Patents by Inventor Akira Asoma
Akira Asoma has filed for patents to protect the following inventions. This listing includes patent applications that are pending as well as patents that have already been granted by the United States Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO).
-
Patent number: 11089230Abstract: A compound-eye capturing apparatus provided with a plurality of imaging devices captures a plurality of items of image data with the same image quality. First pixels for generating first pixel signals are arranged in a first pixel array part. Second pixels for generating second pixel signals are arranged in a second pixel array part. A first setting part sets an exposure time and a first gain for the first pixel signals on the basis of an appropriate exposure value. A second setting part adjusts the first gain on the basis of a difference in sensitivity between a first monocular camera module provided with the first pixel array part and a second monocular camera module provided with the second pixel array part, and sets the adjusted first gain as a second gain for the second pixel signals. A control part causes the first and second pixel array parts to be exposed over the exposure time. An amplification part amplifies the output first and second pixel signals by the first and second gains.Type: GrantFiled: December 20, 2017Date of Patent: August 10, 2021Assignee: SONY SEMICONDUCTOR SOLUTIONS CORPORATIONInventor: Akira Asoma
-
Publication number: 20200036881Abstract: A compound-eye capturing apparatus provided with a plurality of imaging devices captures a plurality of items of image data with the same image quality. First pixels for generating first pixel signals are arranged in a first pixel array part. Second pixels for generating second pixel signals are arranged in a second pixel array part. A first setting part sets an exposure time and a first gain for the first pixel signals on the basis of an appropriate exposure value. A second setting part adjusts the first gain on the basis of a difference in sensitivity between a first monocular camera module provided with the first pixel array part and a second monocular camera module provided with the second pixel array part, and sets the adjusted first gain as a second gain for the second pixel signals. A control part causes the first and second pixel array parts to be exposed over the exposure time. An amplification part amplifies the output first and second pixel signals by the first and second gains.Type: ApplicationFiled: December 20, 2017Publication date: January 30, 2020Inventor: AKIRA ASOMA
-
Patent number: 8885093Abstract: An image pickup apparatus includes: an image pickup unit configured to generate a long-exposure image signal and a short-exposure image signal from incident light and output the generated signals as image pickup signals, the long-exposure image signal being generated by exposure for a relatively long period and the short-exposure image signal being generated by exposure for a relatively short period; a signal processing unit configured to generate a combined image signal by combining the long-exposure image signal and the short-exposure image signal, the combined image signal having a dynamic range that is relatively wider than that of at least any one of the long-exposure image signal and the short-exposure image signal; a detection unit configured to obtain a luminance integrated value and a luminance histogram of the combined image signal; and a control unit configured to perform exposure correction control using the luminance integrated value and the luminance histogram.Type: GrantFiled: January 17, 2008Date of Patent: November 11, 2014Assignee: Sony CorporationInventor: Akira Asoma
-
Patent number: 8736750Abstract: An image pickup apparatus includes: an image pickup unit configured to generate a long-exposure image signal and a short-exposure image signal from incident light and output the generated signals as image pickup signals, the long-exposure image signal being generated by exposure for a relatively long period and the short-exposure image signal being generated by exposure for a relatively short period; a signal processing unit configured to generate a combined image signal by combining the long-exposure image signal and the short-exposure image signal, the combined image signal having a dynamic range that is relatively wider than that of at least any one of the long-exposure image signal and the short-exposure image signal; a detection unit configured to obtain a luminance integrated value and a luminance histogram of the combined image signal; and a control unit configured to perform exposure correction control using the luminance integrated value and the luminance histogram.Type: GrantFiled: January 17, 2008Date of Patent: May 27, 2014Assignee: Sony CorporationInventor: Akira Asoma
-
Patent number: 8194153Abstract: In an imaging apparatus capable of selectively performing an imaging operation in normal imaging mode and that in composite imaging mode, auto exposure control is stopped after the auto exposure control for long-time exposure image signals and short-time exposure image signals is temporarily completed in composite imaging mode and if, after the auto exposure control is stopped, a predetermined brightness change in images is detected continuously for a predetermined time or longer based on brightness values detected from the images obtained from a composite image signal, the imaging mode of the imaging apparatus is switched from the composite imaging mode to the normal imaging mode.Type: GrantFiled: October 8, 2009Date of Patent: June 5, 2012Assignee: Sony CorporationInventor: Akira Asoma
