Image processing apparatus, image processing method and recording medium on which software for executing the image processing is recorded

• US 6,480,300 B1
• Filed: 04/08/1999
• Issued: 11/12/2002
• Est. Priority Date: 04/08/1998
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Fujifilm Corporation (Fujifilm Holdings Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Fuji Photo Film Co Limited (Fujifilm Holdings Corporation)
• Inventors: Aoyama, Tatsuya
• Primary Examiner(s): ROGERS, SCOTT A
• Application Number:
  US09/288,505
• Time in Patent Office: 1,314 Days
• Field of Search: 358/1.9, 358/532, 358/3.26, 358/3.27, 382/264, 382/260, 382/255, 382/274, 382/273, 382/266, 382/254
• US Class Current: 358/1.9
• CPC Class Codes: G06T 5/75 Unsharp masking
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 1/409 Edge or detail enhancement; Noise or error suppression
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 1/4092 Edge or detail enhancement

Abstract

The image processing apparatus comprises: section for converting the original image signals into conversion image signals which represent an amount corresponding to luminance of a subject, intensity of incident light, or reproducing luminance; section for creating soft-focus processing conversion image signals by subjecting the conversion image signals to preset smoothing processing; and section for inversely converting the soft-focus processing conversion image signals into the digital soft-focusing image signals. The image processing apparatus, the image processing method and the recording media on which software for executing the image processing is recorded that are capable of obtaining a soft-focused image having an effect near to flare, which is obtained in the soft-focusing executed in an analog mode when an image is actually recorded with a camera and capable of obtaining a processed image having an optimum frequency processing effect such as a sharpness-enhanced image, in which the sharpness of the image is enhanced while restricting the deterioration of the graininess of a human skin.

Claims

1. An image processing apparatus for creating digital soft-focusing image signals, which create an soft-focused image, by subjecting digital original image signals to image processing, comprising:

means for converting the original image signals into conversion image signals which represent an amount corresponding to luminance of a subject, intensity of incident light, or reproducing luminance;

means for creating soft-focus processing conversion image signals by subjecting the conversion image signals to preset smoothing processing; and

means for inversely converting the soft-focus processing conversion image signals into the digital soft-focusing image signals.

2. An image processing apparatus according to claim 1, wherein said means for creating the soft-focus processing conversion image signals comprises:

means for creating unsharp image signals from the conversion image signals; and

addition mean for adding the conversion image signals to the unsharp image signals at a preset adding rate to thereby create the soft-focus processing conversion image signals.

3. An image processing apparatus according to claim 2, wherein said means for creating the soft-focus processing conversion image signals further comprises gain adjustment means for adjusting at least one of the gains of the medium frequency component and the high frequency component of the conversion image signals, and wherein said adding means adds the conversion image signals, whose gain has been adjusted by said gain adjustment means, to the unsharp image signals to thereby create the soft-focus processing conversion image signals.

4. An image processing apparatus according to claim 3, wherein said means for creating the soft-focus processing conversion image signals further comprises adding rate adjustment means for adjusting the preset adding rate at which the gain-adjusted conversion image signals are added to the unsharp image signals.

5. An image processing apparatus according to claim 2, wherein said means for creating the soft-focus processing conversion image signals further comprises adding rate adjustment means for adjusting the preset adding rate at which the conversion image signals are added to the unsharp image signals.

6. An image processing apparatus according to claim 5, wherein said means for creating the soft-focus processing conversion image signals further comprises determination means for determining a density in an image using the original image signals, and wherein said adding rate adjustment means adjusts the preset adding rate in accordance with the density in the image determined by said determination means.

7. An image processing apparatus according to claim 2, wherein said means for creating the unsharp image signals is unsharp mask processing means including a lowpass filter.

8. An image processing apparatus according to claim 2, wherein said means for creating the unsharp image signals comprises means for converting the conversion image signals into a luminance signal and unsharp mask processing means for subjecting luminance image signals which have been converted into the luminance signal to unsharp mask processing.

9. An image processing apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the original image signals and the digital soft-focusing image signals are image signals which represent an amount corresponding to an optical density a logarithmic exposure amount.

10. An image processing apparatus for creating digital frequency processing image signals, which create a frequency-processed image, by subjecting digital original image signals to frequency processing, comprising:

means for converting the original image signals into conversion image signals which represent an amount corresponding to luminance of a subject, intensity of incident light, or reproducing luminance;

frequency processing means for carrying out frequency processing using the conversion image signals; and

means for inversely converting the conversion image signals which have been subjected to the frequency processing into the digital frequency processing image signals.

11. An image processing apparatus according to claim 10, wherein said frequency processing is soft-focus processing or sharpness enhancement processing, and said frequency processing means is soft-focus processing means or sharpness enhancement processing means.

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

converting digital original image signals into conversion image signals which represent an amount corresponding to subject luminance, incident light intensity, or reproducing luminance;

creating soft-focus processing conversion image signals by subjecting the resultant conversion image signals to preset smoothing processing; and

inversely converting the resultant soft-focus processing conversion image signals into digital soft-focusing image signals.

13. An image processing method according to claim 12, wherein the soft-focus processing conversion image signals are created by creating unsharp image signals from the conversion image signals and adding the conversion image signals to the unsharp image signals at preset adding rate.

14. An image processing method according to claim 13, wherein the soft-focus processing conversion image signals are created by adjusting at least one of the gains of the medium frequency component and the high frequency component of the conversion image signals and adding the gain-adjusted conversion image signals to the unsharp image signals.

15. An image processing method according to claim 14, wherein the preset adding rate, at which the gain-adjusted conversion image signals are added to the unsharp image signals, is adjusted.

16. An image processing method according to claim 13, wherein the preset adding rate, at which the conversion image signals are added to the unsharp image signals, is adjusted.

17. An image processing method according to claim 16, wherein the density in an image is determined using the original image signals, and the preset adding rate is adjusted in accordance with the determined density in the image.

18. An image processing method according to claim 13, wherein the unsharp image signals are created by unsharp mask processing executed using a lowpass filter.

19. An image processing method according to claim 13, wherein the unsharp image signals are created by converting the conversion image signals into a luminance signal and subjecting luminance image signals, which have been converted into the luminance signal, to unsharp mask processing.

20. An image processing method according to claim 12, wherein the original image signals and the digital soft-focusing image signals are image signals which represent an amount corresponding to an optical density or a logarithmic exposure amount.

23. A recording medium on which software for executing the image processing method according to claim 12 is recorded.

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

converting digital original image signals into conversion image signals which represent an amount corresponding to subject luminance, incident light intensity, or reproducing luminance;

carrying out frequency processing using the resultant conversion image signals; and

inversely converting the resultant frequency-processed conversion image signals into digital frequency-processed image signals.

22. An image processing method according to claim 21, wherein the frequency processing is soft-focus processing or sharpness enhancement processing.

24. A recording medium on which software for executing the image processing method according to claim 21 is recorded.