IMAGE PROCESSING APPARATUS, METHOD AND PROGRAM, AND RECORDING MEDIUM

• US 20090015683A1
• Filed: 03/15/2006
• Published: 01/15/2009
• Est. Priority Date: 03/15/2005
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: Omron Corporation
• Original Assignee: Omron Corporation
• Inventors: Ando, Tanichi
• Application Number:
  US11/908,939
• Publication Number:
  US 20090015683A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 348/222.100
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 1/24 in front of the vehicle
• CPC Class Codes: G06T 2207/20012 Locally adaptive
• CPC Class Codes: G06T 2207/20208 High dynamic range [HDR] image processing
• CPC Class Codes: G06T 5/40 using histogram techniques
• CPC Class Codes: G06T 5/94 based on local image properties, e.g. for local contrast enhancement
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 23/741 by increasing the dynamic range of the image compared to the dynamic range of the electronic image sensors
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 23/76 by influencing the image signals
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 5/20 Circuitry for controlling amplitude response

Abstract

The present invention relates to an image processing apparatus, method and program, and a recording medium configured to be able to clearly display an image captured by a high dynamic range imaging device. A reference region extractor extracts data corresponding to an image of a reference region in the image captured by image pickup unit, and calculates an average value of the luminance of the pixels of the reference region. A clip processing unit allocates the average value of the luminance of the pixels of the reference region to a specified tone in a range of tones capable of being displayed on a display unit, and clips the luminance range corresponding to the range of tones capable of being displayed on the display unit. A tone conversion unit converts image data supplied from the image pickup unit to image data corresponding to the range of tones capable of being displayed on the display unit based on the clipped luminance range, and outputs this image data.

Claims

1. An image processing apparatus, comprising:

imaging means for capturing an image, and outputting data of the captured image;

conversion means for converting a tone of the image, based on data corresponding to an image of a preset region included in an image corresponding to the data outputted from the imaging means, which is an image of an object with a prescribed reflectance; and

display means for displaying an image corresponding to a signal of the image for which the tone has been converted by the conversion means.

2. The image processing apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the imaging means converts an electric charge, which is generated in response to captured light, to an analog electric signal having a voltage value proportional to the logarithm of the number of charges for each pixel, and outputs the image data by converting the analog electric signal to digital data.

3. The image processing apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the imaging means converts an electric current, which is generated in response to captured light, to an analog electric signal having a voltage value proportional to the logarithm of the size of the current for each pixel, and output the image data by converting the analog electric signal to digital data.

4. The image processing apparatus according to claim 1, wherein a range of tones displayable on the display means is made smaller than a range of tones of an image captured by the imaging means.

5. The image processing apparatus according to claim 1, further comprising receiving means for receiving the input of information related to the location of the region in the image.

6. The image processing apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the conversion means comprises:

extraction means for extracting data corresponding to the preset region included in the image;

specification means for specifying a luminance range corresponding to a range of displayable tones in the image based on the data extracted by the extraction means; and

output means for converting the tones of the image to a range of tones displayable on the display means based on the luminance range specified by the specification means, and outputting a signal of data corresponding to the converted image.

7. The image processing apparatus according to claim 6, wherein the extraction means calculates luminance values of pixels in the region based on data corresponding to the region, and specification means specifies the luminance range by allocating the luminance values of the pixels of the region calculated by the extraction means to a preset tone within the range of tones displayable on the display means, and specifying an upper limit value and a lower limit value of luminance corresponding to the range of displayable tones in the image.

8. The image processing apparatus according to claim 7, wherein the conversion means further comprises storage means for storing information related to the location of the region in the image, and information related to a tone, which is within the range of tones displayable on the display means, and which corresponds to the luminance values of the pixels of the region.

9. The image processing apparatus according to claim 7, wherein the conversion means determines a tone, which is within the range of tones displayable on the display means, and which corresponds to the luminance values of the pixels of the region, based on a user selection related to the display of the image of the region.

10. The image processing apparatus according to claim 7, wherein the conversion means determines a tone, which is within the range of tones displayable on the display means, and which corresponds to the luminance values of the pixels of the region, based on the reflectance of the object of the image of the region.

11. The image processing apparatus according to claim 10, further comprising distance measurement means for measuring the distance to the object in the image of the region, wherein the reflectance of the object is calculated based on the distance to the object in the image of the region measured by the distance measurement means, and the luminance values of the pixels of the region.

12. The image processing apparatus according to claim 10, further comprising measurement means for emitting a laser beam on the object in the image of the region, and measuring the reflectance of the object based on the intensity of the light detected by a photodetection unit which receives the reflected light, and the distance to the object calculated based on the time it takes for the reflected light to be detected by the photodetection unit.

13. The image processing apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the imaging means converts either an electrical charge or an electric current, which is generated in response to captured light, to an analog electric signal having a voltage value proportional to the logarithm of either the number of electrical charges or the size of the current for each pixel, and uses the conversion means to carry out tone conversion processing for the analog electrical signal, and

converts the analog electric signal which has been subjected to the processing by the conversion means, to digital data, and outputs the digital data.

14. An image processing method, comprising the steps of:

acquiring data of an image captured by imaging means;

converting a tone of the image based on data corresponding to an image of a preset region included in an image corresponding to the data acquired by the processing in the acquisition step, which is an image of an object with a prescribed reflectance; and

displaying an image corresponding to a signal of the image for which the tone has been converted by the processing in the conversion step.

15. A program, which causes an image processing apparatus to carry out image processing, and causes a computer to execute:

an acquisition control step of controlling the acquisition of data of an image captured by imaging means;

a conversion control step of controlling the conversion of a tone of the image based on data corresponding to an image of a preset region included in an image corresponding to the data acquired by the processing in the acquisition control step, which is an image of an object with a prescribed reflectance; and

a display control step of controlling the display of an image corresponding to a signal of the image for which the tone has been converted by the processing in the conversion control step.

16. A recording medium recorded with a program for causing an image processing apparatus to carry out image processing, and a program for causing a computer to execute:

an acquisition control step of controlling the acquisition of data of an image captured by imaging means;

a conversion control step of controlling the conversion of a tone of the image based on data corresponding to an image of a preset region included in an image corresponding to the data acquired by the processing in the acquisition control step, which is an image of an object with a prescribed reflectance; and

a display control step of controlling the display of an image corresponding to a signal of the image for which the tone has been converted by the processing in the conversion control step.