Abstract: The present invention related to an image pickup apparatus which can produce a color and sensitivity mosaic image which can be converted into a color image signal having a wide dynamic range by performing a predetermined image process. Light receiving elements of a CCD image sensor are arranged in a lattice arrangements where attention is paid to the color Green irrespective of the sensitivities. Where attention is paid to the color Red irrespective of the sensitivities, the light receiving elements are arranged on every other line. Also where attention is paid to the color Blue irrespective of the sensitivities, the light receiving elements are arranged on every other line similarly. Consequently, where attention is paid only to the colors of the pixels, the pattern P2 has a Bayer arrangement. A mosaic arrangement of a color is realized by disposing an on-chip color filter on an upper face of the light receiving elements of the CCD image sensor.

Abstract: A signal processing apparatus able to raise a processing capability in processing accompanying access to a storing means is provided. Stream control units (SCU) 203_0 to 203_3 access data at an external memory system or local memories 204_0 to 204_3 according to a thread under control from a host processor. Processor units (PU) arrays 202_0 to 202_3 perform image processing by a different thread from the thread of the SCUs 203_0 to 203_3.

Abstract: The present invention relates to an image processing apparatus which can restore, from a color and sensitivity mosaic image acquired using a CCD image sensor of the single plate type or the like, a color image signal of a wide dynamic range wherein the sensitivity characteristics of pixels are uniformized and each of the pixels has all of a plurality of color components. A sensitivity uniformization section uniformizes the sensitivities of pixels of a color and sensitivity mosaic image to produce a color mosaic image, and a color interpolation section interpolates color components of the pixels of the color mosaic image M to produce output images R, G and B. The present invention can be applied to a digital camera which converts a picked up optical image into a color image signal of a wide dynamic range.

Abstract: An image processing device extracting a contrast component for each pixel of an input image by removing a low-frequency component of the input image and correcting the contrast component for each pixel based on a gain value, including: an input/output-property generating unit for generating an input/output-property curve, assuming an input contrast component which is the pre-correction contrast component as input, and an output contrast component which is the post-correction contrast component as output, which is an input/output-property curve of which the output contrast component monotonously increases as to the input contrast component; a gain properties generating unit for generating a gain property curve representing properties as to the input contrast component of the gain value for correcting the input contrast component to obtain the output contrast component based on the input/output-property curve; and a gain-value calculating unit for calculating the gain value for each pixel of the input image bas

Abstract: An image processing device includes: an interpolation unit configured to perform interpolation along each of a plurality of directions in a neighbor region of a predetermined pixel of interest in an input image, and generate interpolation values for each; a chroma signal alias intensity calculating unit configured to calculate alias intensities of chroma signals from interpolation values of each of the plurality of directions from the interpolation unit; and a direction evaluation unit configured to generate evaluation values corresponding to each of the plurality of directions, based on the alias intensity of each of the chroma signals of the plurality of directions from the chroma signal alias intensity calculating unit.

Abstract: An image processing device includes: a first smoothing unit calculating, regarding multiple positions along a first direction in a neighbor region of a predetermined pixel of interest in an input image, a first-stage smoothing value wherein pixel values have been smoothed along a second direction differing from the first, for a first channel; a second smoothing unit calculating, regarding multiple positions along the first direction in the neighbor region, a first-stage smoothing value wherein pixel values have been smoothed along the second direction, for a second channel; an intensity estimating unit estimating the intensity of the first-stage smoothing value of the second channel, based on the first-stage smoothing values of the first and second channels; and a third smoothing unit calculating a second-stage smoothing value for the second channel, the first-stage smoothing value of the second channel intensity-estimated by the intensity estimating unit having been smoothed along the first direction.

