Abstract: The attitude of an image sensing apparatus is detected, and optimum filter processing is selected based on the result of detection for extracting feature information of a subject, thus processing is simplified. While a shutter button is half-depressed, it is determined whether the image sensing apparatus is performing landscape image sensing or portrait image sensing based on attitude information obtained from an attitude sensor (S105). Then based on the result of determination, one of two filter processings in different scan directions is performed thereby a person's face in an image is detected. Then image sensing conditions at the next timing are determined based on the area of the person's face in the image. When the shutter button is full-depressed, image sensing is performed in accordance with the latest image sensing conditions, and an obtained image is stored into a storage medium such as a memory card.

Abstract: At least two high-frequency signals are generated using luminance signals of at least two color components contained in a video signal, and a high-frequency signal for edge emphasizing processing is generated from the at least two generated high-frequency signals based upon the size relationship between the at least two high-frequency signals. Edge emphasizing processing is applied to the luminance signals, which are obtained from the video signal, using the high-frequency signal for edge emphasizing processing thus generated.

Abstract: Adaptive luminance interpolation processing in a signal processing apparatus for acquiring an image signal from an image sensing element having color filters and processing the image signal is described. An adaptive luminance interpolation circuit determines the correlation of the image signal in the vertical and horizontal directions, and interpolates the luminance signal of the image signal in a direction in which the correlation is higher. The chroma signal of the image signal is interpolated regardless of the correlation direction. The chroma signal is processed by a color conversion matrix circuit for performing signal processing of suppressing a false color in the vertical direction or a color conversion matrix circuit for performing signal processing of suppressing a false color in the horizontal direction, switched by a matrix switching circuit based on the interpolation direction.

Abstract: To solve a problem in that a color photographed at high color temperature such as a skin color is erroneously judged as a white color at low color temperature, and the skin having a chromatic color is colored with white color. There is provided an image pickup device in which: a given chromatic color area on a photography screen is instructed; a color temperature of a light source is specified on the basis of an output signal within the instructed area; and white balance processing is conducted in accordance with a white balance coefficient that corresponds to the specified color temperature of the light source.

Abstract: An image pickup apparatus is capable of accurately performing white balance control by accurately detecting color temperature without depending on a luminance signal level. In the image pickup apparatus, a color evaluation value is obtained by computation from color signals coming from a plurality of pixels of an image sensor having complementary color filters. It is determined whether the color evaluation value is included within a white determining range. The white determining range is made to vary according to the shooting condition and/or the object condition. The white balance is adjusted on the basis of color signals having color evaluation values included within the white determining range.

Abstract: An object of this invention is to always obtain accurate white balance regardless of photographing conditions. To achieve this object, a white balance adjustment method includes a first color temperature calculation step of calculating a first color temperature from an image signal within a white detection range out of image signals from an image sensing element, a second color temperature calculation step of calculating a second color temperature from an image signal within a chromatic color detection range out of image signals from the image sensing element, and a white balance adjustment step of adjusting white balance on the basis of the first and second color temperatures.

Abstract: An entered image is divided into a plurality of blocks and it is determined, on a per-block basis, whether image data within an applicable block is indicative of the color white, based upon a condition, from among a plurality of conditions, that conforms to the position of each block in the image. A white balance correction is performed based upon data of a block determined to be indicative of the color white.

Abstract: The present invention relates to a chrominance signal processing apparatus and method for providing optimal color processing according to the hue of the color image data. Red, green and blue signals are input to a chroma composition ratio determination circuit that generates and outputs the RGB color composition ratio (&agr;:&bgr;:&ggr;). A chroma suppression luminance signal generating circuit then generates a chroma suppression luminance signal Ya based on the RGB signals and the color composition ratio. A chroma suppression gain determination circuit outputs the gain for the chroma suppression luminance signal based on a table in which output gain setting values corresponding to the chroma suppression luminance signals are recorded. Multipliers then multiply input color-difference signals Cr, Cb by the gain and output a suppressed color-difference signals (Cr×G, Cb×G) according to the color composition ratio (&agr;:&bgr;:&ggr;).

Abstract: A signal process for interpolating color signals is executed. In this process, color image data output from image sensor covered by a plurality of color filters that form a predetermined matrix is interpolated, horizontal and vertical correlation levels are discriminated on the basis of the color image data, first color difference signals are calculated by color-separating interpolated image data of respective colors in a direction with the higher correlation level on the basis of the discrimination result, and second color difference signals are calculated by a predetermined arithmetic operation different from first color difference signal calculation unit on the basis of the interpolated image data of respective colors. The calculated first or second color difference signals are selected and output based on the first and second color difference signals.

