Abstract: A moving region information calculation unit calculates moving region information from a global motion vector and a local motion vector. An image correction unit generates a corrected reference image obtained by correcting a reference image based on the global motion vector and a corrected reference image obtained by correcting the reference image based on the local motion vector. A composition unit composites a base image with the corrected reference images with composition ratios determined based on the moving region information. The composition ratio of the corrected reference image corrected based on the global motion vector is higher than the composition ratio of the corrected reference image corrected based on the local motion vector in a region having the moving region information indicative of a moving region.

Abstract: An image processing apparatus includes a first synthesizing unit that determines a first synthesis ratio of a plurality of images based on correlation amounts between a reference image and the plurality of images excluding the reference image and synthesizes a first image from a plurality of images based on the first synthesis ratio, a noise reducing unit that reduces noise of a plurality of images including the first image using a plurality of parameters and generates a plurality of noise-reduced first images including at least an image obtained by reducing noise of the first image, and a second synthesizing unit that determines a second synthesis ratio according to the first synthesis ratio and synthesizes a second image from the plurality of noise-reduced images based on the second synthesis ratio.

Abstract: An imaging unit obtains image data. An imaging controller controls the imaging unit to obtain a plurality of pieces of image data having different exposure values. A standard image decision unit decides the image data with the shortest length of exposure time of the plurality of pieces of image data as standard image data. A correlation quantity detection unit detects a correlation quantity between the standard image data and the plurality of pieces of image data. A first combination processing unit generates first combined image data by combining the plurality of pieces of image data in accordance with the correlation quantity. A second combination processing unit combines the standard image data and the first combined image data.

Abstract: An imaging unit obtains image data. An imaging controller controls the imaging unit to obtain a plurality of pieces of image data having different exposure values. A standard image decision unit decides the image data with the shortest length of exposure time of the plurality of pieces of image data as standard image data. A correlation quantity detection unit detects a correlation quantity between the standard image data and the plurality of pieces of image data. A first combination processing unit generates first combined image data by combining the plurality of pieces of image data in accordance with the correlation quantity. A second combination processing unit combines the standard image data and the first combined image data.

Abstract: A moving region information calculation unit calculates moving region information from a global motion vector and a local motion vector. An image correction unit generates a corrected reference image obtained by correcting a reference image based on the global motion vector and a corrected reference image obtained by correcting the reference image based on the local motion vector. A composition unit composites a base image with the corrected reference images with composition ratios determined based on the moving region information. The composition ratio of the corrected reference image corrected based on the global motion vector is higher than the composition ratio of the corrected reference image corrected based on the local motion vector in a region having the moving region information indicative of a moving region.

Abstract: A number of invalid pixels at an outer peripheral part is reduced while suppressing an influence on an image quality such as discontinuity by pixel expansion, and suppressing increase in a number of processing pixels. When sequentially generating a plurality of reduced images having resolutions different from each other by sequentially performing a reduction process on an input image when realizing a noise reduction process using multiresolution transformation, the pixel expansion process of expanding the pixels at the outer peripheral part of the image of the reduced image is performed at least once before performing one of the reduction processes, and the reduced image after the pixel expansion process is further reduced to generate the plurality of reduced images.

Abstract: An image processing apparatus includes a first synthesizing unit that determines a first synthesis ratio of a plurality of images based on correlation amounts between a reference image and the plurality of images excluding the reference image and synthesizes a first image from a plurality of images based on the first synthesis ratio, a noise reducing unit that reduces noise of a plurality of images including the first image using a plurality of parameters and generates a plurality of noise-reduced first images including at least an image obtained by reducing noise of the first image, and a second synthesizing unit that determines a second synthesis ratio according to the first synthesis ratio and synthesizes a second image from the plurality of noise-reduced images based on the second synthesis ratio.

Abstract: Motion vectors between images are acquired from a plurality of images acquired by an image pickup device. A first motion vector candidate corresponding to a local area near a processing target pixel is calculated by a first motion vector candidate calculating unit. A second motion vector candidate corresponding to a global area larger than the local area is calculated by a second motion vector candidate calculating unit. Image synthesis is performed using an image corrected based on the first or second motion vector candidates.

Abstract: A number of invalid pixels at an outer peripheral part is reduced while suppressing an influence on an image quality such as discontinuity by pixel expansion, and suppressing increase in a number of processing pixels. When sequentially generating a plurality of reduced images having resolutions different from each other by sequentially performing a reduction process on an input image when realizing a noise reduction process using multiresolution transformation, the pixel expansion process of expanding the pixels at the outer peripheral part of the image of the reduced image is performed at least once before performing one of the reduction processes, and the reduced image after the pixel expansion process is further reduced to generate the plurality of reduced images.

Abstract: A noise-level determining unit estimates the noise level of each pixel or each predetermined region formed of multiple pixels in at least one image among multiple images; a combining ratio determining unit determines, for each pixel or each region, a combining ratio on the basis of the noise level; and a weighted-averaging processing unit generates a combined image from the multiple images on the basis of the combining ratio.