Abstract: A driving device includes a driving control unit that reads out the signal charge generated by at least the charge generating section for a low-sensitivity pixel signal to the charge transfer section, after the predetermined timing, continues incidence of the electromagnetic wave and, after continuing the incidence of the electromagnetic wave, reads out the signal charge generated by at least the charge generating section for a high-sensitivity pixel signal to the charge transfer section, transfers the signal charge read out to the charge transfer section through the charge transfer section, and, concerning at least one of the signal charges for the high-sensitivity pixel signal and the low-sensitivity pixel signal, every time the signal charge is read out to the charge transfer section, transfers the signal charge read out to the charge transfer section through the charge transfer section without retaining the signal charge in the charge transfer section.

Abstract: An image processing device for processing image data includes: a gray level transforming processing unit which receives input, of image data, performs gray level transforming, and outputs image data having all of multiple color information by each pixel being configured of one of the multiple color information; the gray level transforming processing unit further including a first gray value computing unit for computing a first gray value according to the brightness of a pixel of interest which exists in a pixel location of interest; a second gray value computing unit for computing a second gray value by gray value transforming as to the first gray value; and pixel value gray level transforming unit for computing a pixel value subjected to gray level transforming of the pixel of interest, based on the first gray value, the second gray value, and the pixel value of the pixel of interest.

Abstract: A texture-intensity computation section computes a texture intensity TH and a texture intensity TV using interpolation values GA and EA. A G interpolation section computes an interpolation value GF using a horizontally adjacent interpolation value GA and a signal R. An E interpolation section computes an interpolation value EF using a vertically adjacent interpolation value EA and the signal R. The G interpolation section computes an interpolation value GU using the interpolation values GA, EA, and EF. The E interpolation section computes an interpolation value EU using the interpolation values GA, EA, and GF. A G+E generation section combines the interpolation values GU and EF to compute (G+E)V. A G+E generation section combines the interpolation values GF and EU to compute (G+E)H. A combining section determines the signal G+E using (G+E)H and (G+E)V, the texture intensities TH and TV.

Abstract: In an image processing apparatus, a sensitivity compensation unit converts a color-and-sensitivity mosaic image into a color mosaic image. A pixel-of-interest determination unit extracts local area information from the color mosaic image. An edge-direction detector detects an edge of the local area. A G-component computing unit performs weighted interpolation in the edge direction of the green (G) component associated with a pixel of interest. A statistic computing unit computes statistic information of the local area. A first or second R-and-B-component computing unit computes the red (R) and blue (B) components of the pixel of interest on the basis of the statistic information. An inverse gamma conversion unit performs inverse gamma conversion of the red (R), green (G), and blue (B) components of the pixel of interest. The present invention is applicable to, for example, a digital still camera.

Abstract: An image processing apparatus includes: a contrast area detector detecting a partial area from among partial areas in an input image signal as a contrast area, the input image signal being formed by a plurality of pixels, the contrast area being a partial area in which contrast of an input luminance indicative of a luminance of the input image signal is greater than a predetermined value; a luminance distributor distributing the input luminance in the contrast area into a bright-side luminance corresponding to a bright side of the input luminance and a dark-side luminance corresponding to a dark side of the input luminance; and a boundary luminance value generator generating a boundary luminance value between the bright-side luminance and the dark-side luminance on the basis of the distributions of the bright-side luminance and the dark-side luminance.

Abstract: A color filter array includes a plurality of filters, each having one of a plurality of types of spectral sensitivity and being disposed at the location of a corresponding one of a plurality of pixels. The filters of a predetermined type selected from among the plurality of types are arranged at the locations of the pixels in a checkered pattern, and the filters of some or all of the other types are randomly arranged at the pixel locations at which the filters of the predetermined type are not present.

Abstract: There is provided an image signal processing apparatus having a luminance signal producing unit which receives input of a mosaic image of a signal acquired by a wide wavelength range signal acquisition element from signals acquired by a single-plate imaging device having element arrays including a specific wavelength range signal acquisition element for acquiring a visible light signal corresponding to a specific light wavelength range and the wide wavelength range signal acquisition element for acquiring a light signal containing a visible light component and an invisible light component, and produces, as a luminance signal, a wide wavelength range signal demosaic image; and a color difference signal producing unit which receives input of a mosaic image of a signal acquired by the specific wavelength range signal acquisition element, produces a visible light range signal demosaic image, and produces a color difference signal based on the visible light range signal demosaic image.

