Image pick-up device and record medium having recorded thereon computer readable program for controlling the image pick-up device

Abstract

An image pick-up device for producing a synthesized image signal having a wide dynamic range by partially exchanging a plurality of image signals from a solid state image sensing element in an image synthesizing unit ( 41 ), said image signals being obtained by picking-up a subject moving on a bright background with different exposure amounts, including a synthetic unsuitable portion detecting unit ( 42, 44 ) for detecting a synthetic unsuitable portion by comparing said plurality of image signals picked-up with different exposure amounts, a synthetic unsuitable portion correcting unit ( 46, 48 ) for correcting a pixel signal of said synthesizing unsuitable portion to derived a corrected synthesized image signal, and a low pass filter ( 47 ) for combining said corrected synthesized image signal from said synthetic unsuitable portion correcting unit with said synthesized image signal from said image synthesizing unit to derive a corrected synthesized image signal. An image obtained from the corrected synthesized image signal is not influenced by the movement of the subject and does not cause any feeling of strangeness as compared with a conventional photographic image.

1 . An image pick-up device comprising: 
 an image picking-up means including a solid state image sensing element and picking-up an object by a plurality of times with different exposure amounts to derive a plurality of image signals;    an image synthesizing means for synthesizing said plurality of image signals, which are successively derived from said image picking-up means, into a synthesized image signal;    a selector means for selecting either one of a first picking-up mode without image synthesis by said image synthesizing means, and a second picking-up mode with image synthesis by said image synthesizing means; and    a controller means for deriving an image signal corresponding to a single picture by a single picking-up operation and performing a normal image processing, when said first picking-up mode without image synthesis is selected by said selector means, and deriving a plurality of image signals corresponding to a plurality of pictures by a single picking-up operation and performing said image synthesis, when said second picking-up mode is selected by said selector means.    
   
   
       2 . An image pick-up device as claimed in  claim 1 , wherein said selector means comprises an input key for manually selecting either one of said first and second picking-up modes.  
   
   
       3 . An image pick-up device as claimed in  claim 1 , wherein said selector means is adapted to automatically select either one of said first and second picking-up modes, based on the image signal derived from said image picking-up means.  
   
   
       4 . An image pick-up device as claimed in  claim 1 , wherein said image picking-up means is configured so that image signals of an object with different exposure amounts are derived from said solid state image sensing element, and wherein said image synthesis means is configured so that said image signals with different exposure amounts derived from said image picking-up means are added and synthesized to generate a single synthesized image signal.  
   
   
       5 . An image pick-up device as claimed in  claim 4 , wherein said image synthesis means is configured so that said image signals with different exposure amounts derived from said image picking-up means are added and synthesized to generate a single synthesized image signal with a wide dynamic range.  
   
   
       6 . An image pick-up device as claimed in  claim 5 , wherein said selector means is configured so as to automatically select said second picking-up mode with image synthesis, by detecting an excessively bright portion in the image signal derived from said picking-up means.