Apparatus and method for processing image signal and imaging equipment

• US 20030128282A1
• Filed: 01/08/2003
• Published: 07/10/2003
• Est. Priority Date: 01/09/2002
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Sony Corporation (Sony Group Corp.)
• Original Assignee: Sony Corporation (Sony Group Corp.)
• Inventors: Sudo, Fumihiko
• Granted Patent: US 7,304,671 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 348/222.1
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 23/65 Control of camera operation in relation to power supply
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 23/81 for suppressing or minimising disturbance in the image signal generation
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 5/2625 for obtaining an image which is composed of images from a temporal image sequence, e.g. for a stroboscopic effect sequence generated by event triggered capturing H04N7/188

Abstract

An image pickup device picks up an image. An image signal in association with the image is filtered in a time axis direction using a digital low-pass filter to generate an image signal having a reduced dynamic resolution power, which is equivalent to an image signal that would be obtained at a longer exposure time. The filtered signal is then subjected to frame skipping processing to generate an output image signal having a preferred frame period. The resultant signal is equivalent to one obtained by a slow shooting.

Claims

1. An apparatus for processing an image signal, comprising:

a filter for filtering an input image signal in a time axis direction thereof, thereby lowering resolution power for object in the time axis direction in association with said image signal; and

a frame skipping processor for performing frame skipping processing on said input image signal thus filtered, thereby obtaining an output image signal having a preferred frame period.

2. The apparatus according to claim 1, further comprising a controller allowing for altering a filtering coefficient of said filter means.

3. An apparatus for processing an image signal, comprising:

filter means for filtering an input image signal in a time axis direction thereof, thereby lowering resolution power for object in the time axis direction in association with said image signal; and

frame-skipping means for performing frame skipping processing on said input image signal thus filtered, thereby obtaining an output image signal having a preferred frame period.

4. The apparatus according to claim 3, further comprising means for altering a filtering coefficient of said filter means.

5. A method for processing an image signal, comprising steps of:

filtering an input image signal in a time axis direction thereof using a digital low-pass filter, thereby lowering resolution power for object in the time axis direction in association with said input image signal; and

performing frame skipping processing on said input image signal thus filtered, thereby obtaining an output image signal having a preferred frame period.

6. The method for processing an image signal according to claim 5, further comprising a step of altering a filtering coefficient of said digital low-pass filter.

7. Imaging equipment, comprising:

an image pickup device for forming an image signal;

a digital low-pass filter for filtering said image signal in a time axis direction thereof, thereby lowering resolution power for object in the time axis direction in association with said image signal;

a frame skipping processor for performing frame skipping processing on the image signal obtained through said filtering, thereby forming an output image signal having a preferred frame period; and

a controller for controlling generation of said image signal in said image pickup device, filtering characteristic of said digital low-pass filter, and said frame skipping processing in said frame skipping processor.

8. The imaging equipment according to claim 7,

wherein said controller allows for varying the frame period of said image signal generated by said image pickup device within a predetermined range, and

wherein said controller controls frame skipping processing performed by said frame skipping processor, thereby obtaining an output image signal having said preferred frame period.

9. The imaging equipment according to claim 7, further comprising a switch for selecting either one of said image signal generated by said image pickup device and said image filtered signal by said digital low-pass filter to output said selected image signal to an image monitor.

10. The imaging equipment according to claim 7, wherein said controller allows for varying a filtering coefficient of said digital low-pass filter, thereby regulating the lowering in said resolution power.

11. Imaging equipment, comprising:

image pickup means for picking up an objected image and forming an image signal;

a digital low-pass filter for filtering said image signal in a time axis direction thereof, thereby lowering resolution power for object in the time axis direction in association with said image signal;

frame-skipping means for performing frame skipping processing on said image signal obtained through said filtering, thereby forming an output image signal having a preferred frame period; and

control means for controlling generation of said image signal in said image pickup means, filtering characteristic of said digital low-pass filter, and said frame skipping processing in said frame skipping means.

12. The imaging equipment according to claim 11,

wherein said control means allows for varying the frame period of said image signal generated by said image pickup means within a predetermined range, and

wherein said control means controls frame skipping processing performed by said frame skipping means, thereby obtaining an output image signal having said preferred frame period.

13. The imaging equipment according to claim 11, further comprising a switching means for selecting either one of said image signal generated by said image pickup means and said filtered image signal by said digital low-pass filter to output said selected image signal to an image monitor.

14. The imaging equipment according to claim 11, wherein said control means allows for varying a filtering coefficient of said digital low-pass filter, thereby regulating the lowering in said resolution power.