Imaging device and method

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-2016269660-A1
Application number	US-201615047170-A
Country	US
Kind code	A1
Filing date	Feb 18, 2016
Priority date	Mar 12, 2015
Publication date	Sep 15, 2016
Grant date	—

Abstract

Disclosed is an imaging device and method capable of obtaining an image with exposure appropriate for each sample when a plurality of samples are collectively imaged. For performing imaging using an imaging device configured to divide an imaging area into a plurality of partial areas, to perform imaging for each partial area, a proper exposure time is calculated for each partial area based on an image signal, a positive integer multiple of the maximum value among the calculated proper exposure times is set as a total imaging time, an imaging frequency is set for each partial area using a value obtained by dividing the total imaging time by the calculated proper exposure time, imaging with the calculated proper exposure time of the partial area is successively and repeatedly performed by the set imaging frequency , and each image successively imaged is simply added or is added and averaged.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1 . An imaging device comprising:
an imaging unit which is configured to divide an imaging area imaging an object into a plurality of partial imaging areas, to perform imaging for each partial imaging area, and to output the captured image; a proper exposure time calculation unit which calculates a proper exposure time for each partial imaging area based on an image signal acquired in the partial imaging area; an imaging frequency setting unit which sets a total imaging time as a positive integer multiple of the maximum value among the plurality of calculated proper exposure times, and sets an imaging frequency for each partial imaging area using a value obtained by dividing the total imaging time by the calculated proper exposure time of the partial imaging area; an imaging control unit which performs control such that, in each partial imaging area, the imaging unit successively and repeatedly performs imaging with the calculated proper exposure time of the partial imaging area by the set imaging frequency of the partial imaging area; and an image processing unit which simply adds or adds and averages each image successively imaged in each partial imaging area.

2 . The imaging device according to claim 1 ,
wherein the imaging area is constituted of an imaging element from which an image signal is readable nondestructively.

3 . The imaging device according to claim 1 , further comprising:
an input unit which receives an input from the user, wherein, when an input for designating how the imaging area is divided is received by the input unit, the imaging unit divides the imaging area into a plurality of partial imaging areas according to the designation.

4 . The imaging device according to claim 2 , further comprising:
an input unit which receives an input from the user, wherein, when an input for designating how the imaging area is divided is received by the input unit, the imaging unit divides the imaging area into a plurality of partial imaging areas according to the designation.

5 . The imaging device according to claim 1 ,
wherein the imaging unit performs pre-imaging in the imaging area, and the proper exposure time calculation unit calculates the proper exposure time based on an image signal of each partial imaging area acquired through the pre-imaging performed in the imaging area.

6 . The imaging device according to claim 2 ,
wherein the imaging unit performs pre-imaging in the imaging area, and the proper exposure time calculation unit calculates the proper exposure time based on an image signal of each partial imaging area acquired through the pre-imaging performed in the imaging area.

7 . The imaging device according to claim 3 ,
wherein the imaging unit performs pre-imaging in the imaging area, and the proper exposure time calculation unit calculates the proper exposure time based on an image signal of each partial imaging area acquired through the pre-imaging performed in the imaging area.

8 . The imaging device according to claim 1 ,
wherein, when the total imaging time is Ttotal, a natural number equal to or less than the number of partial imaging areas is i, a proper exposure time of an i-th partial imaging area among the plurality of partial imaging areas is T(i), an integer part of a value obtained by dividing the total imaging time by the proper exposure time of the i-th partial imaging area is N(i), and a threshold value determined in advance is Tth1, for the partial imaging area where Ttotal−(T(i)×N(i))≧Tth1, the imaging frequency setting unit sets a value obtained by adding 1 to N(i) as the imaging frequency of the partial imaging area.

