Imaging device and method of processing imaging result in imaging device

• US 20060274386A1
• Filed: 05/25/2006
• Published: 12/07/2006
• Est. Priority Date: 06/01/2005
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Hangzhou Hikvision Digital Technology Company Limited
• Original Assignee: Sony Corporation (Sony Group Corp.)
• Inventors: Ishigami, Koichiro, Mizukura, Takami, Katoh, Naoya, Okada, Miyuki, Wakazono, Masafumi, Hayakawa, Hirofumi
• Granted Patent: US 8,223,410 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 358/518
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 23/88 for colour balance, e.g. white-balance circuits or colour temperature control

Abstract

The present invention relates to an imaging device and a method of processing an imaging result in an imaging device, and is applied to e.g. an electronic still camera to thereby allow the camera to correct image quality readily and flexibly with avoiding the deterioration of the image quality effectively. In the present invention, a three-dimensional look-up table is provided and an imaging result (Y2, Cb2, Cr2) is corrected by use of the three-dimensional look-up table.

Claims

1. An imaging device comprising:

an imaging element that outputs an imaging result of an optical image formed on an imaging plane;

a lens that forms the optical image on the imaging plane;

an image processor that implements color adjustment for the imaging result by use of a three-dimensional look-up table (3D-LUT); and

a recorder that records the imaging result processed by the image processor in a recording medium.

2. The imaging device according to claim 1, further comprising:

a memory that stores a plurality of kinds of correction data to be set in the 3D-LUT; and

a controller that selects correction data from the plurality of kinds of correction data stored in the memory, and sets the selected correction data in the 3D-LUT.

3. The imaging device according to claim 1, further comprising:

a memory that stores a plurality of kinds of correction data to be set in the 3D-LUT; and

a controller that creates correction data through interpolation arithmetic processing with use of the plurality of kinds of correction data stored in the memory, and sets the created correction data in the 3D-LUT.

4. The imaging device according to claim 2, further comprising

a display unit that displays the imaging result, wherein

the controller causes the display unit to display a menu including a plurality of kinds of items corresponding to the plurality of kinds of correction data, and accepts selection of an item by a user, and

correction data that corresponds to the item selected by the user is set in the 3D-LUT.

5. The imaging device according to claim 3, further comprising

a display unit that displays the imaging result, wherein

the controller causes the display unit to display a menu including a plurality of kinds of items corresponding to the plurality of kinds of correction data, and accepts selection of a first item and a second item,

the controller sets on the display unit a setting screen for an intermediate tone of the selected first and second items, and accepts setting of a weighting factor for the intermediate tone, and

correction data produced through interpolation arithmetic processing with use of the weighting factor and correction data corresponding to the first and second items is set in the 3D-LUT as the created correction data.

6. The imaging device according to claim 2, wherein

the controller selects the correction data to be set in the 3D-LUT in accordance with an imaging condition that can be detected at the time of acquisition of the imaging result by the imaging element.

7. The imaging device according to claim 3, wherein

the controller sets an interpolation factor to be used for the interpolation arithmetic processing in accordance with an imaging condition that can be detected at the time of acquisition of the imaging result by the imaging element.

8. The imaging device according to claim 1, further comprising

a controller that sets correction data in the 3D-LUT after weighting the correction data with a weighting factor, wherein

the controller adjusts image quality of the imaging result by controlling the weighting factor.

9. The imaging device according to claim 1, further comprising

a controller that adjusts image quality of the imaging result, wherein

the image processor weights an output value from the 3D-LUT with a weighting factor and outputs the weighted output value, and

the controller controls the weighting factor to thereby adjust the image quality of the imaging result.

10. The imaging device according to claim 1, further comprising

a controller that adjusts image quality of the imaging result, wherein

the 3D-LUT is a plurality of 3D-LUTs,

the image processor synthesizes output values from the plurality of 3D-LUTs to thereby implement the color adjustment, and

the controller controls a weighting factor for synthesis of the output values to thereby adjust the image quality of the imaging result.

11. The imaging device according to claim 8, further comprising

a display unit that displays the imaging result, wherein

the controller causes the display unit to display a setting screen, and accepts setting of the weighting factor by input through the setting screen.

12. The imaging device according to claim 9, further comprising

a display unit that displays the imaging result, wherein

the controller causes the display unit to display a setting screen, and accepts setting of the weighting factor by input through the setting screen.

13. The imaging device according to claim 10, further comprising

a display unit that displays the imaging result, wherein

the controller causes the display unit to display a setting screen, and accepts setting of the weighting factor by input through the setting screen.

14. The imaging device according to claim 8, wherein

the controller sets the weighting factor in accordance with an imaging condition that can be detected only at the time of acquisition of the imaging result by the imaging element.

15. The imaging device according to claim 9, wherein

the controller sets the weighting factor in accordance with an imaging condition that can be detected only at the time of acquisition of the imaging result by the imaging element.

16. The imaging device according to claim 10, wherein

the controller sets the weighting factor in accordance with an imaging condition that can be detected only at the time of acquisition of the imaging result by the imaging element.

17. The imaging device according to claim 1, wherein

the image processor implements clipping, without changing a hue, for the imaging result that ranges beyond a range of a color space defined by a recording format of recording in the recording medium, and outputs a resultant imaging result, the clipping depending on setting of correction data set in the 3D-LUT.

18. The imaging device according to claim 1, wherein

the 3D-LUT is designed so that respective axes have different resolutions.

19. The imaging device according to claim 1, wherein

the image processor includes:

an input-side color space converter that converts a color space of an imaging result from the imaging element, and outputs a resultant imaging result as data to be processed by the 3D-LUT; and

an output-side color space converter that converts a color space of a processing result by the 3D-LUT with a reverse characteristic of a characteristic of the input-side color space converter, and outputs a resultant imaging result.

20. The imaging device according to claim 1, wherein

the image processor divides a color space of an imaging result from the imaging element into a plurality of areas, and determines which area the imaging result belongs to, and

the image processor switches access to the 3D-LUT depending on a determination result.

21. The imaging device according to claim 1, further comprising

a controller that sets correction data in the 3D-LUT, wherein

the controller creates the correction data by setting an imaging result obtained by another imaging device as a target value, and sets the created correction data in the 3D-LUT.

22. A method of processing an imaging result in an imaging device, comprising

implementing color adjustment for an imaging result obtained by an imaging element by use of a three-dimensional loop-up table.