Estimation-theoretic approach to dynamic range enhancement using multiple exposures

Mark A. Robertson; Sean Borman; Robert L. Stevenson

doi:10.1117/1.1557695

1 April 2003 Estimation-theoretic approach to dynamic range enhancement using multiple exposures

Mark A. Robertson, Sean Borman, Robert L. Stevenson

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Journal of Electronic Imaging, Vol. 12, Issue 2, (April 2003). https://doi.org/10.1117/1.1557695

We present a new approach for improving the effective dynamic range of cameras by using multiple photographs of the same scene taken with different exposure times. Using this method enables the photographer to accurately capture scenes that contain high dynamic range by using a device with low dynamic range, which allows the capture of scenes that have both very bright and very dark regions. We approach the problem from a probabilistic standpoint, distinguishing it from the other methods reported in the literature on photographic dynamic range improvement. A new method is proposed for determining the camera's response function, which is an iterative procedure that need be done only once for a particular camera. With the response function known, high dynamic range images can be easily constructed by a weighted average of the input images. The particular form of weighting is controlled by the probabilistic formulation of the problem, and results in higher weight being assigned to pixels taken at longer exposure times. The advantages of this new weighting scheme are explained by comparison with other methods in the literature. Experimental results are presented to demonstrate the utility of the algorithm.

©(2003) Society of Photo-Optical Instrumentation Engineers (SPIE)

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Mark A. Robertson, Sean Borman, and Robert L. Stevenson "Estimation-theoretic approach to dynamic range enhancement using multiple exposures," Journal of Electronic Imaging 12(2), (1 April 2003). https://doi.org/10.1117/1.1557695

Published: 1 April 2003

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