Patent ID: 8363124
Filing Date: 2013-01-29
Classification: G03B,H04N

Abstract:
1. An exposure control apparatus for exposure control of an electronic digital camera installed on a vehicle, said camera disposed to periodically capture respective images of an external scene ahead of said vehicle, each of said images comprising an array of picture elements having respective luminance values, and said exposure control apparatus comprising circuitry configured to convert said luminance values to corresponding brightness values of said external scene in accordance with a predetermined relationship between an exposure condition of said camera, said luminance values and said brightness values; wherein said exposure control apparatus comprises: extraction circuitry configured to extract from each of said images a plurality of picture lines each comprising a horizontal row of picture elements, said plurality of picture lines constituting a brightness measurement region; exclusion circuitry configured measurement circuitry configured to measure a capture-objective brightness value of said image, based upon respective brightness values of remaining picture elements of said brightness measurement region following said exclusion of high-brightness picture elements and low-brightness picture elements; and exposure control circuitry configured to adjust said camera exposure condition in accordance with said capture-objective brightness value.