Abstract: An image pickup apparatus including an image pickup element for picking up an image and outputting an image pickup signal, a controller for performing a first photographing in an in-focus state to obtain a first image pickup signal and performing a second photographing in a state defocused by a predetermined amount from the in-focus state to obtain a second image pickup signal, and a signal processing circuit for generating a luminance signal in accordance with the first image pickup signal, and chrominance signals in accordance with the second image pickup signal.

Abstract: In a signal processing apparatus for processing an image signal, a hue difference between adjoining pixels is detected by a color image edge detector, and an aperture control main gain circuit amplifies a luminance signal using a gain determined on the basis of the hue difference detected by the color image edge detector to enhance an edge pixel of an image.

Abstract: Adaptive luminance interpolation processing in a signal processing apparatus for acquiring an image signal from an image sensing element having color filters and processing the image signal is described. An adaptive luminance interpolation circuit determines the correlation of the image signal in the vertical and horizontal directions, and interpolates the luminance signal of the image signal in a direction in which the correlation is higher. The chroma signal of the image signal is interpolated regardless of the correlation direction. The chroma signal is processed by a color conversion matrix circuit for performing signal processing of suppressing a false color in the vertical direction or a color conversion matrix circuit for performing signal processing of suppressing a false color in the horizontal direction, switched by a matrix switching circuit based on the interpolation direction.

Abstract: An image data processing apparatus includes a controller which matches a dynamic range of image data to be outputted to an output unit to a dynamic range of data and/or to an output characteristic of the output unit so that the data may be processed in the output unit.

Abstract: In an image reproduction apparatus for converting an image into an image signal that can be visibly output, and performing image reproduction processing for the image signal, at least two image signals are selected and designated from a plurality of image signals picked up by image pickup means, and predetermined information (e.g., light source information such as the color temperature, the chromaticity of a light source, or the like) is extracted by analyzing the selected and designated image signals. The image reproduction parameters used in the image reproduction processing are determined on the basis of the extracted information. In this case, the parameters are corrected by repeating the processing the number of times corresponding to the number of selected and designated image signals, thereby finally determining the image reproduction parameters.

Abstract: In converting image sensing data into image data, a plurality of image sensing data meeting a predetermined condition are processed as a group of image sensing data. An image reproduction parameter is obtained from this image sensing data group, and each image sensing data of the image sensing data group is converted into image data by using the image reproduction parameter. Accordingly, an image reproduction parameter for obtaining an optimum reproduced image can be accurately set from the image sensing data group. Also, since a reproduction luminance level (range) is determined from the image sensing data group, the correlation between the luminances of image planes is not lost. This allows an easy comparison of reproduced images and prevents the boundaries of luminances from becoming unnatural when the reproduced images are synthesized.

Abstract: An image processor in which desired image data can be read and displayed at a high speed when editing image data. Original image data is input, and a data conversion block generates standard image data whose capacity is smaller than that of the original image data. The generated standard image data and the input original image data are stored in an image data block so as to correspond to each other. When reading of image data stored in the image data block is instructed, the corresponding standard image data is read and is displayed on a page editing picture surface.

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: An image processing apparatus and method wherein the apparatus has an input unit for inputting input image information of image data and output device information of an output device which outputs the image data and an image processing unit for subjecting the image data to an aperture correction process in accordance with the input image information and output device information.

Abstract: An image sensing apparatus which senses an object a plurality of times in different exposures to obtain a plurality of images and makes a single image with a widened dynamic range by processing the plurality of sensed images, generates a histogram of signal levels of an image sensed in a proper exposure by using a histogram generator, automatically decides whether a dynamic range expansion processing is to be processed or not on the basis of the generated histogram by using a dynamic range expansion deciding unit, determines a parameter for sensing another image of the object in an exposure which is different from the proper exposure in accordance with a decision by the dynamic range expansion deciding unit by using a parameter determination unit, and obtains a single image of the object by processing the image sensed in the proper exposure and the image sensed by using the parameter determined by said parameter determination unit an image processing unit.

Abstract: An image data processing apparatus includes a controller which matches a dynamic range of image data to be outputted to an output unit to a dynamic range of data and/or to an output characteristic of the output unit so that the data may be processed in the output unit.