Abstract: An apparatus and a method as well as a storage device of the present invention transform intensity levels with consideration of both features of the intensity levels in an input image and human visual characteristics, wherein the present invention includes the steps of inputting wider dynamic range digital image data, generating a histogram of intensity levels of the image data, generating a histogram equalization LUT by cumulating the histogram, generating a visual characteristics LUT with reference to the histogram equalization LUT, generating a combined LUT by combining the histogram equalization LUT and the visual characteristics LUT, and correcting the image data.

Abstract: An image processing apparatus tone-compresses input luminance values representing luminance values of an input image. The image processing apparatus includes a conversion-curve calculator configured to calculate a conversion curve that is used for tone-compressing luminance values, on the basis of a distribution of the input luminance values; a global-luminance calculator configured to calculate global luminance values representing luminance values of a global-luminance image composed of low-frequency components of the input image; a tone compressor configured to tone-compress the input luminance values and the global luminance values according to the conversion curve; and a contrast corrector configured to correct contrast of a tone-compressed input image composed of the tone-compressed input luminance values, on the basis of a slope of the conversion curve and the tone-compressed global luminance values.

Abstract: Disclosed are method and apparatus for obtaining relatively high dynamic range images using a relatively low dynamic range image sensor without significant loss of resolution. The image sensor has an array of light-sensing elements with different sensitivity levels in accordance with a predetermined spatially varying sensitivity pattern for the array of light-sensing elements. An image of a scene is captured with the image sensor and stored as brightness values at respective pixel positions in a linear or two-dimensional uniform grid. The brightness values of the captured image at the pixel positions are then used to estimate the brightness values at off-grid positions of a uniform off-grid array located at respective interstices of the pixel position grid.

Abstract: An apparatus and a method as well as a storage device of the present invention transform intensity levels with consideration of both features of the intensity levels in an input image and human visual characteristics, wherein the present invention includes the steps of inputting wider dynamic range digital image data, generating a histogram of intensity levels of the image data, generating a histogram equalization LUT by cumulating the histogram, generating a visual characteristics LUT with reference to the histogram equalization LUT, generating a combined LUT by combining the histogram equalization LUT and the visual characteristics LUT, and correcting the image data.

Abstract: An apparatus and a method as well as a storage device of the present invention transform intensity levels with consideration of both features of the intensity levels in an input image and human visual characteristics, wherein the present invention includes the steps of inputting wider dynamic range digital image data, generating a histogram of intensity levels of the image data, generating a histogram equalization LUT by cumulating the histogram, generating a visual characteristics LUT with reference to the histogram equalization LUT, generating a combined LUT by combining the histogram equalization LUT and the visual characteristics LUT, and correcting the image data.

Abstract: The present invention relates to an image processing apparatus and a method, and in particular to an image processing apparatus and a method preferably applicable to conversion of a wide dynamic-range image having a dynamic range of pixel values wider than the normal one to a narrow dynamic-range image having a narrower dynamic range of pixel values, and to enhancement of contrast. In step S1, an input wide-DR luminance image of the current frame is converted into a narrow-DR luminance image based on the intermediate information calculated for the previous frame's wide-DR luminance image. In step S2, the stored intermediate information of the previous frame is updated using the calculated intermediate information. In step S3, it is determined if there is any succeeding frame. If there is the succeeding frame, the process returns to step S1 and processes thereafter are repeated. The present invention is applicable to a digital video camera and the like.

Abstract: A smoothing calculator determines a smoothed mean luminance value C1×?(t)+(1?C1)??(t?1) based on a mean luminance value ?(t) input at time t and a smoothed mean luminance value ??(t?1) read at time (t?1) from a buffer, and outputs the smoothed mean luminance value C1×?(t)+(1?C1)??(t?1) as the smoothed mean luminance value ?(t) of the mean luminance value ?(t). Coefficient C1 is greater than 0 but smaller than 1. Gradation conversion responsive to luminance variation from frame to frame in a moving image is thus achieved.