Combined Imaging for Saturation Correction Without ND Filters
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing imaging technologies experience hue shifts and brightness decreases when combining images captured with divided exposure without a physical neutral density (ND) filter, leading to overexposure issues.
Innovation Solution
An imaging apparatus that includes processors to detect saturated regions, correct color and brightness, and generate combined images by integrating saturation-corrected and simple integrated images, effectively preventing hue shifts and brightness loss.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Illumination intensity
If divided exposure is performed without a physical ND filter to prevent overexposure, then exposure control is improved, but hue shift and brightness decrease occur in saturated regions
Solution Approach 1:
The patent applies preliminary action by detecting saturated regions in each divided exposure image before combining them. The processing unit identifies regions where pixel values are saturated and applies color correction and brightness enhancement to these regions in advance, so that when the images are combined, the saturated regions do not exhibit hue shift or brightness decrease. This preliminary correction ensures that the final combined image maintains high quality while achieving proper exposure control without a physical ND filter.
2Illumination intensity
If averaging processing is applied to combined images, then overexposure is prevented, but hue shift and brightness decrease occur in saturated regions
Solution Approach 1:
The patent applies local quality by performing different processing on different regions of the image. Specifically, the processing unit detects saturated regions and applies localized color correction and brightness enhancement only to these regions, while leaving non-saturated regions to undergo standard averaging processing. This region-specific approach allows the patent to maintain color accuracy and brightness in saturated areas while still achieving overexposure prevention through averaging in non-saturated areas.
3Illumination intensity
If a physical ND filter is attached to control exposure, then overexposure is prevented, but device complexity and cost increase
Solution Approach 1:
The patent applies mechanics substitution by replacing the mechanical ND filter system with a computational processing system. Instead of using a physical filter that requires attachment and removal, the patent captures multiple divided exposure images and uses processing units to detect saturated regions, apply corrections, and combine images. This substitution eliminates the need for mechanical filter components while achieving the same exposure control function, thereby reducing device complexity.
Data Source
AI summary
An imaging apparatus includes at least one memory configured to store instructions, and at least one processor coupled to the at least one memory and configured to execute the instructions to detect a saturated region in each of a plurality of images, correct at least one of colors and brightness in the saturated region and generate a plurality of saturation corrected images, generate a first combined image using the plurality of saturation corrected images, generate a second combined image using the plurality of images, and combine the first combined image and the second combined image to generate a third combined image.