Patent ID: 7907183

Claim:
An image generation apparatus that generates, from a first video sequence and a second video sequence that are generated by capturing a same object by an external image capturing apparatus, a new video sequence which represents the same object, wherein the first video sequence includes frames having a first resolution, the second video sequence includes frames having a second resolution which is higher than the first resolution, each frame of the first video sequence is generated during a first duration of a first exposure period, and each frame of the second video sequence is generated during a second duration of a second exposure period which is longer than the first duration of the first exposure period, said image generation apparatus comprising: an exposure control unit operable to control the external image capturing apparatus to change an exposure amount during a part of the second exposure period in synchronization with changing of an exposure amount during a part of the first exposure period; an image input unit operable to receive the first video sequence and the second video sequence from the external image capturing apparatus, the second video sequence being captured under control of said exposure control unit; and an image integration unit operable to generate, from the first video sequence and the second video sequence received by said image input unit, the new video sequence including frames having a resolution which is equal to or higher than the second resolution, at a frame rate which is equal to or higher than a frame rate of the first video sequence, by reducing a difference between (i) a value of each frame in the second video sequence and (ii) a sum of values of frames in the new video sequence which correspond to the second exposure period for the each frame in the second video sequence.