Entries |
Document | Title | Date |
20080239101 | IMAGE PICKUP APPARATUS, IMAGE SIGNAL PROCESSING APPARATUS, AND IMAGE SIGNAL PROCESSING METHOD - A histogram detecting unit detects a distribution of numbers of pixels by luminance level of a picked-up image signal. A maximum luminance value calculating unit calculates a maximum luminance value of the inputted image signal. A high luminance proportion calculating unit calculates a proportion of a high luminance signal out of all of the pixels composing one or a plurality of frames based on the detected distribution of numbers of pixels by luminance level. A knee point calculating unit calculates a knee point based on the calculated maximum luminance value and proportion of the high luminance signal. A knee processing unit generates a knee slope with a predetermined inclination starting at the calculated knee point. The knee processing unit does not change the value of the predetermined inclination, regardless of the value of the calculated knee point. | 10-02-2008 |
20080266424 | IMAGE CAPTURING APPARATUS, IMAGE CAPTURING METHOD, EXPOSURE CONTROL METHOD, AND PROGRAM - An image capturing apparatus includes: an image capturing unit configured to generate a long-exposure image signal and a short-exposure image signal on the basis of light transmitted from a subject and output the long-exposure image signal and the short-exposure image signal as image capturing signals; a signal processing unit configured to generate a combined image signal by combining the long-exposure image signal and the short-exposure image signal, the combined image signal having a dynamic range that is relatively wider than that of at least any one of the long-exposure image signal and the short-exposure image signal; a detection unit configured to generate luminance information of the combined image signal; and a control unit configured to perform automatic exposure control for the short-exposure image signal using the luminance information in an exposure setting mode in which exposure control is performed in accordance with a user's setting. | 10-30-2008 |
20080278605 | SOLID-STATE IMAGING APPARATUS, AND VIDEO CAMERA AND DIGITAL STILL CAMERA USING THE SAME - A solid-state imaging apparatus including: an image section having a plurality of pixel units arranged into a matrix, each pixel unit having at least one subunit consisting of an electric charge generation means for generating signal electric charges corresponding to the amount of incident electromagnetic wave and a signal transfer means for transferring signal electric charges generated by the electric charge generation means, an electric charge accumulation means for accumulating the transferred signal electric charges, a first reset means for resetting the electric charge accumulation means, an amplification means for amplifying a signal corresponding to signal electric charges accumulated at the electric charge accumulation means, and a select means for selectively outputting the amplified signal to a vertical signal line; and a signal transfer assisting means for making a gradient of potential in the vicinity of the electric charge generation means toward the signal transfer means to be greater at the time of transfer of the signal electric charge than at the time of non-transfer. | 11-13-2008 |
20080291296 | Solid-state imaging device, signal processing device and signal processing method for solid-state imaging device, and imaging apparatus - A solid-state imaging device includes a pixel array unit in which unit pixels are arranged in a matrix shape and a signal processing circuit that obtains a first video signal and performs processing for combining the first and second video signals. The signal processing circuit includes judging means that judges whether a pixel of interest in the pixel array unit is a pixel to be saturated during an exposure period, calculating means that sets the pixel of interest as a correction pixel and calculates a correction amount on the basis of a luminance value of the second video signal of a peripheral pixel of the correction pixel, and correcting means that applies the correction amount to a luminance value of the first video signal of the correction pixel to thereby correct a noise signal amount due to photo-charges leaking from the peripheral pixel into the correction pixel. | 11-27-2008 |
20080303925 | IMAGE PICKUP APPARATUS AND FOCUS CONTROL METHOD - An image pickup apparatus includes a first image generator | 12-11-2008 |
20090009632 | WIDE DYNAMIC RANGE ELECTRONIC IMAGE RECORDING AND REPRODUCING SYSTEM - The electronic camera has an imaging device that images a subject with subject reflectance R (%) with a dynamic range wider than that at displaying or printing to acquire image data and a recording device that converts the image data acquired by the imaging device with a predetermined function and records the converted image data and the information on the function as digital values (digit). Therefore, a printed image with an automatically or manually corrected density can be obtained at the displaying or the printing. | 01-08-2009 |
20090015693 | SIGNAL PROCESSING APPARATUS, IMAGE PICKUP APPARATUS AND COMPUTER READABLE MEDIUM - A signal processing apparatus includes a synchronization processing unit for processing image pickup signals including three kinds of signals and luminance signals output from an image pickup device. The synchronization processing unit is used to interpolate other color signals than the above-mentioned respective color signals at pixel positions where the three kinds of signals respectively exist. This processing includes a luminance use estimating processing which estimates color signals to be interpolated at the above-mentioned pixel positions using not only the same kinds of color signals as the above-mentioned color signals to be interpolated but also the above-mentioned luminance signals respectively existing around the above-mentioned pixel positions. | 01-15-2009 |
20090066816 | IMAGE SIGNAL PROCESSING DEVICE AND IMAGE SIGNAL PROCESSING METHOD - A dynamic range is widened by effectively using an output range that is originally possessed by a solid-state image-capturing device, and an image having less color hue rotation is obtained. | 03-12-2009 |
20090073287 | IMAGE CAPTURING DEVICE - An image having the image quality desired by a photographer is provided by minimizing overexposure or underexposure, making the dynamic range wide, and specifying an optimum brightness level for a main subject. An image capturing device includes a subject detecting unit which detects a main subject in an image obtained before actual photographing; a subject luminance information acquiring unit which obtains luminance information; a luminance distribution calculating unit which calculates a luminance distribution of each of multiple areas; a target luminance calculating unit which determines a target luminance; a target luminance correcting unit which corrects the target luminance; and an exposure condition determining unit which determines an exposure condition for the actual photographing, in which the target luminance correcting unit includes a criterial range determining unit which determines the criterial range; and a correction amount determining unit which determines a correction amount by using the difference between the target luminance and the luminance of the main subject. | 03-19-2009 |
20090086059 | Image Taking System, and Image Signal Processing Program - The image taking system of the invention applies tone transformation processing to an image signal of an image taken through taking means (lens system | 04-02-2009 |
20090086060 | Method and system for luminance noise filtering - In a method and system for luminance noise filtering, a region of pixel data directly from the image sensor is used for determining a virtually filtered luminance for a pixel location within the region. Luminance noise reduction is performed using the region of pixel data directly from the image sensor such that frame memory is eliminated. In addition, the present invention provides adaptive noise filtering by selecting the virtually filtered luminance as a final luminance for a darker image and by selecting a reference luminance without virtual noise filtering for a brighter image. | 04-02-2009 |
20090096895 | MULTI-SPECTRAL IMAGING - Multi-spectral imaging technique embodiments are presented which involve an active imaging approach that uses wide band illumination of known spectral distributions to obtain multi-spectral reflectance information in the presence of unknown ambient illumination. In general, a reflectance spectral distribution of a captured scene is computed by selecting a number of different illumination spectra and capturing multiple images of the scene. Each of these images is captured when the scene is illuminated by a different one of the selected illumination spectra in addition to the ambient light. The reflectance spectral distribution of the scene is computed for each pixel location based on the relative response between pairs of the radiometric responses of the corresponding pixels in the captured images, given a set of parameters including the added illumination spectra used to capture each of the images and the response function and spectral sensitivity of the camera used to capture the images | 04-16-2009 |
20090096896 | Electronic camera - An electronic camera includes: an imaging device that captures a subject image and outputs image signals; an image synthesizing device that performs image synthesis to generate a single image by using a plurality of sets of image signals obtained on different imaging conditions by the imaging device; and a control device that determines whether or not to perform the image synthesis with the image synthesizing device based on a predetermined determination condition, and, when it is determined to perform the image synthesis, controls the image synthesizing device so as to perform the image synthesis. | 04-16-2009 |
20090102949 | Perfecting the Effect of Flash within an Image Acquisition Devices using Face Detection - Within a digital acquisition device with a built in flash unit, the exposure of an acquired digital image is perfected using face detection in the acquired image is provided. Groups of pixels that correspond to plural images of faces are identified within a digitally acquired image, and corresponding image attributes to the group of pixels are determined. An analysis is performed of the corresponding attributes of the groups of pixels. It is then determined to activate the built-in flash unit based on the analysis. An intensity of the built-in flash unit is determined based on the analysis. Alternatively based on similar analysis, a digital simulation of the fill flash is performed on the image. | 04-23-2009 |
20090122161 | IMAGE TO SOUND CONVERSION DEVICE - A device for creating a sound map of a three dimensional view area is provided. The device comprises a first camera configured to capture and transmit a first image and a second camera positioned a predetermined distance from the first camera configured to capture and transmit a second image. An image processing system is connected to the first camera and the second camera and is configured to create a three dimensional topographic plan of the three dimensional view area based on a comparison of the first image with the second image and the predetermined distance between the first camera and the second camera. The image processing system is further configured to transform the three dimensional topographic plan into a sound map comprising volume gradients and tone gradients. The present invention further provides methods of creating a sound map of a three dimensional view area. | 05-14-2009 |
20090147105 | IMAGE PROCESSOR AND IMAGE PROCESSING METHOD - Document image data is converted into luminance image data. Block image data is generated from the luminance image data. Start point block pixel data and end point block pixel data are set based on a change rate of luminance values of adjacent block pixel data. A luminance value of block pixel data between the start point block pixel data and the end point block pixel data is corrected based on a start point luminance value and an end point luminance value. The luminance value, of the block pixel data wherein each luminance value of an adjacent block pixel data cluster is less than an average value, is substituted by the average value. The luminance value of each pixel data is set based on the luminance value of the block pixel data. Post process luminance image data that includes each pixel data is reconverted into the document image data. | 06-11-2009 |
20090147106 | Image capturing apparatus and electronic information device - An image capturing apparatus according to the present invention includes: an image capturing section for forming an image of a subject via an optical system; a signal processing section for obtaining image center position information for an image data from the image capturing section to perform a shading correction; an image center position information extracting section for importing an image data from the image capturing section to obtain the image center position information; and a shading correcting section for performing a shading correction process using the image center position information as shading center position information so that the amount of light does not decrease at a peripheral portion of a captured image. | 06-11-2009 |
20090153702 | Camera performing photographing in accordance with photographing mode depending on object scene - A camera includes a CPU. The CPU individually detects a ratio of an object which exceeds a threshold value in a moving amount to a center area of an object scene and a ratio of an object which exceeds the threshold value in the moving amount to a peripheral area of the object scene. If differences between the respective detected ratios are large, the CPU sets a photographing mode to a sports mode. When a shutter button is operated, the object scene is photographed in accordance with a set photographing mode. | 06-18-2009 |
20090160976 | DIGITAL PHOTOGRAPHIC CAMERA WITH BRIGHTNESS COMPENSATION AND COMPENSATION METHOD THEREOF - A digital photographic camera with brightness compensation and a compensation method thereof are applied for the brightness compensation of the digital photographic camera when shooting under different environments so as to maintain a frame rate. The camera includes a light measuring unit, a sensor, a light source generator, a light modulation unit, an operational unit, and a storage unit. The light measuring unit is used for sensing the environment brightness of the camera. The light modulation unit is coupled to the light source generator and used for controlling luminance of the light source generator. The operational unit is coupled to the light measuring unit and the light source generator, and executes a brightness calibration process for calibrating a brightness sensing reference value of the light measuring unit and a brightness compensation process for adjusting the luminance of the light source generator according to the environment brightness of the camera. | 06-25-2009 |
20090174795 | IMAGE PROCESSING APPARATUS - There is provided an image processing apparatus capable of properly setting a photographing condition in consideration of time allowable for each processing; the image processing apparatus capable of properly setting the photographing condition while referring to an actually generated composite image; the image processing apparatus capable of properly setting the photographing condition even by a user who has no background knowledge; and the image processing apparatus capable of determining whether or not image composition processing is properly executed even by the user who has no background knowledge. A setting mode screen displays a composite image based on generated output image data, together with “processing time”, being expected time required for generating one output image data. The composite image is updated every time the output image data is generated. | 07-09-2009 |
20090174796 | Method Of Processing Data From A CCD And CCD Imaging Apparatus - A method of processing data from a CCD | 07-09-2009 |
20090185055 | IMAGE CAPTURING APPARATUS, IMAGE PROCESSING APPARATUS AND METHOD, AND PROGRAM THEREFOR - An image processing apparatus includes an input unit configured to receive an input image to be processed; a brightness-information extracting unit configured to extract, from the image, brightness information indicating brightness of the whole image; a luminance-value-distribution-information extracting unit configured to extract, from the image, luminance-value-distribution information indicating a distribution of luminance values in the image; and a scene determining unit configured to determine a scene of an object included in the image on the basis of the extracted brightness information and the extracted luminance-value-distribution information. | 07-23-2009 |
20090201391 | COLOR PROCESSING APPARATUS AND METHOD - There is provided a color processing apparatus that performs color reproduction in accordance with the brightness of a subject at the time of photographing. An acquisition unit acquires image data. A setting unit sets viewing environment parameters for a plurality of luminance ranges based on a luminance histogram of the image data that is acquired. A processing unit performs color conversion processing using a color appearance model, using the viewing environment parameters that are set in accordance with the luminance of pixels of the image data that is acquired. | 08-13-2009 |
20090207281 | Image capturing apparatus, control method therefor, and program - An image capturing apparatus includes a shutter-operation accepting unit that accepts a shutter operation; an image capturing unit that captures an image of an object and generates a captured image; a brightness-information extracting unit that extracts, from the captured image, brightness information indicating brightness of the whole captured image; a luminance-value-distribution-information extracting unit that extracts, from the captured image, luminance-value-distribution information indicating a distribution of luminance values in the captured image; a scene determining unit that determines a scene of the object included in the captured image based on the extracted brightness information and luminance-value-distribution information; and a control unit that performs control to record captured images using at least two different image capturing/recording parameters if, when the shutter operation has been accepted, the scene of the object included in the captured image is determined to be a predetermined scene. | 08-20-2009 |
20090219414 | IMAGING APPARATUS AND METHOD FOR SETTING THE SAME - An imaging apparatus includes an acquiring unit configured to acquire a representative value of a luminance level in a main object area and a plurality of representative values of luminance levels in peripheral areas of the main object area in an image obtained by an imaging unit, a calculation unit configured to calculate a plurality of relative values between the respective plurality of representative values of luminance levels in the peripheral areas and the representative value of a luminance level in the main object area, which are acquired by the acquiring unit, a setting unit configured to set intensity of knee processing based on the plurality of relative values calculated by the calculation unit, and a knee processing unit configured to execute the knee processing on an image acquired by the imaging unit according to the intensity set by the setting unit. | 09-03-2009 |
