	US 7,502,067 B2
	Electronic camera that synthesizes two images taken under different exposures
Minoru Kakinuma, Hachioji (Japan); Hidetoshi Fukuda, Yokohama (Japan); Hiroaki Koseki, Kokubunji (Japan); Osamu Inagaki, Hachioji (Japan); and Kuniaki Saito, Tokorozawa (Japan)
Assigned to Olympus Optical Co., Ltd., Tokyo (Japan)
Filed on Mar. 02, 2004, as Appl. No. 10/790,189.
Application 10/790189 is a continuation of application No. 09/204276, filed on Dec. 03, 1998, granted, now 6,744,471.
Claims priority of application No. 9-350185 (JP), filed on Dec. 05, 1997; application No. 9-361661 (JP), filed on Dec. 11, 1997; and application No. 10-48594 (JP), filed on Feb. 16, 1998.
Prior Publication US 2004/0201731 A1, Oct. 14, 2004
This patent is subject to a terminal disclaimer.
Int. Cl. H04N 5/222 (2006.01); H04N 5/225 (2006.01); H04N 5/228 (2006.01); G03B 9/70 (2006.01); G03B 15/03 (2006.01); G06K 9/36 (2006.01)

U.S. Cl. 348—371 [348/222.1; 348/218.1; 396/166; 396/173; 396/182; 382/284]

25 Claims

1. An electronic camera having a function for performing synthesis of two image pickup signals obtained by performing by a single image pickup device two shots of picture taking of different exposure amount of the same object to obtain an image having an increased wide dynamic range, said electronic camera comprising:

flash emission means, said flash emission means caused to emit at both of a timing in the second half of charge accumulating time of the image pickup device at a first shot of picture taking and a timing in the first half of charge accumulating time of the image pickup device at a second shot of picture taking;

a photometric device having a separate entity from the image pickup device; and

means for causing said flash emission means to emit at both of the two shots of picture taking and setting charge accumulating time of the image pickup device at the second shot of picture taking based on an emission amount ratio of the two emissions measured by said photometric device.