US 12,244,943 B2
HDR plus with MxN-cell image sensor
Yang-Ting Chou, Zhubei (TW); and Zhaojian Li, Fremont, CA (US)
Assigned to Cista System Corp., Grand Cayman (KY)
Filed by CISTA SYSTEM CORP., Grand Cayman (KY)
Filed on May 9, 2023, as Appl. No. 18/195,208.
Prior Publication US 2024/0380994 A1, Nov. 14, 2024
Int. Cl. H04N 25/57 (2023.01); G06T 5/10 (2006.01); G06T 5/50 (2006.01); G06T 5/70 (2024.01); G06T 5/92 (2024.01); H04N 25/11 (2023.01); H04N 25/62 (2023.01)
CPC H04N 25/57 (2023.01) [G06T 5/10 (2013.01); G06T 5/50 (2013.01); G06T 5/70 (2024.01); G06T 5/92 (2024.01); H04N 25/11 (2023.01); H04N 25/62 (2023.01); G06T 2207/10024 (2013.01); G06T 2207/20064 (2013.01); G06T 2207/20208 (2013.01); G06T 2207/20221 (2013.01)] 20 Claims
OG exemplary drawing
 
1. A method for High Dynamic Range (HDR) using M×N-cell image sensor, comprising:
capturing, using the M×N-cell image sensor, a plurality of frames of a scene using a short-exposure setting, wherein:
the M×N-cell image sensor comprises a plurality of pixel groups, each pixel group having M×N pixels configured with color filters of a same color such that the M×N pixels in each pixel group capture the same color,
M and N are integers greater than one, and
each pixel is represented by a first number of bits;
merging the plurality of frames into an HDR image, wherein the merging comprises:
identifying a pixel group from each of the plurality of frames; and
merging the M×N pixels in each of the identified pixel groups into one super-pixel in the HDR image, wherein each super-pixel in the HDR image is represented by a second number of bits, the second number being greater than the first number; and
performing tone mapping on the HDR image to reduce dynamic range of the super-pixels of the HDR image into a low dynamic range (LDR) image, wherein each pixel in the LDR image is represented with the first number of bits.