-
Patent number: 8179472Abstract: An image pickup apparatus includes an image pickup unit selectively performing an image capturing operation in a normal image capturing mode where an exposure image signal is output in a unit period and a combined image capturing mode where long- and short-exposure image signals are output in the unit period; a signal processing unit generating a combined image signal with a dynamic range wider than that of the long-exposure image signal or the short-exposure image signal by combining the long-exposure image signal and the short-exposure image signal; a detection unit generating a luminance integrated value of the combined image signal; and a control unit performing exposure correction control using the luminance integrated value. The control unit initializes a correction value used in the exposure correction control when the mode is switched from the normal image capturing mode to the combined image capturing mode.Type: GrantFiled: August 13, 2008Date of Patent: May 15, 2012Assignee: Sony CorporationInventor: Akira Asoma
-
Patent number: 8154619Abstract: An imaging apparatus includes: an imaging device outputting, during a unit period of time, a long-exposure-time image signal having a relatively long exposure time and a short-exposure-time image signal having a relatively short exposure time; a first clipping processing mechanism clipping a part not lower than a first signal level of a luminance signal obtained from the long-exposure-time image signal; a second clipping processing mechanism clipping a part not higher than a second signal level of a luminance signal obtained from the short-exposure-time image signal; and a signal processing mechanism generating a synthesized image signal having a dynamic range wider than dynamic ranges of both of the image signals by synthesizing the clipped image signals, wherein the second signal level is not lower than a signal level obtained by dividing the first signal level by a ratio in time of the long exposure time to the short exposure time.Type: GrantFiled: November 17, 2008Date of Patent: April 10, 2012Assignee: Sony CorporationInventors: Yutaka Satoh, Akira Asoma
-
Patent number: 8077224Abstract: In an imaging apparatus capable of selectively performing an imaging operation in normal imaging mode and that in composite imaging mode, an object is imaged by performing the imaging operation in normal imaging mode to generate an exposure image signal, a brightness rate of a bright portion and dark portion of the object is calculated by detecting the exposure image signal, an exposure rate, which is a ratio of a long-time exposure time and a short-time exposure time in composite imaging mode, is calculated, and the imaging mode of the imaging apparatus is switched from the normal imaging mode to the composite imaging mode based on a comparison result of the brightness rate and the exposure rate.Type: GrantFiled: July 27, 2009Date of Patent: December 13, 2011Assignee: Sony CorporationInventor: Akira Asoma
-
Patent number: 8063946Abstract: An image pickup apparatus includes an image pickup unit configured to output a long-exposure image signal with a relatively long exposure time and a short-exposure image signal with a relatively short exposure time; a signal processing unit configured to generate a combined image signal with a relatively wide dynamic range at least wider than that of the long-exposure image signal or that of the short-exposure image signal by combining the long-exposure image signal and the short-exposure image signal; a detection unit configured to generate a luminance integrated value of the combined image signal; and a control unit configured to perform exposure correction control using the luminance integrated value. The control unit initializes a correction value for use in the exposure correction control during a scene change.Type: GrantFiled: August 21, 2008Date of Patent: November 22, 2011Assignee: Sony CorporationInventor: Akira Asoma
-
Patent number: 8023004Abstract: An imaging apparatus includes an imaging unit capable of selectively executing an imaging operation in a normal imaging mode that outputs a normal exposure image signal in a unit period and an imaging operation in a combined imaging mode that outputs a long-time-exposure image signal and a short-time-exposure image signal, a pre-processing unit that performs gain processing on the normal exposure image signal, or the signals, a signal processing unit that, by combining the image signals, generates a combined image signal, and a control unit that performs control in which, by switching a reference gain setting value in the gain processing in the pre-processing unit in accordance with the normal or combined imaging mode, when the imaging unit is in the combined imaging mode, the reference gain setting value is set to be greater than the reference gain setting value when the imaging unit is in the normal imaging mode.Type: GrantFiled: August 8, 2008Date of Patent: September 20, 2011Assignee: Sony CorporationInventor: Akira Asoma
