SYSTEM, METHOD, AND COMPUTER PROGRAM FOR CAPTURING A FLASH IMAGE BASED ON AMBIENT AND FLASH METERING

1 . An apparatus, comprising:

a non-transitory memory storing instructions; and

one or more processors in communication with the non-transitory memory, wherein the one or more processors execute the instructions to:

meter a first flash condition, using the camera module, for a first flash frame;

determine a first flash capture time based on the metering of the first flash condition, wherein metering the first flash condition includes a pre-metering capture;

enable a flash circuit during an active period;

capture, using the rolling shutter image sensor, the first flash frame based on a first flash capture time; and

generate a final image based on the first flash frame.

2 . The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein metering the first ambient condition includes identifying a white balance.

3 . The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein metering the first flash condition includes capturing multiple metering images.

4 . The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein metering the first flash condition includes a repetitive metering operation.

5 . The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein metering the first ambient condition results in a first set of exposure parameters and metering the first flash condition results in a second set of exposure parameters.

6 . The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein an exposure time of the first flash condition is less than an exposure time of the first ambient condition.

7 . The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein metering the first flash condition includes determining one or more of: a flash duration, a flash intensity, and a flash color.

8 . The apparatus of claim 1 , comprising further instructions to:

capture a second image based on the first ambient capture time;

capture a third image based on the first flash capture time;

blend the second image and the third image to create a fourth image.

9 . The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein metering the first flash condition includes determining exposure parameters that satisfy an exposure goal.

10 . The apparatus of claim 9 , wherein the exposure goal ensures that not more than five percent of over-exposed pixels are contained within the final image.

11 . The apparatus of claim 9 , wherein the exposure goal provides a limit on a number of over-exposed pixels within the final image.

12 . The apparatus of claim 9 , wherein the exposure goal includes a set intensity goal including a range of goal values or a fixed goal value.

13 . The apparatus of claim 9 , wherein the exposure goal bounds over-exposed pixels associated with the metering of the first flash condition to over-exposed pixels associated with the metering of the first ambient condition.

14 . The apparatus of claim 9 , wherein the exposure goal is associated with a point of interest.

15 . The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the first flash condition is used to determine a flash intensity.

16 . The apparatus of claim 15 , wherein the flash intensity is used to control over-exposed pixels or is used to satisfy an exposure goal.

17 . The apparatus of claim 15 , wherein the flash intensity is based on the metering of the first ambient condition and a distance to a flash point of interest.

18 . The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the active period ends before a scan out of the first flash frame.

19 . An apparatus, comprising:

a non-transitory memory storing instructions; and

one or more processors in communication with the non-transitory memory, wherein the one or more processors execute the instructions to:

meter a first flash condition, using the camera module, for a first flash frame;

determine a first flash capture time based on the metering of the first flash condition, wherein metering the first flash condition includes a pre-metering capture;

enable a flash circuit during an active period;

capture, using the rolling shutter image sensor, the first flash frame based on a first flash capture time; and

generate a final image based on the first flash frame.

20 . A method, comprising:

metering a first flash condition, using the camera module, for a first flash frame;

determining a first flash capture time based on the metering of the first flash condition, wherein metering the first flash condition includes a pre-metering capture;

enabling a flash circuit during an active period;

capturing, using the rolling shutter image sensor, the first flash frame based on a first flash capture time; and

generating a final image based on the first flash frame.