Image Pickup Apparatus Flicker Exposure Switching
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Solution Overview
Problem
High-speed shutter photographing under flickering light sources in digital cameras leads to frame-by-frame exposure variation and color temperature changes, causing image blur and noise, which reduces image quality and frame speed in continuous photography.
Innovation Solution
An image pickup apparatus with a detection unit for identifying flicker peak timing, a switching mechanism to alternate between synchronous and non-synchronous exposure modes based on frame speed, and a correction unit for brightness adjustment to minimize flicker influence while maintaining high frame rates.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Manufacturing precision
If exposure is performed synchronous with flicker peak timing, then flicker influence on image quality is reduced, but frame speed is reduced due to release time lag
Solution Approach 1:
The patent implements dynamic switching between two exposure modes (first exposure synchronous with flicker peak and second exposure non-synchronous) based on real-time detection of flicker timing and current frame speed requirements. This dynamic adaptation allows the system to optimize between image quality and frame speed for each individual frame, resolving the contradiction by making the exposure mode flexible rather than fixed.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent changes the exposure timing parameter dynamically - switching between synchronous and non-synchronous exposure timing based on detected flicker characteristics and frame speed requirements. Additionally, the correction unit adjusts brightness parameters of captured images to compensate for flicker effects, thereby maintaining image quality while enabling faster frame rates.
2Manufacturing precision
If signal level correction is performed by multiplying by gain, then exposure variation is corrected, but noise is generated and image quality degrades
Solution Approach 1:
The patent converts the harmful effect of flicker-induced exposure variation into a beneficial correction process. By detecting flicker timing and calculating appropriate correction values, the system transforms the problem of exposure inconsistency into an opportunity for precise brightness adjustment. The correction unit uses these calculated values to adjust image brightness, thereby converting the harmful exposure variation into a controlled correction process that improves overall image consistency without excessive noise amplification.
Data Source
AI summary
A mechanism which makes it possible to obtain high-quality images in continuous photographing by reducing the influence of flicker while suppressing reduction of frame speed. An image pickup apparatus includes an image pickup device and an exposure unit configured to perform exposure of the image pickup device in response to a photographing instruction. An AE sensor detects peak timing of flicker. A camera CPU switches between peak synchronous exposure in which exposure operation is performed by making the same synchronous with the peak timing of flicker and normal exposure in which exposure operation is performed without making the same synchronous with the peak timing of flicker. The camera CPU corrects a photographed image obtained by the normal exposure. The camera CPU switches between the peak synchronous exposure and the normal exposure, based on the detected peak timing of flicker.