Patent ID: 8542315
Filing Date: 2013-09-24
Classification: H04N

Abstract:
1. A method for capturing an at least one image of a scene by a capturing device comprising a sensor made up of multiple sensor cells, the at least one image comprising a number of pixels, the scene having areas with substantially varying intensity levels, the method comprising: connecting a memory unit to the capturing device to serve as a temporary storage for dynamically expanding an exposure range of the captured at least one image; storing in the memory unit first intensity values received from a multiplicity of first light-sensitive sensor cells under a first exposure time; receiving second intensity values received from a multiplicity of second light-sensitive sensor cells under a second exposure time being longer than the first exposure time; interpolating one of the second intensity values from a intensity value of a neighboring first light-sensitive sensor of the same color in response to the one of the second intensity values being saturated; integrating the first intensity values stored in the memory unit and the second intensity value into combined values; assigning values associated with the combined values to pixels forming a part of the at least one image, sending each part of the at least one Image formed by the assigned pixel values to a destination adapted to receive the at least one image; and wherein the memory unit has storage size large enough to meet the requirements to provide dynamic expansion of the exposure range of a whole image and of at most a number of values which is about ten percent of a total number of the multiple sensor cells in the sensor.