Apparatus and method for processing image signal and imaging equipment
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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.
7 Citations
18 Claims
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1-14. -14. (canceled)
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15. An imaging equipment comprising:
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an image pickup device having an image pickup element for forming an image signal of a dynamic resolution power, said image pickup device having a read period longer than a minimum frame period within which said image pickup element operates;
a digital low-pass filter configured to filter the image signal in a time axis direction thereof to lower the dynamic resolution power for an image based on the image signal;
a processor configured to perform frame skipping on the filtered image signal to form an output image signal having a preferred output frame period; and
a controller configured to control (a) the generation of said image signal by said image pickup device, (b) the filtering characteristic of said digital low-pass filter, (c) the reading by said image pickup element and (d) the frame skipping of said processor;
said controller controlling said image pickup device and said processor so that, when the frame period of said output image signal is longer than n (n is an integer) times the minimum frame period but shorter than (n+1) times the minimum frame period, said image pickup device sets the read period of said image pickup device to 1/n times the output frame period and said processor performs frame skipping after every n frames. - View Dependent Claims (16)
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17. An imaging method comprising the steps of:
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forming an image signal of a dynamic resolution power from a pickup device having a read period longer than a minimum frame period within which an image pickup element operates;
filtering the image signal in a time axis direction thereof to lower the dynamic resolution power for an image based on the image signal; and
performing frame skipping on the filtered image signal to form an output image signal having a preferred output frame period;
the read period being set to 1/n times the output frame period and frame skipping being performed after every n frames when the frame period of said output image signal is longer than n (n is an integer) times the minimum frame period but shorter than (n+1) times the minimum frame period. - View Dependent Claims (18)
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Specification