Abstract: There is provided a method of and an apparatus for generating high sensitivity images in a low light level environment, the method including correcting an image acquired through short-time exposure in a low light level environment to an image corresponding to a reference exposure time defined for the low light level environment, the corrected image including a plurality of channels, detecting respective black levels for each of the channels, the detecting of the respective black levels being based on a black level intensity for the reference exposure time, adjusting the respective black levels for each of the channels of the corrected image to respective target black levels for each of the channels, and aligning a value of each of the channels using the respective target black levels.

Abstract: Disclosed is an apparatus and method for obtaining a motion adaptive high dynamic range image, in which a motion degree of a first image and a second taken using different exposure times is calculated. The motion calculation intensity is adjusted based on the calculated motion degree. The motion compensation intensity involves a global motion compensation and/or a location motion compensation. Images subjected to compensation are synthesized and output, so that an image having high dynamic range is obtained.

Abstract: Provided are a noise reduction apparatus having an edge enhancement function and a method thereof, in which edges in an input image can be prevented from being blurred when reducing noise in the input image and a clear output image can be obtained by reducing edge discontinuities. The noise reduction apparatus includes a window setting module which sets a portion of an input image as a window, an edge-information detection module which detects edge information regarding the window, an image processing module which performs an image processing operation on the window, and an output-image generation module which generates an output image by reflecting the edge information into one or more windows obtained by the image processing operation.

Abstract: Provided are a method and system for processing a low-illuminance image. The system includes an image acquisition unit to acquire two images having different levels of illuminance and sensitivity as first and second images; a motion vector estimation unit to extract a motion vector of the second image based on the first image; an image correction unit to correct the second image using the extracted motion vector; a synthesis coefficient calculation unit to calculate a synthesis coefficient used to synthesize the first image and the corrected second image; and an image synthesis unit to synthesize the first image and the corrected second image using the calculated synthesis coefficient.

Abstract: Disclosed is an apparatus and method for obtaining a motion adaptive high dynamic range image, in which a motion degree of a first image and a second taken using different exposure times is calculated. The motion calculation intensity is adjusted based on the calculated motion degree. The motion compensation intensity involves a global motion compensation and/or a location motion compensation. Images subjected to compensation are synthesized and output, so that an image having high dynamic range is obtained.

Abstract: Provided are an image processing apparatus and method for restoring a high resolution of an image based on acquired image data using color information. The image processing apparatus selects at least one pixel from among pixels corresponding to narrow-band color information of image data, and estimates wide-band color information of the selected pixel.

Abstract: An image sensor capable of ensuring high sensitivity image and minimizing color distortion is provided. The image sensor includes a first filter unit, a second filter unit formed at a lower part of the first filter unit and a sensor unit formed at a lower part of the second filter unit. The first filter unit is configured to pass light corresponding to a visible light region, pass light corresponding to a first region of a longer wavelength than the light corresponding to the visible region and cut off light corresponding to a second region of a longer wavelength than the light corresponding to the first region. The second filter unit is configure to pass light having a predetermined wavelength in a wavelength range corresponding to the visible light region among the light passing through the first filter unit and pass light corresponding to the first region. The sensor unit is configured to detect the light passing through the second filter unit.

Abstract: Provided is an apparatus and method for enhancing an image by optimizing exposure and grayscale. The apparatus includes a component-extracting unit separating luminance signals and color signals from input image signals; a luminance-enhancing unit enhancing the luminance of the luminance signals; and a contrast-enhancing unit dividing the luminance signal having the enhanced luminance into one or more local areas, and enhancing the contrast of the luminance signal having the enhanced luminance for each local area.

Abstract: An apparatus and a method for reducing noise from an image sensor are provided. The apparatus includes a noise-estimation unit which estimates a noise level representing an image frame expressed as a component in a color space, a filter-strength-calculation unit which determines filter strength based on the estimated noise level, and a filter-application unit which filters pixels constituting the image frame according to the determined filter strength.

Abstract: There is provided a method of and an apparatus for generating high sensitivity images in a low light level environment, the method including correcting an image acquired through short-time exposure in a low light level environment to an image corresponding to a reference exposure time defined for the low light level environment, the corrected image including a plurality of channels, detecting respective black levels for each of the channels, the detecting of the respective black levels being based on a black level intensity for the reference exposure time, adjusting the respective black levels for each of the channels of the corrected image to respective target black levels for each of the channels, and aligning a value of each of the channels using the respective target black levels.

