Abstract: An input signal for each of three primary color components is converted into a luminance signal and a color signal by a color space conversion part. A gain setting part sets a gain for the color signal obtained by color space conversion according to a signal level of a setting reference signal generated on the basis of the input signal, for example, the luminance signal. A gain adjustment part performs gain adjustment of the color signal with the gain set by the gain setting part, and in a case where the luminance signal is larger than a threshold set according to a dynamic range for each color component, the gain adjustment part makes the subject achromatic so that, even in a case where a light amount of the subject is high, influence of a difference in the dynamic range is little.

Abstract: An input signal for each of three primary color components is converted into a luminance signal and a color signal by a color space conversion part 11. A gain setting part 12 sets a gain for the color signal obtained by color space conversion according to a signal level of a setting reference signal generated on the basis of the input signal, for example, the luminance signal. A gain adjustment part 14 performs gain adjustment of the color signal with the gain set by the gain setting part 12, and in a case where the luminance signal is larger than a threshold set according to a dynamic range for each color component, the gain adjustment part 14 makes the subject achromatic so that, even in a case where a light amount of the subject is high, influence of a difference in the dynamic range is little.

Abstract: Provided is a signal processing circuit including an image processing unit that performs, at an early stage, a process common to first image signals input using a predetermined number of signal lines in correspondence with first image sensors having a first pixel array and second image signals input using a number of signal lines and commonly used to input the first image signals in correspondence with second image sensors having a second pixel array, and performs specific processes specific to the first and second image signals at a later stage, a conversion unit that converts the second image signals subjected to the specific process according to a format of the first image signals, and a selection unit that selects one of the first image signals subjected to the specific process and the converted second image signals and outputs the selected image signals using the predetermined number of signal lines.

Abstract: Provided is a signal processing circuit including an image processing unit that performs, at an early stage, a process common to first image signals input using a predetermined number of signal lines in correspondence with first image sensors having a first pixel array and second image signals input using a number of signal lines and commonly used to input the first image signals in correspondence with second image sensors having a second pixel array, and performs specific processes specific to the first and second image signals at a later stage, a conversion unit that converts the second image signals subjected to the specific process according to a format of the first image signals, and a selection unit that selects one of the first image signals subjected to the specific process and the converted second image signals and outputs the selected image signals using the predetermined number of signal lines.

Abstract: There is provided a signal processing circuit including a color separation unit, a first development unit, a first resolution conversion unit, a second development unit, and an interface unit.

Abstract: A video signal transfer system including an imaging apparatus for capturing an object to be imaged and generating a consecutive plurality of picture data forming a moving image, selecting from the plurality of picture data picture data positioned in advance at predetermined intervals to generate a plurality of lines (series) of video signals, and transmitting the plurality of systems of video signal, and a signal processing apparatus having a plurality of signal processing circuits, outputting the plurality of lines of video signals received from the imaging apparatus to the plurality of signal processing circuits, and making them process the signals in parallel.

Abstract: A flicker detection device includes an accumulation section that divides a screen into a plurality of areas to perform accumulation of pixel levels, writing and reading of the accumulation result to and from a memory area allocated to every area, thereby accumulating the pixel levels in the area for every area, an accumulation result memory that stores the accumulation results of the accumulation section, an area discrimination section that discriminates whether or not every area is a still image area using the accumulation result obtained by the accumulation section and the accumulation result stored in the accumulation result memory, and a flicker level calculation section that averages the accumulation results of the areas discriminated as the still image area by the area discrimination section, and performs an operation using the averaged accumulation result and the accumulation result obtained by the accumulation section, thereby calculating a flicker level.

Abstract: A signal processing device includes: an enhancement countermeasure unit in which when a linear matrix gain using a linear matrix coefficient is multiplied to a pixel value of an image signal output for each channel by a pixel of an imaging device, whereby an enhancement of color occurs in an image based on the image signal, the image signal in which a portion where the enhancement of color occurs is corrected for each channel is output based on a color-difference component separated from the result of multiplication of the linear matrix coefficient to the pixel value for each channel and a luminance calculated from the result.

Abstract: A video signal transfer system including an imaging apparatus for capturing an object to be imaged and generating a consecutive plurality of picture data forming a moving image, selecting from the plurality of picture data picture data positioned in advance at predetermined intervals to generate a plurality of lines (series) of video signals, and transmitting the plurality of systems of video signal, and a signal processing apparatus having a plurality of signal processing circuits, outputting the plurality of lines of video signals received from the imaging apparatus to the plurality of signal processing circuits, and making them process the signals in parallel.

Abstract: A video signal transfer system including an imaging apparatus for capturing an object to be imaged and generating a consecutive plurality of picture data forming a moving image, selecting from the plurality of picture data picture data positioned in advance at predetermined intervals to generate a plurality of lines (series) of video signals, and transmitting the plurality of systems of video signal, and a signal processing apparatus having a plurality of signal processing circuits, outputting the plurality of lines of video signals received from the imaging apparatus to the plurality of signal processing circuits, and making them process the signals in parallel.

