Image processing apparatus utilizing a conventional signal processor to process high-definition electronic camera signals

• US 5,627,603 A
• Filed: 06/27/1996
• Issued: 05/06/1997
• Est. Priority Date: 06/30/1992
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Canon Kabushiki Kaisha (Canon Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Canon Kabushiki Kaisha (Canon Inc.)
• Inventors: Sakai, Shinji
• Primary Examiner(s): HSIA, SHERRIE Y
• Application Number:
  US08/671,079
• Time in Patent Office: 313 Days
• Field of Search: 348/222, 348/231, 348/571, 348/708, 348/714, 348/721, 348/719, 358/21 R, 358/160, 358/37, 358/166, 358/41, 358/909, 358/909.1, 358/433
• US Class Current: 348/708
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 25/00 Circuitry of solid-state image sensors [SSIS]; Control thereof

Abstract

An image processing apparatus utilizing a conventional standard signal processor which is economically produced to perform processing of signals from a high-definition electronic camera. The apparatus comprises a first memory for sequentially storing input image data along a scanning line in pixel units, a control unit for sequentially reading out the image data stored in the first memory in a scanning line direction by a plurality of pixels in a vertical direction in scanning line units, a converter for converting the image data sequentially read out of the first memory into parallel image data, and a standard signal processor for performing a predetermined signal processing based on the parallel image data outputted from the converter.

Claims

1. An image processing apparatus comprising:

a first memory for storing input image data along a scanning line in pixel units;

control means for dividing the image data stored in said first memory into a plurality of blocks, and reading out the image data blocks sequentially in block units; and

a standard signal processor for performing a predetermined signal processing based on the image data read out in the block units;

wherein said standard signal processor generates at least one of a luminance signal and color difference signals by operating on the image data sequentially read out of said first memory in a predetermined block unit.

2. The image processing apparatus according to claim 1, wherein, information for one image of the input image data, at a time, is stored in said first memory.

3. The image processing apparatus according to claim 1, wherein said standard signal processor generates at least one of the luminance signal and the color difference signals from the image data obtained by a standard resolution electronic camera.

4. The image processing apparatus according to claim 3, wherein the input image data is an image data outputted from a high-definition electronic camera, and the plurality of blocks are blocks divided by the number of pixels corresponding to a number of pixels for one image by the standard resolution electronic camera.

5. The image processing apparatus according to claim 4, wherein when said standard signal processor processes a block of said plurality of blocks which does not include a black level detecting portion at an end portion of an image of the high-definition electronic camera, said control means reads information of the black level detecting portion out of said first memory, and reads out image information of the block which does not include the black level detecting portion.

6. The image processing apparatus according to claim 1, further comprising a second memory for storing output data from said standard signal processor.

7. An image processing apparatus comprising:

a first memory for storing input image data along a scanning line in pixel units;

control means for dividing the image data stored in said first memory into a plurality of blocks, and for reading out the image data blocks sequentially in block units; and

a standard signal processor for performing a predetermined signal processing based upon the image data read out in the block units, said standard signal processor generating at least one of a luminance signal and color difference signals from image data obtained by a standard resolution electronic camera.

8. Apparatus according to claim 7, wherein the input image data comprises image data outputted from a high-definition electronic camera, and wherein the plurality of blocks are blocks divided by the number of pixels corresponding to a number of pixels for one image by the standard resolution electronic camera.

9. Apparatus according to claim 8, wherein when said standard signal processor processes a block of said plurality of blocks which does not include a black level detecting portion at an end portion of an image of the high-definition electronic camera, said control means reads information of the black level detecting portion out of said first memory, and reads out image information of the block which does not include the black level detecting portion.

10. Apparatus according to claim 7, further comprising a second memory for storing output data from said standard signal processor.

11. An image processing apparatus comprising:

a first memory for storing input image data along a scanning line in pixel units;

control means for dividing the image data stored in said first memory into a plurality of blocks, and for reading out the image data blocks sequentially in block units; and

a low-definition signal processor for performing a predetermined signal processing based upon the image data read out in the block units, said low-definition signal processor generating at least one of a luminance signal and color difference signals from image data obtained by a low definition electronic camera.

12. Apparatus according to claim 11, wherein the input image data comprises image data outputted from a high-definition electronic camera and wherein each of the plurality of blocks has a number of pixels which can be processed by the low-definition electronic camera as one block.

13. Apparatus according to claim 12, wherein when said low-definition signal processor processes one of said plurality of blocks which does not include a block level detecting portion, said control means reads information of a black level detecting portion of the image data outputted from the high-definition electronic camera out of said first memory, and reads out image information of a block which does not include the black level detecting portion.

14. Apparatus according to claim 11, further comprising a second memory for storing output data from said low-definition signal processor.