IMAGE PROCESSING DEVICE, IMAGING DEVICE, EVALUATION DEVICE, IMAGE PROCESSING METHOD, AND OPTICAL SYSTEM EVALUATION METHOD

• US 20100246967A1
• Filed: 09/11/2009
• Published: 09/30/2010
• Est. Priority Date: 09/17/2008
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Panasonic Corporation (Panasonic Holdings Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Panasonic Corporation (Panasonic Holdings Corporation)
• Inventors: Korenaga, Tsuguhiro, Ando, Takamasa
• Granted Patent: US 8,346,010 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 382/190
• CPC Class Codes: G06T 5/40 using histogram techniques
• CPC Class Codes: G06T 5/92 based on global image properties
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 1/4074 using histograms
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 25/61 the noise originating only from the lens unit, e.g. flare, shading, vignetting or "cos4"

Abstract

An image processing device that can highly precisely correct an image with a degraded image quality due to the unnecessary diffracted light generated in the optical system including the diffractive optical element is provided. The image processing device includes an evaluation area setting unit (111) which detects a saturated pixel having a saturated luminance value, from among pixels included in the image and to set an area in the image including the detected saturated pixel as an evaluation area, a pixel count calculating unit (112) which calculates a pixel count for each of luminance values of pixels included in the set evaluation area, a first luminance value determining unit (113) which determines a first luminance value indicating a maximum luminance of an image of the unnecessary diffracted light, based on a transition of calculated pixel counts arranged in order of luminance value, a second luminance value determining unit (114) which determines a second luminance value which is a luminance value corresponding to a background of the image, and a correction unit (116) which corrects a luminance value of a pixel of luminance lower than luminance of the first luminance value and higher than luminance of the second luminance value from among the pixels included in the evaluation area so as to lower the luminance of the pixel.

Claims

1. An image processing device which corrects an image with a degraded image quality due to unnecessary diffracted light generated in an optical system including a diffractive optical element, said image processing device comprising:

an evaluation area setting unit configured to detect a saturated pixel having a saturated luminance value, from among pixels included in the image and to set an area in the image including the detected saturated pixel as an evaluation area;

a pixel count calculating unit configured to calculate a pixel count for each of luminance values of pixels included in the set evaluation area;

a first luminance value determining unit configured to determine a first luminance value indicating a maximum luminance of an image of the unnecessary diffracted light, based on a transition of calculated pixel counts arranged in order of luminance value;

a second luminance value determining unit configured to determine a second luminance value which is a luminance value corresponding to a background of the image; and

a correction unit configured to correct a luminance value of a pixel of luminance lower than luminance of the first luminance value and higher than luminance of the second luminance value from among the pixels included in the evaluation area so as to lower the luminance of the pixel.

2. The image processing device according to claim 1,

wherein, when the image includes a plurality of saturated pixels having the saturated pixel, said evaluation area setting unit is configured to set a saturated pixel group by grouping neighboring saturated pixels and to set the evaluation area for the set saturated pixel group.

3. The image processing device according to claim 2,

wherein said evaluation area setting unit is configured to set the evaluation area that becomes larger as the saturated pixel group becomes larger.

4. The image processing device according to claim 3,

wherein said evaluation area setting unit is configured to set an imaging range of diffracted light of a predetermined diffraction order as the evaluation area, the diffracted light corresponding to the saturated pixel group and being included in the unnecessary diffracted light.

5. The image processing device according to claim 1,

wherein said first luminance value determining unit is configured to determine, as the first luminance value, a luminance value exceeding a predetermined pixel count for the first time while tracing a transition of the pixel counts from high luminance to low luminance.

6. The image processing device according to claim 1,

wherein said first luminance value determining unit is configured to calculate a luminance value of highest luminance among luminance values each of which is in a highest point of an upper convex formed by a transition of the pixel counts except a luminance value of the saturated pixel, in a case where a horizontal axis represents the luminance values and a vertical axis represents the pixel counts, and to determine, as the first luminance value, a luminance value of luminance higher than the calculated luminance value and lower than luminance value of the saturated pixel.

7. The image processing device according to claim 1,

wherein said second luminance value determining unit is configured to determine the second luminance value based on a luminance value of a pixel at an edge of the evaluation area.

8. The image processing device according to claim 1,

wherein said second luminance value determining unit is configured to determine, as the second luminance value, a luminance value of lowest luminance among luminance values each of which is in a highest point of an upper convex formed by a transition of the pixel counts, in a case where a horizontal axis represents the luminance values and a vertical axis represents the pixel counts.

9. The image processing device according to claim 1,

wherein each of the pixels included in the image has luminance values each of which corresponds to a corresponding one of wavelength bands,

said evaluation area setting unit is configured to set the evaluation area for each of the wavelength bands,

said pixel count calculating unit is configured to calculate the pixel count for each of the wavelength bands,

said first luminance value determining unit is configured to determine the first luminance value for each of the wavelength bands,

said second luminance value determining unit is configured to determine the second luminance value for each of the wavelength bands, and

said correction unit is configured to correct the luminance value for each of the wavelength bands.

10. The image processing device according to claim 1,

wherein the luminance value corresponds to a specific wavelength band only.

11. The image processing device according to claim 1,

wherein an image of the unnecessary diffracted light is composed of groups of pixels.