Abstract: A preprocessor performs a signal processing operation by using an image signal DVa generated by picking up a subject image. A frame adder adds frames of an image signal DVb generated by the preprocessor so as to generate an image signal DVc with a changed frame rate. When changing the setting of the signal processing operation of the preprocessor, the signal processing operation is restarted with the new setting at the start or at the end of a frame addition period (in units of frame addition periods) of the frame adder based on a determination signal indicating the frame addition period.

Abstract: Even when the light intensity of the light source varies, the flicker correction can thus be made flexibly. The present invention provides a flicker correction method comprising the steps of predicting, from an image of a present flicker-corrected frame, a flicker of an image of a next frame to generate two types of flicker images having flickers different in level from each other added thereto, detecting a flicker component through comparison between the generated two types of flicker images and an image of an input next frame, generating a flicker correction value on the basis of the detected flicker component, and making flicker correction by adding the generated flicker correction value to an input image frame by frame.

Abstract: Even in case the shutter speed is high, a flicker can be corrected accurately. A flicker correction method in which a flicker is corrected by predicting, from a present input frame image, a flicker component in an image of a next frame and adding a correction value to the next frame image on the basis of the predicted flicker component includes holding a plurality of flicker data, calculating the correction value by combining a plurality of flicker data together at a ratio set correspondingly to a shutter speed and frame rate, and adding the calculated correction value to the input image signal.

Abstract: An image shooting unit 21 generates an image signal DVb having an image shooting frame rate. A main line image processing block 40 performs frame addition on the image signal DVb having the image shooting frame rate, and generates a main line image signal having a desired output frame rate. Based on the image signal DVb, a monitor image processing block 50 generates a monitor image signal having a frame rate independent of the frame rate of the main line image signal. Since the frame rate of the main line image signal and that of the monitor image signal are independent of each other, shooting an image while varying the frame rate of the main line image signal allows a monitor image at an image shooting time to be displayed at a predetermined frame rate using the monitor image signal DVr.

Abstract: A flicker is corrected with consideration given to the influence of noises. The present invention provides a flicker correction method in which a flicker is corrected by subtracting a flicker correction signal from an image signal, the method including the steps of removing noise from the flicker-corrected image signal by passing the latter through a low-pass filter, generating a correction error signal from the noise-removed, flicker-corrected image signal and the image signal not yet flicker-corrected, removing the image signal not yet flicker-corrected by passing the latter through a low-pass filter, and generating a flicker correction signal from the noise-removed image signal and correction error signal.

Abstract: An image signal generator generates an imaging signal having a frame rate that is controlled to be variable. A frame rate converter generates a monitor image signal. Upon receiving communication information from an external source, a controller controls the operations of the image signal generator and the frame rate converter on the basis of the communication information. When an instruction to specify the frame rate of the monitor image signal is given from a user interface, the controller controls the frame rate converter to generate a monitor image signal having a specified frame rate by giving priority to this instruction over the communication information.

Abstract: An image shooting unit 21 generates an image signal Spa having an image shooting frame rate. A frame addition unit 41 performs frame addition on the image signal DVb having the image shooting frame rate. Control unit 61 controls drive unit 71 and the frame addition unit 41 based on a frame rate setting signal RSF from operation unit 62, and controls a variation of the image shooting frame rate in image shooting unit 21 and/or a switch of the number of additive frames in the frame addition unit 41, thus allowing an image signal DVj having a desired frame rate to be output from the frame addition unit 41. Thus, increasing the additive frame in number even without decreasing the image shooting frame rate at a low-speed shooting of the image allows such an image signal DVj shot at the low speed to be obtained.

Abstract: A video signal transfer system including an imaging apparatus for capturing an object to be imaged and generating a consecutive plurality of picture data forming a moving image, selecting from the plurality of picture data picture data positioned in advance at predetermined intervals to generate a plurality of lines (series) of video signals, and transmitting the plurality of systems of video signal, and a signal processing apparatus having a plurality of signal processing circuits, outputting the plurality of lines of video signals received from the imaging apparatus to the plurality of signal processing circuits, and making them process the signals in parallel.

Abstract: A flicker detection device includes an accumulation section that divides a screen into a plurality of areas to perform accumulation of pixel levels, writing and reading of the accumulation result to and from a memory area allocated to every area, thereby accumulating the pixel levels in the area for every area, an accumulation result memory that stores the accumulation results of the accumulation section, an area discrimination section that discriminates whether or not every area is a still image area using the accumulation result obtained by the accumulation section and the accumulation result stored in the accumulation result memory, and a flicker level calculation section that averages the accumulation results of the areas discriminated as the still image area by the area discrimination section, and performs an operation using the averaged accumulation result and the accumulation result obtained by the accumulation section, thereby calculating a flicker level.

Abstract: Even when the light intensity of the light source varies, the flicker correction can thus be made flexibly. The present invention provides a flicker correction method comprising the steps of predicting, from an image of a present flicker-corrected frame, a flicker of an image of a next frame to generate two types of flicker images having flickers different in level from each other added thereto, detecting a flicker component through comparison between the generated two types of flicker images and an image of an input next frame, generating a flicker correction value on the basis of the detected flicker component, and making flicker correction by adding the generated flicker correction value to an input image frame by frame.