Patent ID: 6670993
Filing Date: 2003-12-30
Classification: H04N

Abstract:
An image pickup device comprising:an optical lens operable to transmit light from an object; an image sensor operable to detect the light incoming from said optical lens to output image signals for different quantities of exposure; a driver operable to drive said image sensor; a signal mixer operable to mix the image signals for different quantities of exposure outputted by said image sensor to output a mixed signal; a peak level detector operable to detect a peak level of one of the image signals for different quantities of exposure or a signal derived from the image signals for different quantities of exposure; a peak level judge operable to judge whether the peak level detected by said peak level detector is within a predetermined range or not; a controller operable to control a ratio of the quantities of light for said image sensor according to the judge result of said peak level judge; and a limiter operable to limit a ratio of a quantity of exposure of the image signal controlled by said controller to be within a predetermined range of the ratio of the quantity of exposure.