Abstract: A defective pixel correcting method, for correcting one or more of defective pixels present in visible light image data, the one or more of pixels being determined as defective by using the visible light image data and infrared light image data, the method includes the steps of: (a) determining one or more of defective pixels based on a first criterion and creating a first defective pixel map; (b) correcting the one or more of defective pixels by luminance adjustment using the first defective pixel map; (c) generating and displaying an additional correction setting screen including a visible light image based on corrected visible light image data and an indicator indicative of a quasi-defective pixel area; (d) creating an additional correction target pixel map which specifies one or more of additional correction target pixels manually set through the additional correction setting screen; and (e) correcting the one or more of additional correction target pixels by interpolation.

Abstract: An image noise reducing method that can properly reduce both block noise and mosquito noise without deterioration of the image quality is provided. The method includes creating a first luminance component image data with the boundaries of the blocks thereof smoothened, creating a second luminance component image data with its entirety smoothened from the first luminance component image data, creating edge image data by subtracting the second luminance component image data from the first luminance component image data, creating corrected edge image data by applying correction to the edge image data under given conditions, and creating third luminance component image data by adding the corrected edge image data to the second luminance component image data. For color-difference component image data, first color-difference component image data with its entirety smoothened is created from the color-difference component image data.

Abstract: An image noise reducing method that can properly reduce CCD noise which emerges in an image imported from a digital camera is provided. The method includes applying a first filtering step to luminance component image data of the image with each pixel of the luminance component image data being designated as a target pixel, thereby creating luminance component image data with its entirety smoothened, and applying a second filtering step to color-difference component image data of the image with each pixel of the color-difference component image data being designated as a target pixel, thereby creating color-difference component image data with its entirety smoothened.

Abstract: A picture image processing apparatus is provided with a hue calculating portion for calculating a hue pixel by pixel based on RGB data, a first sampling portion for sampling pixels having a hue corresponding to a skin color from the RGB data, a first characteristic quantity calculating portion for calculating a first characteristic quantity representing a characteristic of the RGB data of the pixels, a second sampling portion for sampling the pixels located in a central part of an image area, a second characteristic quantity calculating portion for calculating a second characteristic quantity representing the RGB data of the pixels sampled by the second sampling portion, a correction amount calculating portion for calculating a density correction amount using the first and second characteristic quantities, and a density correcting portion for correcting the density of the RGB data. The density of a main subject in the image can be properly corrected.

Abstract: There are provided: a lattice noise estimating section (5) for estimating a lattice noise occurrence rate in an output image; and a pre-blurring process section (6) for performing a pre-blurring process with strength that has been determined in accordance with the lattice noise occurrence rate estimated by the lattice noise estimating section (5).

Abstract: A defective pixel correcting method, for correcting one or more of defective pixels present in visible light image data, the one or more of pixels being determined as defective by using the visible light image data and infrared light image data, the method includes the steps of: (a) determining one or more of defective pixels based on a first criterion and creating a first defective pixel map; (b) correcting the one or more of defective pixels by luminance adjustment using the first defective pixel map; (c) generating and displaying an additional correction setting screen including a visible light image based on corrected visible light image data and an indicator indicative of a quasi-defective pixel area; (d) creating an additional correction target pixel map which specifies one or more of additional correction target pixels manually set through the additional correction setting screen; and (e) correcting the one or more of additional correction target pixels by interpolation.

Abstract: An image noise reducing method that can properly reduce both block noise and mosquito noise without deterioration of the image quality is provided. The method includes creating a first luminance component image data with the boundaries of the blocks thereof smoothened, creating a second luminance component image data with its entirety smoothened from the first luminance component image data, creating edge image data by subtracting the second luminance component image data from the first luminance component image data, creating corrected edge image data by applying correction to the edge image data under given conditions, and creating third luminance component image data by adding the corrected edge image data to the second luminance component image data. For color-difference component image data, first color-difference component image data with its entirety smoothened is created from the color-difference component image data.

Abstract: An image noise reducing method that can properly reduce CCD noise which emerges in an image imported from a digital camera is provided.

Abstract: There are provided: an exposure judging section (5) and a grained area expecting section (6) for expecting grained area brought about in an output digital image in accordance with density of an input image; and a second sharpening strength calculating section (7) for adjusting strength of a sharpening process performed with respect to the input image, corresponding to an expected result concerning the grained area.

Abstract: There are provided: a lattice noise estimating section (5) for estimating a lattice noise occurrence rate in an output image; and a pre-blurring process section (6) for performing a pre-blurring process with strength that has been determined in accordance with the lattice noise occurrence rate estimated by the lattice noise estimating section (5).

Abstract: A picture image processing apparatus is provided with a hue calculating portion for calculating a hue pixel by pixel based on a RGB data, a first sampling portion for sampling pixels having a hue corresponding to a skin color from the RGB data, a first characteristic quantity calculating portion for calculating a first characteristic quantity representing a characteristic of the RGB data of the pixels sampled by the first sampling portion, a second sampling portion for sampling the pixels located in a central part of an image area, a second characteristic quantity calculating portion for calculating a second characteristic quantity representing a characteristic of the RGB data of the pixels sampled by the second sampling portion, a correction amount calculating portion for calculating a density correction amount using the first and second characteristic quantities, and a density correcting portion for correcting the density of the RGB data using the density correction amount.