Abstract: An image processing apparatus of the present invention can perform appropriate edge enhancement processing on any image while preventing increases in noise and chromatic aberration in the process of image processing. The image processing apparatus obtains photographic information present at generation of the image, determines, based on the photographic information, an edge enhancement coefficient to be used in performing edge enhancement processing, and performs edge enhancement processing to the image using the determined coefficient. Further, an image processing method of the present invention makes it possible to perform appropriate edge enhancement processing on any image while preventing increases in noise and chromatic aberration in the process of image processing.

Abstract: The present invention includes a color converting section carrying out color conversion processing and a coefficient correcting section setting a correcting coefficient group to a coefficient group of the color conversion. The coefficient correcting section sets a local area containing a pixel to be processed, and calculates “feature information of the local area” containing at least one of averaged color information, averaged luminance information, and flatness on the basis of the pixel signals of the local area. The coefficient correcting section determines a correcting coefficient group to be used for the pixel to be processed on the basis of the feature information of the local area. With this construction, the present invention suppresses influence of noise when changing the color conversion processing for each pixel.

Abstract: An imaging device includes a main photography means for photographing a photographic subject and acquires a photographic image, a preparatory image acquisition means for performing preparatory photography before or after the main photography means acquires the photographic image and acquiring preparatory images, a photographic information acquisition means for acquiring photographic information related to a circumstance of photography when the preparatory images are acquired by the preparatory image acquisition means, and a recording means for recording the photographic information and the photographic image upon a recording medium in mutual correlation.

Abstract: A color photographing device is equipped with a light-receiving section having a red pixel selectively receiving red light and outputting a red pixel signal and a green pixel selectively receiving green light and outputting a green pixel signal. The color photographing device is further equipped with an optical filter disposed on the side with a light-receiving surface of the light-receiving section. The optical filter substantially equalizes the signal level of the red pixel signal and the signal level of the green pixel signal when achromatic color illuminated by a solar light source in the daytime is photographed. Therefore, a white balance gain Wr at about 5000K can be lowered as compared with a conventional color photographing device. Accordingly, reduction of color noises and enhancement of gradation can be expected.

Abstract: It is an object of the present invention to provide a single board type color image sensor which can suppress the reduction of detection luminance range while enlarging detection color range. The color image sensor of the present invention has pixel blocks arranged in an array state, each pixel block comprising a first pixel detecting red light, a second pixel detecting green light, a third pixel detecting blue light, and a fourth pixel detecting light having a wavelength between the green light and the blue light or between the green light and the red light. Further, sensitivity of the fourth pixel to the above-mentioned light is kept lower than sensitivity of the second pixel to the green light.

Abstract: An image file processing method adopted in an image file processing apparatus, includes steps for: inputting from the outside an image file containing at least color information corresponding to each of pixels defined by a color space used in the image file, a color space identification tag indicating whether or not the color space used in the image file is a first color space and a color space information tag providing color space information related to the color space used in the image file; making a decision as to whether or not the color space used in the image file is the first color space based upon the color space identification tag; and referencing the color space information tag in the image file if the color space used in the image file is determined not to be in the first color space.

Abstract: An image processing apparatus of the present invention can perform appropriate edge enhancement processing on any image while preventing increases in noise and chromatic aberration in the process of image processing. The image processing apparatus obtains photographic information present at generation of the image, determines, based on the photographic information, an edge enhancement coefficient to be used in performing edge enhancement processing, and performs edge enhancement processing to the image using the determined coefficient. Further, an image processing method of the present invention makes it possible to perform appropriate edge enhancement processing on any image while preventing increases in noise and chromatic aberration in the process of image processing.

Abstract: The invention achieves giving high color reproducibility to a color signal with reliability without substantially increasing circuit scale. A signal processing unit of the invention includes a color transformation part which multiplies an inputted color signal by a transformation matrix and an element setting part setting an element group of the transformation matrix according to every inputted color signal. The element setting part comprises an identification unit identifying a color of the color signal, a storage unit storing in advance optimum element groups for a predetermined number of reference signals, and an interpolation unit. The interpolation unit performs interpolation computing based on the input signal, two optimum element groups for two of the reference signals of colors close to a color of the color signal, and color relation between the color signal and the two reference signals to determine an element group to be set.

Abstract: An image-capturing apparatus, includes: an image-capturing unit that captures an image of a subject through an optical system; and a control unit that outputs images captured at the image-capturing unit as image data files, and: the control unit outputs the image data files in a format that allows an image data file containing a normal image to be distinguished from an image data file containing a reference image to be used to correct an image defect in the normal image. An image processing apparatus, includes: an input unit to which an image data file output from the image-capturing apparatus is input; an identifying unit that identifies the image data file as a file containing the reference image or a file containing the normal image; and a correction unit that corrects an image defect in the image identified as the normal image based upon the image identified as the reference image.

Abstract: The computer-readable computer program product contains an image processing program for creating image data for display from RAW image data. The program includes: a command to read out the RAW image data from an image file; a command to read out from a first storage section of the image file a first parameter, created by the camera that created the RAW image data, for performing data conversion processing upon the RAW image data to create the image data for display from the RAW image data; a command to store a second parameter set by the image processing program in a second storage section, which is a different section of the image file from the first storage section; and a command to create the image data for display from the RAW image data, by performing data conversion processing using at least the first parameter or the second parameter.

