Image Capture Exposure Control for High-Contrast Scenes
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Solution Overview
Problem
Conventional camera systems face difficulties in capturing images of objects in high-contrast scenes, particularly when objects are backlit or frontlit, as they struggle to maintain suitable exposure settings due to changes in light source brightness or position, leading to potential missed opportunities for capturing well-exposed images.
Innovation Solution
An apparatus that determines an object region in an image, generates a similar pixel map to identify regions with matching luminance values in the background, and adjusts exposure based on these values to ensure proper luminance evaluation, even when the light source changes.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Adaptability or versatility
If exposure is controlled based on the amount of light of the entire image, then the exposure responds to changes in light source intensity, but it becomes difficult to capture objects in high-contrast states with suitable exposure
Solution Approach 1:
The image is segmented into multiple regions including a first region (object region) and a second region (background region). The exposure control is performed separately for each region based on their respective luminance characteristics, allowing the system to handle high-contrast scenes where the object and background have significantly different luminance levels.
Solution Approach 2:
Different exposure control strategies are applied to different regions of the image. The first region (object) and second region (background) are treated with different luminance evaluation methods, enabling localized optimization of exposure for each region's specific lighting conditions.
2Measurement precision
If manual exposure setting is used to capture objects in high-contrast states, then suitable exposure can be achieved, but the exposure setting becomes outdated when light source brightness or position changes
Solution Approach 1:
The system continuously monitors the luminance characteristics of both the object region and background region, and dynamically adjusts the exposure settings based on this feedback. This closed-loop control ensures that the exposure remains appropriate even when lighting conditions change, eliminating the need for manual re-adjustment.
Solution Approach 2:
The exposure control system transitions from a static manual setting to a dynamic automated adjustment mechanism. The exposure parameters are continuously updated based on real-time luminance measurements from both object and background regions, allowing the system to adapt to changing lighting conditions.
3Measurement precision
If object detection is performed from each received captured image to adjust exposure, then exposure can be controlled for object luminance, but it takes time to adjust and may miss capture opportunities in monitoring scenarios
Solution Approach 1:
The system performs preliminary luminance evaluation on both the object region and background region to determine the appropriate exposure settings before the actual image capture. This pre-calculation of exposure parameters based on region luminance characteristics allows for immediate exposure adjustment when the image is captured, eliminating delays associated with post-capture analysis.
4Adaptability or versatility
If the entire image luminance is used for exposure control, then the exposure responds to overall light changes, but it cannot distinguish between object and background luminance in high-contrast scenes
Solution Approach 1:
The image is segmented into multiple regions including a first region (object region) and a second region (background region). The exposure control is performed separately for each region based on their respective luminance characteristics, allowing the system to handle high-contrast scenes where the object and background have significantly different luminance levels.
Solution Approach 2:
Different exposure control strategies are applied to different regions of the image. The first region (object) and second region (background) are treated with different luminance evaluation methods, enabling localized optimization of exposure for each region's specific lighting conditions.
Data Source
AI summary
An apparatus configured to control an exposure of a capturing unit includes a determination unit configured to determine an object region from a first image captured by the capturing unit and containing a predetermined object, an acquisition unit configured to acquire a region having a similar luminance value to a luminance value of the determined object region from a region other than the object region, and an adjustment unit configured to adjust the exposure of the capturing unit based on a luminance value of the region acquired by the acquisition unit in a second image captured by the capturing unit.