Strobe Image Synthesis with Gain Processing and Noise Reduction
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing image processing methods struggle to properly synthesize strobe-illuminated and non-strobe-illuminated images, especially in scenes with human subjects, resulting in unnatural images due to improper handling of illumination conditions.
Innovation Solution
An image processing apparatus and method that involves continuous photography with a strobe unit and without, setting lower sensitivity for strobe-illuminated images, performing gain processing, averaging non-strobe-illuminated images, and synthesizing them based on calculated strobe illumination amounts to maintain natural image brightness.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Illumination intensity
If strobe-illuminated image is used for synthesis in shadow areas, then brightness is improved, but naturalness deteriorates
Solution Approach 1:
The patent applies local quality by differentiating synthesis processing based on spatial location and illumination conditions. It identifies shadow areas versus non-shadow areas and applies different synthesis strategies to each region, using strobe-illuminated images only in non-shadow areas to maintain naturalness while improving brightness where appropriate
2Illumination intensity
If high sensitivity is used for non-strobe photographing, then brightness is improved, but noise increases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent merges multiple image sources (strobe-illuminated image and multiple non-strobe-illuminated images) into a single synthesized image. By combining these images with different characteristics, it achieves both adequate brightness and reduced noise through the averaging process applied to the non-strobe images
3Speed
If simple brightness comparison synthesis is used, then processing speed is improved, but image quality deteriorates
Solution Approach 1:
The patent segments the synthesis process into distinct stages: shadow area detection, shadow area identification, gain processing parameter calculation, and selective synthesis. This segmentation allows for more sophisticated processing that improves image quality while maintaining reasonable processing speed through systematic organization
Data Source
AI summary
An image processing apparatus capable of properly synthesizing a strobe-illuminated image and non-strobe-illuminated images, irrespective of a condition for illuminating a photographic subject. A sensitivity of strobe emission photographing is set to be lower than a sensitivity of non-strobe emission photographing, and a strobe-illuminated image and plural sheets of non-strobe-illuminated images are continuously photographed with the set sensitivities. The strobe-illuminated image is gain-processed with a gain amount, and positional deviations of the plural sheets of non-strobe-illuminated images relative to the strobe-illuminated image are corrected. An averaged image obtained by synthesizing the gain-processed image and the images after the positional deviation correction is synthesized with the strobe-illuminated image, while taking account of amounts of strobe illumination in the strobe-illuminated image, thereby obtaining a synthesized image.