Abstract: The camera creates an image file in which are stored parameters for image processing and image data in relation to each other, the image data recording device stores the image file, and the image processing device performs processing on RAW image data based on the parameters stored in the image file. A plurality of sets of profiles for use in creation of image data for display having different characteristics of colors from RAW image data (characteristic parameter sets) and a camera-specified profile/gain (characteristic specification information) to designate which profiles from among plurality of profiles in each of the plurality of characteristic parameter sets are to be used for creating image data for display are registered in a file header by an image file creation unit of the camera in relation to each other. The image file is stored in the image file recording device, for example, a memory card.

Abstract: An image processing apparatus of the present invention can perform appropriate edge enhancement processing on any image while preventing increases in noise and chromatic aberration in the process of image processing. The image processing apparatus obtains photographic information present at generation of the image, determines, based on the photographic information, an edge enhancement coefficient to be used in performing edge enhancement processing, and performs edge enhancement processing to the image using the determined coefficient. Further, an image processing method of the present invention makes it possible to perform appropriate edge enhancement processing on any image while preventing increases in noise and chromatic aberration in the process of image processing.

Abstract: An image processing system can realize a more accurate and high-quality correction of defective pixels by including an image pickup device, an obtaining unit obtaining information showing positions of defective pixels occurred at the image pickup device, a creating unit creating discrimination information showing the positions of the defective pixels in an image generated via the image pickup device, a detecting unit detecting a correlativity with neighborhood pixels by each defective pixel, and an estimating unit estimating a pixel value by each defective pixel in accordance with a detected result by the detecting unit. Incidentally, the image processing system is configured by an imaging device and a computer recording an image processing program, in which the imaging device includes the image pickup device, the obtaining unit, and the creating unit, and the image processing program may make the computer function as the detecting unit and the estimating unit.

Abstract: An illuminating device for photographing includes: an illuminating unit having a plurality of current-controlled light emitting elements, which illuminates a subject with light emitted from the plurality of light emitting elements; a storage unit in which light emission brightness information is stored in correspondence to each of the plurality of light emitting elements; and a light emission control unit that controls light emission at the plurality of light emitting elements based upon the light emission brightness information stored in the storage unit so that the plurality of light emitting elements achieve uniform brightness levels at the subject.

Abstract: A first image sensor receiving light from a subject and a second image sensor capable of receiving light of the same image as the first image sensor and having a spectral sensitivity characteristic different from that of the first image sensor are provided. A color-correcting coefficient determining part calculates, based on each output value photoelectrically converted in the first and the second image sensors, a color-correcting coefficient with which a color-correcting part performs color correction on the output value of the first image sensor. Using the first and the second image sensors of different spectral sensitivity characteristics, parameters for receiving/recognizing light from a subject field can be easily increased to obtain a favorable color reproduction characteristic.

Abstract: An image file processing method adopted in an image file processing apparatus, includes steps for: inputting from the outside an image file containing at least color information corresponding to each of pixels defined by a color space used in the image file, a color space identification tag indicating whether or not the color space used in the image file is a first color space and a color space information tag providing color space information related to the color space used in the image file; making a decision as to whether or not the color space used in the image file is the first color space based upon the color space identification tag; and referencing the color space information tag in the image file if the color space used in the image file is determined not to be in the first color space.

Abstract: An image processing device of the present invention includes a color-gamut determining part, a color-space determining part, and a color-space conversion part. The color-gamut determining part determines a color gamut as a range of color distribution from input image data. The color-space determining part determines a color space substantially covering the color gamut determined by the color-gamut determining part. The color-space conversion part converts the input image data into such image data that is rendered in the determined color space. The colors of the subject can thus be reproduced accurately from the converted image data.

Abstract: A signal processing apparatus includes a signal processing section applying a spatial frequency filter to a pixel signal to perform a signal processing of noise reduction and/or edge enhancement, and a coefficient correcting section setting a coefficient group of the spatial frequency filter to a correct coefficient group. The coefficient correcting section includes an analyzing section, a correspondence section and a coefficient determining section. The analyzing section sets a local area to include an object pixel of the signal processing, and obtains average color information. A correspondence relation between the average color information and the correct coefficient group is set beforehand in the correspondence setting section. The coefficient determining section checks the correspondence relation of the correspondence setting section on the basis of the average color information obtained by the analyzing section, and adjusts the correct coefficient group used for the pixel of the processing object.

Abstract: An electronic camera according to the present invention includes an imaging part, a conditional information determining part, a storage part and a correction processing part. The imaging part images a subject to produce image data. The conditional information determining part determines conditional information that is indicative of the conditions of the subject at a time when the subject is imaged. The storage part stores previous conditional information determined by the conditional information determining part. The correction processing part performs correction processings on the image data, according to both the previous conditional information stored in the storage part and the latest conditional information determined by the conditional information determining part. This enables results of the previous correction processings to be reflected in the current processing, thereby realizing the correction processing with both adaptability and stability.

Abstract: An image processing device includes: a color coordinate conversion device which converts color coordinates of a color signal which has been obtained by color separation; and a two dimensional look up table which is used for correcting a chromaticity signal which has been obtained by color coordinate conversion by the color coordinate conversion device.