Abstract: An apparatus and method for generating a high ISO image are provided. To this end, an image may be divided into a first image having a low frequency component and a second image having a high frequency component. A brightness of the first image may be changed, and details of the second image may be restored. The first image having the changed brightness and the second image having the restored details may be synthesized.

Abstract: Disclosed is an apparatus and method for obtaining a motion adaptive high dynamic range image, in which a motion degree of a first image and a second taken using different exposure times is calculated. The motion calculation intensity is adjusted based on the calculated motion degree. The motion compensation intensity involves a global motion compensation and/or a location motion compensation. Images subjected to compensation are synthesized and output, so that an image having high dynamic range is obtained.

Abstract: An apparatus and method for reducing noise of an image sensor are provided. The apparatus includes a noise level setting module setting a noise level representing an image frame expressed as a component in a color space; a kernel generation module generating a kernel for filtering pixels that constitute the image frame based on the set noise level; and a filter application module convoluting the pixels using the generated kernel and normalizing the pixels using the convolution result. Since noise generated by the image sensor can be adaptively reduced, the quality of an output image can be improved.

Abstract: An apparatus and method for reducing noise in a high definition image are provided. When performing wavelet shrinkage for reducing noise, a signal level of an image may be estimated by adjusting a kernel size, and a noise level of the image may be estimated using a noise level function. After the signal level and the noise level are estimated, the noise may be removed or reduced, based on the signal level and the noise level, and the detail of the image may be maintained.

Abstract: A method and an apparatus are provided for estimating noise determination criteria in an image sensor. The method includes calculating a color characteristic value for each of a plurality blocks constituting an input image, comparing the color characteristic value of a first block among the blocks with a initial noise criterion, sorting the color characteristic value of the first block as a first group of a color characteristic class and accumulating a result of the comparing into the first group, and modifying the initial noise criterion using a result of the accumulating and calculating a first group noise criterion to be applied to corresponding blocks belonging to the sorted first group of the color characteristic class.

Abstract: An image processing apparatus and method are provided. In an exemplary method, noise of a main image signal is removed or reduced, using information about a subsidiary image signal with sensitivity higher than the main image signal or information about the main image signal, and details of the main image signal are restored using high-frequency components of the subsidiary image signal.

Abstract: A mobile communication terminal and a method for calculating a media play time of media file on the mobile communication terminal are disclosed. In one example embodiment, a mobile communication terminal includes a communication unit, a controller, and a display. The communication unit is capable of downloading a media file from a media server. The controller is capable of calculating a first data size on the basis of information extracted from the media file. The controller is also capable of calculating a media play time on the basis of the first data size and a second data size of the media file. The display is capable of displaying the media play time.

Abstract: A method of controlling a mobile terminal, and which includes entering into a touch-lock mode to lock an entire display area on a touch screen, receiving an unlock signal corresponding to a selection of a touch-lock release button on the terminal, and unlocking an area of the touch screen that includes at least one displayed icon when the unlock signal is received such that a touching of the at least one icon displayed on the touch screen executes a corresponding function of the icon, and maintaining other areas of the touch screen in the touch-lock mode.

Abstract: Provided are a method and system for processing a low-illuminance image. The system includes an image acquisition unit to acquire two images having different levels of illuminance and sensitivity as first and second images; a motion vector estimation unit to extract a motion vector of the second image based on the first image; an image correction unit to correct the second image using the extracted motion vector; a synthesis coefficient calculation unit to calculate a synthesis coefficient used to synthesize the first image and the corrected second image; and an image synthesis unit to synthesize the first image and the corrected second image using the calculated synthesis coefficient.

Abstract: A noise-reduction method and apparatus are provided. The noise-reduction method includes estimating activity levels of regions in an input image; and applying different weights to a large noise filter kernel and a small noise filter kernel according to the estimated activity levels, wherein the estimating includes calculating a noise level of the input image, generating a binary image by calculating signal-to-noise ratios (SNRs) of pixels of the input image and by comparing the SNRs of the pixels of the input image with a predefined threshold, and reducing binary data boundaries in the binary image.