Abstract: The present invention has an object to provide an image processing apparatus and an image processing method capable of, when reducing a blur in an input image, (i) reducing noise included in the input image and (ii) restraining degradation of the image caused by noise processing from being emphasized by image restoration processing. An image processing apparatus (100) for reducing a blur in an input image includes: a noise processing unit (10) which performs noise processing that reduces noise to the input image, to generate a noise-processed image; and a restoration processing unit (20) which performs image restoration processing that reduces a blur to the noise-processed image, the noise processing unit (10) performing the noise processing based on a characteristic of the image restoration processing.

Abstract: The solid-state image sensor 10 includes an array of photosensitive cells and an array 100 of dispersing elements. The photosensitive cell array is comprised of unit blocks 40, each including four photosensitive cells 2a, 2b, 2c and 2d.

Abstract: An image processing device (10) removes noise from an input image by adding the input image to a reference image, and includes: a motion estimation unit (1) which generates motion information for each of blocks of the input image; a motion compensation unit (3) which generates a motion-compensated reference image; a block distortion amount calculation unit (5) which calculates a block distortion amount for each of blocks of the motion-compensated reference image; an addition ratio calculation unit (6) which calculates an addition ratio of a block of the motion-compensated reference image so that the addition ratio decreases as the block distortion increases; and an addition unit (4) which perform weighted sum on a pixel value of the block of the motion-compensated reference image and a pixel value of a block of the input image, using the addition ratio.

Abstract: To provide an image processing apparatus which reduces, using a temporal noise removal scheme, image block distortion or noise and temporal flickering and fluctuation phenomena. The image processing apparatus (1) removing noise in an input image by adding a reference image to the input image includes a motion estimation unit (20) which generates motion information indicating a motion estimated for the input image; a motion compensation unit (30) which generates a after motion compensation second image corresponding to a before motion compensation first image by performing motion compensation using the generated motion information; a flatness degree calculation unit (40) which calculates a flatness degree of the input image; a blending rate calculation unit (53) which calculates addition rates for the input image, first image, and second image, using the calculated flatness degree; and a pixel addition unit (60) which adds the respective images according to the addition rates.

Abstract: Previously, image display apparatuses using phosphors each having a different persistence time have a problem of reducing a motion blur caused by persistence of the phosphors in an image and improving color shift caused by the motion blur. To overcome this problem, an image display apparatus (1) includes: a motion detecting unit (2) calculating motion information from an inputted image signal, such as a region, a velocity, a direction of a motion, and a matching difference; a correction signal calculating unit (3) calculating a correction signal for correcting the motion blur caused by persistence in the inputted image signal, using the motion information; and a correcting unit (4) correcting the input image signal using the calculated correction signal.

Abstract: An image processing device extracts, in an image block selection section 226, a plurality of image block pairs from a degraded image and a provisional restored image, each of the image block pairs being formed by two image blocks at identical coordinates in the degraded image and the provisional restored image, and estimates a point spread function (PSF) for each of the image block pairs. From among the estimated PSFs, a PSF which is estimated to be close to a true PSF is selected as a candidate PSF. The estimation of the PSF is carried out on a block-by-block basis, whereby the amount of computation required for the estimation of the PSF can be reduced. Also, the estimation method used is not disturbed by an image block which includes noise, and therefore, a PSF which is close to the true PSF can be estimated.

Abstract: A kernel estimation section (222) of an image processing device of the present invention is configured such that, when performing estimation of a blur kernel based on a contracted degraded image that has a first resolution, the kernel estimation section performs the estimation based on an initial value of a blur kernel that has a resolution corresponding to the first resolution. Thereafter, when performing estimation of a blur kernel based on a contracted degraded image that has a second resolution that is higher than the first resolution, the kernel estimation section performs the estimation based on an initial value of a blur kernel that has a resolution corresponding to the second resolution.

Abstract: The invention provides a visual processing device that has a hardware configuration that does not depend on the visual processing to be achieved. A visual processing device 1 is provided with a spatial processing portion 2 and a visual processing portion 3. The spatial processing portion 2 performs predetermined processing with respect to an input signal IS that has been received as input, and outputs the result as an unsharp signal US. The visual processing portion 3 outputs an output signal OS, which is the input signal IS after visual processing, based on a two-dimensional LUT 4 that lists the relationship between the input signal IS that has been received as input and the unsharp signal US, and the output signal OS.

Abstract: Blur correction device (100) includes: a blur information generation unit (203) which generates blur information based on sensor data indicating camera motion; a blur correction unit (204) which corrects blur in a captured image, based on the blur information, to generate a candidate corrected image; an evaluation value calculation unit (205) which calculates an evaluation value indicating a blur correction level for the candidate corrected image; a termination judgment unit (206) which judges whether the blur correction should be terminated, based on a predetermined condition; and a blur information updating unit which updates the blur information, when the blur correction should not be terminated. When the blur information is updated, the blur correction unit (204) corrects the blur, based on the updated blur information, to generate a new candidate corrected image.

Abstract: An image processing apparatus for automatically improving the contrast of an input image that is obtained from a digital camera or the like, and obtaining a sharper and clearing image. A contrast improvement unit performs a contrast improvement process on the input image by comparing an object pixel in the input image with pixels in the surrounding area. An image combination unit combines the enhanced image obtained by the contrast improvement process with the input image. The combined image is then output to a desired device such as a printer by an image output unit.

Abstract: An image capture device of the present invention includes: a plurality of image sensors (310a, 310b); an optical element (light entrance section) 315 which is configured to allow incoming light to sequentially impinge on the respective image sensors (310a, 310b) according to a time-coded pattern during the exposure time; a camera shake detection section 345 for detecting camera shake which occurs during the exposure time to generate camera shake information that represents a trajectory of the camera shake; and an image processing section 220 for processing the plurality of images obtained by the plurality of image sensors (310a, 310b).

Abstract: An image capture device of the present invention includes: a first image capture element 10A and a second image capture element 10B; and an optical system which is capable of forming a first image which is in focus on an image capture plane of the first image capture element 10A and forming a second image which is out of focus on an image capture plane of the second image capture element 10B. An image processing section 220 processes a signal obtained from the first image capture element 10A and a signal obtained from the second image capture element 10B and produces a restored image from an image obtained by the second image capture element 10B, the restored image having reduced camera shake blur and reduced out-of-focus blur.

Abstract: An image-capturing device of the present invention includes an image-capturing element 10 including a plurality of light-sensing cells arranged on an image-capturing surface; an optical system (14, 20) for forming a first image which is in focus on an image-capturing surface 10a in a first state and forming a second image which is out of focus on the image-capturing surface 10a in a second state; and an image processing section 220 for processing a signal obtained from the image-capturing element 10. The image processing section 220 includes a camera-shake blur removing section for generating a restored image obtained by reducing camera-shake blur from an image obtained by the image-capturing element 10 in the second state.

Abstract: An image processing apparatus for automatically improving the contrast of an input image that is obtained from a digital camera or the like, and obtaining a sharper and clearing image. A contrast improvement unit performs a contrast improvement process on the input image by comparing an object pixel in the input image with pixels in the surrounding area. An image combination unit combines the enhanced image obtained by the contrast improvement process with the input image. The combined image is then output to a desired device such as a printer by an image output unit.

Abstract: An image processing device appropriately extracts an entire object from an image even if the object is not completely included in an initial region designated by a user. The image processing device includes: a designation unit designating a position on the image; a setting unit setting a first combination consisting of a first object region candidate and a first background region candidate, and a second combination; a histogram generation unit generating a normalized color histogram of each of the regions; a similarity calculation unit calculating a similarity regarding each of the combinations; and a selection unit configured to select a combination from the first and second combinations so that the selected combination has the similarity lower than the similarity of the non-selected combination.

Abstract: An image processing device (36) which performs blur correction on an input picture captured through a follow shot of a subject, and includes: a blur estimation unit (32) which estimates a direction and size of a blur in each of a plurality of regions in the input picture; a clustering unit (33) which performs clustering of the regions based on a similarity of the regions in at least one of the estimated direction and size of the blur; a subject region identification unit (34) which identifies at least one cluster corresponding to the subject, from among a plurality of clusters obtained through the clustering; and a blur correction unit (35) which performs blur correction on a region belonging to the identified cluster, based on the estimated direction and size of the blur.

Abstract: The grayscale of an input signal is converted without amplifying noise components thereof. A grayscale conversion portion performs grayscale conversion on an input signal IS to create a converted signal TS, a noise reduction degree determining portion determines a noise reduction degree NR that expresses a strength of noise reduction processing to be applied to the converted signal based on the input signal IS and the converted signal TS, and a noise reducing portion executes noise reduction processing on the converted signal TS based on the noise reduction degree NR. By doing this, it is possible to convert the grayscale of the input signal without enhancing the noise.

Abstract: Provided is a tracking object selection apparatus (1a) which selects a tracking object (103xm). The tracking object selection apparatus (1a) includes a synthesis unit (306) which synthesizes an input image (9Ib) and an image (93) so that the image is disposed at a predetermined position (92P), a display unit (307), and a selection unit (308) which selects, as the tracking object (103xm) in a predetermined process, a detected object (301x) when an operation (104L2) is performed on the image (92) displayed at the predetermined position (92P).

Abstract: An image capturing apparatus (1) includes: an imaging device (12) which receives incident light through an optical system (11), and converts the received light into image data (12D) of an image (12P); a memory (13) which stores the image data converted; a motion detecting unit (15) which detects a motion (1My) of the image capturing apparatus during an exposure period (1y); an image generating unit (16) which generates an image (16a) indicating the detected motion; and a display control unit (17) which causes the display unit to display the generated image.

Abstract: The grayscale of an input signal is converted without amplifying noise components thereof. A grayscale conversion portion performs grayscale conversion on an input signal IS to create a converted signal TS, a noise reduction degree determining portion determines a noise reduction degree NR that expresses a strength of noise reduction processing to be applied to the converted signal based on the input signal IS and the converted signal TS, and a noise reducing portion executes noise reduction processing on the converted signal TS based on the noise reduction degree NR. By doing this, it is possible to convert the grayscale of the input signal without enhancing the noise.