Abstract: An endoscope system is provided by which observation image brightness can be suppressed from irregularly fluctuating before and after changing of an observation mode and observer's discomfort feeling can be reduced. The endoscope system includes an imaging element, an image processing section that generates an observation image from an imaging signal, a display section that displays the observation image, an illumination mode changing section that changes illumination modes of a light source device, an image processing mode changing section that changes an image processing mode, and a light source control section that controls the light source device.

Abstract: An endoscope apparatus including: an image pickup device; a detection device that detects whether or not an image region at which a part of an object region is edged along a direction parallel to the scan lines in a state that is different to a case where a plurality of the scan lines are simultaneously exposed exists in a frame image due to differences of exposure timings for each of the scan lines of the image pickup device based on an image feature amount in the frame image that is obtained from the image data for each of the scan lines that is outputted from the image pickup device; and an exposure control device that changes an exposure time of each of the scan lines by the image pickup device simultaneously for all of the scan lines if the detection device detects the image region.

Abstract: An endoscope apparatus, comprising: an image pickup device; a detection device that detects whether or not an image region at which a part of an object region is edged along a direction parallel to the scan lines in a state that is different to a case where a plurality of the scan lines are simultaneously exposed exists in a frame image due to differences of exposure timings for each of the scan lines based on an image feature amount in the frame image that is obtained from the image data for each of the scan lines that is outputted from the image pickup device; and an exposure control device that lengthens an exposure time of each of the scan lines by the image pickup device in comparison to a case where the detection device does not detect the image region, if the detection device detects the image region.

Abstract: An endoscope apparatus including: an image pickup device; a detection device that detects whether or not an image region at which a part of an object region is edged along a direction parallel to the scan lines in a state that is different to a case where a plurality of the scan lines are simultaneously exposed exists in a frame image due to differences of exposure timings for each of the scan lines of the image pickup device based on an image feature amount in the frame image that is obtained from the image data for each of the scan lines that is outputted from the image pickup device; and an exposure control device that changes an exposure time of each of the scan lines by the image pickup device simultaneously for all of the scan lines if the detection device detects the image region.

Abstract: An endoscope apparatus, comprising: an image pickup device; a detection device that detects whether or not an image region at which a part of an object region is edged along a direction parallel to the scan lines in a state that is different to a case where a plurality of the scan lines are simultaneously exposed exists in a frame image due to differences of exposure timings for each of the scan lines based on an image feature amount in the frame image that is obtained from the image data for each of the scan lines that is outputted from the image pickup device; and an exposure control device that lengthens an exposure time of each of the scan lines by the image pickup device in comparison to a case where the detection device does not detect the image region, if the detection device detects the image region.

Abstract: A narrow-band observation image and a spectral estimation image are automatically switched based on the type of a subject. In an endoscopic image obtained by a scope, judgment is made as to whether the endoscopic image was obtained by close-up imaging or by distant-view imaging. When it is judged that the endoscopic image was obtained by distant-view imaging, white light is output from a light source unit and a spectral estimation image is output. When it is judged that the endoscopic image was obtained by close-up imaging, narrow-band light is output from the light source unit and a narrow-band observation image that has been obtained when the narrow-band light was output is output.

Abstract: In an image-obtainment-apparatus that obtains an image of an observation-region by imaging, by an imaging-device, light output from the observation-region illuminated with illumination-light, when the light-amount of the illumination-light illuminated the observation-region is less than or equal to first-threshold-value, the electronic-shutter-speed is controlled at first-constant-speed, and the light-amount of the illumination-light is controlled based on the light-amount of the illumination-light illuminated the observation-region. When the light-amount of the illumination-light illuminated the observation-region is greater than first-threshold-value and less than or equal to second-threshold-value, the electronic-shutter-speed is controlled at a speed based on the light-amount of the illumination-light illuminated the observation-region, and the light-amount of the illumination-light is controlled at a predetermined constant light-amount.

Abstract: An endoscope system is provided by which observation image brightness can be suppressed from irregularly fluctuating before and after changing of an observation mode and observer's discomfort feeling can be reduced. The endoscope system includes an imaging element, an image processing section that generates an observation image from an imaging signal, a display section that displays the observation image, an illumination mode changing section that changes illumination modes of a light source device, an image processing mode changing section that changes an image processing mode, and a light source control section that controls the light source device.

Abstract: An imaging mode is automatically switched based on the kind of a subject. The spatial frequency of an endoscopic image obtained by imaging the subject is detected. Further, judgment is made, based on the distribution of the spatial frequency, as to whether the endoscopic image was obtained by performing close-up imaging on the subject. The condition of imaging is switched based on the result of judgment as to whether the image was obtained by close-up imaging or distant-view imaging.

Abstract: In an image-obtainment-apparatus that obtains an image of an observation-region by imaging, by an imaging-device, light output from the observation-region illuminated with illumination-light, when the light-amount of the illumination-light illuminated the observation-region is less than or equal to first-threshold-value, the electronic-shutter-speed is controlled at first-constant-speed, and the light-amount of the illumination-light is controlled based on the light-amount of the illumination-light illuminated the observation-region. When the light-amount of the illumination-light illuminated the observation-region is greater than first-threshold-value and less than or equal to second-threshold-value, the electronic-shutter-speed is controlled at a speed based on the light-amount of the illumination-light illuminated the observation-region, and the light-amount of the illumination-light is controlled at a predetermined constant light-amount.