20090231467 | IMAGING APPARATUS, IMAGING METHOD, STORAGE MEDIUM, AND INTEGRATED CIRCUIT - An imaging apparatus for capturing a moving image performs backlight correction of an image and outputs a natural image. The imaging apparatus electronically captures an image of a subject. An optical system has a light amount adjustment function. An imaging unit reads an optical image of the subject that is formed by the optical system. An A/D converter subjects an output of the imaging unit to A/D conversion. A backlight correction unit converts the tones of an image read by the A/D converter using a conversion characteristic selected differently according to a spatial position and at least increases the luminance level of a dark region of the image. An instruction unit instructs to start backlight correction. A control unit operates the backlight correction unit based on an instruction signal output from the instruction unit, and decreases an exposure light amount of the optical system by a predetermined amount. | 09-17-2009 |
20090231468 | Digital imaging apparatus enabled to control flash light intensity, method of controlling the digital imaging apparatus, and recording medium having recorded thereon program for executing the method - Provided is a method of controlling a digital imaging apparatus enabled to maintain a ready-to-capture state, with a shutter opened, the method comprising (a) displaying an image of a target subject in a live-view, with the shutter opened; (b) obtaining live-view information of the image; (c) when an imaging start signal is input, before a main exposure, metering a reflected light from the target subject by using a lighter sensor; (d) obtaining metering information; (e) determining a condition for the main exposure by using the live-view information and the metering information; and (f) performing an imaging operation while performing the main exposure by using the determined condition for the main exposure. | 09-17-2009 |
20090231469 | IMAGE PROCESSING APPARATUS - When an area desired to be displayed with high accuracy and an area desired to be inspected and measured with high accuracy in a measuring object are smaller than a photographing range, the entire area of a composite image is displayed and designation of an area is received, to thereby generate an image of the entire area in which composition processing of optimizing luminance of pixels included in this area is performed. Therefore, an input part is provided for receiving the setting of a designated area in image data, a composite luminance distribution is calculated based on the size of a standardized luminance distribution value in the designated area, and composite image data is generated. | 09-17-2009 |
20090237530 | METHODS AND APPARATUSES FOR SHARPENING IMAGES - Methods and apparatuses for sharpening imaging pixel signals. Embodiments provide methods of sharpening that preserves the pixel's saturation and apparatuses therefor. In essence, rather than changing only the pixels' luminance, the effective exposure of the pixel is changed. | 09-24-2009 |
20090251567 | PROCESSING METHOD FOR A RELATIVE ILLUMINATION PHENOMENON ON A DIGITAL IMAGE AND ASSOCIATED PROCESSING SYSTEM - A method and an associated system, for digital image-processing, intervening for any relative illumination phenomenon, including that of a colored relative illumination. To this end, it is provided to take account of an illuminant of a photographed scene in order to provide the appropriate modifications to any digital image to be processed. | 10-08-2009 |
20090251568 | IMAGING DEVICE, IMAGING DEVICE CONTROL METHOD AND PROGRAM FOR IMAGING DEVICE CONTROL METHOD - The present invention is applicable to, for example, a camera-integrated video tape recorder, displaying a marker M so that a luminance level, converted into a specific pattern by zebra display, can be specified on a histogram | 10-08-2009 |
20090295947 | IMAGING DEVICE - An imaging device | 12-03-2009 |
20090303353 | IMAGE BRIGHTNESS COMPENSATING APPARATUS AND METHOD, RECORDED MEDIUM RECORDED THE PROGRAM PERFORMING IT - An apparatus and a method of smoothing the brightness of an image photographed in an image sensor without amplifying a noise component of a surrounding part of the image are disclosed. The image brightness correction apparatus correcting the brightness of an image by using a correction curve can include an image input unit, receiving an image; a correction gradient selection unit, selecting a gradient of the correction curve corresponding to an object pixel, having the brightness desired to be corrected, of pixels of the image; a correction performance unit, converting original brightness of the object pixel into correction brightness according to the correction curve having the selected gradient; and an image output unit, outputting the image allowing the object pixel to have the correction brightness by the correction performance unit; whereas the correction curve increases the contrast of the corresponding correction brightness if the original brightness is the same as or smaller than a predetermined brightness, and the correction curve decreases the contrast of the corresponding correction brightness if the original brightness is larger than a predetermined brightness. With the present invention, a dynamic range of an image is smooth and the contrast of the image is acquired. | 12-10-2009 |
20090322907 | Image obtainment method and apparatus - An image obtainment apparatus images an observation target to obtain an ordinary image by illuminating the observation target with illumination light and by receiving, at an imaging device, reflection light reflected from the observation target. Further, the apparatus generates spectral estimation image signals of a predetermined wavelength by performing spectral image processing on image signals output from the imaging device. A spectral image processing unit generates spectral estimation image signals of a specific wavelength related to an agent administered to the observation target, as spectral estimation image signals for obtaining luminance information, based on the image signals output from the imaging device. Further, a luminance information obtainment unit obtains luminance information about each of the spectral estimation image signals for obtaining luminance information that have been generated at a predetermined time interval, and obtains a rate of change in the luminance information. | 12-31-2009 |
20090322908 | SYSTEM FOR CAPTURING GRAPHICAL IMAGES USING HYPERSPECTRAL ILLUMINATION - A graphical scanner for scanning a graphical image includes a source for producing an optical beam, a monochromator for dividing the optical beam into a plurality of component beams for hyperspectral bandpasses, a director for directing the component beams to illuminate portions of the graphical image, a sensor for measuring a light intensity for the one or illuminated portions, and a translator for transforming the measured light intensities for each of the one or more portions into hyperspectral traces each representing a spectral power distribution. The translator further transforms the hyperspectral traces into one or more device-independent representations of color. | 12-31-2009 |
20100002101 | IMAGING APPARATUS, CONTROL METHOD THEREOF, AND COMPUTER-READABLE STORAGE MEDIUM STORING PROGRAM - Foreign substance information about at last including a position of a foreign substance adhered to an optical element disposed in front of an image sensor is detected, and whether the position of the foreign substance overlaps a predetermined area of an object is determined by analyzing an image signal of the object generated by the image sensor. When it is determined that the position of the foreign substance overlaps the predetermined area of the object, a relative position of the image of the object formed on the image sensor and the image sensor is changed. | 01-07-2010 |
20100020200 | Flash emission method and flash emission apparatus - According to the method and apparatus of the present invention, when a non-flash image that is taken without a flash emitted before main photographing and a flash image that is taken with the flash pre-emitted before the main photographing are obtained so that an amount of flash emission light for the main photographing (amount of main emission) based on the obtained non-flash image and flash image, a moving body in the angle of view is detected. If the detected moving body is a main object, the amount of main emission is calculated based on the image of the moving body. If the detected moving body is not the main object, the amount of main emission is calculated based on the image other than the moving body. | 01-28-2010 |
20100026850 | IMAGING SYSTEM - An imaging system comprising: a light source for illuminating a scene with a known intensity light; a camera having an optic axis and center that images the scene responsive to light reflected by the scene from the illuminating, known intensity light; a range finder controllable to determine distances to surface elements of the scene imaged by the camera; a controller configured to determine reflectivity of a surface element of the scene imaged by the camera responsive to a distance of the surface element from the camera, the known intensity of illuminating light and light from the surface element imaged by the camera. | 02-04-2010 |
20100033600 | LUMINANCE SIGNAL GENERATION APPARATUS, LUMINANCE SIGNAL GENERATION METHOD, AND IMAGE CAPTURING APPARATUS - A luminance signal in which the occurrence of spatial aliasing in a diagonal direction component has been suppressed for a red or blue imaging subject is generated from an image signal read from an image sensor. A V-LPF and a H-LPF generate a first luminance signal in which the spatial frequency bandwidth has been limited. Also, a V-LPF and a H-LPF, which limit the spatial frequency bandwidth so as to be even lower than the V-LPF and the H-LPF, generate a second luminance signal in which the bandwidth has been limited. A first GR weighted-addition circuit generates a final luminance signal for a pixel of interest by performing weighted-addition on the first luminance signal and the second luminance signal such that the ratio of the second luminance signal increases as the intensity of the redness or blueness of the pixel of interest increases. | 02-11-2010 |
20100039534 | THREE-DIMENSIONAL IMAGING USING A SINGLE CAMERA - The attenuation and other optical properties of a medium are exploited to measure a thickness of the medium between a sensor and a target surface. Disclosed herein are various mediums, arrangements of hardware, and processing techniques that can be used to capture these thickness measurements and obtain three-dimensional images of the target surface in a variety of imaging contexts. This includes general techniques for imaging interior/concave surfaces as well as exterior/convex surfaces, as well as specific adaptations of these techniques to imaging ear canals, human dentition, and so forth. | 02-18-2010 |
20100045824 | Video image pickup apparatus and exposure guide display method - A video image pickup apparatus ( | 02-25-2010 |
20100053375 | IMAGE PROCESSING APPARATUS AND IMAGE PROCESSING METHOD - An image processing apparatus for processing spectral image data of an object includes a normalization unit configured to normalize spectral data in each pixel of the spectral image data with respect to luminance level, a deviation amount calculation unit configured to calculate a deviation amount between the spectral data of a reference pixel and the spectral data of a target pixel to be clustered, which are normalized by the normalization unit, among each of the pixels of the spectral image data, and a segment determination unit configured to determine an affiliated segment of target pixel in the object of the spectral image data based on the deviation amount calculated by the deviation amount calculation unit. | 03-04-2010 |
20100073520 | IMAGE BRIGHTNESS COMPENSATION METHOD AND DIGITAL CAMERA DEVICE WITH IMAGE BRIGHTNESS COMPENSATION FUNCTION - An image brightness compensation method and a digital camera device with an image brightness compensation function are suitable for adjusting a brightness of a digital image shot by a digital camera device, especially when the shot object is located outside a maximum output range of a flash lamp. The method includes the steps of pre-capturing a target image, and recording target information; triggering a flash lamp, and meanwhile capturing a raw image; determining whether the raw image satisfies a brightness threshold or not according to a brightness difference between the target information and the raw image; if the raw image fails to satisfy the brightness threshold, executing a brightness compensation program on the raw image according to the target information; and finally, generating an output image. | 03-25-2010 |
20100085445 | Adjustment for output image of image data - The present invention is an image processing apparatus for processing an image data using an image file which includes the image data and image processing control information to be used for processing the image data. The apparatus comprises an automatic picture quality adjuster configured to automatically regulate lightness of the image data according to lightness of a whole image expressed by the image data and an adjustment degree determiner configured to determine a degree of the auto adjustment based on the image processing control information. | 04-08-2010 |
20100091141 | System and method for correcting artifacts in sequential imagers caused by transient light disturbances - An example embodiment may include a system and method for correcting luminance disturbances in an imaging device. The example method can detect a luminance level disturbance in the output of an imager and provide a signal to a digital signal processor (DSP) that a luminance disturbance was detected, before the DSP begins processing the output of the imager. The DSP can then correct or adjust the resulting output to compensate for the luminance disturbance. | 04-15-2010 |
20100103289 | REDUCING COMPUTATIONAL COMPLEXITY IN DETERMINING AN ILLUMINANT OF A SCENE - In an embodiment, computational complexity of estimating the actual illuminant of a scene is reduced by examining only a subset of the pixel values generated for a received image frame. In another embodiment, number of rotations of color values is minimized by selecting an area which contains the color cue values of a color in an original/unrotated coordinate space and has boundaries which parallel the axis of the original coordinate space, and rotating a color value only if the color value is within the selected area. In another embodiment, such an area is used in conjunction with a histogram-based approach to determine the actual illuminant. | 04-29-2010 |
20100110231 | OUTPUT CONTROL CIRCUIT AND IMAGING DEVICE - A storage section ( | 05-06-2010 |
20100123802 | DIGITAL IMAGE SIGNAL PROCESSING METHOD FOR PERFORMING COLOR CORRECTION AND DIGITAL IMAGE SIGNAL PROCESSING APPARATUS OPERATING ACCORDING TO THE DIGITAL IMAGE SIGNAL PROCESSING METHOD - Provided are a digital image signal processing method for performing independent, optimized color corrections with respect to a plurality of subjects of an image, which require color corrections, and a digital image signal processing apparatus operating according to the digital image signal processing method. The method includes: inputting an image including a plurality of subjects which require different types of color corrections; detecting an area of each of the subjects; forming a color distribution using image information of the areas of the subjects; classifying the color distribution into a plurality of color areas; and performing corresponding color corrections with respect to corresponding color areas. For this purpose, a color distribution of subjects, which are to be corrected, is formed and then classified into a plurality of color areas. Corresponding color corrections are performed with respect to the color areas using color information of the color areas. | 05-20-2010 |
20100123803 | VIDEO DISPLAY DEVICE, IMAGING APPARATUS, AND METHOD FOR VIDEO DISPLAY - A video display device includes a brightness range specifying unit configured to specify a range of brightness values for highlight, a signal processing unit configured to detect signals relevant to an area other than an area in the brightness range specified by the brightness range specifying unit from input video signals, suppress color components of the detected signals, and not suppress color components of signals relevant to the area in the specified brightness range, and a display unit configured to display video based on the video signals processed by the signal processing unit, the unit being capable of performing color display. | 05-20-2010 |
20100141796 | Imaging apparatus and solid-state imaging device thereof - A solid-state imaging device includes: an imaging unit taking a subject image focused by an imaging optical system; a digital signal processing unit generating image data of the subject image taken by the imaging unit and luminance data thereof; an input/output unit inputting and outputting data; a focus evaluation value generating unit generating a focus evaluation value of the subject image based on the luminance data outputted from the digital signal processing unit and outputting the focus evaluation value from the input/output unit; and an imaging drive unit starting an imaging operation by the imaging unit when an imaging instruction signal is inputted from the input/output unit, and outputting an imaging-end timing signal from the input/output unit when the imaging operation is completed. | 06-10-2010 |
20100141797 | METHOD AND APPARATUS FOR DISPLAYING LUMINANCE, AND DIGITAL PHOTOGRAPHING APPARATUS USING THE SAME - Provided are a method and apparatus for displaying luminance. The method includes displaying luminance information corresponding to horizontal and vertical axes of an image. Accordingly, the total luminance of the image and luminance information on positions and regions of the image can be detected intuitively. | 06-10-2010 |
20100141798 | Detection and Removal of Blemishes in Digital Images Utilizing Original Images of Defocused Scenes - A method automatically corrects dust artifact within image acquired by a system including a digital acquisition device including a lens assembly and a translucent lens cap. Multiple original digital images are acquired with the digital acquisition device. Probabilities that certain pixels correspond to dust artifact regions within the images are determined based at least in part on a comparison of suspected dust artifact regions within two or more of the images. Probable dust artifact regions are associated with extracted parameter values relating to the lens assembly when the images were acquired, A statistical dust map is formed including mapped dust regions based on the determining and associating. Pixels corresponding to correlated dust artifact regions are corrected within further digitally-acquired images based on the associated statistical dust map. | 06-10-2010 |
20100149380 | DIGITAL IMAGE CAPTURE DEVICE AND BRIGHTNESS CORRECTION METHOD THEREOF - A digital image capture device and a brightness correction method thereof are described. The digital image capture device is adapted to correct the brightness value of a shot object in a digital image through the compensation of a strobe during shooting. The method includes setting a shooting magnification of the digital image capture device to the shot object; capturing a pre-shot image at least including the image of the shot object; triggering a strobe to emit a main flash onto the shot object, so as to shoot a digital image; setting a plurality of light measuring areas in the digital image; calculating a corresponding object distance of the shot object from each of the light measuring areas; establishing a shading table according to each of the object distances; and loading the shading table to adjust the brightness value of each of the light measuring areas in the digital image. | 06-17-2010 |
