IMAGE PROCESSOR, IMAGE PROCESSING METHOD, AND COMPUTER-READABLE MEDIUM

• US 20120020556A1
• Filed: 07/20/2011
• Published: 01/26/2012
• Est. Priority Date: 07/21/2010
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Casio Computer Company Limited
• Original Assignee: Casio Computer Company Limited
• Inventors: MANABE, Yoshitsugu
• Granted Patent: US 8,472,713 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 382/167
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 23/741 by increasing the dynamic range of the image compared to the dynamic range of the electronic image sensors

Abstract

There is provided an image processor for processing input image data having a luminance component and other components, which are defined in a prescribed color space. The image processor includes: a first emphasis processor configured to process first image data so as to emphasize the contrast of the first image data in accordance with a first emphasis amount, wherein the first image data correspond to the luminance component of the input image data; a second emphasis processor configured to process second image data so as to emphasize the chroma of the second image data in accordance with the first emphasis amount, wherein the second image data correspond to said other components of the input image data; and an image data generator configured to generate new image data by combining the contrast-emphasized first image data and the chroma-emphasized second image data.

Claims

1. An image processor for processing input image data having a luminance component and other components, which are defined in a prescribed color space, the image processor comprising:

a first emphasis processor configured to process first image data so as to emphasize the contrast of the first image data in accordance with a first emphasis amount, wherein the first image data correspond to the luminance component of the input image data;

a second emphasis processor configured to process second image data so as to emphasize the chroma of the second image data in accordance with the first emphasis amount, wherein the second image data correspond to said other components of the input image data; and

an image data generator configured to generate new image data by combining the contrast-emphasized first image data and the chroma-emphasized second image data

2. The image processor according to claim 1,

wherein the first emphasis processor is configured to process the first image data so as to emphasize the contrast of respective pixels of the first image data in accordance with the first emphasis amount, wherein the first emphasis amount is varied depending on the respective pixels which are located at different positions of the first image data, and

wherein the second emphasis processor is configured to process the second image data so as to emphasize the chroma of respective pixels of the second image data in accordance with a second emphasis amount, wherein the second emphasis amount is varied depending on the respective pixels which are located at different positions of the second image data, and the second emphasis amount is varied depending on variation of the first emphasis amount.

3. The image processor according to claim 2,

wherein the second emphasis processor comprises:

a total chroma emphasis processor configured to emphasize the chroma of the respective pixels of the second image data in accordance with a third emphasis amount, wherein the third emphasis amount is uniform for the respective pixels which are located at different positions of the second image data; and

an acquiring unit configured to acquire the second emphasis amount, and

wherein the second emphasis processor is configured to emphasize the chroma of the second image data by emphasizing the chroma of the respective pixels of the second image data in accordance with the third emphasis amount and emphasizing the chroma of the respective pixels of the second image data in accordance with the second emphasis amount acquired by the acquiring unit

4. The image processor according to claim 1, further comprising:

an image region detector configured to detect a face image region of an object from the input image data, wherein;

if the image region detector detects the face image region of the object, the first emphasis processor emphasizes the contrast of the first image data in accordance with a fourth emphasis amount that is smaller than the first emphasis amount, and the second emphasis processor emphasizes the chroma of the second image data in accordance with a fifth emphasis amount that is varied depending on variation of the fourth emphasis amount.

5. The image processor according to claim 4,

wherein if the image region detector detects the face image region of the object from the input image data, the first emphasis processor emphasizes the contrast of a region around the face image region in the first image data.

6. The image processor according to claim 4,

wherein if the image region detector detects the face image region of the object from the input image data, the second emphasis processor emphasizes the chroma of a region around the face image region in the second image data.

7. The image processor according to claim 1,

wherein the input image data are image data obtained by combining a plurality of images captured in different exposure conditions, and dynamic-range of the input image data is increased.

8. An image processing method for processing input image data having a luminance component and other components, which are defined in a prescribed color space, the method comprising:

(a) processing first image data so as to emphasize the contrast of the first image data in accordance with a first emphasis amount, wherein the first image data correspond to the luminance component of the input image data;

(b) processing second image data so as to emphasize the chroma of the second image data in accordance with the first emphasis amount, wherein the second image data correspond to said other components of the input image data; and

(c) generating new image data by combining the contrast-emphasized first image data and the chroma-emphasized second image data.

9. A computer-readable medium storing a program for causing the computer to process input image data having a luminance component and other components, which are defined in a prescribed color space, in accordance with operations comprising:

(a) processing first image data so as to emphasize the contrast of the first image data in accordance with a first emphasis amount, wherein the first image data correspond to the luminance component of the input image data;

(b) processing second image data so as to emphasize the chroma of the second image data in accordance with the first emphasis amount, wherein the second image data correspond to said other components of the input image data; and

(c) generating new image data by combining the contrast-emphasized first image data and the chroma-emphasized second image data.