Abstract: There are provided an image processing apparatus and an image processing method for night vision that can generate a night vision image in which the overall quality thereof is maintained to be excellent and an obstacle is easily distinguished. The image processing apparatus for night vision includes: a brightness improving unit improving the brightness of an inputted infrared image; an obstacle judging unit judging whether an obstacle is present by analyzing an infrared image in which brightness is improved by the brightness improving unit; an obstacle region separating unit separating an image of a region judged as the obstacle by the obstacle judging unit; and an image synthesizing unit synthesizing the image of the region judged as the obstacle separated by the obstacle region separating unit with the inputted infrared image.

Abstract: An apparatus for controlling gain of color signal includes an auto white balance algorithm applying unit determining a white estimation region from an input image, and calculating a first color signal gain for correcting an average color signal level of pixels of the white estimation region to white, a pixel determining unit determining a form of each pixel according to brightness and color using the color signal level of the each pixel of the input image, and a color signal gain determining unit determining a color signal gain to be applied to the each pixel according to the form of the each pixel of the input image as any one of the first color signal gain, a second color signal gain determined by the color signal level of the each pixel for correcting the each pixel to white and a unit gain.

Abstract: A color interpolation method capable of more precisely interpolating each of pixels of an image passing through a color filter of a Bayer pattern and detected by an image sensor, the method including: defining a pixel group of a matrix structure, having a pixel to be color-interpolated as a center pixel, in an image passed through a color filter of Bayer pattern and detected by an image sensor; determining whether an edge exists or not in the pixel group; interpolating a color of the center pixel using a low pass filter when an edge does not exist in the pixel group; and interpolating a color of the center pixel according to directivity of an edge when the edge exists in the pixel group. The invention suppresses noise during color interpolation and enables more precise color interpolation.

Abstract: The present invention relates to an apparatus for removing image noise and a method thereof. There is provided with an apparatus for removing image noise including a buffer register that divides image signals in an n*n area obtained from an image sensor into brightness components and chroma components to store them as pixel values; an image analyzing unit that classifies the n*n area stored in the buffer register into a contour area, a texture area, and a planarization area; and a noise reduction unit that designs noise removal filters according to the features of the classified areas to reduce image noise.

Abstract: An apparatus for controlling gain of color signal includes an auto white balance algorithm applying unit determining a white estimation region from an input image, and calculating a first color signal gain for correcting an average color signal level of pixels of the white estimation region to white, a pixel determining unit determining a form of each pixel according to brightness and color using the color signal level of the each pixel of the input image, and a color signal gain determining unit determining a color signal gain to be applied to the each pixel according to the form of the each pixel of the input image as any one of the first color signal gain, a second color signal gain determined by the color signal level of the each pixel for correcting the each pixel to white and a unit gain.

Abstract: A method for eliminating noise from an image generated by an image sensor, includes: setting a group of pixels arranged in a square matrix and including a central pixel intended to eliminate the noise in the image and peripheral pixels arranged around the central pixel; obtaining absolute difference values between a luminance value of the central pixel and a luminance value of the peripheral pixels according to directionalities of the peripheral pixels about the central pixel; comparing the obtained absolute difference values with first critical values to determine a region to which the central pixel belongs; when the determined region is the contour region, eliminating noise of the group of the pixels according to directionality of the contour; and when the determined region is the noise region, eliminating the noise of the group of the pixels according to a noise level of the group of the pixels.

Abstract: A color interpolation method capable of more precisely interpolating each of pixels of an image passing through a color filter of a Bayer pattern and detected by an image sensor, the method including: defining a pixel group of a matrix structure, having a pixel to be color-interpolated as a center pixel, in an image passed through a color filter of Bayer pattern and detected by an image sensor; determining whether an edge exists or not in the pixel group; interpolating a color of the center pixel using a low pass filter when an edge does not exist in the pixel group; and interpolating a color of the center pixel according to directivity of an edge when the edge exists in the pixel group. The invention suppresses noise during color interpolation and enables more precise color interpolation.