Patent ID: 6867805

Claim:
An image pickup device comprising: an image pickup element for picking up an image of an object and generating a video signal of a frame and two fields out of the image; an exposure control processor for providing two extents of exposure per field for said image pickup element; a signal compression processor for compressing the first video signal output from said image pickup element for the larger extent of exposure as provided by said exposure control processor and exceeding a first reference value; a signal compression/expansion processor for compressing or expanding the second video signal output from said image pickup element for the smaller extent of exposure as provided by said exposure control processor and exceeding a second reference value; an addition processor for adding the signal from said compression processor and the signal from said compression/expansion processor and generating an output video signal having a dynamic range broader than the dynamic range of said image pickup element; a detection processor for detecting the second video signal and discriminating one obtained for the smaller extent of exposure and one obtained for the larger extent of exposure by referring to the brightness of said second video signal; a reference value control processor for decreasing said first reference value and said second reference value in response to detection of a video signal by said detection processor for the larger extent of exposure and increasing said first reference value and said second reference value in response to detection of a video signal by said detection processor for the smaller extent of exposure; and a mode switching processor for canceling the two extents of exposure and selecting an ordinary image pickup mode for the first reference value exceeding a predetermined value or selecting a dynamic range broadening image pickup mode for the first reference value underlying said predetermined value without canceling the two extents of exposure.