20100157100 | IMAGING SYSTEM - An imaging device comprises a number of light sources, a camera, a processor and a platen. As an object is moved over the platen each of the light sources illuminates the platen sequentially, with the principal axis of illumination of each light source intersecting the plane of the platen at a different place. The camera captures a series of images of the object, each captured image corresponding to the illumination of the platen by a different light source. The processor then generates a composite image from the series of images that compensates for the reflection of light from the platen associated with the principal axis of illumination. | 06-24-2010 |
20100165149 | Opponent Color Detail Enhancement for Saturated Colors - A method, system and device for enhancing detail in areas of saturated color in an image are described. As areas of saturated color are detected in an image the opponent color channel is used to calculate a factor to apply to the original pixel value. By calculating this factor to adjust the pixel values of the image detail may be enhanced in the color saturated areas. A user supplied value may also be included to control the amount of automatic adjustment to the pixel values. | 07-01-2010 |
20100171847 | IMAGE PROCESSING APPARATUS AND IMAGE PROCESSING METHOD - An image processing apparatus includes a luminance value calculation unit configured to calculate a luminance average value and a luminance peak value from an image obtained by image-capturing for each of frames formed by dividing one screen, a first calculation unit configured to combine the luminance average value and the luminance peak value obtained for each of the frames, a second calculation unit configured to calculate an average value of composite values equal to or more than a predetermined threshold value among composite values obtained by the first calculation unit, and a setting unit configured to set knee strength based on the average value of the composite values obtained by the second calculation unit. | 07-08-2010 |
20100177214 | IMAGING DEVICE - An imaging device of the present invention includes a normal operation period and a focusing operation period; a CCD ( | 07-15-2010 |
20100177215 | IMAGE PROCESSING APPARATUS AND RECORDING MEDIUM - Plural areas defined by contours in a through image (live view image) are previously set as object segments whose luminance levels are to be altered. When a user touches a point within an object segment seen in the through image displayed on a touch panel LCD | 07-15-2010 |
20100188529 | IMAGE PROCESSING APPARATUS AND STORAGE MEDIUM STORING IMAGE PROCESSING PROGRAM - An image processing apparatus that performs noise reduction processing to image signals comprises a separation and extraction unit that separates a present image signal into a luminance signal and a color signal and extracts regions having a predetermined size sequentially, a representative luminance calculation unit that calculates a representative luminance value, a representative hue calculation unit that calculates a representative hue value of the region, a color noise estimation unit that estimates a color noise amount based upon the representative luminance value and the representative hue value, a differential color signal calculation unit that calculates a differential color signal from the color signal of the region and a color signal of a past region after noise reduction processing and a color noise reduction unit that performs color noise reduction processing to the color signal of the region based upon the color noise amount and the differential color signal. | 07-29-2010 |
20100188530 | Perfecting the Effect of Flash within an Image Acquisition Devices Using Face Detection - Within a digital acquisition device with a built in flash unit, the exposure of an acquired digital image is perfected using face detection in the acquired image is provided. Groups of pixels that correspond to plural images of faces are identified within a digitally acquired image, and corresponding image attributes to the group of pixels are determined. An analysis is performed of the corresponding attributes of the groups of pixels. It is then determined to activate the built-in flash unit based on the analysis. An intensity of the built-in flash unit is determined based on the analysis. Alternatively based on similar analysis, a digital simulation of the fill flash is performed on the image. | 07-29-2010 |
20100194924 | IMAGE PICKUP APPARATUS AND CONTROL METHOD THEREFOR - Effects due to user operation are reduced in scene discrimination. In an image pickup apparatus, when performing scene discrimination based on information that includes detected movement of a subject and vibration of the image pickup apparatus, and an picked up image, the degree to which one of the movement of the subject and the vibration of the image pickup apparatus while an operating instruction is being received from a user contributes to scene discrimination is restricted. | 08-05-2010 |
20100194925 | IMAGE SENSING APPARATUS AND METHOD FOR CONTROLLING THE SAME - Receiving an instruction from a user to start sensing a still image, an image sensing apparatus performs scene determination based on an evaluation value of scene determination from an image sensed immediately after the luminance of the image converges to a predetermined range of a target luminance. The image sensing apparatus can accurately determine a scene of the image even the image sensor with a narrow dynamic range. | 08-05-2010 |
20100201847 | DIGITAL IMAGE PROCESSING APPARATUS AND METHOD OF CONTROLLING THE SAME - Provided are a digital image processing apparatus capable of photographing an image of which an ISO sensitivity-to-noise ratio is improved by adjusting a size of the image to be photographed in low light conditions, and a method of controlling the digital image processing apparatus. The method includes the operations of receiving an input image; measuring input brightness of the input image; determining whether the input brightness is lower than an appropriate brightness; and generating an intermediate image by reducing a size of the input image by using an add mode for each pixel if the input brightness is lower than the appropriate brightness. | 08-12-2010 |
20100201848 | IMAGE CAPTURING APPARATUS AND CONTROL METHOD THEREOF - An image capturing apparatus determines a scene of a captured image, and, depending on the scene determination result, performs image capture with an expanded dynamic range, or performs a dynamic range contraction process based on the captured image. In the case of executing the dynamic range expansion process, the image capturing apparatus performs image capture at a decreased ISO speed, and performs tone correction for compensating the decrease in ISO speed with respect to the captured image. The image capturing apparatus is thereby capable of performing image capture with a dynamic range that takes into consideration the subject and the scene. | 08-12-2010 |
20100208104 | IMAGE PROCESSING APPARATUS, IMAGING APPARATUS, IMAGE PROCESSING METHOD, AND PROGRAM - An image processing apparatus ( | 08-19-2010 |
20100208105 | IMAGE SENSING APPARATUS AND IMAGE PROCESSING METHOD - An image sensing apparatus executes a plurality of tone corrections respectively suited to different luminance distributions of images. The image sensing apparatus analyzes a luminance distribution of sensed image data, selects, based on an analysis result, at least one of a first tone correction which suppresses luminance saturation of image data, a second tone correction which converts luminance values of all luminance regions so that a maximum luminance value of sensed image data becomes a largest possible luminance value of the image data, and a third tone correction which multiplies a luminance value of a low-luminance region, which is set in advance, of sensed image data by a gain larger than gains of other luminance regions, as a tone correction to be implemented for sensed image data, and limits, when a correction based on the second tone correction is selected, implementation of a correction based on the third tone correction. | 08-19-2010 |
20100220217 | IMAGING APPARATUS, AUTO-FOCUSING METHOD AND RECORDING MEDIUM - An imaging apparatus including an imaging function having an imaging section configured such that a plurality of pixels are arrayed in a vertical direction and a horizontal direction, images a subject; a detecting function for detecting whether the imaging apparatus including the imaging section is held vertically or horizontally; a readout function for reading out the pixels information of the plurality of the pixels from the imaging section; a first readout controlling function for controlling a readout process of the pixel information executed by the readout function, in accordance with a detection result from the detecting section; a calculating function for calculating an auto-focus evaluation value in accordance with the pixel information read out by the first readout controlling function; and a focusing function for focusing in accordance with the auto-focus evaluation value calculated by the calculating function. | 09-02-2010 |
20100220218 | IMAGING APPARATUS AND METHOD - An imaging apparatus includes an imaging device, a light guide mechanism, and a signal processing unit. The imaging device converts light incident on a photoelectric conversion portion of the imaging device into electric signals. The light guide mechanism, arranged adjacent to the photoelectric conversion portion of the imaging device, includes a plurality of apertures that guide light from a subject to the photoelectric conversion portion of the imaging device. The signal processing unit performs desired signal processing on the electric signals output from the imaging device on the basis of subject information units derived from the light guided onto the photoelectric conversion portion of the imaging device through the apertures. | 09-02-2010 |
20100220219 | SIGNAL PROCESSING APPARATUS ALLOWING AN INCREASE IN PIXELS WITHOUT AN INCREASE IN DRIVING FREQUENCY AND CIRCUIT AREA - A signal processing apparatus for carrying out signal processing on an input image signal and to output the result includes first correction processing means for carrying out correction processing dependent on pixels on the input image signal, second correction processing means for carrying out correction processing independent from pixels on a supplied image signal, synchronization processing means for generating RGB signals that represent a captured image and has matching spatial phases based on a supplied image signal, conversion means for carrying out at least processing for generating a luminance signal and a color signal based on a supplied image signal, and first resolution conversion means for converting a captured image into an image having the same resolution as an output image. The first resolution conversion means is provided downstream of the first correction processing means and upstream of the conversion means. | 09-02-2010 |
20100231755 | IMAGE PROCESSING APPARATUS, IMAGE PROCESSING METHOD, AND IMAGE SENSOR - An image processing apparatus includes a unit to obtain mosaic image data by shooting a subject with use of a color image sensor in which five or more kinds of color filters are arranged in front of an image pickup device; a first interpolator to perform interpolation to color information of a high-definition color filter, in regard to the obtained mosaic image data; and a second interpolator to perform interpolation to color information of a low-definition color filter of which a peak wavelength in spectral transmittance is adjacent to that of the high-definition color filter, by using a result of the interpolation by the first interpolator, wherein the mosaic image data is image data which has one color information for each pixel, and the five or more kinds of color filters include the plural high-definition color filters and the plural low-definition color filters, thereby performing demosaicing without deteriorating definition. | 09-16-2010 |
20100253810 | CAMERA MODULE TESTING - In a particular embodiment, a method is disclosed that includes illuminating an opaque mask having a plurality of holes formed therein, each hole of the plurality of holes having a predetermined size. The method includes forming a two-dimensional impulse response image of the illuminated opaque mask using a camera module. The method further includes determining at least one optical characteristic of the camera module based on the two-dimensional impulse response image of the illuminated opaque mask. | 10-07-2010 |
20100283870 | FLASH LIGHT COMPENSATION SYSTEM FOR DIGITAL CAMERA SYSTEM - The invention refers to a flash light compensation system and corresponding method for digital camera systems, wherein a luminance compensation is carried out on an image of a scene ( | 11-11-2010 |
20100302411 | DIGITAL CAMERA - A digital camera of the present invention includes a microcomputer | 12-02-2010 |
20100309336 | SKIN TONE AWARE COLOR BOOST FOR CAMERAS - Increasing color saturation and contrast in images generally leads to more pleasing images; however, doing so uniformly to all colors in the image can make skin tones appear with an overly red tint. One embodiment of an improved method of skin tone aware color boosting identifies areas of the image which look like skin tones and areas that do not look like skin tones. A blurred “skin tone mask” can then be created over the image. One large boost operation and one small boost operation can be applied to the image. A final version of the image may then be created, applying the pixel values resulting from the small boosting operation to the skin tone regions and applying the pixel values resulting from the large boosting operation to the non-skin tone regions, using the blurred mask to provide a smooth transition between the skin tone and non-skin tone regions. | 12-09-2010 |
20100315534 | IMAGE PICKING-UP PROCESSING DEVICE, IMAGE PICKING-UP DEVICE, IMAGE PROCESSING METHOD AND COMPUTER PROGRAM - An image processing device and an image processing method capable of generating a moving image having a high resolution and a high frame rate are provided by suppressing the reduction in the amount of light incident on each camera. The imaging and processing device includes a separation section for separating visible light into at least a first color component and a second color component; a first imaging section for taking a moving image of the first color component, wherein the first imaging section takes images of the moving image with a first spatial resolution and a first temporal resolution by exposure for a first charge accumulation time period; a second imaging section for taking a moving image of the second color component, wherein the second imaging section takes images of the moving image with a second spatial resolution higher than the first spatial resolution and a second temporal resolution lower than the first temporal resolution by exposure for a second charge accumulation time period longer than the first charge accumulation time period; a control section for controlling imaging conditions of the first and the second imaging sections; and a processing section for generating a moving image of the second color component having the temporal and spatial resolutions thereof increased, based on information on the moving image of each of the first color component and the second color component. | 12-16-2010 |
20100315535 | REDUCING POWER CONSUMPTION IN A PORTABLE ELECTRONIC DEVICE WITH A LUMINESCENT ELEMENT - A portable device including at least one luminescent element, a camera including an image sensor for activation to produce an electrical image signal representative of an image sensed by the image sensor, and a camera signal processor including a camera memory for storing the image signal for subsequent reproduction of the image, the device also including a luminescence controller for controlling a brightness of the luminescent element, the camera signal processor is also arranged to activate the image sensor intermittently to produce sample signals representative of ambient light during periods in which the image signal is not being stored in the camera memory, the luminescence controller being responsive to the sample signals to modulate progressively the brightness of the luminescent element as a function of a brightness of ambient light. In a portable device including at least one luminescent element, a plurality of human-interface actuators, at least one sensor responsive to an ambient variable relating to usage of the device, a timer and an activation controller for controlling activation and deactivation of the luminescent element, the activation controller is responsive to different conjunctions of signals from the actuators, the sensor and the timer to activate selectively and to extinguish the luminescent element, whereby to economise power consumption of the luminescent element when the conjunction of signals is indicative of user inactivity of the device. | 12-16-2010 |
20100321531 | SYSTEM AND METHOD FOR IMAGE QUALITY ENHANCEMENT BY REDUCING THE EFFECTS OF AIR POLLUTION AND HAZE - A low cost image quality enhancement method to be utilized in an ordinary consumer camera and for post processing of an existing image database is described herein. The quality enhancement is transferred into an adaptive intensity stretching process in the YUV domain. A different enhancement process is designed for a luminance (Y) channel and chrominance (UV) channel. The parameters in the enhancement process are estimated based on the contents of the image. After the stretching-based enhancement, an adaptive unsharp masking process is applied to the luminance data. The quality is significantly improved for the images shot under unfavorable conditions. | 12-23-2010 |
20100321532 | SOLID-STATE IMAGING DEVICE, IMAGING SYSTEM, AND METHOD OF DRIVING SOLID-STATE IMAGING DEVICE - The invention provides a solid state imaging device and imaging system, both capable of obtaining a good image suppressing the reduction of the SN ratio thereof, suppressing the increase of the chip size of the imaging device and suppressing the increase of power consumption of a sensor without performing complicated processing even if there are regions different in luminance mutually in an imaging plane. Variable gain units provided correspondingly to columns of pixels amplify the signals from the pixels by different gains group by group of the pixels each group including a plurality of pixels according to the signals from the outside. | 12-23-2010 |
20100328498 | SHOOTING PARAMETER ADJUSTMENT METHOD FOR FACE DETECTION AND IMAGE CAPTURING DEVICE FOR FACE DETECTION - A shooting parameter adjustment method for face detection includes (A) acquiring an image; (B) dividing the image into a plurality of blocks, and calculating a brightness value of each of the blocks; (C) selecting at least one of the plurality of blocks, and adjusting a shooting parameter according to the brightness value of the selected block; and (D) acquiring another image according to the shooting parameter, and performing a face detection procedure with the another image. The shooting parameter adjustment method can automatically adjust a shooting parameter of an image capturing device according to brightness of different blocks in an image. Therefore, by using this method, the brightness of a face, no matter being too high or too low, can be adjusted to a value suitable for face detection, so as to improve the accuracy of the face detection procedure. | 12-30-2010 |
