Patent ID: 6914630

Claim:
An imaging apparatus comprising: a first image signal generation section generating a first image signal in image field units by capturing the image of a scene in a first exposure time; a second image signal generation section generating a second image signal in image field units by capturing the image of the scene in a second exposure time different from said first exposure time; an image combining section combining said first and second image signals into a composite image signal by adding said first and second image signals or switching between them on a pixel basis; an integrated value calculation circuit determining average luminance values of said first and second image signals; a peak value detection circuit detecting peak values of said first and second image signals; an exposure time control signal generation section responsive to outputs of said integrated value calculation circuit and said peak value detection circuit generating control signals controlling said first and second exposure times; and a gain control circuit controlling an amplitude of each of said first and second image signals to be applied to said image combining section individually.