Patent ID: 8405738
Filing Date: 2013-03-26
Classification: H04N

Abstract:
1. An image pickup apparatus that synthesizes a plurality of images with different exposures and that are obtained through bracketing, and generates an image signal having a wide dynamic range, comprising: an exposure calculation unit to calculate a plurality of exposures necessary for bracketing on the basis of shutter speeds; an image pickup possibility determination unit to determine whether or not respective shutter speeds corresponding to the plurality of exposures calculated by the exposure calculation unit are equal to or higher than a first threshold value, and to permit pickup of an image at an exposure when a shutter speed corresponding to that exposure is determined to be equal to or higher than the first threshold value; an image pickup setting unit to set the number of images to be picked up at the exposure at which image pickup has been permitted by the image pickup possibility determination unit in such a manner that the total number of images that have to be picked up to generate the image signal having a wide dynamic range using image signals obtained at the exposure at which image pickup has been permitted by the image pickup possibility determination unit is a minimum; an image obtainment unit to obtain the number of image signals set by the image pickup setting unit; and an image signal synthesis unit to synthesize the plurality of image signals obtained by the image obtainment unit so as to generate an image signal having a wide dynamic range.