Image processing apparatus and imaging device

• US 20080050031A1
• Filed: 03/23/2007
• Published: 02/28/2008
• Est. Priority Date: 08/24/2006
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Kabushiki Kaisha Toshiba (Toshiba Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Kabushiki Kaisha Toshiba (Toshiba Corporation)
• Inventors: Itoh, Goh, Nonaka, Ryosuke
• Granted Patent: US 7,835,590 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 382/260
• CPC Class Codes: G06T 2207/10024 Color image
• CPC Class Codes: G06T 5/20 using local operators
• CPC Class Codes: G06T 5/50 using two or more images, e.g. averaging or subtraction
• CPC Class Codes: G06T 5/70 Denoising; Smoothing
• CPC Class Codes: G06T 5/94 based on local image properties, e.g. for local contrast enhancement

Abstract

An image processing apparatus generates a brightness component image of a low-sensitivity image by applying a smoothing filter to the low-sensitivity image, generates a brightness component image of a high-sensitivity image by applying the smoothing filter to the high-sensitivity image, generates a contrast component image of the low-sensitivity image by dividing the low-sensitivity image by the brightness component image of the low-sensitivity image, generating a contrast component image of the high-sensitivity image by dividing the high-sensitivity image by the brightness component image of the high-sensitivity image, generates a combined brightness component image by combining the brightness component images of the low-sensitivity image and of the high-sensitivity image, generates a combined contrast component image by combining the contrast component images of the low-sensitivity image and of the high-sensitivity image, and finally generates a contrast-expanded image by multiplying the combined brightness component image and the combined contrast component image.

Claims

1. An image processing apparatus comprising:

a first image generator that generates each of a plurality of first images by applying a smoothing filter to each of a plurality of input images of a single object picked up with various sensitivities;

a second image generator that generates each of a plurality of second images by dividing a pixel value of each pixel of the each input image by a pixel value of a collocated pixel of the each first image;

a third image generator that generates a third image by adding pixel values of collocated pixels in the first images;

a fourth image generator that generates a fourth image by multiplying pixel values of collocated pixels in the second images; and

an output image generator that generates an output image by multiplying a pixel value of each pixel of the third image and a pixel value of a collocated pixel of the fourth image.

2. The apparatus of claim 1, further comprising:

an extracting unit that extracts a luminance component, a first color-difference component and a second color-difference component from the each input image to generates each of a plurality of luminance images, a plurality of first color-difference images and a plurality of second color-difference images;

a third color-difference image combining unit that adds pixel values of collocated pixels in the first color-difference images to generate a third color-difference image; and

a fourth color-difference image combining unit that adds pixel values of collocated pixels in the second color-difference images to generate a fourth color-difference image;

wherein the first image generator generates the first images using the luminance images as new input images, and

the output image generator generates a new output image by combining the third color-difference image and the fourth color-difference image with the output image.

3. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the first image generator uses a linear low-pass filter or a non-linear low-pass filter of an edge preservation type as the smoothing filter.

4. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the third image generator generates the third image after having adjusted the each first image to an average gradation level.

5. The apparatus of claim 4, wherein the adjustment of the third image generator comprises:

obtaining a histogram of the first image;

obtaining a weighted average value of the each first image on the basis of the histogram; and

adjusting the each first image to the average gradation level by the weighted average value.

6. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the fourth image is obtained by applying the smoothing filter to the second images and multiplying the pixel values of the collocated pixels of the smoothing filter-applied images.

7. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the output image generator performs threshold value processing so that the multiple value of the third image and the fourth image falls within the gradation level which can be inputted to a display device that displays the output image.

8. An imaging device comprising:

an image pick-up unit that picks up the input images of the single object with at least two sensitivities,

wherein the input images is processed by the image processing apparatus of claim 1.

9. The imaging device of claim 8, wherein the image pick-up unit comprises:

a light-receiving element that acquires a low-sensitivity image; and

a light-receiving element that acquires a high-sensitivity image, the light-receiving element having an aperture larger than that of the light-receiving element of the low-sensitivity image.

10. The imaging device of claim 8, wherein the image pick-up unit comprises:

a light-receiving element that acquires a low-sensitivity image; and

a light-receiving element that acquires a high-sensitivity image, the light-receiving element having a light-receiving time longer than a light-receiving time for the low-sensitivity image.

11. An image processing method comprising:

generating each of a plurality of first images by applying a smoothing filter to each of a plurality of input images of a single object picked up with various sensitivities;

generating each of a plurality of second images by dividing a pixel value of each pixel of the each input image by a pixel value of a collocated pixel of the each first image;

generating a third image by adding pixel values of collocated pixels in the first images;

generating a fourth image by multiplying pixel values of collocated pixels in the second images; and

generating an output image by multiplying a pixel value of each pixel of the third image and a pixel value of a collocated pixel of the fourth image.