High Dynamic Range Tone Mapping via Metering Mode Target Areas
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing image processing technologies fail to effectively perform high dynamic range processing that reflects the shooting intentions of photographers, particularly in cases where overexposure or underexposure occurs, and do not adequately adjust contrast to match the photographer's desired image tone distribution.
Innovation Solution
An image processing device that acquires metering mode information to set a target area for calculating representative luminance, determines conditions for high dynamic range processing based on this luminance, and performs tone mapping to allocate more tones to the representative luminance and surrounding luminances, ensuring the processed image aligns with the photographer's shooting intentions.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Ease of operation
If tone mapping is performed based on representative luminance calculated from entire image, then the image achieves displayable contrast, but the contrast of the entire high dynamic range processed image decreases or fails to match photographer's intention
Solution Approach 1:
The patent applies local quality by calculating representative luminance separately for different regions (highlight region and shadow region) rather than using a single global value. This allows different parts of the image to have different tone mapping characteristics, preserving local contrast while achieving displayable overall contrast. The highlight region and shadow region are processed with different representative luminance values to maintain their respective tonal qualities.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent segments the image into different regions (highlight region and shadow region) and calculates representative luminance for each segment independently. This segmentation allows the tone mapping to preserve the intended contrast in each region while achieving displayable contrast overall, resolving the contradiction between global displayability and local tone accuracy.
2Productivity
If high dynamic range processing is performed without considering metering mode information, then processing speed is maintained, but the processed image fails to reflect the photographer's shooting intention
Solution Approach 1:
The patent applies preliminary action by acquiring metering mode information before performing high dynamic range processing. This pre-acquired information is then used to determine the target area and calculate appropriate representative luminance values, ensuring that the processing reflects the photographer's shooting intention from the outset rather than requiring post-processing adjustments.
Solution Approach 2:
The system uses the metering mode information that the photographer has already provided to automatically determine the processing parameters. The metering mode information serves as self-service input that guides the entire high dynamic range processing pipeline, eliminating the need for additional manual intervention while ensuring intention fidelity.
3Device complexity
If the target area for representative luminance calculation is set to the entire image, then calculation is simple, but the tone mapping does not reflect the photographer's focused subject or shooting intention
Solution Approach 1:
The patent applies local quality by determining a specific target area within the image based on metering mode information, rather than using the entire image. This allows the representative luminance calculation to focus on the relevant subject area, improving subject focus accuracy while maintaining reasonable calculation complexity through automated target area determination.
Data Source
AI summary
There are provided an image processing device, an imaging apparatus, an image processing method, and a program that are capable of performing high dynamic range processing that reflects a shooting intention of a photographer. An image processing device (31) includes a metering mode information acquiring unit (101) that acquires metering mode information indicating a metering mode set from among a plurality of metering modes; a target area setting unit (103) that sets, on the basis of the metering mode information, a target area that is to be used to calculate a representative luminance that is to be used in high dynamic range processing; a first luminance calculating unit (105) that calculates the representative luminance on the basis of luminance information of the target area set by the target area setting unit; and a first condition determining unit (107) that determines a first condition of the high dynamic range processing on the basis of the representative luminance calculated by the first luminance calculating unit.