Multiple templates auto exposure control based on luminance histogram for onboard camera

In order to adjust the exposure of high resolution and frequency images from an on-board camera in real time, a simple exposure control approach based on luminance histogram analysis is presented to realize light control precisely and rapidly. The algorithm divides the initial image into nine blocks and calculates the mean brightness of every part. It uses the luminance histogram to analyze the degree of exposure of both: the global image and every part, especially interest areas. According to the area size of the neighborhood on the two edges of the histogram, the different weight matrix can be decided to quickly calculate the optimal brightness for the next frame, and then the optimal exposure time can be determined accurately. The algorithm does not need to determine an expensive quadratic function to decide the weight of every part so as to fast perform auto exposure control. The experimental results show that the algorithm can correctly and fast adjust the exposure time of the on-board camera on an autonomous robot, and has strong adaptability for various shootings outdoor.