Image sensing apparatus and image processing method

• US 8,228,397 B2
• Filed: 10/20/2010
• Issued: 07/24/2012
• Est. Priority Date: 01/31/2006
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Konica Minolta Holdings Incorporated (Konica Minolta Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Konica Minolta Holdings Incorporated (Konica Minolta Inc.)
• Inventors: Katagiri, Tetsuya, Kamon, Koichi, Takayama, Jun
• Primary Examiner(s): Tran, Nhan T
• Application Number:
  US12/908,489
• Publication Number:
  US 20110037870A1
• Time in Patent Office: 643 Days
• Field of Search: 348/222.1, 348/241, 348/252, 348/229.1, 348/273, 348/370, 382/232, 382/263, 382/266, 382/273, 382/274, 382/167, 358/521, 358/532
• US Class Current: 348/222.1
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 23/70 Circuitry for compensating brightness variation in the scene

Abstract

An image sensing apparatus includes: an image sensing section for sensing an image of a subject; a detector for detecting a luminance of the subject; a compressor for compressing a dynamic range of the subject image; and a controller for controlling a compression characteristic to be used in compressing the dynamic range based on a detection result of the detector.

Claims

1. An image sensing apparatus comprising:

an image sensing section for sensing an image of a subject;

a detector for detecting a luminance of the subject;

a compressor for compressing a dynamic range of the subject image; and

a controller for controlling a compression characteristic to be used in compressing the dynamic range based on a detection result of the detector;

a processor for performing a dodging process concerning the dynamic range compression with respect to the subject image;

a parameter setter for setting a first parameter concerning the dodging process to control the compression characteristic;

a converter for performing a gradation conversion process with respect to the subject image; and

a gradation characteristic setter for setting a gradation conversion characteristic concerning the gradation conversion process, wherein the gradation characteristic setter determines the gradation conversion characteristic based on the first parameter, and the converter performs the gradation conversion process based on the gradation conversion characteristic.

2. The image sensing apparatus according to claim 1, wherein

the processor performs the dodging process by compressing an illumination component extracted from the subject image, and generating a new image based on the compressed illumination component and a reflectance component extracted from the subject image, and

the gradation characteristic setter determines the gradation conversion characteristic based on the first parameter representing a degree of compression in a luminance range where the illumination component is to be compressed.

3. The image sensing apparatus according to claim 2, wherein

the gradation conversion setter determines the gradation conversion characteristic based on information, as the first parameter, relating to a first luminance level corresponding to a predetermined compression start level in the luminance range where the illumination component is to be compressed, and a second luminance level higher than the compression start level.

4. The image sensing apparatus according to claim 3, wherein

the first luminance level is a luminance level equal to or larger than a main subject luminance corresponding to a predetermined luminance value of a main subject image, and

in the case where the first luminance level is defined as an input value for the gradation conversion process, the gradation characteristic setter determines the gradation conversion characteristic in such a manner that an output value for the gradation conversion process with respect to the gradation conversion input value is set to a small value if the degree of compression of the illumination component is large, and that the gradation conversion output value with respect to the gradation conversion input value is set to a large value if the degree of compression of the illumination component is small.

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

in the case where a proper output value for the gradation conversion process concerning a main subject image is set to I0′

, the gradation characteristic setter determines, when an input value for the gradation conversion process concerning a main subject luminance is I0, the gradation conversion characteristic that enables to convert I0 to I0′

.

6. An image sensing apparatus comprising:

an image sensing section for sensing an image of a subject;

a detector for detecting a luminance of the subject;

a compressor for compressing a dynamic range of the subject image; and

a controller for controlling a compression characteristic to be used in compressing the dynamic range based on a detection result of the detector;

a processor for performing a dodging process concerning the dynamic range compression with respect to the subject image;

a parameter setter for setting a first parameter concerning the dodging process to control the compression characteristic;

a sharpness corrector for performing a sharpness correction process with respect to the subject image; and

a correction amount setter for setting a sharpness correction amount concerning the sharpness correction process, wherein the correction amount setter determines the sharpness correction amount based on the first parameter, and the sharpness corrector performs the sharpness correction process based on the sharpness correction amount.

7. The image sensing apparatus according to claim 6, wherein

the dodging process is realized by performing a computation process locally with respect to a plurality of image areas obtained by dividing the subject image, and

the first parameter is a size of each of the image areas to which the local computation process is to be performed.

8. The image sensing apparatus according to claim 6, wherein

the processor performs the dodging process by compressing an illumination component extracted from the subject image, and generating a new image based on the compressed illumination component and a reflectance component extracted from the subject image, and

the first parameter is a size of a filter for extracting the illumination component from the subject image, and

the correction amount setter determines the sharpness correction amount based on the size of the filter.

9. The image sensing apparatus according to claim 6, wherein

the dodging process is realized by performing a contrast correction process locally with respect to a plurality of image areas obtained by dividing the subject image, and

the first parameter is a size of each of the image areas to which the local contrast correction process is to be performed.

10. The image sensing apparatus according to claim 7, wherein

the correction amount setter changes a frequency characteristic for edge extraction to be used by the sharpness corrector in accordance with the sharpness correction amount determined based on the size of the each of the image areas to which the local computation process is to be performed.

11. The image sensing apparatus according to claim 7, wherein

the correction amount setter changes an edge emphasis amount to be used by the sharpness corrector in accordance with the sharpness correction amount determined based on the size of the each of the image areas to which the local computation process is to be performed.