Abstract: An output signal of a CCD or other solid-state imaging device (101) is converted at an A/D converter (102) into a digital signal, which is in turn loaded in a latch (103). The latch (103) comprises a delay unit, a line memory, etc. to hold pixel data demanded by a defective pixel detection algorithm. A normal pixel detection block (104) is adapted to receive a signal from the A/D converter (102) to determine whether the pixel to be inspected is a normal one or a possibly defective one, and send out the result of determination to a defective pixel detection block (105). When the pixel to be inspected is determined as defective, a defective pixel correction block (106) is operable to implement correction processing, producing a correction output (107).

Abstract: A coding control section 26 determines a quantization step size 24 and frame skip control information 25 based on a remainder of a buffer 20 and a maximum quantization step size 28 output from a quantization step size change width control section 29. The quantization step size change width control section 27 receives an average quantization step size 29 calculated by the coding control section 26, and determines the maximum quantization step size 28.

Abstract: To provide a moving picture coding apparatus and TV phone wherein a handwritten image is coded with less quantity of calculation and less power consumption. The moving picture signal from camera is combined with handwritten image signal from pen input by combining circuit. Then, combined image as well as coding region information to discriminate a region to be coded is fed to motion compensative moving picture coding circuit. Motion compensative moving picture coding circuit deems that the region needless to be coded is the same as the latest frame. According to the present invention, a quantity of calculation and power consumption of moving picture coding apparatus and TV phone using the same can be reduced, by coding only the newly inputted handwritten image. Degradation of image quality can be reduced by putting its motion vector “0”.

Abstract: To provide a moving picture coding apparatus and TV phone wherein a handwritten image is coded with less quantity of calculation and less power consumption. The moving picture signal from camera is combined with handwritten image signal from pen input by combining circuit. Then, combined image as well as coding region information to discriminate a region to be coded is fed to motion compensative moving picture coding circuit. Motion compensative moving picture coding circuit deems that the region needless to be coded is the same as the latest frame. According to the present invention, a quantity of calculation and power consumption of moving picture coding apparatus and TV phone using the same can be reduced, by coding only the newly inputted handwritten image. Degradation of image quality can be reduced by putting its motion vector “0”.

Abstract: A coding control section 26 determines a quantization step size 24 and frame skip control information 25 based on a remainder of a buffer 20 and a maximum quantization step size 28 output from a quantization step size change width control section 29. The quantization step size change width control section 27 receives an average quantization step size 29 calculated by the coding control section 26, and determines the maximum quantization step size 28.

Abstract: A moving image encoding apparatus which has a similar function to noise elimination by a pre-processing filter without requiring a large amount of calculation and a large apparatus scale. A quantization circuit performs quantization with a quantization step size of a characteristic different from that of a quantization step size which is used by a dequantization circuit and an encoding circuit to eliminate coding of noise components mixed in an input image. An encoding control circuit controls the noise elimination characteristic of the quantization circuit with a noise elimination parameter based on an output of a moving/still discrimination circuit and stored contents of a transmission buffer.

Abstract: To provide a moving picture coding apparatus and TV phone wherein a handwritten image is coded with less quantity of calculation and less power consumption. The moving picture signal from camera is combined with handwritten image signal from pen input by combining circuit. Then, combined image as well as coding region information to discriminate a region to be coded is fed to motion compensative moving picture coding circuit. Motion compensative moving picture coding circuit deems that the region needless to be coded is the same as the latest frame. According to the present invention, a quantity of calculation and power consumption of moving picture coding apparatus and TV phone using the same can be reduced, by coding only the newly inputted handwritten image. Degradation of image quality can be reduced by putting its motion vector “O”.

Abstract: A moving image coding apparatus includes a coding section, an intraframe filter circuit, and a selector. The coding section predicts a pixel block in a current frame from a preceding frame by a motion compensation scheme, and performs orthogonal transformation and quantization for a predicted error, thereby coding the predicted error. The intraframe filter circuit performs intraframe filtering for each pixel of an input frame. The selector adaptively determines and sets the filter characteristic of the intraframe filter circuit on the basis of a pixel of the input frame and a corresponding pixel of a predicted image or adaptively selects an output from the intraframe filter circuit having an optimal filter characteristic.

Abstract: In a motion estimating system, the sum of square values of picture element values of a current block is calculated in a current block square sum calculator and stored in a storage unit. The inner product between the current block and each of some or all of reference blocks in a reference area is multiplied by -2 every reference block, and stored in a memory. Further, the sum of square values of picture elements of some or all of the reference blocks in the reference area is calculated every reference block, and stored a memory. The square sum value of the current block, the product value of -2 and the inner product between the current block and the reference block which corresponds to a motion vector to be searched, and the square sum value of the reference block are added in an adder to set the addition result as an error power value. Finally, the minimum value of the error power is detected to estimate the optimum motion vector.