Imaging device and method of obtaining image

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-9019387-B2
Application number	US-201213413946-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Mar 7, 2012
Priority date	Mar 18, 2011
Publication date	Apr 28, 2015
Grant date	Apr 28, 2015

Abstract

An imaging device including an image sensor, includes an image obtaining control unit that obtains plural continuous images of an object taken by the image sensor; a size determining unit that determines an image size of reduced images based on photographing information of at least one of the images, and generates reduced images from the images obtained by the image obtaining control unit based on the determined image size; a motion vector detection unit that detects a motion vector of the reduced images; and an image synthesis unit that synthesizes the images obtained by the image obtaining control unit based on the motion vector detected by the motion vector detection unit to obtain a synthesized image.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. An imaging device including an image sensor, comprising:
an image obtaining control unit that obtains plural continuous images of an object taken by the image sensor;
a size determining unit that determines a reduction ratio for reduced images with respect to the images taken by the image sensor based on photographing information of at least one of the images taken by the image sensor, and generates the reduced images by reduction of the images taken by the image sensor and obtained by the image obtaining control unit based on the determined reduction ratio;
a motion vector detection unit that detects a motion vector of the reduced images; and
an image synthesis unit that synthesizes the images obtained by the image obtaining control unit based on the motion vector detected by the motion vector detection unit to obtain a synthesized image.

2. The imaging device according to claim 1 ,
wherein the size determining unit determines the reduction ratio for the reduced images based on setting information of the imaging device in obtaining at least one of the images, as the photographing information.

3. The imaging device according to claim 1 ,
wherein the size determining unit determines the reduction ratio for the reduced images based on characteristic information of at least one of the images, as the photographing information.

4. The imaging device according to claim 2 ,
wherein the setting information includes at least one of a zoom position and ISO speed of the imaging device in obtaining at least one of the images, and
the size determining unit determines the reduction ratio for the reduced images based on the at least one of the zoom position and the ISO speed set in the setting information.

5. The imaging device according to claim 3 ,
wherein the characteristic information includes at least one of a contrast of at least one of the images and a predetermined object included in at least one of the images, and
the size determining unit determines the reduction ratio for the reduced images based on the at least one of the contrast and the predetermined object.

6. The imaging device according to claim 1 ,
wherein the photographing information is capable of defining a necessary accuracy for the motion vector, and
the size determining unit determines the reduction ratio for the reduced images based on the necessary accuracy of the photographing information such that the higher the necessary accuracy, the smaller the reduction ratio becomes.

7. A method of obtaining an image by an image sensor, comprising:
obtaining plural continuous images of an object taken by the image sensor;
determining a reduction ratio for reduced images with respect to the images taken by the image sensor based on photographing information of at least one of the images taken by the image sensor;
generating the reduced images by reduction of the obtained images taken by the image sensor based on the determined reduction ratio;
detecting a motion vector of the reduced images; and
synthesizing the obtained images based on the detected motion vector to obtain a synthesized image.

8. The method of obtaining an image according to claim 7 ,
wherein in the determining the reduction ratio, the reduction ratio for the reduced images is determined based on setting information of the imaging device in obtaining at least one of the images, as the photographing information.

9. The method of obtaining an image according to claim 7 ,
wherein in the determining the reduction ratio, the reduction ratio for the reduced images is determined based on characteristic information of at least one of the images, as the photographing information.

10. The method of obtaining an image according to claim 8 ,
wherein the setting information includes a zoom position or ISO speed of the imaging device in obtaining at least one of the images, and
in the determining the reduction ratio, the reduction ratio for the reduced images is determined based on the zoom position or the ISO speed set in the setting information.

11. The method of obtaining an image according to claim 9 ,
wherein the characteristic information includes a contrast of at least one of the images or a predetermined object included in at least one of the images, and
in the determining the reduction ratio, the reduction ratio for the reduced images is determined based on the contrast or the predetermined object.

12. The method of obtaining an image according to claim 7 ,
wherein the photographing information is capable of defining a necessary accuracy for the motion vector, and
in the determining the reduction ratio, the reduction ratio for reduced images is determined based on the necessary accuracy of the photographing information such that the higher the necessary accuracy, the smaller the reduction ratio becomes.

13. A non-transitory computer-readable recording medium having recorded thereon a program that causes a computer to execute a method of obtaining an image by an image sensor comprising:
obtaining plural continuous images of an object taken by the image sensor;
determining a reduction ratio for reduced images with respect to the images taken by the image sensor based on photographing information of at least one of the images taken by the image sensor;
generating the reduced images by reduction of the obtained images taken by the image sensor based on the determined reduction ratio;
detecting a motion vector of the reduced images; and
synthesizing the obtained images based on the detected motion vector to obtain a synthesized image.

14. The imaging device according to claim 1 ,
wherein the size determining unit determines the reduction ratio for the reduced images with respect to a number of pixels in the images taken by the image sensor based on photographing information of at least one of the images taken by the image sensor, and generates the reduced images by reduction of the images taken by the image sensor and obtained by the image obtaining control unit based on the determined reduction ratio.

15. The imaging device according to claim 1 ,
wherein the size determining unit determines the reduction ratio for the reduced images with respect to a resolution of the images taken by the image sensor based on photographing information of at least one of the images taken by the image sensor, and generates the reduced images by reduction of the images taken by the image sensor and obtained by the image obtaining control unit based on the determined reduction ratio.

16. The imaging device according to claim 1 ,
wherein the size determining unit changes a size of the reduced images based on photographing information of at least one of the images, and generates the reduced images by reduction of the images obtained by the image obtaining control unit based on the changed size.

17. The imaging device according to claim 1 ,
wherein the reduced images are used for detecting a motion vector.

18. The method of obtaining an image by an image sensor according to claim 7 ,
wherein in the determining the reduction ratio, the reduction ratio for the reduced images with respect to a number of pixels in the images taken by the image sensor is determined based on photographing information of at least one of the images taken by the image sensor.

19. The non-transitory computer-readable recording medium according to claim 13 ,
wherein in the determining the reduction ratio, the reduction ratio for the reduced images with respect to a number of pixels in the images tak

Assignees

• Nakano Akira
• Ricoh Co Ltd

Inventors

• Nakano Akira

Classifications

• G06T5/50 Primary

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

• H04N23/6845 Primary

  by combination of a plurality of images sequentially taken · CPC title

• G06T2207/30201

  Face · CPC title

• H04N23/611

  where the recognised objects include parts of the human body · CPC title

• G06T2207/10024

  Color image · CPC title