12. The image processing device according to claim 1, further comprising

a determining unit configured to determine whether or not the second luminance value is smaller than a predetermined threshold,

wherein said correction unit is configured to correct the luminance value only when said determining unit determines that the second luminance value is smaller than the predetermined threshold.

15. An imaging device which corrects an image with a degraded image quality due to unnecessary diffracted light, said imaging device comprising:

an optical system including a diffractive optical element;

an imaging system which captures light that is transmitted said optical system; and

the image processing device according to claim 1.

13. An image processing method for correcting an image with a degraded image quality due to unnecessary diffracted light generated in an optical system including a diffractive optical element, said image processing method comprising:

detecting a saturated pixel having a saturated luminance value, from among pixels included in the image and setting an area in the image including the detected saturated pixel as an evaluation area;

calculating a pixel count for each of luminance values of pixels included in the set evaluation area;

determining a first luminance value indicating a maximum luminance of an image of the unnecessary diffracted light, based on a transition of calculated pixel counts arranged in order of luminance value;

determining a second luminance value which is a luminance value corresponding to a background of the image; and

correcting a luminance value of a pixel of luminance lower than luminance of the first luminance value and higher than luminance of the second luminance value from among the pixels included in the evaluation area so as to lower the luminance of the pixel.

14. A program for correcting an image with a degraded image quality due to unnecessary diffracted light generated in an optical system including a diffractive optical element, said program causing the computer to execute:

detecting a saturated pixel having a saturated luminance value, from among pixels included in the image and setting an area in the image including the detected saturated pixel as an evaluation area;

calculating a pixel count for each of luminance values of pixels included in the set evaluation area;

determining a first luminance value indicating a maximum luminance of an image of the unnecessary diffracted light, based on a transition of calculated pixel counts arranged in order of luminance value;

determining a second luminance value which is a luminance value corresponding to a background of the image; and

correcting a luminance value of a pixel of luminance lower than luminance of the first luminance value and higher than luminance of the second luminance value from among the pixels included in the evaluation area so as to lower the luminance of the pixel.

16. An evaluation apparatus which evaluates capability, regarding unnecessary diffracted light, of an optical system including a diffractive optical element, said evaluation apparatus comprising:

a light source arranged at a predetermined distance from the optical system;

an imaging system which captures light which is from said light source and is transmitted said optical system;

an evaluation area determining unit configured to detect a saturated pixel having a saturated luminance value, from among pixels included in the image and to set an area in the image including the detected saturated pixel as an evaluation area;

a pixel count calculating unit configured to calculate a pixel count for each of luminance values of pixels included in the set evaluation area;

a first luminance value determining unit configured to determine a first luminance value indicating a maximum luminance of an image of the unnecessary diffracted light, based on a transition of calculated pixel counts arranged in order of luminance value;

a second luminance value determining unit configured to determine a second luminance value which is a luminance value corresponding to a background of the image; and

an evaluation unit configured to evaluate the capability of the optical system regarding the unnecessary diffracted light, using a luminance value of a pixel of luminance lower than luminance of the first luminance value and higher than luminance of the second luminance value from among the pixels included in the evaluation area.

17. The evaluation apparatus according to claim 16,

wherein said light source is point source of light.

18. The evaluation apparatus according to claim 16, further comprising

an object lens which is arranged between the optical system and said imaging system and magnifies an image formed by the optical system.

19. An evaluation method for an evaluation apparatus which evaluates capability, regarding unnecessary diffracted light, of an optical system including a diffractive optical element,

wherein the evaluation apparatus includes:

a light source arranged at a predetermined distance from the optical system; and

an imaging system which captures light which is from said light source and is transmitted said optical system, and

said evaluation method comprising;

detecting a saturated pixel having a saturated luminance value, from among pixels included in the image and setting an area in the image including the detected saturated pixel as an evaluation area;

calculating a pixel count for each of luminance values of pixels included in the set evaluation area;

determining a first luminance value indicating a maximum luminance of an image of the unnecessary diffracted light, based on a transition of calculated pixel counts arranged in order of luminance value;

determining a second luminance value which is a luminance value corresponding to a background of the image; and

evaluating the capability of the optical system regarding the unnecessary diffracted light, using a luminance value of a pixel of luminance lower than luminance of the first luminance value and higher than luminance of the second luminance value from among the pixels included in the evaluation area.

20. A program for an evaluation apparatus which evaluates capability, regarding unnecessary diffracted light, of an optical system including a diffractive optical element,

wherein the evaluation apparatus includes:

a light source arranged at a predetermined distance from the optical system; and

an imaging system which captures light which is from said light source and is transmitted said optical system, and

said program causing the computer to execute;

detecting a saturated pixel having a saturated luminance value, from among pixels included in the image and setting an area in the image including the detected saturated pixel as an evaluation area;

calculating a pixel count for each of luminance values of pixels included in the set evaluation area;

determining a first luminance value indicating a maximum luminance of an image of the unnecessary diffracted light, based on a transition of calculated pixel counts arranged in order of luminance value;

determining a second luminance value which is a luminance value corresponding to a background of the image; and

evaluating the capability of the optical system regarding the unnecessary diffracted light, using a luminance value of a pixel of luminance lower than luminance of the first luminance value and higher than luminance of the second luminance value from among the pixels included in the evaluation area.