Abstract: The image taking apparatus includes: a CCD which takes an image of a subject to obtain a shot image; a processor-side CPU which has three or more photometric modes having different analysis schemes to measure brightness of the shot image by analyzing the shot image taken by the CCD; and an aperture for reducing light from a light source based on the brightness measured by the processor-side CPU. In the processor-side CPU, two or more of the photometric modes corresponding to a selecting operation are selected, and one of the selected photometric modes is cyclically switched between the selected photometric modes upon reception of the switching operation instructing the switching.

Abstract: In a secret information management system for managing a secret information of a user, the secret information is divided into a plurality of divided data by using a secret sharing scheme, such that the secret information can be recovered from a prescribed number of the divided data, and a part of the plurality of divided data is stored into a terminal of the user as user's divided data while a rest of the plurality of divided data are stored into one or more of deposit servers. Then, a plurality of re-divided data different from the plurality of divided data are generated, from a combination of the prescribed number of the divided data among the divided data stored in the deposit servers by using the secret sharing scheme, and a part of the plurality of re-divided data is stored into the terminal as newly generated user's divided data while a rest of the plurality of re-divided data are stored into the deposit servers as newly generated divided data.

Abstract: The method and the apparatus for correcting images extract one or more features including information about face region for each of photographed images, classify the photographed images into groups of particular photographed images having at least one common feature in accordance with at least one of the extracted one or more features, calculate, for the particular photographed images that have been classified in one group, a common correction amount for adjusting the face region to have an appropriate color density in accordance with the extracted one or more features and a type of the one group and correct the particular photographed images belonging to the one group by the calculated common correction amount.

Abstract: A person image correcting apparatus and a person image correcting method that reproduce face colors of persons in an image group consisting of a plurality of images shot under identical shooting conditions, with an appropriate color and/or density, prevent variations in the background colors, and effectively perform correcting process, even if the image group contains an image of a person having a significantly different face color from other persons, are proposed. Two or more display images that are different in face color are selected from the plurality of person images, based on a feature amount in a face region, and displayed. When a modification value of color or density is inputted, all of the display images are corrected using the inputted modification value, and the corrected images are redisplayed. When an instruction for confirming the modification value is inputted, all of the plurality of person images are corrected and outputted.

Abstract: A narrow-band observation image and a spectral estimation image are automatically switched based on the type of a subject. In an endoscopic image obtained by a scope, judgment is made as to whether the endoscopic image was obtained by close-up imaging or by distant-view imaging. When it is judged that the endoscopic image was obtained by distant-view imaging, white light is output from a light source unit and a spectral estimation image is output. When it is judged that the endoscopic image was obtained by close-up imaging, narrow-band light is output from the light source unit and a narrow-band observation image that has been obtained when the narrow-band light was output is output.

Abstract: An imaging mode is automatically switched based on the kind of a subject. The spatial frequency of an endoscopic image obtained by imaging the subject is detected. Further, judgment is made, based on the distribution of the spatial frequency, as to whether the endoscopic image was obtained by performing close-up imaging on the subject. The condition of imaging is switched based on the result of judgment as to whether the image was obtained by close-up imaging or distant-view imaging.

Abstract: Image data on which image processing has already been performed is obtained with a digital camera. Image processing information includes information indicating a photography mode set at the digital camera. Tag information including the image processing information is attached to the image data. If the image processing information includes information indicating a night view mode, an image output device judges whether the night view mode was intentionally set by a user by judging whether photography date/time information included in the tag information represents night. If the judgment is YES, the image output device sets an output image processing means not to perform exposure correction processing. If the judgment is NO, the image output device sets the output image processing means to perform regular processing including the exposure correction processing.

Abstract: A person image correcting apparatus, a person image correcting method, and a person image correcting program that allow reproducing face colors of a plurality of images on which persons are photographed, with appropriate colors and densities, and performing appropriate correction for the entirety of the images, regardless of whether the plurality of images are shot under identical shooting conditions or under different shooting conditions, are proposed. The person image correcting apparatus includes a face region extracting unit for extracting a face region from the plurality of person images that are inputted, an identical shooting condition determining unit for determining whether or not the plurality of person images are shot under identical shooting conditions, and an image correcting unit for correcting at least one of color and density of the person images based on a result of determination of the identical shooting condition determining unit.

Abstract: An image data processing method and apparatus for performing image correction processes for a restored image data file obtained from a JPEG-compressed image data file which may prevent block distortions and provide a high quality image. A JPEG-compressed data file is read from the storage medium by the reading section, which is restored at the restoring section. The restored data is then split into a low-frequency component and a high-frequency component at the splitting section. The low-frequency component is subjected to the white balance, density, and gradation adjustments at the first image correction processing section and combined with the high-frequency component at the combining section to obtain a combined image data. The combined image data is then subjected to the sharpness adjustment at the sharpness adjusting section, which is outputted from the output section to a printer and reproduced as a printed image.

Abstract: A skin-tone image portion contained in an image is detected based upon the shape of the image of a human face. An average value of each of RGB values of pixels that constitute the skin-tone image portion detected is calculated. If the distance between a skin-tone—blackbody locus and a value that is the result of converting the RGB values obtained by multiplying the average value by prescribed coefficients is less than a prescribed value, these coefficients are adopted as coefficients for multiplying the RGB values of each pixel constituting the image. By using a value that is the result of converting, to a chromaticity value, the RGB values obtained by multiplying the RGB values of each of the pixels constituting the image by the prescribed coefficients, those pixels of the image that have values belonging to a zone in the vicinity of a point on a gray—blackbody locus that corresponds to a light-source color temperature estimated based upon the skin-tone—blackbody locus are treated as gray candidate pixels.