Patent ID: 7623179
Filing Date: 2009-11-24
Classification: G03B,H04N

Abstract:
1. A method to control auto exposure for a strobe, and the method comprising splitting an image of a desired picture into multiple sample blocks, where each of the sample blocks comprises multiple pixels, and each of the pixels comprises a first subpixel, a second subpixel and a third subpixel; extracting a maximum value between the first subpixels, a maximum value between the second subpixels and a maximum value between the third subpixels between the pixels of each sample block; extracting an average value between the first subpixels, an average value between the second subpixels and an average value between the third subpixels between the pixels of each sample block; acquiring respectively a first sum of maximum values based on the maximum values of the first subpixels, a second sum of maximum values based on the maximum values of the second subpixels and a third sum of maximum values based on the maximum values of the third subpixels of the sample blocks; acquiring respectively a first sum of average values based on the average values of the first subpixels, a second sum of average values based on the average values of the second subpixels and a third sum of average values based on the average values of the third subpixels of the sample blocks; acquiring a maximum sum auto exposure value based on a maximum one of the first sum of maximum values, the second sum of maximum values and the third sum of maximum values; acquiring an average sum auto exposure value based on a maximum one of the first sum of average values, the second sum of average values and the third sum of average values; configuring a desired maximum brightness and a desired average brightness; acquiring a maximum exposure ratio and an average exposure ratio based on the maximum sum auto exposure value, the average sum auto exposure value, the desired maximum brightness and the desired average brightness; determining whether the maximum exposure ratio is smaller than the average exposure ratio; and shining a flashlight either based on the average exposure ratio if the maximum exposure ratio is smaller than the average exposure ratio or based on the maximum exposure ratio if the maximum exposure ratio is not smaller than the average exposure ratio.