IP Library Granted Patent US 7,612,804
Granted Patent B1
US 7,612,804 · App. 11/059,110 · Granted Nov 3, 2009

Methods and apparatuses for image processing

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Quick Facts
Patent No.
US 7,612,804
App. No.
11/059,110
Granted
Nov 3, 2009
Kind
B1
Abstract

Methods and apparatuses for generating a low dynamic range image for a high dynamic range scene. In one aspect, a method to generate a low dynamic range image from a high dynamic range image, includes: determining one or more regions of the high dynamic range image containing pixels having values that are outside a first range and inside a second range; computing a weight distribution from the one or more regions; and generating the low dynamic range image from the high dynamic range image using the weight distribution. In another aspect, a method of image processing, includes: detecting one or more regions in a first image of a high dynamic range scene according to a threshold to generate a mask; and blending the first image and a second image of the scene to generate a third image using the mask.

Claims (20)

1. A data processing system of image processing, the data processing system comprising:

means for detecting one or more regions in a first image of a high dynamic range scene by comparing values for pixels of the first image with a threshold to generate a mask; and

means for blurring the mask to generate a weight distribution;

means for blending the first image and a second image of the high dynamic range scene to generate a third image of the high dynamic range scene according to the weight distribution.

2. The data processing system of claim 1 , wherein the first and second images are taken from a same scene using different exposure settings.

3. The data processing system of claim 1 , wherein the first and second images are low dynamic images derived from a high dynamic image.

4. An image capturing device, comprising:

memory;

an image sensing device coupled to the memory to generate a plurality of images of a scene with a plurality of exposure durations; and

a processing circuit coupled to the image sensing device, the processing circuit to detect one or more regions in a first image of the plurality of images by comparing values for pixels of the first image with a threshold to generate a mask, the processing circuit to blur the mask to generate a weight distribution, and the processing circuit to blend the first image and a second image of the plurality of images to generate a third image of the scene according to the weight distribution.

5. The device of claim 4 , further comprising:

a housing; and

a lens coupled to the housing;

wherein the processing circuit and the image sensing device are enclosed within the housing.

6. The device of claim 4 , wherein the processing circuit is to further scale the first and second images into a first and second target pixel value ranges.

7. The device of claim 6 , wherein the first and second target pixel value ranges are partially overlapping.

8. The device of claim 7 , further comprising:

a housing; and

a lens coupled to the housing;

wherein the processing circuit and the image sensing device are enclosed within the housing.

Assignments (2)
CHANGE OF NAME Recorded Apr 30, 2007
From: APPLE COMPUTER, INC.
To: APPLE INC.
Reel/Frame 019242/0547 →
ASSIGNMENT OF ASSIGNOR'S INTEREST Recorded Feb 15, 2005
From: MARCU, GABRIEL G.; SWEN, STEVEN
To: APPLE COMPUTER, INC.
Reel/Frame 016289/0300 →