-
Patent number: 7948538Abstract: An image capturing apparatus includes: an image capturing unit configured to generate a long-exposure image signal and a short-exposure image signal on the basis of light transmitted from a subject and output the long-exposure image signal and the short-exposure image signal as image capturing signals; a signal processing unit configured to generate a combined image signal by combining the long-exposure image signal and the short-exposure image signal, the combined image signal having a dynamic range that is relatively wider than that of at least any one of the long-exposure image signal and the short-exposure image signal; a detection unit configured to generate luminance information of the combined image signal; and a control unit configured to perform automatic exposure control for the short-exposure image signal using the luminance information in an exposure setting mode in which exposure control is performed in accordance with a user's setting.Type: GrantFiled: March 26, 2008Date of Patent: May 24, 2011Assignee: Sony CorporationInventor: Akira Asoma
-
Patent number: 7916209Abstract: An image capturing apparatus includes: an image capturing processing unit capable of selectively performing a normal image capturing process in a normal image capturing mode and a combined image capturing process in a combined image capturing mode, the normal image capturing process being a process of obtaining a single exposure image signal in a unit period and generating captured image data by performing signal processing upon the obtained signal, and the combined image capturing process being a process of obtaining a long-exposure image signal and a short-exposure image signal and generating captured image data by performing signal processing including signal combination upon these obtained signals; a detection unit for performing light metering upon the captured image data; and a control unit for controlling switching between light metering methods used in the detection unit in accordance with an image capturing mode used.Type: GrantFiled: March 5, 2008Date of Patent: March 29, 2011Assignee: Sony CorporationInventor: Akira Asoma
-
Publication number: 20100097493Abstract: In an imaging apparatus capable of selectively performing an imaging operation in normal imaging mode and that in composite imaging mode, auto exposure control is stopped after the auto exposure control for long-time exposure image signals and short-time exposure image signals is temporarily completed in composite imaging mode and if, after the auto exposure control is stopped, a predetermined brightness change in images is detected continuously for a predetermined time or longer based on brightness values detected from the images obtained from a composite image signal, the imaging mode of the imaging apparatus is switched from the composite imaging mode to the normal imaging mode.Type: ApplicationFiled: October 8, 2009Publication date: April 22, 2010Applicant: Sony CorporationInventor: Akira Asoma
-
Publication number: 20100066858Abstract: In an imaging apparatus capable of selectively performing an imaging operation in normal imaging mode and that in composite imaging mode, an object is imaged by performing the imaging operation in normal imaging mode to generate an exposure image signal, a brightness rate of a bright portion and dark portion of the object is calculated by detecting the exposure image signal, an exposure rate, which is a ratio of a long-time exposure time and a short-time exposure time in composite imaging mode, is calculated, and the imaging mode of the imaging apparatus is switched from the normal imaging mode to the composite imaging mode based on a comparison result of the brightness rate and the exposure rate.Type: ApplicationFiled: July 27, 2009Publication date: March 18, 2010Applicant: Sony CorporationInventor: Akira ASOMA
-
Publication number: 20090153699Abstract: An imaging apparatus includes: an imaging device outputting, during a unit period of time, a long-exposure-time image signal having a relatively long exposure time and a short-exposure-time image signal having a relatively short exposure time; a first clipping processing mechanism clipping a part not lower than a first signal level of a luminance signal obtained from the long-exposure-time image signal; a second clipping processing mechanism clipping a part not higher than a second signal level of a luminance signal obtained from the short-exposure-time image signal; and a signal processing mechanism generating a synthesized image signal having a dynamic range wider than dynamic ranges of both of the image signals by synthesizing the clipped image signals, wherein the second signal level is not lower than a signal level obtained by dividing the first signal level by a ratio in time of the long exposure time to the short exposure time.Type: ApplicationFiled: November 17, 2008Publication date: June 18, 2009Applicant: Sony CorporationInventors: Yutaka SATOH, Akira Asoma
-