20110013048 | METHOD AND APPARATUS FOR PROCESSING IMAGE - A method and an apparatus for processing images are disclosed. The method includes: generating an image histogram of an image to be processed; judging whether the image to be processed requires backlight compensation according to the image histogram; if the image to be processed requires backlight compensation, determining a first luminance boundary value A used for deciding whether to perform backlight compensation and a second luminance boundary value C used for deciding whether to perform positive or negative backlight compensation; and performing backlight compensation for the image to be processed according to the first luminance boundary value A and the second luminance boundary value C. The method is simple and universally applicable. After backlight compensation, the contrast of the image is high, and the image is free from background overexposure and image layering. The image photographed in a backlight environment is processed properly. | 01-20-2011 |
20110019031 | BRIGHTNESS SENSING SYSTEM AND ILLUMINATION SYSTEM USING THE SAME - A brightness sensing system includes an image pickup unit for taking an image of a target space and a calculation unit for calculating the brightness of an image pickup area based on the image taken by the image pickup unit. In the brightness sensing system, if the difference or the ratio between an image as a whole and a pixel block formed of one or more pixels is equal to or greater than a threshold in terms of brightness change between a previously-taken reference image and a currently-taken target image, the calculation unit excludes the pixel block from comparison candidates and compares the brightness of the target image with the brightness of the reference image based on the remaining pixels other than the pixel block. | 01-27-2011 |
20110032389 | IMAGE PROCESSING DEVICE, IMAGE PROCESSING PROGRAM, AND IMAGING DEVICE - An image processing device comprises: a brilliance gradient computation unit computing a brilliance gradient within an image based on an image information; a color phase value computation unit computing a first color phase value and a second color phase value, the first color phase value representing a color phase inside a candidate region determined based on the brilliance gradient computed by the brilliance gradient computation unit, the second color phase value representing a color phase in a region surrounding the candidate region; and a region extraction unit extracting a region from the candidate region such that a difference between the first color phase value and the second color phase value is less than or equal to a predetermined threshold value. | 02-10-2011 |
20110058067 | APPARATUS AND METHOD FOR COMPENSATING FOR BACK LIGHT OF IMAGE - An apparatus and method for compensating for back light of an image are provided. The method includes receiving an image at a preset time interval, upon receiving the image, dividing pixels constituting the received image according to preset ranges, determining whether the received image is a back light image by confirming a distribution degree of pixels of each of the divided ranges, adjusting the brightness of the back light image when the received image is the back light image, and storing the received image and the back light compensated image. | 03-10-2011 |
20110069203 | IMAGE PROCESSING APPARATUS, IMAGE PROCESSING METHOD, AND PROGRAM - A method for processing an image includes acquiring a low frequency component of a luminance component of an image, correcting the luminance component of the image using the acquired low frequency component, determining a level correction amount of each pixel of the corrected image using a frequency distribution of low frequency components of the acquired image and a low frequency component of each pixel of the image, and performing level correction using the determined level correction amount and a luminance distribution of the corrected image. | 03-24-2011 |
20110069204 | METHOD AND APPARATUS FOR IMAGE CORRECTION - A method and apparatus are provided for correcting image data of an image sensor. In on embodiment, a method includes receiving sensor data including image data having at least one artifact and smear sensitive data, detecting motion of one or more light sources associated with the artifact and characterizing the motion of the one or more light sources to provide a motion characteristic. The method may further include correcting at least a portion of the image data based on the smear sensitive data and the motion characteristic of the one or more light sources, wherein the correcting is responsive to vertical motion and non-vertical motion of the one or more light sources. | 03-24-2011 |
20110080503 | IMAGE SENSING APPARATUS - An image sensing apparatus includes an image sensor constituted of a light receiving pixel group which performs photoelectric conversion of an optical image of a subject, and a read control unit which performs switching between skip reading for thinning a part of the light receiving pixel group while reading an output signal of the light receiving pixel group, and addition reading for adding output signals of a plurality of light receiving pixels included in the light receiving pixel group while reading the same, for taking an image. The read control unit performs the switching between the skip reading and the addition reading while one moving image is being taken. | 04-07-2011 |
20110090369 | IMAGE PROCESSING DEVICE, STORAGE MEDIUM, AND IMAGE PROCESSING METHOD - An image processing device that corrects an obtained image includes: an image acquisition unit that obtains the image; a region setting unit that sets a first region including a main object and a second region not including the main object on the image; an image characteristic amount calculation unit that calculates a first image characteristic amount respectively in the first region and the second region; a comparison unit that compares the first image characteristic amounts of the first region and the second region; an image processing method setting unit that sets an image processing method to be applied to the image, from a plurality of image processing methods, on the basis of a comparison result obtained by the comparison unit; and an image characteristic adjustment unit that adjusts a second image characteristic amount of the obtained image using the method set by the image processing method setting unit. | 04-21-2011 |
20110134280 | SYSTEM AND METHOD FOR CONSTRUCTING HIGH DYNAMIC RANGE IMAGES - A system for constructing a high dynamic range image includes a light generating device, a reflective mirror device, a controller, an image capturing device and an image processing module. The light generating device generates a light beam. The reflective mirror device directs the light beam to an object. The controller generates an intensity controlling signal for controlling the light generating device to modulate an intensity of the light beam in accordance with illuminating parameters, and to generate a direction controlling signal for controlling a reflection direction of the reflective mirror device. The image capturing device obtains an original image of the object or a modulated image of the object. The image processing module analyzes the original image to generate the illuminating parameters, or to construct a high dynamic range image of the object in accordance with the modulated image and the illuminating parameters. | 06-09-2011 |
20110134281 | CAMERA DEVICE AND IMAGE PROCESSING METHOD - The invention provides a camera device. In one embodiment, the camera device comprises a sensor and a controller. The sensor detects an image to generate a first image signal with an RGB format. The controller comprises an image processor and a subsequent processor. The image processor converts the first image signal to a second image signal with a YUY2 format. The subsequent processor adjusts a plurality of luma components, a plurality of first chroma components, and a plurality of second chroma components of the second image signal to obtain a plurality of adjusted luma components, a plurality of first adjusted chroma components, and a plurality of second adjusted chroma components of a third image signal. A host receives the third image signal output by the camera, and uses a Direct Show module to convert the third image signal to a fourth image signal with an RGB format. | 06-09-2011 |
20110134282 | IMAGING DEVICE - An imaging device includes a lens array including multiple lenses facing a subject; an image sensor obtaining a compound-eye image including single-eye images of the subject formed by the lenses; and a computing unit processing the compound-eye image obtained by the image sensor. The lenses have different radii of curvature and substantially the same back focal length, and the computing unit extracts an in-focus image from the compound-eye image. | 06-09-2011 |
20110134283 | PHOTOGRAPHING APPARATUS AND PHOTOGRAPHING METHOD - A photographing apparatus and a photographing method for definitely and easily specifying a marine snow reflected when emitting strobe light in underwater photographing. The photographing apparatus includes: an image obtaining unit which obtains a strobe non-emission image and a strobe emission image, wherein the strobe non-emission image is obtained by capturing a subject without emitting strobe light in photographing, and the strobe emission image is obtained by capturing the subject by emitting the strobe light; an edge detector which detects an edge of the strobe non-emission image and an edge of the strobe emission image; a differential calculator which calculates a differential between the strobe non-emission image and the strobe emission image from which the edges have been detected, to generate a differential image; and a marine snow detector which detects a combined part of a dot-shaped edge of the strobe non-emission image and a looped curve-shaped edge of the strobe emission image in the differential image, as a marine snow occurring part. | 06-09-2011 |
20110141314 | DOCUMENT CAMERA, APPARATUS AND METHOD FOR ADJUSTING BRIGHTNESS - A document camera, an apparatus and a method for adjusting brightness are disclosed, wherein the apparatus includes a light module, a sensor and a digital signal processor (DSP). The sensor can capture image data. The digital signal processor can process the image data and retrieve a brightness value from the processed image data, so as to adjust a light-emitting brightness of the light module according to the brightness value. | 06-16-2011 |
20110141315 | IMAGING APPARATUS - Provided is an imaging apparatus capable of obtaining images of an object at high precision even if the intensities of illuminating light temporally varies. The imaging apparatus | 06-16-2011 |
20110141316 | IMAGE PROCESSING APPARATUS AND IMAGE PROCESSING METHOD - An image processing apparatus and an image processing method that enable suitable contrast adjustment are provided. The image processing apparatus includes a region detection unit configured to detect predetermined first luminance level detection region and second luminance level detection region in a human face as a target to be photographed, a luminance amount calculation unit configured to calculate an absolute value of a difference between a luminance level of the first luminance level detection region and a certain reference luminance level as a high luminance amount and calculate an absolute value of a difference between a luminance level of the second luminance level detection region and the reference luminance level as a low luminance amount, and a determination unit configured to determine whether a difference or a ratio between the high luminance amount and the low luminance amount falls within a certain range. | 06-16-2011 |
20110157425 | VIDEO PROCESSING APPARATUS AND VIDEO PROCESSING METHOD - An imaging apparatus includes a histogram shape determination unit that acquires a histogram of luminance values from video captured by an image capturing unit and determines whether or not the captured video is a night scene from the shape of the histogram. The imaging apparatus also includes a point light source determination unit that acquires the maximum value of contrast for each horizontal line in the video as a line evaluation value and determines whether the captured video is a night scene based on whether or not the line evaluation value has a characteristic of an object as a point light source. If the histogram shape determination unit and the point light source determination unit determine that the captured video is a night scene, the imaging apparatus determines that the scene captured by the image capturing unit is a night scene. | 06-30-2011 |
20110164150 | AUTOMATIC ILLUMINANT ESTIMATION THAT INCORPORATES APPARATUS SETTING AND INTRINSIC COLOR CASTING INFORMATION - An image apparatus ( | 07-07-2011 |
20110169983 | FLASH DEVICE AND IMAGE CAPTURE DEVICE HAVING SAME - A flash device includes a stationary frame, a light emitting portion, a driving unit and a resilient plate. The light emitting portion is moveably received in the stationary frame and is spaced from the stationary frame. The driving unit includes a first magnetic assembly and a second magnetic assembly. The first magnetic assembly is positioned on the stationary frame. The second magnetic assembly is positioned on the light emitting portion and faces the first magnetic assembly. The driving unit is configured for driving the light emitting portion to move relative to the stationary frame through magnetical interaction between the first magnetic assembly and the second magnetic assembly. The resilient plate interconnects the stationary frame and the light emitting portion. The resilient plate is configured for moving the light emitting portion relative to the stationary frame. | 07-14-2011 |
20110169984 | IMAGING DEVICE AND SIGNAL PROCESSING CIRCUIT FOR THE IMAGING DEVICE - The present invention switches to and from generation of a luminance signal based on a visible light pixel signal and generation of a luminance signal based on a near infrared light pixel signal depending on a result of comparison of signal levels of the visible light pixel signal and the near infrared light pixel signal. | 07-14-2011 |
20110187898 | PHOTOGRAPHING METHOD AND APPARATUS AND A RECORDING MEDIUM STORING A PROGRAM FOR EXECUTING THE METHOD - A photographing method and apparatus are provided. In the method, an image signal of an object region is detected from an input image signal, a shadow region is detected from the object region image signal, and an image signal obtained by superimposing the shadow region on the object region image signal is displayed. When removal of a shadow is requested after the input image signal is captured, the photographing method corrects a brightness level of the shadow region. The photographing apparatus includes an object region detecting unit configured to detect an image signal of an object region from an image signal; a shadow region detecting unit configured to detect a shadow region from the object region image signal, and an image signal superimposing unit configured to output an image signal detected by superimposing the shadow region detected by the shadow region detecting unit onto the object region image signal detected by the object region detecting unit. | 08-04-2011 |
20110187899 | IMAGE PROCESSING DEVICE, IMAGE PROCESSING METHOD, PROGRAM, AND ELECTRONIC DEVICE - An image processing device for detecting a skin region representing a skin of a subject from a pickup image obtained by imaging said subject, the image processing device includes: a first irradiating section; a second irradiating section; an image pickup section; an adjusting section; and a skin detecting section. | 08-04-2011 |
20110199514 | IMAGE PROCESSING APPARATUS AND IMAGE PROCESSING METHOD - An image processor inputs image data from an image capturing device, and acquires blur-correction coefficients corresponding to the state of an imaging optical system which forms an image represented by light coming from an object on the image capturing device. Then, the image processor generates a target component and non-target components of blur correction from the image data, applies blur correction to the target component based on the blur-correction coefficients, and generates image data by synthesizing the target component after the blur correction and the non-target components. | 08-18-2011 |
20110205400 | METHOD AND APPARATUS FOR APPLYING TONAL CORRECTION TO IMAGES - A method and apparatus for applying tonal correction to images to obtain a more pleasing photographic image by redistributing low-key, mid-tone and high-key tones. Luminance is calculated by using formulas appropriate for the color space or directly inputted. Two color-difference components are computed for the original image. Luminance is subjected to a tonal correction function to obtain a tonal corrected luminance. Luminance gain is calculated and applied to the color-difference components to obtain two tonal corrected color-difference components. The tonal corrected luminance and two tonal corrected color-difference components can be directly output or used to calculate three color component signals for the desired color space. | 08-25-2011 |
20110211093 | IMAGE CAPTURE DEVICE AND RECORDING MEDIUM - A digital camera includes: an image capture data creation unit; a CPU for directing the image capture data creation unit to perform image captures several times and acquire a plurality of image capture data; and an image processing device that determines whether or not a common specific image region exists in a plurality of image capture data acquired by the CPU and, in the case where it is determined that a specific image region exists, performs a pixel additive synthesis for image data of the specific image region and creates image data. | 09-01-2011 |
20110221932 | APPARATUS AND METHOD FOR PROCESSING IMAGE, AND COMPUTER-READABLE STORAGE MEDIUM - An apparatus and a method for processing an image. The method includes: increasing contrast of an input image to generate a first image; adding a mask having a pattern showing an image effect, to the first image to generate a second image; and adjusting a range of pixel values of the second image to generate a resultant image. | 09-15-2011 |
20110221933 | BACKLIGHT DETECTION DEVICE AND BACKLIGHT DETECTION METHOD - Disclosed are a backlight detection device and a backlight detection method. The device comprises a pixel value acquiring unit used to acquire a pixel value of each of pixels in an image; a focal position determination unit used to determine a focal position in the image; a subject area determination unit used to determine, based on the pixel values of the pixels in the image, a subject area starting from the focal position by using an area growth processing so as to divide the image into the subject area and a background area; a brightness difference calculation unit used to calculate a brightness difference between the subject area and the background area; and a backlight determination unit used to determine, based on the brightness difference, whether the image is in the backlight state so that the image in the backlight state can be detected. | 09-15-2011 |
