Image processing apparatus and image processing method

• US 20100260432A1
• Filed: 06/18/2010
• Published: 10/14/2010
• Est. Priority Date: 12/25/2007
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Fujitsu Limited
• Original Assignee: Fujitsu Limited
• Inventors: Shimizu, Masayoshi, Toyoda, Yuushi
• Granted Patent: US 8,311,356 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 382/255
• CPC Class Codes: G06T 2207/20016 Hierarchical, coarse-to-fine, multiscale or multiresolution image processing; Pyramid transform
• CPC Class Codes: G06T 2207/20192 Edge enhancement; Edge preservation
• CPC Class Codes: G06T 5/002 Denoising; Smoothing noise processing or correction adapted to be used in an image pickup device containing and electronic image sensor H04N23/81, H04N25/60 - H04N25/67
• CPC Class Codes: G06T 5/20 using local operators
• CPC Class Codes: G06T 5/70 Denoising; Smoothing

Abstract

An image processing apparatus includes a level-value-limit smoothed-image creating unit, a level-value combining unit, and a smoothed-image creating unit. The level-value-limit smoothed-image creating unit calculates, from the pixels in a received input image within a filter size of the low-pass filters each having different level value ranges, an average value of the pixels in the level value ranges, and creates level-value-limit smoothed images. The level-value combining unit creates a level-value combined image by selecting and combining one or more of the level-value-limit smoothed images. The smoothed-image creating unit determines, based on image information that is different from image information used by the level-value-limit smoothed-image creating unit, a combining ratio of the input image to the level-value combined image and creates a smoothed image by combining the input image and the level-value combined image using the determined combining ratio.

Claims

1. An image processing apparatus comprising:

a level-value-limit smoothed-image creating unit that uses, using low-pass filters to which different level value ranges are set respectively, pixels in a received input image as pixels to be processed, calculates, from the pixels in the input image that includes the pixels to be processed that are included within a filter size of the low-pass filters, an average value of the pixels included in the level value ranges, and creates a plurality of level-value-limit smoothed images that is limited by a plurality of level values;

a level-value combining unit that selects one or more of the level-value-limit smoothed images created by the level-value-limit smoothed-image creating unit and creates a level-value combined image by combining the selected level-value-limit smoothed images; and

a smoothed-image creating unit that determines, on the basis of image information that is different from image information related to an image constituting an input image that is used when a plurality of level-value-limit smoothed images is created by the level-value-limit smoothed-image creating unit, a combining ratio of the input image to the level-value combined image that is combined by the level-value combining unit and creates a smoothed image, in which the input image is blurred, by combining, using the determined combining ratio, the input image and the level-value combined image.

2. The image processing apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the smoothed-image creating unit determines, on the basis of a component that is different from a component to be processed that is used when a plurality of level-value-limit smoothed images is created by the level-value-limit smoothed-image creating unit, a combining ratio of the input image to the level-value combined image that is combined by the level-value combining unit and creates a smoothed image by combining, using the determined combining ratio, the input image and the level-value combined image.

3. The image processing apparatus according to claim 1, wherein, for chrominance component information contained in the input image, using low-pass filters to which different level value ranges are set respectively, the level-value-limit smoothed-image creating unit uses pixels in the input image as pixels to be processed, calculates, from the pixels in the input image that includes the pixels to be processed that are included within the filter size of the low-pass filters, an average value of the pixels included in the level value ranges, and creates a plurality of level-value-limit smoothed images that is limited by the plurality of level values, and

the smoothed-image creating unit determines, on the basis of luminance component information that is different from chrominance component information that is used when a plurality of level-value-limit smoothed images is created by the level-value-limit smoothed-image creating unit, a combining ratio of the input image to the level-value combined image that is combined by the level-value combining unit and creates a smoothed image by combining, using the determined combining ratio, the input image and the level-value combined image.

