Imaging device and method

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-9973714-B2
Application number	US-201615047170-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Feb 18, 2016
Priority date	Mar 12, 2015
Publication date	May 15, 2018
Grant date	May 15, 2018

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 image sensor 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; and a processor configured to
calculate a proper exposure time for each partial imaging area based on an image signal acquired in each partial imaging area;
set a total imaging time as a positive integer multiple of a maximum value among the plurality of the proper exposure times for each partial imaging area calculated by the processor, and set an imaging frequency for each partial imaging area using a value obtained by dividing the total imaging time by the proper exposure time for each partial imaging area calculated by the processor:
perform control such that, in each partial imaging area, the image sensor successively and repeatedly performs imaging with the proper exposure time for each partial imaging area calculated by the processor and by the imaging frequency set for each partial imaging area; and
simply add or add and average the image signal of 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 of the imaging area 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 the input for designating how the imaging area is divided is received by the input unit from the user, the image sensor divides the imaging area into the 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 the input for designating how the imaging area is divided is received by the input unit from the user, the image sensor divides the imaging area into the plurality of partial imaging areas according to the designation.

5. The imaging device according to claim 1 ,
wherein the image sensor performs pre-imaging in the imaging area, and the processor calculates the proper exposure time based on the 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 image sensor performs pre-imaging in the imaging area, and the processor calculates the proper exposure time based on the 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 image sensor performs pre-imaging in the imaging area, and the processor calculates the proper exposure time based on the 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, the 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 processor 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, the 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 processor 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, the 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 processor 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, the 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 processor 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 processor performs control such that the image sensor 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)+I)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 processor 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 processor multiplies each pixel value of an image obtained by simply adding or adding and averaging the image signal of 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 processor 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 processor multiplies each pixel value of an image of the object captured by the imaging device by simply adding or adding and averaging the image signal of 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, the 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 processor sets a value obtained by adding 1 to N(i) as the imaging frequency of the partial imaging area for the partial imaging area where (T(i)×(N(i)+1))−Ttotal<Tth2.

16. The imaging device according to claim 2 ,

Assignees

• Fujifilm Corp

Inventors

• Tanaka Yasutake
• Ohta Yasunori

Classifications

• 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

• H04N25/46

  by combining or binning pixels · CPC title

• G01N21/76

  Chemiluminescence; Bioluminescence · CPC title

• G01N21/55 Primary

  Specular reflectivity · CPC title