Apparatus and method for combining images

Abstract

Provided are an image composition apparatus for composing color images with black-and-white images including infrared components, and an image composition method thereof. The image composition method includes generating a first image signal with color information and a second image signal including infrared components without color information, dividing the first image signal into a brightness signal and a color signal, composing the brightness signal of the first image signal with a brightness signal of the second image signal to generate a composed brightness signal, and composing the composed brightness signal with the color signal of the first image signal to generate a color image.

What is claimed is: 
     
         1 . A portable communication device comprising:
 a color image sensor to generate a first image signal having a color image signal;   a monochrome image sensor to generate a second image signal having a monochrome image signal; and   one or more processor adapted to:
 obtain the first image signal and the second image signal respectively from the color image sensor and the monochrome image sensor, wherein the first image signal and the second image signal are generated substantially at a same time, 
 generate an image by composing a bright component of the first image signal and the second image signal and adding a color component of the first image signal.