Abstract: A method and apparatus for converting color includes converting the hue, lightness, and/or saturation of first color data representing each of plurality of colors forming a color image, to produce second color data corresponding to the first color data. The second color data is converted to third color data suitable for the color space which can be expressed by the image output device used for the output of the color image. Color contraction which is conventionally associated with color conversion that increases lightness or saturation can be prevented.

Abstract: An image having a large contrast and excellent visibility to the viewer is displayed on an image display device used in the presence of light. A black-display characteristic specifying means generates a black-display characteristic specifying data indicating the brightness of the external light reflected from the surface of an image display means, which is obtained by operating an external-light brightness specifying bar to be displayed on the image display means. A black-approximated data calculating means calculates, based on the black-display characteristic specifying data, a black-approximated data related to at least one of luminance, chromaticity and tristimulus values in displaying black with the image display means. On receipt of an image data and the black-approximated data, a black correction means calculates a black-corrected image data, and displays an image on the image display means based on the black-corrected image data.

Abstract: An image processing method has an edge intensity value calculating section (4) for calculating an edge intensity value in a neighborhood of a pixel of interest from feature values of micro regions calculated by a feature value calculating section (3); an edge intensity value correcting section (5) for correcting the edge intensity value calculated by the edge intensity value calculating section (4) in accordance with an edge intensity correction curve; and a filter value calculating section (6) for calculating a low-pass filter value of the pixel of interest from image signal values of neighboring pixels having the same color component as the pixel of interest. It corrects the image signal value of the pixel of interest by carrying out weighted addition of the image signal value of the pixel of interest and the low-pass filter value using the edge intensity values before and after the correction.

Abstract: In an image display device for receiving and displaying image data, color converter converts the image data on the basis of conversion characteristics data stored in a conversion characteristics storage. The conversion characteristics designation means including means for designating the chroma of the colors outputs the conversion characteristics designation data, and conversion characteristics setting means calculates the conversion characteristics data on the basis of the conversion characteristics designation data, and sets the conversion characteristics data in the conversion characteristics storage. The color converter comprises a calculation term generator for receiving the first image data, and outputting calculation terms which are effective just for the specific hues; and a matrix calculator performing matrix calculation using the calculation terms effective just for the specific hues. The user can adjust just the chroma of the desired color.

Abstract: An image pickup apparatus includes a characteristic value calculation circuit 16 for extracting a characteristic value used for predicting an amount of codes to be generated at a time of compressing a video signal acquired by a solid state image pickup device from the video signal, and a compression coefficient control circuit 17 for controlling a compression coefficient which is used by an image compression unit 18 based on the characteristic value acquired by the characteristic value calculation circuit 16. The compression coefficient control circuit uses the characteristic value acquired by the characteristic value calculation circuit 16 at a time of allowing users to check an image to be picked-up before picking up an image, and determines the compression coefficient at a time of picking up an image.

Abstract: A reproducible color gamut compression apparatus is provided that includes: a target reproducible color gamut computing unit for computing a target reproducible color gamut; a compression ratio computing unit for computing a compression ratio, based on reproducible color gamuts of display devices and on the target reproducible color gamut; a compression method determination information acquiring unit for acquiring information used to determine a compression method; a compression method determining unit for determining a method of compressing a source reproducible color gamut, based on the compression method determination information; and a reproducible color gamut compressing unit for converting the source reproducible color gamut into the target reproducible color gamut, using the determined compression method.

Abstract: A color correction apparatus is provided including a color correction means 1 for making a color correction to an input image signal 101, and a color gamut compression means 2 for performing color gamut compression on the color-corrected input image signal based on color reproduction characteristics data 103 describing color reproduction characteristics so that the color-corrected image data outputted from the color correction means 1 has a chromaticity range which is contained in a color reproduction region which is based on the color reproduction characteristics.

Abstract: An image pickup apparatus includes a solid-state imaging device, an accumulating section, first and second imaging parameter setting sections, a calculating section, a flicker detecting section, and a switching section. The accumulating section calculates a projection output value of a predetermined line in a frame. The calculating section calculates inter-frame variations of the projection output values, and calculates a flicker index from the variations of a predetermined number of frames. The flicker detecting section detects the flicker from the index, and controls the switching section in response to the detection result of the flicker, so that the switching section selects either the setting signals from the first imaging parameter setting section or the setting signals from the second imaging parameter setting section.

Abstract: A process is provided for developing and converting a lookup table (hereinafter called a “LUT”) composed of only characteristic points of the characteristic of a color device and having a volume smaller than that of a multidimensional LUT into a multidimensional LUT by a table development process. Image data converting means uses the multidimensional LUT to convert input image data into output image data. Thus, an effect can be obtained in that a color management apparatus can be operated with only the LUT composed of only characteristic points of the characteristic of the device and having a small volume.

Abstract: The invention relates to an image display device displaying color image and has its object to display image having a large contrast and excellent visibility to the viewer in an image display device particularly used under environment where external light exists. To achieve the above object, black-approximated data generating means 4 generates black-approximated data R3, G3, and B3 that are data related to chromaticity in displaying black on image display means 3. Black correction means 2A subtracts subtraction data R4, G4, and B4 that have the same value as the black-approximated data R3, G3, and B3, from after-input-processing image data R1, G1, and B1, thereby to calculate after-black-correction image data R2, G2, and B2. The image display means 3 emits in response to the values of the after-black-correction image data R2, G2, and B2, thereby to perform image display processing on a predetermined screen.

