IP Library Granted Patent US 9,460,492
Granted Patent B2
US 9,460,492 · App. 14/270,851 · Granted Oct 4, 2016

Apparatus and method for image processing

Inventor: Tsuzuki Takeru (Changwon-si, KR)
Assignee: Hanwha Techwin Co., Ltd.
G06T5/002G06T5/50G06T2207/10144G06T2207/20221
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Quick Facts
Patent No.
US 9,460,492
App. No.
14/270,851
Granted
Oct 4, 2016
Kind
B2
Abstract

Disclosed is an apparatus for image processing including a first low pass filter (LPF) which removes high-frequency components from selection information about image data selection between a long-exposure image and a short-exposure image, a movement detector which obtains movement detection information by detecting movement from at least one of the images, a second LPF which removes high-frequency components from the movement detection information, a selector which obtains selection results by selecting one of the selection information from which the high-frequency components are not removed by the first LPF and the selection information from which the high-frequency components are removed by the first LPF, for each pixel group based on the movement detection information from which the high-frequency components have been removed, and a composer which composes the long-exposure image and the short-exposure image based on the selection results.

Claims (26)

1. An image processing apparatus for generating a composite image, the apparatus comprising at least one processor to implement:

a first low pass filter (LPF) configured to remove high-frequency components from first selection information about image data selection between a long-exposure image and a short-exposure image for each pixel of the composite image, thereby generating second selection information;

a movement detector configured to obtain first movement detection information that identifies pixels corresponding to movement captured in at least one of the long-exposure image and the short-exposure image;

a second LPF configured to remove high-frequency components from the first movement detection information, thereby generating second movement detection information;

a selector configured to obtain selection results by exclusively selecting one of the first selection information and the second selection information for each pixel of the composite image based on the second movement detection information; and

a composer configured to generate the composite image by combining the long-exposure image and the short-exposure image based on the selection results.

2. The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the at least one processor further comprises another selector configured to generate the first selection information.

3. The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the first selection information indicates which image data between the long-exposure image and the short-exposure image is to be used for the each pixel of the composite image, or pixel mixture ratios of the long-exposure image and the short-exposure image for each pixel of the composite image.

4. The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the selector is configured to:

select the second selection information for second pixels of the composite image which are identified by the second movement detection information as corresponding to the movement, and select the first selection information for first pixels of the composite image which are different from the second pixels.

5. The apparatus of claim 4 , wherein the second selection information specifies image data selection between the long-exposure image and the short-exposure image.

6. The apparatus of claim 5 , wherein the second selection information indicates which image data between the long-exposure image and the short-exposure image is to be used for each pixel of the composite image, or pixel mixture ratios of the long-exposure image and the short-exposure image for each pixel of the composite image.

7. The apparatus of claim 4 , wherein the second selection information indicates which image data between the long-exposure image and the short-exposure image is to be used for each pixel of the composite image, or pixel mixture ratios of the long-exposure image and the short-exposure image for each pixel of the composite image.

8. A method for generating a composite image, the method comprising:

removing high-frequency components from first selection information about image data selection between a long-exposure image and a short-exposure image for each pixel of the composite image, thereby generating second selection information;

obtaining first movement detection information that identifies pixels corresponding to movement captured in at least one of the long-exposure image and the short-exposure image;

removing high-frequency components from the first movement detection information, thereby generating second movement detection information;

obtaining selection results by exclusively selecting one of the first selection information and the second selection information for each pixel of the composite image based on the second movement detection information; and

generate the composite image by combining the long-exposure image and the short-exposure image based on the selection results.

9. The method of claim 8 , further comprising obtaining the long-exposure image and the short-exposure image using one sensor in a time-division manner to generate the first selection information about the image data selection between the long-exposure image and the short-exposure image.

10. The method of claim 8 , wherein the first selection information indicates which image data between the long-exposure image and the short-exposure image is to be used for each pixel of the composite image, or pixel mixture ratios of the long-exposure image and the short-exposure image for each pixel of the composite image.

11. The method of claim 8 , wherein the selection results are obtained by:

selecting the second selection information for second pixels of the composite image which are identified by the second movement detection information as corresponding to the movement, and select the first selection information for first pixels of the composite image which are different from the second pixels.

12. The method of claim 11 , further comprising obtaining the long-exposure image and the short-exposure image using one sensor in a time-division manner to generate the first selection information about the image data selection between the long-exposure image and the short-exposure image.

13. The method of claim 12 , wherein the second selection information indicates which image data between the long-exposure image and the short-exposure image is to be used for each pixel of the composite image, or pixel mixture ratios of the long-exposure image and the short-exposure image for each pixel of the composite image.

14. The method of claim 11 , wherein the second selection information indicates which image data between the long-exposure image and the short-exposure image is to be used for each pixel of the composite image, or pixel mixture ratios of the long-exposure image and the short-exposure image for each pixel of the composite image.

Assignments (6)
CHANGE OF NAME Recorded Aug 10, 2023
From: HANWHA TECHWIN CO., LTD.
To: HANWHA VISION CO., LTD.
Reel/Frame 064549/0075 →
ASSIGNMENT OF ASSIGNOR'S INTEREST Recorded Apr 26, 2019
From: HANWHA AEROSPACE CO., LTD.
To: HANWHA TECHWIN CO., LTD.
Reel/Frame 049013/0723 →
CORRECTIVE ASSIGNMENT TO CORRECT THE APPLICATION NUMBER 10/853,669. IN ADDITION PLEASE SEE EXHIBIT A PREVIOUSLY RECORDED ON REEL 046927 FRAME 0019. ASSIGNOR(S) HEREBY CONFIRMS THE CHANGE OF NAME. Recorded Jan 17, 2019
From: HANWHA TECHWIN CO., LTD.
To: HANWHA AEROSPACE CO., LTD.
Reel/Frame 048496/0596 →
CHANGE OF NAME Recorded Aug 24, 2018
From: HANWHA TECHWIN CO., LTD
To: HANWHA AEROSPACE CO., LTD.
Reel/Frame 046927/0019 →
CHANGE OF NAME Recorded Jul 30, 2015
From: SAMSUNG TECHWIN CO., LTD.
To: HANWHA TECHWIN CO., LTD.
Reel/Frame 036233/0327 →
ASSIGNMENT OF ASSIGNOR'S INTEREST Recorded May 6, 2014
From: TAKERU, TSUZUKI
To: SAMSUNG TECHWIN CO., LTD.
Reel/Frame 032832/0084 →
Priority Claims (2)
JP 2013-0100509 · May 10, 2013 · national
KR 10-2013-0135848 · Nov 8, 2013 · national
Continuity (1)
Related Publication 20140334741A1 · Nov 13, 2014