Image processing apparatus, image processing method, and storage medium

• US 9,799,108 B2
• Filed: 05/07/2014
• Issued: 10/24/2017
• Est. Priority Date: 05/08/2013
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Canon Kabushiki Kaisha (Canon Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Canon Kabushiki Kaisha (Canon Inc.)
• Inventors: Tatsumi, Eisaku
• Primary Examiner(s): Thompson, James A
• Assistant Examiner(s): Guo, Xilin
• Application Number:
  US14/272,322
• Publication Number:
  US 20140333649A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,266 Days
• CPC Class Codes: G06T 5/92 based on global image properties
• CPC Class Codes: G09G 2320/0238 Improving the black level
• CPC Class Codes: G09G 2320/0276 for the purpose of adaptation to the characteristics of a display device, i.e. gamma correction
• CPC Class Codes: G09G 2320/066 for control of contrast
• CPC Class Codes: G09G 2320/08 Arrangements within a display terminal for setting, manually or automatically, display parameters of the display terminal
• CPC Class Codes: G09G 2360/144 the light being ambient light
• CPC Class Codes: G09G 2360/16 Calculation or use of calculated indices related to luminance levels in display data
• CPC Class Codes: G09G 3/2092 Details of a display terminals using a flat panel, the details relating to the control arrangement of the display terminal and to the interfaces thereto suitable for both CRT and flat panel G09G5/003; specific for a CRT G09G1/165
• CPC Class Codes: G09G 5/003 Details of a display terminal, the details relating to the control arrangement of the display terminal and to the interfaces thereto specific for a CRT G09G1/165; for a flat panel G09G3/2092

Abstract

An image processing apparatus can correct the influence of contrast caused by a difference between a photopic vision and a scotopic vision to provide an image excellent in image quality. An averaged within-visual-field luminance calculation unit calculates a luminance value in the visual field based on at least one of environmental luminance in the visual field and luminance in a screen on which image data can be displayed. A reverse gamma conversion processing unit corrects the contrast of the image data based on the obtained luminance value in the visual field.

Claims

1. An image processing apparatus comprising:

an image acquisition unit configured to acquire image data;

a brightness acquisition unit configured to acquire brightness information relating to ambient brightness of a display area of an image based on the image data;

a control unit configured to control contrast of the image data acquired by the image acquisition unit, by using the brightness information acquired by the brightness acquisition unit, such that contrast corresponding to a first range of gradation values is higher in a first case where brightness information indicating a brightness lower than a predetermined brightness is acquired by the brightness acquisition unit in comparison with a second case where brightness information indicating a brightness higher than the predetermined brightness is acquired by the brightness acquisition unit, and such that contrast corresponding to a second range of gradation values is lower in the first case in comparison with the second case, wherein gradation values of the first range is less than the gradation values of the second range; and

a display control unit configured to display an image based on the image data whose contrast has been controlled by the control unit.

2. The image processing apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the control unit is configured to control the contrast of the image data acquired by the image acquisition unit by controlling a value relating to gamma correction.

3. The image processing apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the brightness acquisition unit is further configured to acquire an averaged luminance value of a plurality of image frames acquired by the image acquisition unit, as second brightness information, and

wherein the control unit controls the contrast of the image data acquired by the image acquisition unit, by using the brightness information and the second brightness information acquired by the brightness acquisition unit.

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

a table configured to associate the brightness information acquired by the brightness acquisition unit with a parameter relating to a control amount of the contrast, and

wherein the control unit is configured to control the contrast by referring to the table.

5. The image processing apparatus according to claim 1, wherein when the control unit performs a control to enhance the contrast of the first range of gradation values, a ratio between an output gradation value corresponding to a maximum input gradation value of the first range and an output gradation value corresponding to a minimum input gradation value of the first range becomes greater, compared to a case where the control unit does not perform the control to enhance the contrast of the first range.

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

the maximum input gradation value of the first range is a middle value of capable gradation values, and wherein

the minimum input gradation value of the first range is greater than a minimum value of the capable gradation values.

