Patent ID: 8213063
Filing Date: 2012-07-03
Classification: H04N

Abstract:
1. An image sensing apparatus for a digital camera, comprising: an image sensor which generates an electrical signal corresponding to an amount of incident light and having a photoelectric conversion characteristic comprised of a first area where the electrical signal is outputted after being converted according to a first characteristic in relation to the amount of the incident light, and a second area where the electrical signal is outputted after being converted according to a second characteristic different from the first characteristic in relation to the amount of the incident light; a gradation converter which applies a gradation conversion to an image signal picked up by the image sensor; a gradation conversion information storage device contained in the gradation converter, configured to store at least two kinds of gradation conversion information including a first gradation conversion characteristic as gradation conversion information for the first area, and a second gradation conversion characteristic as gradation conversion information for the second area, the first and second gradation conversion characteristics having a switching point at an inflection point between the first area and the second area of the image sensor; the gradation converter configured to apply the gradation conversion based on the gradation conversion information stored in the gradation conversion information storage device; an inflection point controller which controls the inflection point between the first area and the second area of the image sensor such that an output of the image sensor corresponding to a subject luminance for an exposure control can be obtained from the first area; and a gradation conversion information rewriter contained in the gradation converter, configured to rewrite the gradation conversion information stored in the gradation conversion information storage device into new gradation conversion information having a switching point changed in accordance with the inflection point after the inflection point is inspected or changed by the inflection point controller; an exposure controller configured to set an exposure setting value based upon an average luminance of an image of received by a plurality of pixels of the image sensor; wherein the exposure controller is configured to control the exposure in such a manner that an output of the image sensor corresponding to the exposure setting value is obtained from the first area of the photoelectric conversion characteristic of the image sensor as defined by the inflection point of the image sensor with respect to any amount of subject luminance; the exposure controller further including: