Abstract: A method for detecting the illumination color to store the color-compensated image considering the light effect of illumination environments on photographing with a color image input apparatus such as a video camera. The present invention provides a method for finding highlight areas appearing on the objects in the image and obtaining the illumination color resulting from the analysis of the color of the pixels included in those highlight areas. The chromaticity coordinates of the pixels in a highlight area occurring on the uniformly colored object are distributed between the body color of the object and the illumination color. The distribution of those chromaticity coordinates is referred to as the color transition band. The straight lines are approximated on the chromaticity diagram using these color transition bands obtained from highlight areas presenting several uniformly colored objects. The illumination color is determined as the average of the intersections between the lines.

Abstract: In some embodiments of the invention, when a color component (e.g. red, green or blue) is reconstructed at a pixel from the intensity values for this component at adjacent pixels, the intensities at the adjacent pixels are assigned weights. Greater weights are assigned to those pixels for which a gradient is smaller. The gradient for each adjacent pixel is indicative of a magnitude of a change of another color component in the direction of the adjacent pixel and/or a magnitude of the rate of change of the other color component in the direction of the adjacent pixel. In some embodiments, the weights are chosen to reduce the impact of noise. In some embodiments, the reconstructed value of a color component is adjusted to incorporate information on color spikes that is carried by another color component.

Abstract: A method of removing noise from a sparsely sampled extended dynamic range image produced by a sparsely sampled extended dynamic range image sensing device having fast photosites with a predetermined response to a light exposure for producing fast pixel values and slow photosites with a slower response to the same light exposure for producing slow pixel values, includes the steps of: providing a sparsely sampled extended dynamic range digital image having fast and slow pixel values; using a noise filter method to remove noise from the sparsely sampled extended dynamic range digital image by using only slow pixel values to generate slow noise reduced pixel values and using only fast pixel values to generate fast noise reduced pixel values; and combining the slow noise reduced pixel values and the fast noise reduced pixel values to generate a noise reduced sparsely sampled digital image.

Abstract: Apparatus for image capture via a blemished sensor, comprising: a large area pixel based image sensor being actuatable to move between a first image capture position and a second image capture position, an image capture controller for controlling said sensor to move between said image capture positions during an image capture operation thereby to take a sub-image at each one of said positions so that each part of an image subject is captured by at least two separate pixels of said sensor, and an integrator, associated with said sensor, for integrating said sub-images into a single full image. Preferably, the sensor is tested to find blemish positions and a shift is calculated that minimizes the number of blemish positions that superimpose between the two pixel positions.

Abstract: Color filter array interpolation with directional derivatives using all eight nearest neighbor pixels. The interpolation method applies to Bayer pattern color CCDs and MOS detectors and is useful in digital still cameras and video cameras.

Abstract: At first, average brightness of each of frames of a moving image is calculated by a computer. Following that, a moving average along a time axis is calculated for each of the frames so that moving average brightness is generated as a reference data of brightness. Next, difference data between the average brightness and the moving average brightness are generated. Further, the difference data are grouped based on the signs of the reference data. Then, on the basis of the grouped difference data, it is judged whether an unwanted change of brightness is present. Thus, it is automatically and precisely judged whether the unwanted change of brightness such as a flicker is present in the moving image.

Abstract: An image processing device is provided for still and video imaging systems which use a low number of samples per image pixel, preferably a single color component per each image pixel. The device includes an edge-dependent and edge-side-dependent color interpolation process, preferably implemented within the imaging system or within a host image processing computer hardware. The process reconstructs the missing color components of each said image pixel with high accuracy, because it is based on the detection of the spatial features present in the pixel neighborhood, thus providing sharp images without artifacts and with smooth transition in hue from pixel to pixel.

Abstract: An image processing apparatus includes: an image input unit into which image information is input and which can output the image information as electronic data; and an intensity computation unit for computing smoothing intensity for smoothing the electronic data, from the intensity of a predetermined color component included in the electronic data output from the image input unit. The smoothing intensity is set on the basis of a relationship between the intensity of a predetermined color component and the frequency of noise. When the intensity of a predetermined color component output from the pixel of interest is high, a rate at which the intensity of the predetermined color component output from the pixel of interest is to be distributed to surrounding pixels constituting the matrix is set to a large value. When the intensity of the predetermined color component is low, the rate is set to a small value.

Abstract: The present invention relates to digital image sensors and in particular to an aliasing free contour filter for RGB Bayer sensors. The filter (ZSB, 7) prevents an amplification of back folded aliasing artefacts and further eliminates green-green differences caused in the green color of the image sensor.

Abstract: This invention has as its object to eliminate sensitivity nonuniformity on the plane of an image sensing element irrespective of exchange of a lens. To achieve this object, in an image sensing apparatus which has an image sensing element and can exchange a lens, a memory stores shading correction coefficients respectively corresponding to pixels in a two-dimensional matrix on the plane of the image sensing element, and a correction device makes a correction calculation of pixel data read out from each pixel of the image sensing element by extracting the shading correction coefficient associated with the corresponding pixel from those stored in the memory.

Abstract: Briefly, in accordance with one embodiment of the invention, a method of reducing flicker in a video image sequence includes the following. Successive video images are temporally filtered. The filter length is adjusted so as to reduce the amount of filtering across temporal discontinuities in the video image sequence. Briefly, in accordance with another embodiment of the invention, a method of reducing flicker in a video image sequence includes the following. Successive video images are temporally filtered. The filter length is dynamically adjusted.

Abstract: A signal processing device for a sensor output signal from a sensor covered by a color mask pattern having a plurality of colors, the signal processing device comprising a reconstruction unit (5) for generating a plurality of color signal values (R, G, B) for each pixel from the sensor output signal; and a clipping device (8) for clipping the sensor output signal or the plurality of color signal values (R, G, B). Preferably, the signal processing device further comprises: a conversion unit (6) for generating luminance signals (Y) and chrominance signals (U, V) from the plurality of color signal values (R, G, B), and an adjustment unit (10) for selectively setting the chrominance signals (U, V) to a zero color difference when clipping is performed (8).

Abstract: An image in a field inputted by interlace scanning is delayed for a time period corresponding to one field, then, by comparing the delayed image signals and the not-delayed image signals of the image, a movement detecting unit determines whether the input image is a moving image or a still image and outputs a signal indicating the determined result. A selecting unit which includes an image combining unit combines the delayed image signals and the not-delayed image signals, and selects either the combined image signals or not-combined image signals on the basis of the detected result by the movement detecting unit. Accordingly, the image signals realizing a high quality image displayed on a multimedia device are obtained.

Abstract: A solid-state imaging apparatus includes a solid-state imaging device and a signal processing circuit. The solid-state imaging device includes: a plurality of photoelectric converting sections provided with color filters having different spectroscopic characteristics, and each converting light incident thereon into a charge and accumulating the charge, and a plurality of vertical charge transfer sections for vertically transferring the charge read from each of the photoelectric converting sections. A plurality of reading operations to read the charges accumulated in the photoelectric converting sections to the plurality of the vertical charge transfer sections are performed within a time duration for scanning an image for one image plane, and the charges read from the photoelectric converting sections are transferred through the vertical charge transfer section separately for each of the reading operations.

Abstract: A color imaging system comprising a color image sensor having a matrix of photosites and a color filter array (CFA) masking the matrix of photosites, such that each photosite captures one color of first, second, and third colors, the CFA constituting a repetitive pattern of the first, second and third colors, the sensor producing a color image signal including a matrix of monocolor pixels corresponding to the color filter array pattern; and a field programmable gate array which is programmed as a spatial non-uniformity color corrector for correcting each of the monocolor pixels of the color image signal by a simplified quadratic function along each image axis.

Abstract: Disclosed is an image processing method of expanding the dynamic range by determining a saturated or noise region in an image signal and replacing the image signal with a proper image signal. A threshold value is set in units of colors on the basis of a standard image signal for each color, which is obtained upon sensing an image in a standard exposure, and a non-standard image signal for each color, which is obtained upon sensing the image in a non-standard exposure. A saturated or noise region is determined by applying the threshold value set in units of colors to the standard image signal. A region determined as a saturated or noise region is replaced with the non-standard image signal.

Abstract: A solid-state imaging apparatus includes a solid-state imaging device and a signal processing circuit. The solid-state imaging device includes: a plurality of photoelectric converting sections provided with color filters having different spectroscopic characteristics, and each converting light incident thereon into a charge and accumulating the charge, and a plurality of vertical charge transfer sections for vertically transferring the charge read from each of the photoelectric converting sections. A plurality of reading operations to read the charges accumulated in the photoelectric converting sections to the plurality of the vertical charge transfer sections are performed within a time duration for scanning an image for one image plane, and the charges read from the photoelectric converting sections are transferred through the vertical charge transfer section separately for each of the reading operations.

Abstract: The object of the present invention is to provide a color noise slice circuit in which the color noise slice process does not cause changes in hue. The color noise slice circuit of the present invention is provided with a divider that receives color-difference signals (R-Y) and (B-Y) and calculates (R-Y)/(B-Y), a memory that stores values for .theta.=tan.sup.-1 ?(R-Y)/(B-Y)!, memories for storing sin .theta. and cos .theta., a noise slice width setting circuit that sets the slice width .DELTA.S, multipliers that calculate .DELTA.Sr=.DELTA.S* sin .theta. and .DELTA.Sb=.DELTA.S * cos .theta., and slice circuits that execute color noise slice processing of color-difference signals (R-Y) and (B-Y) using .DELTA.Sr and .DELTA.Sb, respectively, as color noise slice widths.

Abstract: An image signal processing apparatus comprises an image pick-up device driven in an interlaced manner, a color filter having portions for passing luminance components located in an offset manner and a memory for storing the signal read out from the image pick-up device without sub-sampling it.

Abstract: A CCD signal read-out circuit is operative, upon receipt of a CCD signal outputted from a CCD, to output an output signal from which a reset noise has been removed through correlated double sampling. The CCD signal includes pixel periods each comprising a reset period, a succeeding feed-through period and a further succeeding pixel signal period.

Abstract: In an image pickup device for generating a corrected luminance signal by subtracting two color difference signals as correction signals from a luminance signal, a correction signal is generated by base-clipping at least one of the two color difference signals.

Abstract: In an image pickup apparatus, R, G and B three-primary-color signals are generated without reducing the saturation of colors and the band of the signals, while suppressing the generation of pseudocolors as much as possible, and image signals suitable for apparatuses, such as computers, printers and the like, are generated. A plurality of circuits for estimating the complementary-color value of a missing pixel are provided, and the output of one of the circuits is selected.

Abstract: Output signals of a solid state image sensor 1 are processed in a signal processing circuit 3 and then supplied as brightness signals to a variable gain circuit 4, and gain of the circuit is varied for each color separation filter provided in the solid state image sensor 1, and in the case of achromatic objects, signal amounts for each color separation filter are made equal and moire is suppressed. In such a video camera, a noise reducer circuit 5 is provided and output signals of the variable gain circuit 4 are supplied to the noise reducer circuit 5 and adding processing is carried out during a plurality of horizontal scanning periods neighboring vertically thereby level variation (line pair) of the brightness signals for each horizontal scanning period is suppressed. A vertical resolution correction circuit 6 generates a vertical resolution correction signal from output signals of the signal processing circuit 3 there by degradation of the vertical resolution of the brightness signals is corrected.

Abstract: A method and apparatus are presented for processing a set of image data points representing an image and being detected by a detector array having array elements wherein each array element is responsive to only one of a first or a second color.

Abstract: Radiation detectors are mounted in an optic focal plane of an infrared radiation sensor system. The radiation detectors produce output signals indicating detected radiation. The output signals are sampled by a sample-and-hold circuit and passed to a 1-bit comparator. The comparator produces a 1-bit signal at a high voltage level for samples of the output signal that are greater than a reference voltage and at a low voltage level for samples of the output signal that are less than the reference voltage. In this manner, the comparator reduces the effects of any gamma spikes on the measurement of intensity of radiation. The 1-bit signal is less susceptible to effects of interference than analog signals in conventional systems and the 1-bit comparator produces this 1-bit signal without consuming a great deal of electrical power. A multiplexor carries such 1-bit signals from the focal plane to a processor over less wires than in conventional systems.

Abstract: An image signal processing device includes a luminance information detecting circuit which detects luminance information on an object and a filter circuit to which an image signal is supplied from an image sensing system. The filtering characteristic of the filter circuit is arranged to be switched from one characteristic over to another according to the detection output of the luminance information detecting circuit, so that the generation of a pseudo-contour can be prevented.

Abstract: A signal interpolation apparatus in which first signals of the same type as a first signal selected and taken out at a given time point from several types of signals having a predetermined correlationship with an original signal are taken out from a signal source by a sampling device, and second signals of a first type different from the first signals are taken out from the signal source by a second sampling device. The output signals of the first and second sampling devices are converted into a predetermined form respectively, and a coefficient of the conversion signal of the second sampling device against that of the first sampling device is determined. An output signal of the second sampling device is interpolated on the basis of the coefficient.

Abstract: A digital video camera includes a pseudo-saturation calculating circuit by which a pseudo-saturation corresponding to an actual saturation is calculated on the basis of two color difference signals, and a suppression coefficient is calculated by a suppression coefficient calculating circuit on the basis of the pseudo-saturation. Each of the color difference signals are outputted by a selecting circuit in a dot sequential manner, and multiplied by the suppression coefficient in a multiplying circuit. Therefore, a signal in which a low-saturation chrominance signal is outputted from the multiplying circuit, whereby the low-saturation chrominance signal can be suppressed even though a sampling frequency is not increased.

Abstract: A video camera circuit for processing an image signal from an image pickup device having a mosaic color filter comprises a field memroy control circuit for reading out a predetermined line of signal (CCD output data) from a field memory when the position of vertical interpolation has changed, first, second and third line memories for storing the signal from the field memory, a line memory control circuit for controlling signal writing in and reading out from the line memories to concurrently retrieve three lines of signal, a vertical interpolation block for preparing a signal at the position of interpolation based on the four lines of signal, and a Y/C separation block for separating a luminance signal and color difference signals from the signal at the position of interpolation.

Abstract: An image transmission apparatus comprises a color separating circuit for dividing a video image signal into color signals and a color burst signal, a sampling clock generating circuit for generating a clock signal having a frequency corresponding to a designated pixel number, and a sampling clock synchronizing circuit for converting the clock signal into a sampling clock signal synchronized with the color burst signal. A sampling frequency of a sampling unit (an A/D converter), which samples the color signals in accordance with the sampling clock signal to thereby produce sampled image data, is controlled in accordance with the sampling clock signal. The sampled image data are stored in a frame memory. The sampled image data stored in the frame memory are transmitted from an image data transmitting section composed of a static image compressing/expanding circuit and a transmitting/receiving section.

Abstract: An image signal processing apparatus comprises an image pick-up device driven in an interlaced manner, a color filter having portions for passing luminance components located in an offset manner and a memory for storing the signal read out from the image pick-up device without sub-sampling it.

Abstract: An image processing technique in which illumination effects are reduced by subtraction of spatially weighted masks which are formed substantially simultaneously on an analog smoothing grid. Haloing are reduced by using a mask whose spatial weighting is non-linear at the boundary of image segments whose intensities differ by more than would be predicted by the Rule of Twenty which predicts that the ratio of naturally found reflectances seldom exceeds a factor of twenty. A color image is processed by forming differently scaled masks, each of which is related to a spectral component of the original image. The masks are subtracted from the image to form a composite image. The saturation level in each smoothing grid is selected to minimize adverse effects of illumination in that spectral component by causing segmentation of image areas whose intensity differences exceed natural reflectance ratios. The transfer functions of each grid may also separately adjusted to enhance the composite image.

Abstract: A color camera apparatus comprises an image pickup element having a stripe/mosaic type color filter and photo-electrically converting an arriving optical image so as to obtain at least a signal including a brightness component and a color component multiplexed with each other. And, the apparatus comprises an A/D converter for digitizing above multiplexed signal, and a brightness signal processing circuit which separates the brightness component from the multiplexed signal and carries out an aperture correction by means of a delay element having a delay amount corresponding to two horizontal scanning period. And further, the apparatus comprises a color signal processing circuit which separates the color component from the multiplexed signal so as to obtain two line-sequential color difference components through a predetermined arithmetic procedure.

Abstract: A group of vectors are set to transform each signal of an endoscopic image resolved into a plurality of color signals into a plurality of new color signals based on statistical characteristics of the image. Also, the color signals of the endoscopic image are transformed into new color signals by a matrix operation using the group of vectors for the new color signals. After filtering is applied to the plurality of new color signals, the plurality of new color signals are transformed into a plurality of original color signals by a matrix operation using an inverse matrix of the matrix used in the matrix operation.