section exposes the image sensing device to image light, thereby causing the image sensing device to generate an image signal and a processing section expands the response of the standard photosites to increased light exposures by utilizing the image signals from neighboring non-standard photosites. Furthermore, the processing section may expand the response of the non-standard photosites to decreased light exposures by utilizing the image signals from neighboring standard photosites. The differential response of the image sensor is provided by a structural element, such as an array of lenslets, a mask or a neutral density filter, overlying the photosites and providing the standard photosites with a predetermined standard response to a light exposure and the non-standard photosites with a slower response to the same light exposure.
Inventors
- 👤 Andrew C. c/o Eastman Kodak Company Gallagher
- 👤 David Newell c/o Eastman Kodak Company Nichols
Bibliographic Details
Application Number
—
Jurisdiction
EP
Data Source
google_patents
Last Synchronized
2026-11-09 14:10
CPC Classifications
H; H04; H04N; H04N25/00; H04N25/50; H04N25/57; H04N25/58; H04N25/581; H04N25/585; H04N23/00; H04N23/80; H04N23/84; H04N23/843; H04N25/10; H04N25/11; H04N25/13; H04N25/134
Claims Analysis
Total Claims: 11
Claim 1
Independent Claim
99 words
An image capture system for generating an extended
effective dynamic range from a signal provided by an image sensor, said image
capture system comprising: an image sensing device having standard photosites with a
predetermined response to a light exposure and non-standard photosites with a
slower response to the same light exposure; an optical section for exposing the image sensing device to image
light, thereby causing the image sensing device to generate an image signal; and a processing section for expanding the response of the standard
photosites to increased light exposures by utilizing the image signals from
neighboring non-standard photosites.
Claim 2
Dependent Claim
33 words
The image capture system as claimed in claim 1 wherein the
processing section expands the response of the non-standard photosites to
decreased light exposures by utilizing the image signals from neighboring
standard photosites.
Claim 3
Dependent Claim
116 words
The image capture system as claimed in claim 2 wherein the
processing section further comprises: means for processing the image signals against a plurality of
thresholds, including a high exposure response threshold for the standard
photosites and a low exposure response threshold for the non-standard photosites; means for replacing the image signals from standard photosites
exceeding the high exposure response threshold with a combination of the image
signals from a neighborhood of non-standard photosites; and means for replacing the image signals from non-standard photosites
less than the low exposure response threshold with a combination of the image
signals from a neighborhood of standard photosites, thereby producing an output
image signal with an extended effective dynamic range.
Claim 4
Dependent Claim
39 words
The image capture system as claimed in claim 1 wherein the
image sensing device and the optical section are part of a digital camera and the
processing section is part of a host computer separate from the digital camera.
Claim 5
Dependent Claim
17 words
The image capture system as claimed in claim 4 wherein the
processor is accessible via a network
Claim 6
Dependent Claim
27 words
The image capture system as claimed in claim 1 wherein the
image sensing device, the optical section and the processing section are included
in a digital camera.
Claim 7
Dependent Claim
29 words
The image capture system as claimed in claim 1 wherein the
non-standard photosites have a response that is slower by at least one stop
compared to the standard photosites.
Claim 8
Dependent Claim
15 words
The image capture system as claimed in claim 1 wherein the
photosites are monochromatic photosites.
Claim 9
Dependent Claim
34 words
The image capture system as claimed in claim 1 wherein the
photosites are color photosites and the neighboring non-standard photosites are of
the same color as standard photosite being processed by the processing section.
Claim 10
Dependent Claim
131 words
An image capture device providing an extended effective
dynamic range, said image capture device comprising: an image sensing device having standard photosites with a
predetermined standard response to a light exposure and non-standard photosites
with a slower response to the same light exposure; an optical section for exposing the image sensing device to image
light, thereby causing the image sensing device to generate an image signal; means for converting the image signal into digital image signals
corresponding to the output of the standard and non-standard photosites; and a processor that expands the response of the standard photosites to
increased exposures by utilizing the digital image signals from neighboring non-standard
photosites and expands the response of the non-standard photosites to
decreased exposures by utilizing the digital image signals from neighboring
standard photosites.
Claim 11
Independent Claim
88 words
A method for generating an extended effective dynamic
range from a signal provided by an image sensor, said method comprising the
steps of: generating image signals from an image sensing device having
standard photosites with a predetermined standard response to a light exposure
and non-standard photosites with a slower response to the same light exposure;
and expanding the dynamic range of selected photosites to extreme
exposures by utilizing the image signals from neighboring photosites having a
response, either standard or non-standard, opposite to that of the selected
photosites.
References Cited (Backward Citations)
No citation records indexed.
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