Abstract: An image processing unit is provided which can solve a problem of a conventional image processing unit in that the control for coding image data is complicated and its circuit scale is large. The image pickup apparatus picks up an image of a subject and converts it to electric signals, thereby outputting image signals. An A/D converter A/D converts the image signals, and outputs them as image data. A fixed length coding circuit breaks down the image data into small unit blocks consisting of a predetermined number of pixels, and carries out fixed length coding after obtaining the average level of the pixel data in each unit block. An exposure controller calculates a luminance level of a whole set of pixel data in the unit blocks, and controls the exposure of the image pickup apparatus so that image data becomes a predetermined luminance level.

Abstract: In an image display device for receiving and displaying image data, color converter converts the image data on the basis of conversion characteristics data stored in a conversion characteristics storage. The conversion characteristics designation means including means for designating the hue of the colors outputs the conversion characteristics designation data, and conversion characteristics setting means calculates the conversion characteristics data on the basis of the conversion characteristics designation data, and sets the conversion characteristics data in the conversion characteristics storage. The color converter comprises a calculation term generator for receiving the first image data, and outputting calculation terms which are effective just for the specific hues; and a matrix calculator performing matrix calculation using the calculation terms effective just for the specific hues. The user can adjust just the hue of the desired color.

Abstract: In an image display device for receiving and displaying image data, color converter converts the image data on the basis of conversion characteristics data stored in a conversion characteristics storage. The conversion characteristics designation means including means for designating the hue of the colors outputs the conversion characteristics designation data, and conversion characteristics setting means calculates the conversion characteristics data on the basis of the conversion characteristics designation data, and sets the conversion characteristics data in the conversion characteristics storage. The color converter comprises a calculation term generator for receiving the first image data, and outputting calculation terms which are effective just for the specific hues; and a matrix calculator performing matrix calculation using the calculation terms effective just for the specific hues. The user can adjust just the hue of the desired color.

Abstract: Encoding efficiency is enhanced by actively combining a plurality of encoding methods. A picture element memory receives and stores picture elements within a predetermined range. A mode determinator selects an encoding mode based upon a reference picture element. A first encoding section and a second encoding section predicts the value of the encoded picture element, determines whether the prediction is correct, and then encodes the value of the encoding picture element based on the determination result and outputs a codeword for the encoding picture element. An encoding controller selectively operates the first encoding section and the second encoding section based upon one of the specific encoding modes and the other encoding mode other than the specific encoding mode selected by the mode determinator.

Abstract: Encoding efficiency is enhanced by actively combining a plurality of encoding methods. A picture element memory receives and stores picture elements within a predetermined range. A mode determinator selects an encoding mode based upon a reference picture element. A first encoding section and a second encoding section predicts the value of the encoded picture element, determines whether the prediction is correct, and then encodes the value of the encoding picture element based on the determination result and outputs a codeword for the encoding picture element. An encoding controller selectively operates the first encoding section and the second encoding section based upon one of the specific encoding modes and the other encoding mode other than the specific encoding mode selected by the mode determinator.

Abstract: By combining a plurality of encoding methods actively, an encoding efficiency is enhanced. The first encoder encodes a result of determination whether a prediction error is zero or not. The second encoder encodes the prediction error unless the prediction error is zero. The third encoder encodes the prediction error regardless of whether the prediction error is zero or not. The mode determinator determines the encoding mode, and the encoding controller selectively operates the first encoder, the second encoder, and the third encoder according to the encoding mode determined.

Abstract: Encoding efficiency is enhanced by actively combining a plurality of encoding methods. A picture element memory receives and stores picture elements within a predetermined range. A mode determinator selects an encoding mode based upon a reference picture element. A first encoding section and a second encoding section predicts the value of the encoded picture element, determines whether the prediction is correct, and then encodes the value of the encoding picture element based on the determination result and outputs a codeword for the encoding picture element. An encoding controller selectively operates the first encoding section and the second encoding section based upon one of the specific encoding modes and the other encoding mode other than the specific encoding mode selected by the mode determinator.

Abstract: A method and apparatus for converting color includes converting the hue, lightness, and/or saturation of first color data representing each of plurality of colors forming a color image, to produce second color data corresponding to the first color data. The second color data is converted to third color data suitable for the color space which can be expressed by the image output device used for the output of the color image. Color contraction which is conventionally associated with color conversion that increases lightness or saturation can be prevented.

Abstract: The invention relates to an image display device displaying color image and has its object to display image having a small contrast and excellent visibility to the viewer in an image display device particularly used under environment where external light exists.

Abstract: An image having a large contrast and excellent visibility to the viewer is displayed on an image display device used in the presence of light. A black-display characteristic specifying means (5A) generates a black-display characteristic specifying data (BD1) indicating the brightness of the external light reflected from the surface of an image display means (3), which is obtained by operating an external-light brightness specifying bar to be displayed on the image display means (3). A black-approximated data calculating means (4A) calculates, based on the black-display characteristic specifying data (BD1), a black-approximated data (R3, G3, B3) related to at least one of luminance, chromaticity and tristimulus values in displaying black with the image display means (3).