4. The image processing apparatus according to claim 3, wherein, if luminance component information is larger than chrominance component information that is used when a plurality of level-value-limit smoothed images is created by the level-value-limit smoothed-image creating unit, the smoothed-image creating unit determines a combining ratio in such a manner that a ratio of the input image is larger than that of the level-value combined image that is combined by the level-value combining unit and creates a smoothed image by combining, using the determined combining ratio, the input image and the level-value combined image.

5. The image processing apparatus according to claim 1, wherein

the input image is an image that has been subjected to a grayscale correction process in which grayscale of an image is corrected, and

the smoothed-image creating unit determines, on the basis of grayscale correction information that indicates information on the grayscale correction process obtained from the input image, a combining ratio of the input image to the level-value combined image that is combined by the level-value combining unit and creates a smoothed image by combining, using the determined combining ratio, the input image and the level-value combined image.

6. The image processing apparatus according to claim 1, wherein

the input image is an image that has been subjected to an edge enhancement process in which an edge portion of the image has been corrected, and

the smoothed-image creating unit determines, on the basis of edge enhancement information that indicates information on the edge enhancement process obtained from the input image, a combining ratio of the input image to the level-value combined image that is combined by the level-value combining unit and creates a smoothed image by combining, using the determined combining ratio, the input image and the level-value combined image.

7. An image processing method comprising:

firstly creating a plurality of level-value-limit smoothed images that is limited by plurality of level values by using, while using low-pass filters to which different level value ranges are set respectively, pixels in a received input image as pixels to be processed, and calculating, from the pixels in the input image that includes the pixels to be processed that are included within a filter size of the low-pass filters, an average value of the pixels included in the level value ranges, and;

secondly creating a level-value combined image by selecting one or more of the level-value-limit smoothed images created in the firstly creating and combining the selected level-value-limit smoothed images; and

thirdly creating a smoothed image, in which the input image is blurred, by determining, on the basis of image information that is different from image information related to an image constituting an input image that is used when a plurality of level-value-limit smoothed images is created in the firstly creating, a combining ratio of the input image to the level-value combined image that is created in the secondly creating, and combining, using the determined combining ratio, the input image and the level-value combined image.

8. The image processing method according to claim 7, wherein the thirdly creating includes determining, on the basis of a component that is different from a component to be processed that is used when a plurality of level-value-limit smoothed images is created in the firstly creating, a combining ratio of the input image to the level-value combined image that is created in the secondly creating, and creating a smoothed image by combining, using the determined combining ratio, the input image and the level-value combined image.

9. The image processing method according to claim 7, wherein, the firstly creating includes, for chrominance component information contained in the input image, using low-pass filters to which different level value ranges are set respectively, using pixels in the input image as pixels to be processed, calculating, from the pixels in the input image that includes the pixels to be processed that are included within the filter size of the low-pass filters, an average value of the pixels included in the level value ranges, and creating a plurality of level-value-limit smoothed images that is limited by the plurality of level values, and

the thirdly creating includes determining, on the basis of luminance component information that is different from chrominance component information that is used when a plurality of level-value-limit smoothed images is created in the firstly creating, a combining ratio of the input image to the level-value combined image that is created in the secondly creating, and creating a smoothed image by combining, using the determined combining ratio, the input image and the level-value combined image.

10. The image processing method according to claim 9, wherein, if luminance component information is larger than chrominance component information that is used when a plurality of level-value-limit smoothed images is created in the firstly creating, the thirdly creating includes determining a combining ratio in such a manner that a ratio of the input image is larger than that of the level-value combined image that is created in the secondly creating, and creating a smoothed image by combining, using the determined combining ratio, the input image and the level-value combined image.

11. The image processing method according to claim 7, wherein

the input image is an image that has been subjected to a grayscale correction process in which grayscale of an image is corrected, and

the thirdly creating includes determining, on the basis of grayscale correction information that indicates information on the grayscale correction process obtained from the input image, a combining ratio of the input image to the level-value combined image that is created in the secondly creating, and creating a smoothed image by combining, using the determined combining ratio, the input image and the level-value combined image.