20110234858 | IMAGE PROCESSING APPARATUS AND METHOD, AND IMAGE PROCESSING PROGRAM - Whether a pixel of interest contained in applied image data exhibits color bleed (a false color or purple fringe) is determined. If the pixel of interest is determined to exhibit color bleed, a direction along which luminance is monotonically decreasing in the vicinity of the pixel of interest is discriminated using the pixel of interest as a starting point. A search is performed in the direction of monotonically decreasing luminance to find a pixel where the monotonic decrease in luminance ends. The found pixel where the monotonic decrease in luminance ends is decided upon as a target pixel and a correction value for causing the color of the pixel of interest to match the color of the target pixel is calculated. The color of the pixel of interest is corrected using the calculated color correction value. | 09-29-2011 |
20110242365 | Photometric device - A photometric device includes a storage-type photometric sensor, a first control means that performs accumulation control on the photometric sensor based upon an average value of an output of the photometric sensor, a second control means that performs accumulation control on the photometric sensor based upon a maximum value of the output of the photometric sensor, and an accumulation control means that controls the second control means to perform next accumulation control, if the maximum value of the output of the photometric sensor on which the accumulation control is performed by the first control means exceeds a saturation output level of the photometric sensor, and controls the first control means to perform next accumulation control, if the maximum value of the output of the photometric sensor does not exceed the saturation output level of the photometric sensor. | 10-06-2011 |
20110242366 | IMAGING APPARATUS, IMAGING METHOD, STORAGE MEDIUM, AND INTEGRATED CIRCUIT - An imaging apparatus for capturing a moving image performs backlight correction of an image and outputs a natural image. The imaging apparatus electronically captures an image of a subject. An optical system has a light amount adjustment function. An imaging unit reads an optical image of the subject that is formed by the optical system. An A/D converter subjects an output of the imaging unit to A/D conversion. A backlight correction unit converts the tones of an image read by the A/D converter using a conversion characteristic selected differently according to a spatial position and at least increases the luminance level of a dark region of the image. An instruction unit instructs to start backlight correction. A control unit operates the backlight correction unit based on an instruction signal output from the instruction unit, and decreases an exposure light amount of the optical system by a predetermined amount. | 10-06-2011 |
20110249148 | CMOS IMAGER WITH SINGLE PHOTON COUNTING CAPABILITY - A color imaging device comprises: one or more arrays ( | 10-13-2011 |
20110254982 | METHOD FOR DETECTING/CORRECTING BAD PIXEL IN IMAGE SENSOR - Provided is a method for correcting a bad pixel in an image sensor. The method includes a first step of creating and storing a plurality of image frames of an object; a second step of scanning pixels in the image frames; a third step of storing, when a bad pixel is detected in the image frames, the location of the bad pixel as a bad block location in a memory; and a fourth step of correcting the luminance value of the bad block by calling the bad block location stored in the memory in an image capture operation. | 10-20-2011 |
20110267501 | SCANNED BEAM DISPLAY AND IMAGE CAPTURE - A method for displaying or capturing an image comprises directing an illumination beam onto a mirror of a highly resonant, mirror-mount system and applying a drive signal to a transducer to deflect the mirror. In this method, the drive signal has a pulse frequency approaching a resonance frequency of the mirror-mount system. The method further comprises reflecting the illumination beam off the mirror so that the illumination beam scans through an area where the image is to be displayed or captured, and, addressing each pixel of the image in synchronicity with the drive signal to display or capture the image. | 11-03-2011 |
20110267502 | IMAGE PROCESSING SYSTEM AND METHOD - An image processing system is adapted to compress a captured image having a plurality of regions of interest (ROIs). The image compression device includes an image dividing unit, a resolution distribution unit and an encoder. The image dividing unit divides the captured image into a number of blocks according to a predetermined size. The resolution distribution unit distributes a display resolution to each ROI of the captured image according to predetermined display information which includes a position and a resolution level of each ROI. The resolution distribution unit further obtains the blocks covered by each ROI according to the position of each ROI. The encoder separately encodes each block in the captured image according to the resolution level of each block using predetermined rules to obtain compression strings of each block, and generates compression image based on the compression strings and the predetermined display information. | 11-03-2011 |
20110279710 | APPARATUS AND METHOD FOR AUTOMATICALLY CONTROLLING IMAGE BRIGHTNESS IN IMAGE PHOTOGRAPHING DEVICE - A method for automatically controlling image brightness in an image photographing device by calculating a histogram for an image; obtaining a brightness average for the histogram; determining if a number of pixels of a histogram distribution within a first range and a number of pixels of a histogram distribution within a second range are included within a preset range; and when the number of pixels of the histogram distribution within the first range and the number of pixels of the histogram distribution within the second range are included within the preset range, as a result of a determination, adjusting the brightness average to be a reference brightness. | 11-17-2011 |
20110279711 | IMAGE PICKUP APPARATUS - An image pickup apparatus is provided which informs a user of a state of brightness adjusting operation and which has excellent usability for the user. Disclosed is a digital camera including an image adder | 11-17-2011 |
20110285876 | DIGITAL IMAGE CAPTURE DEVICE AND BRIGHTNESS CORRECTION METHOD THEREOF - A digital image capture device and a brightness correction method thereof are described. The digital image capture device is adapted to correct the brightness value of a shot object in a digital image through the compensation of a strobe during shooting. The method includes setting a shooting magnification of the digital image capture device to the shot object; capturing a pre-shot image at least including the image of the shot object; triggering a strobe to emit a main flash onto the shot object, so as to shoot a digital image; setting a plurality of light measuring areas in the digital image; calculating a corresponding object distance of the shot object from each of the light measuring areas; establishing a shading table according to each of the object distances; and loading the shading table to adjust the brightness value of each of the light measuring areas in the digital image. | 11-24-2011 |
20110292249 | ELECTRONIC CAMERA - An electronic camera includes an imager. An imager, having an imaging surface capturing a scene, outputs an image. A specific key is transitioned among a non-operated state, a first operated state and a second operated state. A sensor senses the specific key being transitioned from the non-operated state to another state. A setter sets a reference indicating a magnitude different depending on a state of the specific key, in response to a sensing of the sensor. An adjuster adjusts an imaging condition based on the image outputted from the imager. A controller determines whether or not a variation of the scene captured by the imaging surface exceeds the reference set by the setter, so as to permit an adjusting process of the adjuster corresponding to a positive determined result while restrict the adjusting process of the adjuster corresponding to a negative determined result. | 12-01-2011 |
20110298951 | IMAGING APPARATUS - There is provided an imaging apparatus including an optical elements that disperses an incoming light from a subject into a first light composed of wavelength components in a visible light region only, and a second light which does not contain the first light and which is composed of wavelength components in other than visible light region only, a color image pickup device that receives the first light irradiated from the optical element, and a monochrome image pickup device that receives the second light irradiated from the optical element. | 12-08-2011 |
20110304748 | In-Camera Based Method of Detecting Defect Eye with High Accuracy - A portable digital image acquisition device includes multiple lenses and/or multiple flashes. A main digital image and first and second reference images are acquired. The first and second reference images are acquired with different flash-lens combinations that have different flash-lens distances. One or more flash eye defects are detected and corrected in the main image based on analysis of the first and second reference images. | 12-15-2011 |
20120002081 | METHOD FOR ADJUSTING PHOTOSENSITIVENESS OF DIGITAL CAMERA - A method for adjusting photosensitiveness is able to determine a relative distance of an object in an image capture area through images captured before and after pre-flash of a flash lamp, so that the relative distance serves as a reference for adjusting current photosensitiveness of the digital camera, thereby capturing an image having better quality in a status that the flash lamp provides a fill light. | 01-05-2012 |
20120002082 | Capturing and Rendering High Dynamic Range Images - Some embodiments of the invention provide a mobile device that captures and produces images with high dynamic ranges. To capture and produce a high dynamic range image, the mobile device of some embodiments includes novel image capture and processing modules. In some embodiments, the mobile device produces a high dynamic range (HDR) image by (1) having its image capture module rapidly capture a succession of images at different image exposure durations, and (2) having its image processing module composite these images to produce the HDR image. | 01-05-2012 |
20120008015 | IMAGE COMBINING APPARATUS, IMAGE COMBINING METHOD AND PROGRAM PRODUCT - A plurality of image data different in exposure condition are separated into a plurality of luminance component image data and a plurality of color-difference component image data, and the luminance component image data and the color-difference component image data are inputted to an image combining portion | 01-12-2012 |
20120013769 | LUMINANCE SIGNAL GENERATION APPARATUS, LUMINANCE SIGNAL GENERATION METHOD, IMAGE PICKUP APPARATUS, AND STORAGE MEDIUM - A luminance signal generation apparatus capable of suppressing an occurrence of aliasing at near horizontal and vertical Nyquist regions in the case of an achromatic object. An OG signal is generated by interpolating a green signal on pixels other than green pixels, and an SWY signal is generated as luminance signals at positions of pixels for respective colors. An angle determination signal is generated according to a direction of an edge of an image signal, and hierarchical image signals having different frequencies are generated from the image signal. Based on results of determination of false color region in the hierarchical image signals, one of the hierarchical image signals is selected. According to an angle determination signal and a chroma signal obtained from the selected hierarchical image signal, the OG signal and the SWY signal are mixed to generate a final luminance signal. | 01-19-2012 |
20120038794 | IMAGE PROCESSING APPARATUS, IMAGING APPARATUS AND IMAGE PROCESSING METHOD - An image processing apparatus includes: a computing unit which determines a first difference value between brightness of a first image data and brightness of a second image data in an overlap area of the first image data including a first brightness characteristic with the second image data having a peripheral area at the center of the first image data and including a second brightness characteristic; and a generating unit which generates a brightness correction parameter for the first image data corresponding to the first difference value. | 02-16-2012 |
20120057049 | IMAGE PROCESSING DEVICE, IMAGE GENERATING SYSTEM, METHOD, AND PROGRAM - An image generation device includes an image acquisition section for acquiring the first and second moving images having different resolutions and different frame rates or different exposure times; a light amount determination section for determining whether each pixel is saturated or blocked-up-shadowed; and an image processing section for generating, from the moving images, a new moving image having a frame rate which is equal to or higher than the frame rate of the moving images and having a resolution of each frame image which is equal to or higher than the resolution of the moving images. For a pixel not determined as being saturated or being blocked-up-shadowed, the image processing section generates a new moving image fulfilling a first condition; and for a pixel determined as being saturated or being blocked-up-shadowed, the image processing section generates a new moving image which does not fulfill the first condition. | 03-08-2012 |
20120057050 | SYSTEMS AND APPARATUS FOR IMAGE-BASED LIGHTING CONTROL AND SECURITY CONTROL - Lighting control systems are disclosed that enable a combination of functions comprising natural illumination based lighting control, occupancy-based lighting control, and security control. One or more processors are used in conjunction with one or more cameras and a plurality of luminaires, to perform a combination of functions comprising natural illumination based lighting control, occupancy-based lighting control, and security control. | 03-08-2012 |
20120069219 | IMAGE CAPTURING MODULE AND IMAGE CAPTURING APPARATUS - An image capturing module comprising a first optical system that focuses light in a first wavelength region; a second optical system that focuses light in a second wavelength region and has a different focal position than the first optical system; a first light receiving section that includes a plurality of light receiving elements for receiving light from a subject through the first optical system; a second light receiving section that includes a plurality of light receiving elements for receiving light from the subject through the second optical system; and an image processing section that generates a composite image to have, as a brightness component over the first and second wavelength regions, an edge component extracted from a focused image, which is whichever of a first image captured by the first light receiving section and a second image captured by the second light receiving section the subject is more focused in. | 03-22-2012 |
20120069220 | IMAGE PROCESSING APPARATUS, IMAGE PROCESSING METHOD AND ELECTRONIC CAMERA - An image processing apparatus includes a clip part and an incremental processing part. The clip part sets a threshold value as an output luminance value of a process object pixel when a luminance value of the process object pixel of an image data having luminance values of a plurality of pixels is less than the threshold value set in advance. The incremental processing part finds and holds an incremental value of the output luminance value relative to the luminance value of the process object pixel, and finds the output luminance value of the process object pixel by subtracting the incremental value from the luminance value when the luminance value of the process object pixel is the threshold value or more. | 03-22-2012 |
20120075504 | Method of Improving Orientation and Color Balance of Digital Images Using Face Detection Information - A method of generating one or more new spatial and chromatic variation digital images uses an original digitally-acquired image which including a face or portions of a face. A group of pixels that correspond to a face within the original digitally-acquired image is identified. A portion of the original image is selected to include the group of pixels. Values of pixels of one or more new images based on the selected portion are automatically generated, or an option to generate them is provided, in a manner which always includes the face within the one or more new images. Such method may be implemented to automatically establish the correct orientation and color balance of an image. Such method can be implemented as an automated method or a semi automatic method to guide users in viewing, capturing or printing of images. | 03-29-2012 |
20120092526 | METHOD AND APPARATUS FOR IMAGE NOISE REDUCTION USING NOISE MODELS - A method and apparatus for processing imager pixel signals to reduce noise. The processing includes receiving a target pixel signal, receiving at least one neighboring pixel signal, formulating a dynamic noise signal based at least in part on a value of the target pixel signal, and controlling a noise reduction operation using the dynamic noise signal. | 04-19-2012 |
20120099001 | IMAGING APPARATUS AND IMAGE RESTORATION METHOD - An object is to provide an imaging apparatus capable of restoring a deteriorated image to a high-resolution image when the deteriorated image is restored based on a PSF image captured by an optical system. An imaging apparatus ( | 04-26-2012 |
20120113296 | IMAGING DEVICE AND IMAGING METHOD - An imaging device, capable of generating a movie or a live view that has a part that has been subjected to image processing within at least a frame, includes an imaging section for converting a subject image into electrical signals and outputting image data in live view, a bright spot region setting section for setting a bright spot detection region for the image data, a bright spot detection section for detecting bright spots within the bright spot detection region set by the bright spot setting section, a bright spot processing section for performing bright spot processing at the bright spot positions detected by the bright spot detection section, and an image output section for outputting an image that has been subjected to bright spot processing by the bright spot processing detection for display or for storage. | 05-10-2012 |
20120113297 | CAMERA DEVICE, EXPOSURE CONTROL METHOD, AND PROGRAM - A camera device ( | 05-10-2012 |
20120120281 | METHOD AND APPARATUS FOR BACKGROUND REPLACEMENT IN STILL PHOTOGRAPHS - A first digital image is acquired of a framed area while illuminating the background and foreground object under a first lighting condition. A second digital image is then acquired of the same framed area while illuminating the background and foreground object under a second lighting condition. Preferably, the first lighting condition illuminates the background without illuminating the foreground object so that a silhouette of the foreground object is acquired in the first image. The second lighting condition illuminates the foreground object (e.g., with frontal lights). Due to the difference in the illumination between the background and silhouette in the first image, an alpha mask can be created from the first acquired image. Using the mask, the background from the second image can be removed and replaced by virtually any other desired background image. | 05-17-2012 |
