Patent ID: 7986853
Filing Date: 2011-07-26
Classification: H04N

Abstract:
1. An image taking apparatus comprising: (a) an image pickup device which captures at least three images sequentially with the same exposure time period; (b) a detection unit which detects shift amounts between a first image among the at least three images and each of the other images; (c) a coordinate conversion unit which performs coordinate conversion so that the other images overlap the first image based on a detection result in the detecting unit; (d) a synthesis unit which synthesizes the first image and the other images as one synthesis image by performing the coordinate conversion in the coordinate conversion unit; (e) a comparison unit which compares the plurality of images to find regions whose brightness is different; and (f) an adjusting unit which darkens brightness in the regions of each of the other images before the synthesis in the synthesis unit, the regions corresponding to the regions found by the comparison unit, wherein the first image among the at least three images is captured by using an illumination unit, and the other images are captured without using the illumination unit and are at least two captured images.