9 . The imaging device according to claim 2 ,
wherein, when the total imaging time is Ttotal, a natural number equal to or less than the number of partial imaging areas is i, a proper exposure time of an i-th partial imaging area among the plurality of partial imaging areas is T(i), an integer part of a value obtained by dividing the total imaging time by the proper exposure time of the i-th partial imaging area is N(i), and a threshold value determined in advance is Tth1, for the partial imaging area where Ttotal−(T(i)×N(i))≧Tth1, the imaging frequency setting unit sets a value obtained by adding 1 to N(i) as the imaging frequency of the partial imaging area.

10 . The imaging device according to claim 3 ,
wherein, when the total imaging time is Ttotal, a natural number equal to or less than the number of partial imaging areas is i, a proper exposure time of an i-th partial imaging area among the plurality of partial imaging areas is T(i), an integer part of a value obtained by dividing the total imaging time by the proper exposure time of the i-th partial imaging area is N(i), and a threshold value determined in advance is Tth1, for the partial imaging area where Ttotal−(T(i)×N(i))≧Tth1, the imaging frequency setting unit sets a value obtained by adding 1 to N(i) as the imaging frequency of the partial imaging area.

11 . The imaging device according to claim 4 ,
wherein, when the total imaging time is Ttotal, a natural number equal to or less than the number of partial imaging areas is i, a proper exposure time of an i-th partial imaging area among the plurality of partial imaging areas is T(i), an integer part of a value obtained by dividing the total imaging time by the proper exposure time of the i-th partial imaging area is N(i), and a threshold value determined in advance is Tth1, for the partial imaging area where Ttotal−(T(i)×N(i))≧Tth1, the imaging frequency setting unit sets a value obtained by adding 1 to N(i) as the imaging frequency of the partial imaging area.

12 . The imaging device according to claim 8 ,
wherein the imaging control unit performs control such that the imaging unit successively and repeatedly performs imaging with the proper exposure time of the partial imaging area to the N(i)-th time and then performs the (N(i)+1)th imaging with an exposure time of Ttotal−(T(i)×N(i)) exceptionally in the partial imaging area where Ttotal−(T(i)×N(i))≧Tth1.

13 . The imaging device according to claim 8 ,
wherein the imaging frequency setting unit sets N(i) as the imaging frequency of the partial imaging area for the partial imaging area where 0<Ttotal−(T(i)×N(i))<Tth1, and the image processing unit multiplies each pixel value of an image obtained by simply adding or adding and averaging each image successively imaged in the partial imaging area by a value of Ttotal/(T(i)×N(i)) for the partial imaging area where 0<Ttotal−(T(i)×N(i))<Tth1.

14 . The imaging device according to claim 12 ,
wherein the imaging frequency setting unit sets N(i) as the imaging frequency of the partial imaging area for the partial imaging area where 0<Ttotal−(T(i)×N(i))<Tth1, and the image processing unit multiplies each pixel value of an image obtained by simply adding or adding and averaging each image successively imaged in the partial imaging area by a value of Ttotal/(T(i)×N(i)) for the partial imaging area where 0<Ttotal−(T(i)×N(i))<Tth1.

15 . The imaging device according to claim 1 ,
wherein, when the total imaging time is Ttotal, a natural number equal to or less than the number of partial imaging areas is i, a proper exposure time of an i-th partial imaging area among the plurality of partial imaging areas is T(i), an integer part of a value obtained by dividing the total imaging time by the proper exposure time of the i-th partial imaging area is N(i), and a threshold value determined in advance is Tth2, the imaging frequency setting unit sets a value obtained by adding 1 to

Assignees

• Fujifilm Corp

Inventors

• Tanaka Yasutake
• Ohta Yasunori

Classifications

• H04N25/46

  by combining or binning pixels · CPC title

• H04N23/71

  Circuitry for evaluating the brightness variation · CPC title

• H04N25/589 Primary

  with different integration times, e.g. short and long exposures · CPC title

• H04N5/35581 Primary

  Electricity · mapped topic

• H04N5/2351

  Electricity · mapped topic