20120140093 | IMAGE CAPTURE DEVICE AND METHOD - An image capture device includes a light sensor, a projector and a processing unit. The light source detects luminance value of ambient light. The projector projects images by using light generated by a light source included in the projector. The processing unit obtains luminance value from the light sensor in response to a capture operation; determines whether the obtained luminance value is less than a predetermined value; and controls the projector to adjust the luminance of the light source and capturing image simultaneously if the luminance value is less than the predetermined value. | 06-07-2012 |
20120154636 | ILLUMINATION SYSTEM FOR ENHANCING THE APPEARANCE OF AN OBJECT AND METHOD THEREOF - A system for enhancing the appearance of an object comprises an illumination device ( | 06-21-2012 |
20120162478 | DIGITAL PHOTOGRAPHING APPARATUS AND CONTROL METHOD THEREOF - A digital photographing apparatus for providing natural images fitting a surrounding environment or brightness to a user by automatically determining an image processing type and an image processing strength according to the surrounding brightness and a control method thereof. | 06-28-2012 |
20120176513 | IMAGING DEVICE - An imaging device ( | 07-12-2012 |
20120176514 | IMAGE PROCESSING APPARATUS, IMAGE PROCESSING METHOD, AND PROGRAM - An image processing apparatus ( | 07-12-2012 |
20120194704 | Processing Data From A CCD And CCD Imaging Apparatus To Correct Smearing Artifacts - A method of processing data from a CCD | 08-02-2012 |
20120212649 | IMAGE PROCESSING APPARATUS AND IMAGE PROCESSING METHOD - An image processing apparatus includes a luminance value calculation unit configured to calculate a luminance average value and a luminance peak value from an image obtained by image-capturing for each of frames formed by dividing one screen, a first calculation unit configured to combine the luminance average value and the luminance peak value obtained for each of the frames, a second calculation unit configured to calculate an average value of composite values equal to or more than a predetermined threshold value among composite values obtained by the first calculation unit, and a setting unit configured to set knee strength based on the average value of the composite values obtained by the second calculation unit. | 08-23-2012 |
20120224084 | Image Sensor Apparatus And Method For Scene Illuminant Estimation - An image sensor apparatus is disclosed. The image sensor apparatus includes an image sensor for generating pixel data corresponding to a scene under a scene illuminant and a processor. The processor includes an illuminant estimation module for receiving a subset of the pixel data associated with a subset of a color space and finding a chromaticity trend in the pixel data subset to estimate the scene illuminant. A white balance and color correction module in the processor applies white balance and color correction coefficients to the pixel data according to the estimated scene illuminant. | 09-06-2012 |
20120229677 | IMAGE GENERATOR, IMAGE GENERATING METHOD, AND COMPUTER PROGRAM - An exemplary image generator includes: an image quality improvement processing section configured to receive signals representing first, second, and third moving pictures, obtained by shooting the same subject, and configured to generate a new moving picture representing that subject; and an output terminal that outputs a signal representing the new moving picture. The second moving picture has a different color component from the first moving picture and each frame of the second moving picture has been obtained by performing an exposure process for a longer time than one frame period of the first moving picture. The third moving picture has the same color component as the second moving picture and each frame of the third moving picture has been obtained by performing an exposure process for a shorter time than one frame period of the second moving picture. | 09-13-2012 |
20120274808 | IMAGE OVERLAY IN A MOBILE DEVICE - Image overlay in a mobile device is described. In one embodiment an imaging system of a mobile communications device includes a first camera having a control interface to a controller and a data interface to the controller, a second camera having a data interface to the first camera, and a processor to combine an image from the second camera received through the second camera data interface with an image from the first camera and to send the combined image to the controller through the data interface. | 11-01-2012 |
20120274809 | ELECTRONIC DEVICE AND LUMINANCE ADJUSTING METHOD THEREOF - A luminance adjusting method of an electronic device is disclosed. The electronic device includes a light sensor, a control module, a memory and a light source module. The memory stores predetermined ambient luminance-light source luminance corresponding information. The luminance adjusting method includes following steps: obtaining an ambient luminance value by sensing ambient light via the light sensor; receiving an inputted adjusting value; adjusting the predetermined ambient luminance-light source luminance corresponding information according to the inputted adjusting value to generate first personalized ambient luminance-light source luminance corresponding information; generating an optimal luminance adjusting value by referring to the first personalized ambient luminance-light source luminance corresponding information and the ambient luminance value; and adjusting the luminance of the light source module according to the optimal luminance adjusting value. | 11-01-2012 |
20120287307 | IMAGE PROCESSING DEVICE, IMAGING DEVICE, AND IMAGE PROCESSING METHOD - An image processing device includes: a luminance saturation position detection unit which detects a luminance saturation position that is a position in a captured image at which a luminance value is greater than a predetermined value; a luminance gradient detection unit which detects a luminance gradient around the luminance saturation position; a light source image estimation unit which estimates a luminance distribution on an imaging surface, based on (i) an image at the luminance saturation position, (ii) a point spread function image which corresponds to the luminance saturation position, and (iii) the luminance gradient, such that the luminance value increases as the luminance gradient increases, the luminance distribution being formed by an object whose image is captured at the luminance saturation position; and an unnecessary light subtraction unit which subtracts a luminance value of unnecessary light from the captured image by using the luminance distribution. | 11-15-2012 |
20120293688 | METHOD OF ADJUSTING THE BRIGHTNESS OF A DIGITAL CAMERA IMAGE - A method for adjusting the brightness of a captured image from a digital camera includes calculating a reference exposure value using the capture parameters and calculating an actual exposure value as a function of ambient illumination parameters. The reference exposure and actual exposure values are compared to determine an actual image saturation value. The actual image saturation value is compared with the saturation value of the image sensor to determine a brightness adjustment factor, and the captured image is adjusted to compensate for overexposure or underexposure in response to the brightness adjustment factor. The image is scaled up or down using the brightness adjustment factor if the actual image saturation value is less than or more than the saturation value of the image sensor used to capture the image. | 11-22-2012 |
20120293689 | IMAGING APPARATUS AND IMAGING METHOD - Provided is an imaging apparatus including an imaging unit that performs imaging with an image sensor having pixels of first, second, and third colors, a luminance ratio calculation unit that integrates luminance of each of the first, second, and third colors within a focus determination region of an imaging signal output by the imaging unit and calculates a ratio of the luminance between the integrated values of the colors, a luminance normalization unit that normalizes the integrated value of the luminance of the first color within the focus determination region of the imaging signal output by the imaging unit at the ratio of the luminance between the integrated values calculated by the luminance ratio calculation unit, and a display processing unit that performs display corresponding to the integrated value of the luminance normalized by the luminance normalization unit. | 11-22-2012 |
20120307110 | Image Noise Reduction - Systems, methods, and computer readable media for removing noise from the luminance (luma) channel in a digital image represented in the YUV color space are described. In general, an element from the luma channel may be selected and a region about that element defined. Using a threshold that is based on the selected luma element's value, similar luma values within the defined region may be identified and combined to provide a substitute value. The substitute value may be blended with the value of the selected element within the image's luma channel. In another implementation, element values from both an image's luma and chroma channels may be used to identify similar luma values. | 12-06-2012 |
20120327269 | CAMERA APPARATUS AND METHOD OF RECOGNIZING AN OBJECT BY USING A CAMERA - An apparatus and method of recognizing an object by using a camera includes detecting feature information from a first preview image; comparing the feature information with a threshold condition; changing a camera setting parameter, when the feature information does not satisfy the threshold condition; and performing an object recognition for a second preview image generated based on the changed camera setting parameter. | 12-27-2012 |
20130010161 | METHOD FOR CAPTURING IMAGE - A method for capturing an image, suitable for an image capturing apparatus with a flash lamp, is provided. In the invention, a pre-flash image is captured when a pre-flash is fired by the flash lamp. An intensity of a main flash is estimated. Whether the pre-flash image is overexposed is determined for calculating an overexposure number. A brightness comparison data is looked up according to the overexposure number and a brightness target value, so as to reduce a photosensitivity. A raw image is captured according to the reduced photosensitivity when the main flash is fired by the flash lamp. | 01-10-2013 |
20130010162 | IMAGE SENSORS, IMAGE PROCESSING APPARATUS INCLUDING THE SAME, AND INTERPOLATION METHODS OF IMAGE PROCESSING APPARATUS - An image sensor, an image processing apparatus including the same and an interpolation method of the image processing apparatus are provided. The image sensor includes a plurality of pixels that include a low-luminance pixel including a first photoelectric conversion device that accumulates a charge less than a predetermined reference value and a high-luminance pixel including a second photoelectric conversion device that accumulates a charge more than the predetermined reference value. Interpolation is carried out giving more weight to the low-luminance pixel at low luminance and giving more weight to the high-luminance pixel at high luminance, so that a higher SNR is obtained. | 01-10-2013 |
20130021498 | IMAGE PROCESSING APPARATUS, IMAGE PROCESSING METHOD, AND PROGRAM - A blurring process is performed on an addition area including a point light source area detected in an image to be processed so that the nearer to the circumference of the addition area, the higher the luminance value while an addition coefficient is being increased according to a distance from the center. | 01-24-2013 |
20130027584 | METHOD AND APPARATUS FOR FRAME ROTATION IN THE JPEG COMPRESSED DOMAIN - An imaging system may include an image sensor array and circuitry that rotates and encodes images from the image sensor array. The circuitry may encode images from the image sensor into an image format such as a Joint Photographic Experts Group (JPEG) format. The circuitry may perform rotations of the images during encoding into Joint Photographic Experts Group (JPEG) format. Image rotations during encoding and compression may include redefining minimum coded units of the encoded image such that minimum coded units of a rotated image are processed in the same order as minimum coded units in a non-rotated image. Redefinition of minimum coded units may include rewriting of parameters in a start of frame segment of an image data stream such that the height and width of minimum coded units are reversed during rotation. | 01-31-2013 |
20130033618 | IMAGE PROCESSING APPARATUS DETECTING QUADRILATERAL REGION FROM PICKED-UP IMAGE - An image processing apparatus includes an obtaining section, a detection section, a first identification section and a second identification section. The obtaining section obtains image data of a first picked-up image and a second picked-up image picked up by an image pickup section. The detection section detects a brightness change region where brightness changes at predetermined time intervals in the first picked-up image on the basis of the obtained image data of the first picked-up image. The first identification section performs straight line detection processing on the obtained image data of the second picked-up image to detect a straight line, so as to identify a candidate straight line in a corresponding region corresponding to the brightness change region. The second identification section identifies a quadrilateral region including the candidate straight line as an extraction candidate region in the second picked-up image. | 02-07-2013 |
20130057729 | IMAGE PICKUP APPARATUS - An image pickup apparatus generates a display image signal by implementing predetermined dynamic range expansion processing on an image signal obtained by performing underexposed image pickup, and detects an image region in which a pixel within a predetermined gradation range exists as a warning region from the image signal either prior to implementation of the predetermined dynamic range expansion processing or following implementation of the predetermined dynamic range expansion processing. The image pickup apparatus synthesizes the display image signal with a warning pattern corresponding to the warning region and displays the synthesized image as a live view image. | 03-07-2013 |
20130057730 | IMAGE PROCESSING APPARATUS AND IMAGE PROCESSING METHOD - An image processing apparatus includes a distribution detection unit configured to detect whether a luminance distribution on the screen changes to a hill-shaped form, based on a result of adding photometric values of each of divided photometry areas by rows and by columns, a difference calculation unit configured to calculate a luminance value difference between one portion of the screen and the peripheral portion thereof, a ratio calculating unit configured to calculate a ratio of pixels having a luminance value higher than or equal to a threshold value in the one portion, and a spotlight determination unit configured to determine whether a scene of the captured image is a spotlight scene according to a detection result of the distribution detection unit, calculation result of the difference calculation unit, and a calculation result of the ratio calculation unit. | 03-07-2013 |
20130093921 | IMAGE SYSTEM AND DENOISING METHOD THEREFOR - There is provided an image system including at least one image sensor, a light source and a processing unit. The at least one image sensor sequentially acquires at least two images within each of the brightness variation intervals of an ambient light source. The light source lights once within each of the brightness variation intervals and the lighting of the light source is synchronized to one of the images acquired by the at least one image sensor. The processing unit calculates an image difference between the image synchronizing to the lighting of the light source and the image not synchronizing to the lighting of the light source thereby eliminating interference from the ambient light source. There is further provided a denoising method for an image system. | 04-18-2013 |
20130120614 | IMAGE PROCESSING DEVICE, IMAGING DEVICE, AND IMAGE PROCESSING METHOD - An image processing device includes: a luminance saturation position detection unit which detects a luminance saturation position to produce a light source image; a flare model production unit which produces a flare model image based on the light source image and optical characteristics data of the optical system; a flare position setting unit which sets, as a flare position, a predetermined image position in the captured image and located near the luminance saturation position and on a side of an optical axis relative to the luminance saturation position; a flare model luminance adjustment unit which produces the estimated flare image by adjusting luminance gain of the flare model image, based on a relationship between a luminance value of the captured image at the flare position and a luminance value of the flare model image at the flare position; and an unnecessary light subtraction unit which subtracts the estimated flare image from the captured image. | 05-16-2013 |
20130128080 | IMAGE ANALYSIS DEVICE AND METHOD THEREOF - A method for analyzing images includes: obtaining at least one brightness value of at least one area of an image of a scene; obtaining a brightness value of the same at lease one area of each of a predetermined number of previous images of the scene and calculating an average brightness of the same at lease one area of the predetermined number of previous images to obtain at least one average brightness value; comparing the at least one brightness value of the image with that of the predetermined number of previous images to obtain at least one brightness difference value; comparing the at least one brightness difference value with a first value and a second value; adjusting a reference background model according to a first adjustment mode or a second adjustment according to the comparison result. | 05-23-2013 |
20130169843 | IMAGE PICKUP APPARATUS - An image pickup apparatus includes first and second irradiation units that emit first light and second light, respectively, an image pickup unit that outputs, as pixel information, an electrical signal after photoelectric conversion from a pixel arbitrarily designated as a read target among pixels, a setting unit that arbitrarily sets a pixel as the read target and a read order in the image pickup unit, a control unit that controls irradiation processes in the first and second irradiation units and changes the pixel as the read target and the read order according to a type of an irradiation unit that emits light, a reading unit that reads the pixel information by causing the pixel information to be output from the pixel set as the read target, in accordance with the read order, and an image processing unit that generates an image from the pixel information read by the reading unit. | 07-04-2013 |
20130182148 | Separating Directional Lighting Variability in Statistical Face Modelling Based on Texture Space Decomposition - A technique for determining a characteristic of a face or certain other object within a scene captured in a digital image including acquiring an image and applying a linear texture model that is constructed based on a training data set and that includes a class of objects including a first subset of model components that exhibit a dependency on directional lighting variations and a second subset of model components which are independent of directional lighting variations. A fit of the model to the face or certain other object is obtained including adjusting one or more individual values of one or more of the model components of the linear texture model. Based on the obtained fit of the model to the face or certain other object in the scene, a characteristic of the face or certain other object is determined. | 07-18-2013 |
