Simplified weighting function for high dynamic range video frame formation

High dynamic range imagery has matured from a laboratory demonstration to an integrated capability in consumer-level cameras. However, high dynamic range video has lagged in development despite the introduction of several different frame formation methodologies and system architectures. The most common formation methodology involves the calculation of a high dynamic range image from a series of rapidly bracketed frames at varying exposure levels, then through the use of a radiometric calibration, recombined utilizing a weighted maximum likelihood estimator. The ideal weighting scheme to minimize the error on final image formation has been investigated by several authors. A new nonrecursive, simplified weighting scheme is proposed that utilized only knowledge of the optical attenuation, integration time, and sensor gain. A method is developed to test the various weighting schemes for their resilience to error with limited available exposures over a wide range of exposure value offsets, a common scenario for multi-imager-based high dynamic range video systems.