Low Noise Gamma Function In Digital Image Capture Systems And Methods

• US 20070263127A1
• Filed: 03/07/2007
• Published: 11/15/2007
• Est. Priority Date: 03/07/2006
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: Transchip Israel Limited (Samsung Electronics Co. Ltd.)
• Original Assignee: TransChip, Inc. (Samsung Electronics Co. Ltd.)
• Inventors: Fainstain, Eugene
• Application Number:
  US11/683,084
• Publication Number:
  US 20070263127A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 348/674
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 23/82 for controlling camera response irrespective of the scene brightness, e.g. gamma correction
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 5/202 Gamma control circuits for controlling camera response irrespective of the scene brightness H04N23/82

Abstract

An image processing system includes a filtering arrangement configured to receive incoming pixel information and filter at least a first portion of the information to thereby pass a second portion of the information for further processing, circuitry configured to apply a gamma function to the second portion to thereby produce a modified second portion, and an adder configured to combine the first portion to the modified second portion.

Claims

1. An image processing system, comprising:

a filtering arrangement configured to receive incoming pixel information and filter at least a first portion of the information to thereby pass a second portion of the information for further processing;

circuitry configured to apply a gamma function to the second portion to thereby produce a modified second portion; and

an adder configured to combine the first portion to the modified second portion.

2. The image processing system of claim 1, further comprising delay circuitry configured to introduce a processing delay to thereby delay processing of the first portion prior to combining the first portion to the modified second portion.

3. The image processing system of claim 1, wherein the filtering arrangement comprises a spatial low-pass filter.

4. The image processing system of claim 3, wherein the spatial low pass filter comprises a multiplication matrix function.

5. The image processing system of claim 4, wherein the multiplication matrix function is applied to a 3×

3 pixel region.

6. The image processing system of claim 1, wherein the spatial low pass filter comprises an infinite impulse response filter.

7. The image processing system of claim 1, wherein the image processing system is comprised by a selection from the group consisting of:

digital still camera, camera phone, and movie camera

8. The image processing system of claim 1, wherein the circuitry configured to apply a gamma function to the second portion to thereby produce a modified second portion comprises a look up table.

9. The image processing system of claim 1, wherein the circuitry configured to apply a gamma function to the second portion to thereby produce a modified second portion comprises a partial look up table and interpolation circuitry.

10. An image processing system, comprising:

means for receiving image information from an image sensor;

means for segmenting the image information into a first portion and a second portion;

means for applying a gamma function to the first portion to produce a modified first portion; and

means for combining the second portion to the modified first portion to thereby produce final image information.

11. The system of claim 10, further comprising means for introducing a processing delay to thereby delay processing of the second portion prior to combining the second portion to the modified first portion.

12. The system of claim 10, wherein the means for segmenting the image information into a first portion and a second portion comprises a spatial low-pass filter.

13. The system of claim 11, wherein the spatial low pass filter comprises a multiplication matrix function.

14. The system of claim 13, wherein the multiplication matrix function is applied to a 3×

3 pixel region.

15. The system of claim 10, wherein the means for segmenting the image information into a first portion and a second portion comprises an infinite impulse response filter.

16. The system of claim 10, wherein the image processing system is comprised by a selection from the group consisting of:

digital still camera, camera phone, and movie camera.

17. The system of claim 10, wherein the means for applying a gamma function to the first portion to produce a modified first portion comprises a look up table.

18. The system of claim 10, wherein the means for applying a gamma function to the first portion to produce a modified first portion comprises a partial look up table and interpolation circuitry.