12. The image processing method according to claim 7, wherein

the input image is an image that has been subjected to an edge enhancement process in which an edge portion of the image has been corrected, and

the thirdly creating includes determining, on the basis of edge enhancement information that indicates information on the edge enhancement process obtained from the input image, a combining ratio of the input image to the level-value combined image that is created in the secondly creating, and creating a smoothed image by combining, using the determined combining ratio, the input image and the level-value combined image.

13. A computer readable storage medium having stored therein an image processing program, the image processing program causing a computer to execute a process comprising:

firstly creating a plurality of level-value-limit smoothed images that is limited by plurality of level values by using, while using low-pass filters to which different level value ranges are set respectively, pixels in a received input image as pixels to be processed, and calculating, from the pixels in the input image that includes the pixels to be processed that are included within a filter size of the low-pass filters, an average value of the pixels included in the level value ranges, and;

secondly creating a level-value combined image by selecting one or more of the level-value-limit smoothed images created in the firstly creating and combining the selected level-value-limit smoothed images; and

thirdly creating a smoothed image, in which the input image is blurred, by determining, on the basis of image information that is different from image information related to an image constituting an input image that is used when a plurality of level-value-limit smoothed images is created in the firstly creating, a combining ratio of the input image to the level-value combined image that is created in the secondly creating, and combining, using the determined combining ratio, the input image and the level-value combined image.

14. The computer readable storage medium according to claim 13, wherein the thirdly creating includes determining, on the basis of a component that is different from a component to be processed that is used when a plurality of level-value-limit smoothed images is created in the firstly creating, a combining ratio of the input image to the level-value combined image that is created in the secondly creating, and creating a smoothed image by combining, using the determined combining ratio, the input image and the level-value combined image.

15. The computer readable storage medium according to claim 13, wherein, the firstly creating includes, for chrominance component information contained in the input image, using low-pass filters to which different level value ranges are set respectively, using pixels in the input image as pixels to be processed, calculating, from the pixels in the input image that includes the pixels to be processed that are included within the filter size of the low-pass filters, an average value of the pixels included in the level value ranges, and creating a plurality of level-value-limit smoothed images that is limited by the plurality of level values, and

the thirdly creating includes determining, on the basis of luminance component information that is different from chrominance component information that is used when a plurality of level-value-limit smoothed images is created in the firstly creating, a combining ratio of the input image to the level-value combined image that is created in the secondly creating, and creating a smoothed image by combining, using the determined combining ratio, the input image and the level-value combined image.

16. The computer readable storage medium according to claim 15, wherein, if luminance component information is larger than chrominance component information that is used when a plurality of level-value-limit smoothed images is created in the firstly creating, the thirdly creating includes determining a combining ratio in such a manner that a ratio of the input image is larger than that of the level-value combined image that is created in the secondly creating, and creating a smoothed image by combining, using the determined combining ratio, the input image and the level-value combined image.

17. The computer readable storage medium according to claim 13, wherein

the input image is an image that has been subjected to a grayscale correction process in which grayscale of an image is corrected, and

the thirdly creating includes determining, on the basis of grayscale correction information that indicates information on the grayscale correction process obtained from the input image, a combining ratio of the input image to the level-value combined image that is created in the secondly creating, and creating a smoothed image by combining, using the determined combining ratio, the input image and the level-value combined image.

18. The computer readable storage medium according to claim 13, wherein

the input image is an image that has been subjected to an edge enhancement process in which an edge portion of the image has been corrected, and

the thirdly creating includes determining, on the basis of edge enhancement information that indicates information on the edge enhancement process obtained from the input image, a combining ratio of the input image to the level-value combined image that is created in the secondly creating, and creating a smoothed image by combining, using the determined combining ratio, the input image and the level-value combined image.