Publication number: 20090086061Abstract: An image pickup apparatus includes an image pickup unit selectively performing an image capturing operation in a normal image capturing mode where an exposure image signal is output in a unit period and a combined image capturing mode where long- and short-exposure image signals are output in the unit period; a signal processing unit generating a combined image signal with a dynamic range wider than that of the long-exposure image signal or the short-exposure image signal by combining the long-exposure image signal and the short-exposure image signal; a detection unit generating a luminance integrated value of the combined image signal; and a control unit performing exposure correction control using the luminance integrated value. The control unit initializes a correction value used in the exposure correction control when the mode is switched from the normal image capturing mode to the combined image capturing mode.Type: ApplicationFiled: August 13, 2008Publication date: April 2, 2009Applicant: Sony CorporationInventor: Akira ASOMA
-
Publication number: 20090086085Abstract: An image pickup apparatus includes an image pickup unit configured to output a long-exposure image signal with a relatively long exposure time and a short-exposure image signal with a relatively short exposure time; a signal processing unit configured to generate a combined image signal with a relatively wide dynamic range at least wider than that of the long-exposure image signal or that of the short-exposure image signal by combining the long-exposure image signal and the short-exposure image signal; a detection unit configured to generate a luminance integrated value of the combined image signal; and a control unit configured to perform exposure correction control using the luminance integrated value. The control unit initializes a correction value for use in the exposure correction control during a scene change.Type: ApplicationFiled: August 21, 2008Publication date: April 2, 2009Applicant: Sony CorporationInventor: Akira ASOMA
-
Publication number: 20090086056Abstract: An imaging apparatus includes an imaging unit capable of selectively executing an imaging operation in a normal imaging mode that outputs a normal exposure image signal in a unit period and an imaging operation in a combined imaging mode that outputs a long-time-exposure image signal and a short-time-exposure image signal, a pre-processing unit that performs gain processing on the normal exposure image signal, or the signals, a signal processing unit that, by combining the image signals, generates a combined image signal, and a control unit that performs control in which, by switching a reference gain setting value in the gain processing in the pre-processing unit in accordance with the normal or combined imaging mode, when the imaging unit is in the combined imaging mode, the reference gain setting value is set to be greater than the reference gain setting value when the imaging unit is in the normal imaging mode.Type: ApplicationFiled: August 8, 2008Publication date: April 2, 2009Applicant: Sony CorporationInventor: Akira ASOMA
-
Publication number: 20080284872Abstract: An image pickup apparatus includes: an image pickup unit configured to generate a long-exposure image signal and a short-exposure image signal from incident light and output the generated signals as image pickup signals, the long-exposure image signal being generated by exposure for a relatively long period and the short-exposure image signal being generated by exposure for a relatively short period; a signal processing unit configured to generate a combined image signal by combining the long-exposure image signal and the short-exposure image signal, the combined image signal having a dynamic range that is relatively wider than that of at least any one of the long-exposure image signal and the short-exposure image signal; a detection unit configured to obtain a luminance integrated value and a luminance histogram of the combined image signal; and a control unit configured to perform exposure correction control using the luminance integrated value and the luminance histogram.Type: ApplicationFiled: January 17, 2008Publication date: November 20, 2008Applicant: Sony CorporationInventor: Akira Asoma
-
Publication number: 20080266424Abstract: An image capturing apparatus includes: an image capturing unit configured to generate a long-exposure image signal and a short-exposure image signal on the basis of light transmitted from a subject and output the long-exposure image signal and the short-exposure image signal as image capturing signals; a signal processing unit configured to generate a combined image signal by combining the long-exposure image signal and the short-exposure image signal, the combined image signal having a dynamic range that is relatively wider than that of at least any one of the long-exposure image signal and the short-exposure image signal; a detection unit configured to generate luminance information of the combined image signal; and a control unit configured to perform automatic exposure control for the short-exposure image signal using the luminance information in an exposure setting mode in which exposure control is performed in accordance with a user's setting.Type: ApplicationFiled: March 26, 2008Publication date: October 30, 2008Applicant: Sony CorporationInventor: Akira Asoma