Imaging device and imaging method

Abstract

An imaging device, for carrying out movie recording at a specified frame rate, comprising: an imaging sensor that repeatedly carries out imaging at a period that has been set and outputs movie image data, a control circuit that sets a second period that is shorter than a first period, based on the frame rate, and an image combining circuit for performing image combination on a plurality of image data that have been captured in the second period within the first period, using bright combination processing or dark combination processing, to generate a combined image of a single frame, wherein the control circuit performs control so as to obtain movie image data by carrying out imaging using the imaging sensor, and repeatedly carrying out generation of a combined image by the image combining circuit using the plurality of image data that have been acquired within the first period.

What is claimed is: 
     
         1 . An imaging device, for carrying out movie recording at a specified frame rate, comprising:
 an imaging sensor that repeatedly carries out imaging at a period that has been set and outputs movie image data,   a control circuit that sets a second period that is shorter than a first period, based on the frame rate, and   an image combining circuit for performing image combination on a plurality of image data that have been captured in the second period within the first period, using bright combination processing or dark combination processing, to generate a combined image of a single frame, wherein the control circuit performs control so as to obtain movie image data by carrying out imaging using the imaging sensor, and repeatedly carrying out generation of a combined image by the image combining circuit using the plurality of image data that have been acquired within the first period.   
     
     
         2 . The imaging device of  claim 1 , wherein:
 the image combining circuit performs image combination after averaging processing of brightness information of the plurality of image data.   
     
     
         3 . The imaging device of  claim 1 , wherein:
 processing to perform image combination of the plurality of image data in the image combining circuit is bright combination.   
     
     
         4 . The imaging device of  claim 1 , wherein:
 processing to perform image combination of the plurality of image data in the image combining circuit is dark combination.   
     
     
         5 . The imaging device of  claim 1 , wherein:
 the image combining circuit carries out bright combination when brightness level of the plurality of image data is greater than a specified threshold level, or carries out dark combination if the brightness level is lower than the specified threshold level.   
     
     
         6 . The imaging device of  claim 5 , wherein:
 the threshold level is calculated based on image data before movie recording.   
     
     
         7 . An imaging device, for carrying out movie recording at a specified frame rate, comprising:
 an imaging sensor that repeatedly carries out imaging at a period that has been set and outputs movie image data,   a control circuit that sets a second period that is shorter than a first period, based on the frame rate, and   an image combining circuit for performing image combination on a plurality of image data that have been formed in the second period within the first period, using comparative movement combination processing, to generate a combined image for a single frame, wherein   the control circuit performs control so as to obtain a movie image data by carrying out imaging using the imaging sensor, and repeatedly carrying out generation of a combined image by the image combining circuit using the plurality of image data that have been acquired within the first period.   
     
     
         8 . An imaging method for carrying out movie recording at a specified frame rate, comprising:
 repeatedly carrying out imaging at a period that has been designated to an imaging sensor, and outputting movie image data,   setting a second period that is shorter than a first period, based on the frame rate,   performing image combination on a plurality of image data that have been formed in the second period within the first period, using bright combination processing or dark combination processing, to generate a combined image for a single frame, and   performing control so as to obtain movie image data by carrying out imaging using the imaging sensor, and repeatedly carrying out generation of a combined image using a plurality of image data that have been acquired within the first period.   
     
     
         9 . A non-transitory computer-readable medium storing a computer program for controlling a computing device, in an imaging device for carrying out movie recording at a specified frame rate, the program comprising:
 repeatedly carrying out imaging at a period that has been designated to an imaging sensor, and outputting movie image data,   setting a second period that is shorter than a first period, based on the frame rate,   performing image combination on a plurality of image data that have been formed in the second period within the first period, using bright combination processing or dark combination processing, to generate a combined image for a single frame, and   performing control so as to obtain movie image data by carrying out imaging using the imaging sensor, and repeatedly carrying out generation of a combined image using a plurality of image data that have been acquired within the first period.