20130182149 | Separating Directional Lighting Variability in Statistical Face Modelling Based on Texture Space Decomposition - A technique for determining a characteristic of a face or certain other object within a scene captured in a digital image including acquiring an image and applying a linear texture model that is constructed based on a training data set and that includes a class of objects including a first subset of model components that exhibit a dependency on directional lighting variations and a second subset of model components which are independent of directional lighting variations. A fit of the model to the face or certain other object is obtained including adjusting one or more individual values of one or more of the model components of the linear texture model. Based on the obtained fit of the model to the face or certain other object in the scene, a characteristic of the face or certain other object is determined. | 07-18-2013 |
20130208144 | IMAGE PROCESSING DEVICE, IMAGE PROCESSING METHOD, IMAGE PROCESSING PROGRAM - A flash detection unit calculates a line average luminance of each line of the current screen of image data and a screen average luminance of a past screen at least one screen before the current screen and compares the calculated line average luminance with the calculated screen average luminance to detect whether the current screen includes a line of high luminance due to a flash. A holding unit holds the past screen of the image data. A flash correction unit, if it is detected that some lines of the current screen have high luminance, replaces the lines having high luminance in the current screen with corresponding lines of the past screen held in the holding unit to correct the image data. | 08-15-2013 |
20130222642 | IMAGING CONTROL DEVICE AND PROGRAM - An imaging control device for controlling a facial image taking apparatus which radiates light from a light source to a face and takes an image of the face is disclosed. The imaging control device determines an intensity of environmental light and a degree of reflection by a pair of eyeglasses. When it is determined that the intensity of the environmental light is greater than or equal to a predetermined determination value and the degree of the reflection by the eyeglasses is greater than or equal to a predetermined determination value, the imaging control device sets an intensity of the light radiated from the light source to a predetermined intensity that makes states of eyes in the facial image recognizable. | 08-29-2013 |
20130222643 | Image Capture Method and image Capture system thereof - By adjusting focal distance of a lens unit of an image capture system and/or adjusting a luminance of a flashlight generator of the image capture system according to the focal distance, better luminance performance is fulfilled on an image captured by the image capture system. | 08-29-2013 |
20130278798 | IMAGE PROCESSING APPARATUS AND IMAGE PROCESSING METHOD FOR PERFORMING IMAGE SYNTHESIS - An image processing apparatus capable of properly synthesizing a strobe-illuminated image and non-strobe-illuminated images, irrespective of a condition for illuminating a photographic subject. A sensitivity of strobe emission photographing is set to be lower than a sensitivity of non-strobe emission photographing, and a strobe-illuminated image and plural sheets of non-strobe-illuminated images are continuously photographed with the set sensitivities. The strobe-illuminated image is gain-processed with a gain amount, and positional deviations of the plural sheets of non-strobe-illuminated images relative to the strobe-illuminated image are corrected. An averaged image obtained by synthesizing the gain-processed image and the images after the positional deviation correction is synthesized with the strobe-illuminated image, while taking account of amounts of strobe illumination in the strobe-illuminated image, thereby obtaining a synthesized image. | 10-24-2013 |
20130286253 | IMAGE PROCESSING APPARATUS AND IMAGE PROCESSING METHOD FOR THE SAME - Disclosed are an image processing apparatus and an image processing method. The image processing method includes receiving an image, dividing the received image into a plurality of regions in a unit of a frame, acquiring information of brightness of a pixel included in each divided region, detecting a region having a flare among the divided regions by using the acquired brightness information, determining an image processing condition to be applied to the detected region having the flare, and processing the received image based on the determined image processing condition. The image processing condition applied to the region having the flare is different from an image processing condition applied to other regions. | 10-31-2013 |
20130293744 | LUMINANCE SOURCE SELECTION IN A MULTI-LENS CAMERA - The luminance information of an image captured by a multi-lens camera system can be improved by selecting a luminance information source for each portion of the captured image. Each lens of the camera system can capture an initial image. For each portion of a final image, a corresponding initial image portion can be selected as the luminance information source. The portions of the final image and initial images can be pixels, groups of pixels, or other image portions. The luminance information from the selected initial image portions is combined to form final image luminance information. Chrominance information can also be selected from the initial images to form final image chrominance information, and the final image chrominance information and the final image luminance information can be combined to form a final image. | 11-07-2013 |
20130293745 | IMAGING DEVICE AND LIGHT EMISSION AMOUNT CONTROL METHOD OF THE SAME - An imaging device performs control for changing evaluation values calculated for specific areas which are at least a portion of segment areas around a segment area where a brightness difference calculated by subtracting non-light emission image data from pre-light emission image data is negative or a segment area where a brightness difference calculated by subtracting the pre-light emission image data from the non-light emission image data is positive so that the evaluation values are reduced when the brightness difference is calculated by subtracting the non-light emission image data from the pre-light emission image data and an absolute value of the negative evaluation values are reduced when the brightness difference is calculated by subtracting the pre-light emission image data from the non-light emission image data, in a case where the brightness differences of all segment areas include negative and positive values together. | 11-07-2013 |
20130300899 | INFORMATION PROCESSING DEVICE, INFORMATION PROCESSING METHOD, AND PROGRAM - Conventional calculation of light source data requires a high load and is unstable. An information processing device derives light source data which represents a state of a light source of an image represented by a captured image based on image capturing condition data at the time of capturing the image of a subject. | 11-14-2013 |
20130321666 | IMAGE CAPTURE APPARATUS AND METHOD OF CONTROLLING THE SAME - In an image capture apparatus and a method of controlling the apparatus which can apply image correction processing which influences the contrast of a shot image, image quality degradation of an image shot by using input-output characteristics where an output value logarithmically increases with a linear increase in input value is suppressed. When using input-output characteristics where an output value logarithmically increases with a linear increase in input value (S | 12-05-2013 |
20130335598 | ARRAY CAMERA IMAGING SYSTEM AND METHOD - Aspects of the disclosed technology relate to an imaging system and method in which an array camera is employed along with an image processor to make use of parallax convergence differences in color and luminance between different cameras or groups of cameras within an array camera to provide improved super resolution performance. | 12-19-2013 |
20130342733 | Optoelectronic device and method for brightness correction - An optoelectronic device ( | 12-26-2013 |
20140036109 | Method of Improving Orientation and Color Balance of Digital Images Using Face Detection Information - A method of generating one or more new spatial and chromatic variation digital images uses an original digitally-acquired image which including a face or portions of a face. A group of pixels that correspond to a face within the original digitally-acquired image is identified. A portion of the original image is selected to include the group of pixels. Values of pixels of one or more new images based on the selected portion are automatically generated, or an option to generate them is provided, in a manner which always includes the face within the one or more new images. Such method may be implemented to automatically establish the correct orientation and color balance of an image. Such method can be implemented as an automated method or a semi automatic method to guide users in viewing, capturing or printing of images. | 02-06-2014 |
20140071314 | IMAGE PROCESSING APPARATUS AND CONTROL METHOD THEREOF - In an image processing apparatus, a reduced image in which an input image having a color pattern of a plurality of colors of different pixel densities is reduced is generated. A luminance signal is generated from the reduced image. A contour compensation signal is generated from weighted color signals of the reduced image. The luminance signal and the contour compensation signal are combined. If a reduction ratio of the reduced image is greater than a threshold, a weighting used for a color signal for which a pixel density is high in the input image is increased in comparison to a case where the reduction ratio is not greater to the threshold. | 03-13-2014 |
20140078346 | IMAGING DEVICE AND IMAGE GENERATION METHOD - The image conversion section calculates luminance values and color difference values based on pixel values of the captured image that respectively correspond to a plurality of colors, and outputs a luminance image formed by the calculated luminance values and a color difference image formed by the calculated color difference values. The estimation calculation section calculates an estimated luminance value of each pixel of a high-resolution image based on the luminance image, and calculates an estimated color difference value of each pixel of the high-resolution image based on the color difference image. The pixel value conversion section converts the estimated luminance value and the estimated color difference value into RGB pixel values of each pixel of the high-resolution image. | 03-20-2014 |
20140092279 | IMAGE SENSOR DEFECT IDENTIFICATION USING BLURRING TECHNIQUES - Embodiments described herein may operate to image a scene with an imaging system using an image blurring technique. An image sensor array (ISA) element may be identified as a dark defect element if a first ratio of an average of a set of illuminance signal magnitudes from a set of surrounding ISA elements to a magnitude of an illuminance signal from the ISA element is greater than a threshold sharpness value. The image sensor array element may be identified as a bright defect element if a second ratio of the magnitude of the illuminance signal from the ISA element to the average of the set of illuminance signal magnitudes from the set of surrounding ISA elements is greater than the threshold sharpness value. | 04-03-2014 |
20140098263 | IMAGE PROCESSING APPARATUS AND IMAGE PROCESSING METHOD - According to an embodiment, an image processing apparatus includes a scattered light acquisition unit, a control information acquisition unit and a control unit. The scattered light acquisition unit acquires an amount of scattered light included in each pixel of an input image. The control information acquisition unit acquires control information determining an amount of scattered light included in each pixel of an output image. The control unit generates the output image by controlling the amount of the scattered light included in each pixel of the input image based on the control information. | 04-10-2014 |
20140125845 | IMAGE-CAPTURE DEVICE AND IMAGE-CAPTURE METHOD - The present invention provides an image-capture device including an image-capture module, a display device, an input device, and a processing unit. The image-capture module is arranged to capture a preview image. The display device is arranged to display the preview image. The input device is arranged to receive at least one first selection signal and at least one second selection signal, wherein the first selection signal corresponds to a first area of the preview image, and the second selection signal corresponds to a second area of the preview image. The processing unit is arranged to calculate a light-metering value according to the first selection signal and the second selection signal, and force the image-capture module to capture an image according to the light-metering value. | 05-08-2014 |
20140139705 | IMAGE PROCESSING METHOD, IMAGE PROCESSING APPARATUS, IMAGE PICKUP APPARATUS, AND STORAGE MEDIUM STORING IMAGE PROCESSING PROGRAM - The image processing method includes acquiring an input image produced by an image pickup system including at least one imaging optical system and causing light rays from a same point in an object space to respectively enter different image pickup pixels depending on light ray passing areas of a pupil through which the respective light rays pass, performing a shaping process including at least one of an image restoration process to restore a degraded image and a luminance estimation process to estimate a luminance of a saturated area, a reconstruction process to reconstruct a new image different from the input image, and performing a blur addition process to add an image blur component to an addition target image. The method performs the shaping process before the reconstruction process and the blur addition process. | 05-22-2014 |
20140160318 | YCBCR PULSED ILLUMINATION SCHEME IN A LIGHT DEFICIENT ENVIRONMENT - The disclosure extends to methods, systems, and computer program products for producing an image in light deficient environments with luminance and chrominance emitted from a controlled light source. | 06-12-2014 |
20140293091 | SENSOR-SYNCHRONIZED SPECTRALLY-STRUCTURED-LIGHT IMAGING - A smartphone is adapted for use as an imaging spectrometer, by synchronized pulsing of different LED light sources as different image frames are captured by the phone's CMOS image sensor. A particular implementation employs the CIE color matching functions, and/or their orthogonally transformed functions, to enable direct chromaticity capture. A great variety of other features and arrangements are also detailed. | 10-02-2014 |
20140300779 | METHODS AND APPARATUSES FOR PROVIDING GUIDE INFORMATION FOR A CAMERA - The present invention relates to methods and apparatuses for providing guide information for a camera. An image is collected through the camera. The image includes a subject illuminated by a light source. An optimized direction is determined for the light source relative to the subject. Guide information is generated that specifies an adjustment of the light source relative to the subject for achieving the optimized direction for the light source. The generated guide information is outputted to provide a visual, audible, or tactile indication. | 10-09-2014 |
20140300780 | COLOUR LIGHTING CONTROL METHOD FOR IMPROVING IMAGE QUALITY IN A VISION SYSTEM - Provided is a color lighting control method including a lighting device having a plurality of lighting unit, the method including the steps of: (a) applying predetermined input voltages to the plurality of lighting units respectively and obtaining image data through the camera; (b) calculating an image histogram that is a distribution graph for displaying the number of pixels corresponding to each monochrome level intensity through the image data; (c) calculating a standard deviation of the image histogram; and (d) calculating an optimal input voltage value for each of the plurality of lighting units within an adjustment range of the predetermined input voltages, wherein the optimal input voltage value maximizes the standard deviation. | 10-09-2014 |
20140368696 | IMAGE PICKUP APPARATUS, IMAGE PICKUP SYSTEM, SIGNAL PROCESSING METHOD, AND NON-TRANSITORY COMPUTER-READABLE STORAGE MEDIUM - An image pickup apparatus includes an image pickup element including a plurality of pixels corresponding to a plurality of respective micro lenses and the first photoelectric conversion portion and the second photoelectric conversion portion that are included in each of the pixels and share a corresponding one of the micro lenses, and a signal processing unit configured to correct an addition signal of outputs from the first photoelectric conversion portion and the second photoelectric conversion portion included in each of the pixels and a first signal generated from a plurality of signals of the first photoelectric conversion portions corresponding to the micro lenses, and the signal processing unit corrects the addition signal for each of the pixels and corrects the first signal for the first photoelectric conversion portions. | 12-18-2014 |
20140375842 | GENERATING AN IMAGE OF A SEAL IMPRESSION - A method and apparatus for generating an image of a seal impression. N still images of a face of a seal are combined. N is at least 2. The N still images of the face correspond respectively to N beams of light that had previously irradiated the face in succession from N respective different directions respectively corresponding to N different angles of incidence of the light on the face. The combining of the N images include generating in the composite image a common area of pixels that commonly appears on the face of the seal in all still images of the N still images. The common area includes a character area pertaining to where an engraved character is located on the face of the seal. | 12-25-2014 |
20150015740 | IMAGE PROCESSING METHOD FOR IMPROVING IMAGE QUALITY AND IMAGE PROCESSING DEVICE THEREWITH - An image processing method includes adjusting a brightness of each of a first image and a second image based on a first exposure time when the first image is captured and a second exposure time when the second image is captured, respectively, the first and second images being generated by capturing a same object under different light conditions, estimating an intensity of light, reaching the object when the second image is captured, based on the adjusted brightness of each of the first and second images, separating the second image into two or more regions according to the estimated intensity of light, determining a target brightness that a final result image is to have, adjusting the brightness of the second image, by different amounts for each of the separated regions, based on the target brightness and generate the final result image based on the adjusted brightness of the second image. | 01-15-2015 |
20150036023 | LIGHTING SYSTEM AND METHOD FOR IMAGE AND OBJECT ENHANCEMENT - A novel lighting system includes an image capture device, an image processor, and an image projector. In a particular embodiment, the image capture device captures and converts images of a subject into image data, the image processor generates illumination patterns based on the image data, and the image projector projects the illumination patterns onto the subject. Optionally, the lighting system includes a controlled feedback mechanism for periodically updating the illumination pattern. In a more particular embodiment, the lighting system continually updates the illumination pattern to illuminate the subject in real-time. | 02-05-2015 |
