Patent ID: 8576288
Filing Date: 2013-11-05
Classification: H04N

Abstract:
1. An image processing unit comprising: a memory unit in which continuously captured images including a reference image and a non-reference image are stored; a comparative image generator configured to generate a comparative image from the non-reference image on the basis of photographic control data on the reference image and photographic control data on the non-reference image; an image divider configured to divide each of the reference image, non-reference image, and previously generated comparative image into image blocks of a predetermined size; a motion data calculator configured to calculate motion data between the reference image and the previously generated comparative image for associating the image blocks of the reference image with the image blocks of the previously generated comparative image; an average calculator configured to calculate an average of pixel output values for each image block of the reference image and for each image block of the previously generated comparative image associated with each other by the motion data; a threshold determiner configured to determine, on the basis of the average of pixel output values of an image block of the reference image, a threshold used for determining whether or not the image block of the reference image and an image block of the non-reference image are suitable for image synthesis; a synthesis determiner configured to compare the threshold for the image block of the reference image to be synthesized with a difference in averages of the pixel output values between the image block of the reference image and the image block of the previously generated comparative image, and determine, on the basis of a result of the comparison between the threshold for the image block of the reference image to be synthesized and the difference in averages of the pixel output values between the image block of the reference image and the image block of the previously generated comparative image, whether or not the image block of the reference image and the image block of the non-reference image are suitable for image synthesis; and a ratio determiner configured to determine, on the basis of the average of the pixel output values of the image block of the reference image, a ratio of synthesis of the image blocks of the reference image and non-reference image determined as suitable for image synthesis.