Image capture control method and apparatus, and image capture device

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-10277841-B2
Application number	US-201615378433-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Dec 14, 2016
Priority date	Dec 28, 2015
Publication date	Apr 30, 2019
Grant date	Apr 30, 2019

Abstract

This application discloses an image capture control method and apparatus, and an image capture device, wherein the method comprises: configuring different exposure periods for at least two photosensitive areas of a photosensitive array; determining start exposure times of the photosensitive areas, wherein a start exposure time of a photosensitive area having a relatively long exposure period is earlier than a start exposure time of a photosensitive area having a relatively short exposure period, and exposure of the photosensitive areas is completed in a longest exposure period of the exposure periods; and controlling exposure of the corresponding photosensitive areas according to the determined exposure periods and the start exposure times of the exposure periods. This application can improve quality of an HDR image by using a total exposure time as short as possible.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. An image capture control method, comprising:
configuring different exposure periods for at least two photosensitive areas of a photosensitive array;
determining start exposure times of the photosensitive areas, wherein a start exposure time of a photosensitive area having a relatively long exposure period is earlier than a start exposure time of a photosensitive area having a relatively short exposure period, and exposure of the photosensitive areas is completed in a longest exposure period of the exposure periods; and
controlling exposure of the corresponding photosensitive areas according to the determined exposure periods and the start exposure times of the exposure periods, wherein the determining start exposure times of the photosensitive areas comprises: aligning midpoints of the exposure periods to determine the start exposure times of the photosensitive areas relative to a reference time;
reading, during exposure completion of a photosensitive area having a relatively short exposure period to exposure completion of a photosensitive area having a relatively long exposure period, data captured by the photosensitive area having the relatively short exposure period in the exposure period of the photosensitive area; and
reading, in response to data reading completion of the photosensitive area having the relatively short exposure period and exposure completion of the photosensitive area having the relatively long exposure period, data captured by the photosensitive area having the relatively long exposure period in the exposure period of the photosensitive area.

2. The method of claim 1 , wherein the reference time is a start exposure time of a photosensitive area corresponding to the longest exposure period.

3. The method of claim 1 , wherein the configuring different exposure periods for at least two photosensitive areas of a photosensitive array comprises:
dividing the photosensitive array into the at least two photosensitive areas; and
configuring different exposure periods for the at least two photosensitive areas according to optical parameter distributions corresponding to the at least two photosensitive areas.

4. The method of claim 3 , wherein the dividing the photosensitive array into the at least two photosensitive areas comprises:
dividing the photosensitive array into the at least two photosensitive areas according to an optical parameter distribution of a sampling image of a scenario.

5. The method of claim 1 , wherein each photosensitive area of the at least two photosensitive areas comprises at least one row of photosensitive units.

6. The method of claim 1 , wherein each photosensitive area of the at least two photosensitive areas comprises at least one photosensitive unit.

7. The method of claim 1 , wherein after the reading data captured by the photosensitive areas in the corresponding exposure periods, the method further comprises:
generating an image according to the data captured by the photosensitive areas.

8. The method of claim 1 , wherein the reading data captured by the photosensitive areas in the corresponding exposure periods comprises:
separately reading, in response to exposure completion of the photosensitive areas, the data captured by the photosensitive areas in the corresponding exposure periods.

9. The method of claim 1 , wherein the reading data captured by at least one photosensitive area of the photosensitive areas in an exposure period of the photosensitive area comprises:
reading data respectively captured in at least two exposure sub-periods of the exposure period of the photosensitive area, wherein the at least two exposure sub-periods at least comprise a first exposure sub-period and a second exposure sub-period, and the second exposure sub-period comprises the first exposure sub-period and is longer than the first exposure sub-period.

10. The method of claim 9 , wherein the reading data respectively captured in at least two exposure sub-periods of the exposure period of the photosensitive area comprises:
reading, during expiration of the first exposure sub-period and non-expiration of the second exposure sub-period, data captured by the photosensitive area in the first exposure sub-period; and
reading, in response to reading completion of the data captured by the photosensitive area in the first exposure sub-period and expiration of the second exposure sub-period, data captured by the photosensitive area in the second exposure sub-period.

11. The method of claim 9 , wherein the reading data respectively captured in at least two exposure sub-periods of the exposure period of the photosensitive area comprises:
separately reading, in response to expiration of the exposure sub-periods, the data captured by the photosensitive area in the corresponding exposure sub-periods.

12. The method of claim 9 , wherein after the reading data respectively captured in at least two exposure sub-periods of the exposure period of the photosensitive area, the method further comprises:
generating a sub-image according to the data captured by the photosensitive area in the exposure sub-periods.

13. An image capture control apparatus, comprising:
an exposure period configuration module, configured to configure different exposure periods for at least two photosensitive areas of a photosensitive array;
a start exposure time determining module, configured to determine start exposure times of the photosensitive areas, wherein a start exposure time of a photosensitive area having a relatively long exposure period is earlier than a start exposure time of a photosensitive area having a relatively short exposure period, and exposure of the photosensitive areas is completed in a longest exposure period of the exposure periods;
an exposure control module, configured to control exposure of the corresponding photosensitive areas according to the determined exposure periods and the start exposure times of the exposure periods, wherein the start exposure time determining module comprises: a start exposure time determining sub-module, configured to align midpoints of the exposure periods to determine the start exposure times of the photosensitive areas relative to a reference time; and
a read module, configured to read, during exposure completion of a photosensitive area having a relatively short exposure period to exposure completion of a photosensitive area having a relatively long exposure period, data captured by the photosensitive area having the relatively short exposure period in the exposure period of the photosensitive area; and read, in response to data reading completion of the photosensitive area having the relatively short exposure period and exposure completion of the photosensitive area having the relatively long exposure period, data captured by the photosensitive area having the relatively long exposure period in the exposure period of the photosensitive area.

14. The apparatus of claim 13 , wherein the reference time is a start exposure time of a photosensitive area corresponding to the longest exposure period.

15. The apparatus of claim 13 , wherein the exposure period configuration module comprises:
a photosensitive area determining sub-module, configured to divide the photosensitive array into the at least two photosensitive areas; and
an exposure period determining sub-module, configured to configure different exposure periods for the at least two photosensitive areas according to optical parameter distributions corresponding to the at least two photosensitive areas.

16. The apparatus of claim 15 , wherein the photosensiti

Assignees

• Beijing Zhigu Ruituo Tech Co Ltd

Inventors

• Zhou Liang
• Ding Dayong

Classifications

• H04N25/583 Primary

  with different integration times · CPC title

• H04N23/741 Primary

  by increasing the dynamic range of the image compared to the dynamic range of the electronic image sensors · CPC title

• G06T5/50

  using two or more images, e.g. averaging or subtraction · CPC title

• G06T2207/20208

  High dynamic range [HDR] image processing · CPC title

• H04N23/73

  by influencing the exposure time · CPC title