6. A method for causing an image processing apparatus to perform image processing, the method comprising:

acquiring image data;

acquiring brightness information relating to ambient brightness of a display area of an image based on the image data;

controlling contrast of the acquired image data by using the acquired brightness information, such that contrast corresponding to a first range of gradation values is higher in a first case where brightness information indicating a brightness lower than a predetermined brightness is acquired as the brightness information in comparison with a second case where brightness information indicating a brightness higher than the predetermined brightness is acquired as the brightness information, and such that contrast corresponding to a second range of gradation values is lower in the first case in comparison with the second case, wherein gradation values of the first range is less than the gradation values of the second range; and

displaying an image based on the image data whose contrast has been controlled in the controlling.

7. The image processing method according to claim 6, wherein an averaged luminance value of a plurality of acquired image frames is acquired as second brightness information, and

wherein the contrast of the acquired image data is controlled by using the acquired brightness information and the acquired second brightness information.

8. A non-transitory storage medium storing a computer-readable program that causes a computer to perform a method comprising:

acquiring image data;

acquiring brightness information relating to ambient brightness of a display area of an image based on the image data;

controlling contrast of the acquired image data by using the acquired brightness information, such that contrast corresponding to a first range of gradation values is higher in a first case where brightness information indicating a brightness lower than a predetermined brightness is acquired as the brightness information in comparison with a second case where brightness information indicating a brightness higher than the predetermined brightness is acquired as the brightness information, and such that contrast corresponding to a second range of gradation values is lower in the first case in comparison with the second case, wherein gradation values of the first range is less than the gradation values of the second range; and

displaying an image based on the image data whose contrast has been controlled in the controlling.

9. The non-transitory storage medium according to claim 8, wherein an averaged luminance value of a plurality of acquired image frames is acquired as second brightness information, and

wherein the contrast of the acquired image data is controlled by using the acquired brightness information and the acquired second brightness information.

16. The non-transitory storage medium according to claim 8, wherein the controlling controls the contrast of the image data based on both of the brightness information and size of the display area in which the image can be displayed based on the image data.

17. The non-transitory storage medium according to claim 8, wherein the acquiring brightness information acquires the brightness information based on gradation values of the image data and an output of an illuminance sensor.

10. An image processing apparatus comprising:

an image acquisition unit configured to acquire image data;

a brightness acquisition unit configured to acquire brightness information relating to both ambient brightness of a display area of an image based on the image data and brightness of the image data;

a control unit configured to control contrast of the image data acquired by the image acquisition unit, by using the brightness information acquired by the brightness acquisition unit, such that the contrast corresponding to the image data is higher in a case where brightness information indicating a brightness lower than a predetermined brightness is acquired by the brightness acquisition unit in comparison with a case where brightness information indicating a brightness higher than the predetermined brightness is acquired by the brightness acquisition unit; and

a display control unit configured to display an image based on the image data whose contrast has been controlled by the control unit.

11. The image processing apparatus according to claim 10, wherein the control unit is configured to control the contrast of the image data based on both of the brightness information and size of the display area in which the image can be displayed based on the image data.

12. The image processing apparatus according to claim 10, wherein the brightness acquisition unit is configured to acquire the brightness information based on gradation values of the image data and an output of an illuminance sensor.

19. The image processing apparatus according to claim 10, wherein

the brightness acquisition unit acquires the brightness information based on both average gradation value of all pixels of the image data and an output of an illuminance sensor.

13. An image processing method comprising:

acquiring image data;

acquiring brightness information relating to both ambient brightness of a display area of an image based on the image data and brightness of the image data;

controlling contrast of the acquired image data, by using the acquired brightness information relating to both the ambient brightness of the display area and the brightness of the image data such that the contrast corresponding to the image data is higher in a case where brightness information indicating a brightness lower than a predetermined brightness is acquired in the acquiring in comparison with a case where brightness information indicating a brightness higher than the predetermined brightness is acquired in the acquiring; and

displaying an image based on the image data whose contrast has been controlled in the controlling.

14. The image processing method according to claim 13, wherein the controlling controls the contrast of the image data based on both of the brightness information and size of the display area in which the image can be displayed based on the image data.

15. The image processing method according to claim 13, wherein the acquiring brightness information acquires the brightness information based on gradation values of the image data and an output of an illuminance sensor.