20150062380 | IMAGING APPARATUS AND IMAGING METHOD THEREOF, IMAGE PROCESSING APPARATUS AND IMAGE PROCESSING METHOD THEREOF, AND PROGRAM - An imaging apparatus includes: an unpolarized light-emitting portion configured to emit light having an unpolarized component; a polarized light-emitting portion configured to emit light having a predetermined polarized component via a first polarization filter; and an imaging element configured to image a subject, which is irradiated with light by one of the unpolarized light-emitting portion and the polarized light-emitting portion, through a second polarization filter, the first polarization filter and the second polarization filter having polarization directions in an orthogonal relationship to each other, the imaging element being further configured to image the subject irradiated with light by the unpolarized light-emitting portion and the subject irradiated with light by the polarized light-emitting portion in a time division manner and output an unpolarized light image and an orthogonal polarized light image that are obtained as a result of imaging. | 03-05-2015 |
20150070531 | IMAGING SYSTEM AND IMAGING METHOD - An imaging system | 03-12-2015 |
20150070532 | SOLID STATE IMAGING DEVICE AND METHOD FOR MANUFACTURING THE SAME - According to one embodiment, a solid state imaging device includes an imaging substrate unit, a lens unit, and a color filter unit. The imaging substrate unit has a major surface including first region and second regions including pixels. The lens unit is separated from the major surface in a first direction perpendicular to the major surface. The lens unit includes a first lens overlapping the pixels of the first region when projected onto the major surface and a second lens overlapping the pixels of the second region when projected onto the major surface. The color filter unit is provided between the imaging substrate unit and the lens unit and is separated from the imaging substrate unit. The color filter unit includes a first color filter provided between the first region and the first lens, and a second color filter provided between the second region and the second lens. | 03-12-2015 |
20150077591 | INFORMATION PROCESSING DEVICE AND INFORMATION PROCESSING METHOD - There is provided an information processing device including a detection unit configured to detect a motion of the information processing device, a setting unit configured to set a location or orientation of a virtual light source for an image having depth information based on a result of the detection performed by the detection unit, and a display control unit configured to apply an illumination effect to the image based on the location or orientation of the virtual light source set by the setting unit and the depth information. | 03-19-2015 |
20150085162 | PERCEPTUAL RADIOMETRIC COMPENSATION SYSTEM ADAPTABLE TO A PROJECTOR-CAMERA SYSTEM - A perceptual radiometric compensation system adaptable to a projector-camera system includes a brightness scaling unit that scales down brightness of an input image and obtains appearance attributes by a color appearance model (CAM). A hue adjustment unit adjusts hue of the input image toward tone of a colored projection surface by the CAM. | 03-26-2015 |
20150085163 | IMAGE PROCESSING APPARATUS, IMAGE PROCESSING METHOD, AND STORAGE MEDIUM - An image processing apparatus obtains light field data, and selects a subject. The apparatus outputs restriction information which is information for not focusing on the selected subject, and is information for restricting reconstruction of the light field data. | 03-26-2015 |
20150092083 | Active Shielding Against Intense Illumination (ASAII) System for Direct Viewing - A technique/system using imaging cameras to detect and actively track intense light sources, such as the Sun, then provide electronically-generated and localized shades, via the Liquid Crystal Display (LCD) shutter screen imbedded on viewing glasses or windshields, tracking the intense projections as they traverse across the viewing glasses during dynamic motion allowing the viewer to directly and comfortably observe the scene with intense light sources and any displays or objects in direct or nearby line-of-sight that are normally washed-out by eye saturation due to extremely intense illumination. | 04-02-2015 |
20150092084 | IMAGE ACQUISITION METHOD AND APPARATUS - A method and an apparatus for acquiring an image of a subject are provided. The method for acquiring the image of the subject includes acquiring a first preliminary image and a second preliminary image of the subject through an image sensor operatively coupled to an electronic device, determining a candidate emission time relating to an acquisition of an output image of the subject, based on a difference between state information of at least part of the first preliminary image and state information of at least part of the second preliminary image, comparing the candidate emission time with a time corresponding to a synchronization period where a plurality of lines of the image sensor simultaneously acquires the output image, and acquiring the output image of the subject based on the comparison. | 04-02-2015 |
20150116544 | METHOD AND APPARATUS OF WORKING MODE CONTROL, AND ELECTRONIC DEVICE - The embodiments of the present invention provide a method and an apparatus for controlling a working mode, and an electronic device. The method for controlling the working mode comprises: detecting, by an electronic device, an intensity of light entering a first camera; and switching, by the electronic device, the working mode, when detecting that a change of the intensity of light entering the first camera meets a first preset condition. The embodiments of the present invention can simplify the operation steps of the electronic device, and quickly and conveniently switch the working mode of the electronic device, such that the user obtains better experiences. | 04-30-2015 |
20150124123 | PHOTOGRAPHIC APPARATUS WITH SUPPLEMENTAL LIGHT ADJUSTING FUNCTION AND METHOD USED IN THE SAME - A photographic apparatus with supplemental light adjusting function and the supplemental light adjusting method used in the same are provided. The photographic apparatus comprises a light source and a photographic element. The method comprises steps of: photographing by the photographic element; illuminating by the light source once the operating condition of a default photographing mode is conformed, and reaching a first supplemental light intensity by the light source within a first length of time; completing photographing by the photographic element once the light source reaches a second supplemental light intensity which is greater than the first supplemental light intensity. | 05-07-2015 |
20150138398 | IMAGE PROCESSING SYSTEM, TRANSMITTING-SIDE DEVICE AND RECEIVING-SIDE DEVICE - Provided is an image processing system capable of coping with data which is obtained in a new color filter array, and making full use of the performance of a receiving-side device by reducing the influence of a difference in the performance of the receiving-side device on an image quality. An image processing system | 05-21-2015 |
20150304538 | DEVICE FOR SYNTHESIZING HIGH DYNAMIC RANGE IMAGE BASED ON PER-PIXEL EXPOSURE MAPPING AND METHOD THEREOF - A device for synthesizing a high dynamic range image based on per-pixel exposure mapping includes an image-capturing module, an image-processing module, and a recursive control module. The image-capturing module serves to obtain a plurality of source images each having a unique exposure value. The image-processing module uses an exposure-value modulating means to perform exposure synthesis to pixels on an identical location of two of the source images that have similar exposure values according to exposure values of the pixels, so as to form synthesis images. The recursive control module sends the synthesis images back to the image-processing module for reprocessing until the image-processing module generates a single synthesis image. | 10-22-2015 |
20150326771 | IMAGING DEVICE AND EXPOSURE ADJUSTING METHOD - An imaging device includes a filter, an imaging element, a lens, a spectral image generator, and an exposure adjuster. The filter includes a plurality of filter areas having different spectral transmission characteristics. The imaging element receives light transmitted through the filter and outputs image information. The lens array includes a plurality of lenses arranged approximately parallel to a light receiving surface of the imaging element and is arranged between the filter and the imaging element. The spectral image generator generates a plurality of spectral images respectively corresponding to the plurality of filter areas on the basis of the image information output by the imaging element. The exposure adjuster adjusts an exposure time of the imaging element on the basis of luminance values of the spectral images. | 11-12-2015 |
20150341537 | LOCAL ENHANCEMENT APPARATUS AND METHOD - An embodiment of a local enhancement apparatus is provided, in which a block divider divides an image into a plurality of blocks, and a first enhancement unit performs a brightness-preserved enhancement on each block of the plurality of blocks to generate a brightness-preserved block. A second enhancement unit performs a brightness-adjusted enhancement on the each block to generate a brightness-adjusted block. A scene dynamic range estimator generates a dynamic range of the image according to characteristics of the image. A blender blends the brightness-preserved blocks and the brightness-adjusted blocks to generate an enhanced image based on the dynamic range. | 11-26-2015 |
20150341610 | DETECTION OF LIGHT FOR ASCERTAINING COLOR INFORMATION - A sensor is provided for detecting light, including an imager which includes a first imaging element and a second imaging element situated adjacent to the first imaging element, and including an optical element which is designed for directing a first component of light incident in the direction of the first imaging element onto the second imaging element, and for allowing a second component of the light incident in the direction of the first imaging element to strike the first imaging element. | 11-26-2015 |
20150365580 | Global Display Management Based Light Modulation - A plurality of input images in an input video signal of a wide dynamic range is received. A specific setting of global light modulation is determined based on a specific input image in the plurality of input images. The specific setting of global light modulation produces a specific dynamic range window. A plurality of input code values in the specific input image is converted to a plurality of output code values in a specific output image corresponding to the specific input image. The plurality of output code values produces the same or substantially the same luminance levels as represented by the plurality of input code values. Any other pixels in the specific input image are converted to different luminance levels in the specific output image through display management. | 12-17-2015 |
20150373246 | DIGITAL CAMERA AND EXPOSURE CONTROL METHOD - A method performed by a digital camera includes calculating brightness of image data captured by an imaging device; determining whether the brightness of the image data is within a valid range for controlling a set exposure value of the imaging device; changing the set exposure value for each frame until the brightness of the image data becomes within the valid range, based on a difference between a first exposure value corresponding to a lower limit of the valid range and a second exposure value corresponding to an upper limit of the valid range; and after the brightness of the image data becomes within the valid range, controlling the set exposure value based on the brightness of the image data within the valid range and a valid exposure value corresponding to the brightness of the image data within the valid range. | 12-24-2015 |
20150373275 | IMAGE DISPLAY APPARATUS AND CONTROL METHOD THEREOF - An image display apparatus according to the present invention, includes: a first acquisition unit configured to acquire captured image data from an image capturing apparatus; a second acquisition unit configured to acquire operation information representing a user operation performed on the image capturing apparatus, from the image capturing apparatus; an image processing unit configured to generate processed image data by carrying out image processing corresponding to the operation information acquired by the second acquisition unit on the captured image data acquired by the first acquisition unit; and a display unit configured to display a processed image based on the processed image data on a screen. | 12-24-2015 |
20150379695 | RESTORATION FILTER GENERATION DEVICE AND METHOD, IMAGE PROCESSING DEVICE AND METHOD, IMAGING DEVICE, AND NON-TRANSITORY COMPUTER-READABLE MEDIUM - A restoration filter generation device that generates a restoration filter to perform restoration processing on luminance system image data that is image data related to luminance, which is generated based on image data of respective colors of multiple colors obtained by an imaging device having an optical system, includes an information acquisition device acquiring transfer function information corresponding to point image distribution in the optical system, for each color of the multiple colors, and a restoration filter generation device generating the restoration filter based on the transfer function information acquired by the information acquisition device and generating the restoration filter that performs phase correction of the luminance system image data according to the transfer function information on a single color of the multiple colors. | 12-31-2015 |
20160037065 | IMAGE SENSOR AND IMAGE PROCESSING APPARATUS USING THE SAME - An image sensor senses object information and converts the sensed object information into an electrical signal. An image processing apparatus uses the image sensor. The image sensor includes a column signal line connected to output terminals of a plurality of pixel sensors, a comparator circuit configured to output a signal corresponding to a comparison result of a signal output to the column signal line and a reference signal, an ADC circuit configured to convert an analog signal corresponding to an optical signal sensed by the pixel sensor selected from the plurality of pixel sensors connected to the column signal line into digital data based on the signal output from the comparator circuit and, a load circuit connected in series to the comparator circuit between the column signal line and a ground terminal, wherein the load circuit is configured as a common load device of the plurality of pixel sensors connected to the column signal line and the comparator circuit. | 02-04-2016 |
20160080625 | SUBSTANCE DETECTION DEVICE - A substance detection device includes an illuminator that illuminates a monitoring range with light at a first wavelength and light at a second wavelength at different timings, an image capturer that obtains a first actual image by capturing an image of the monitoring range which is illuminated by the light at the first wavelength and obtains a second actual image by capturing an image of the monitoring range which is illuminated by the light at the second wavelength, and an image processor that acquires a difference in lightness of corresponding pixels between the first actual image and the second actual image that are obtained by the image capturer, compares the acquired difference in lightness of the corresponding pixels with a reference value, and detects a specific substance that is present in the monitoring range based on a result of the comparison. | 03-17-2016 |
20160112620 | EXPOSURE CONTROL APPARATUS AND CONTROL METHOD THEREOF, IMAGE CAPTURING APPARATUS, AND STORAGE MEDIUM - An exposure control apparatus comprises an acquisition unit including a plurality of pixels that are arranged two-dimensionally, and configured to acquire image data, a compression unit configured to compress the image data and generate compressed data, a calculation unit configured to calculate a first photometric value based on the compressed data, a conversion unit configured to convert the first photometric value into a second photometric value corresponding to the image data before the compression; and an exposure control unit configured to perform exposure control based on the second photometric value. | 04-21-2016 |
20160112621 | LIGHTING CONTROL DEVICE AND LIGHTING CONTROL METHOD - A lighting control device includes: a luminance acquirer that acquires a luminance measured value of a fixed point of an object when the object is viewed from a predetermined viewpoint; and a lighting adjuster that individually controls a plurality of light sources irradiating the object from different directions based on the luminance measured value, and adjusts lighting on the object such that the luminance of the fixed point comes close to a predetermined setting value. | 04-21-2016 |
20160119525 | IMAGE PROCESSING METHODS AND SYSTEMS BASED ON FLASH - At least one example embodiment discloses an image processing system including an image sensor configured to generate image data for a pre-flash frame and a main flash frame and a processor configured to generate a weight matrix based on the pre-flash frame, the weight matrix identifying corresponding brightness values in the pre-flash frame, the processor further configured to adjust at least one of a foreground and a background of the main flash frame based on the weight matrix. | 04-28-2016 |
20160134845 | VISION SUPPORT APPARATUS FOR VEHICLE - A vision support apparatus for a vehicle is disclosed. The vision support apparatus includes a rear side camera, a rear side image display part that displays a rear side image captured with the rear side camera, an input signal generation part that generates an input signal in response to an operation of a driver, a switch signal generation part that generates a switch signal in response to another operation of the driver, and a switching part that switches a display region adjustment function and an image quality adjustment function in response to the switch signal, the display region adjustment function adjusting a display region of the rear side image in response to the input signal, the image quality adjustment function adjusting an image quality of the rear side image in response to the input signal. | 05-12-2016 |
20160150145 | METHOD AND APPARATUS TO CREATE AN EOTF FUNCTION FOR A UNIVERSAL CODE MAPPING FOR AN HDR IMAGE, METHOD AND PROCESS TO USE THESE IMAGES - To enable better encoding of the currently starting to appear high dynamic range images for use in full high dynamic range technical systems (containing an HDR display, and e.g. in an HDR grading application), we invented a method of constructing a code allocation function for allocating pixel colors having pixel luminances to codes encoding such pixel luminances, in which the step of determining the code allocation function to be applied to at least one color coordinate of the pixel to obtain a code value, comprises constructing that function out of at least two partial functions, and similar methods at a receiving side, and apparatuses, and signals for communicating between the two sites. | 05-26-2016 |
20160196640 | IMAGE PROCESSING APPARATUS, IMAGING APPARATUS, AND IMAGE PROCESSING METHOD | 07-07-2016 |
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