Imaging device, image processing method, and recording medium

• US 7,359,549 B2
• Filed: 09/30/2003
• Issued: 04/15/2008
• Est. Priority Date: 09/30/2002
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Ricoh Company Limited
• Original Assignee: Ricoh Company Limited
• Inventors: Sakuyama, Hiroyuki, Yano, Takanori, Takahashi, Akira, Aoki, Shin, Inoue, Takao, Koyama, Takeshi, Kodama, Taku, Maki, Takashi, Ikebe, Keiichi, Yamashiro, Ikuko
• Primary Examiner(s): Chen; Wenpeng
• Assistant Examiner(s): Ge; Yuzhen
• Application Number:
  US10/676,535
• Publication Number:
  US 20040126019A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,659 Days
• Field of Search: None
• US Class Current: 382/166
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 1/648 Transmitting or storing the primary (additive or subtractive) colour signals; Compression thereof H04N1/642 - H04N1/646 take precedence
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 19/186 the unit being a colour or a chrominance component
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 19/63 using sub-band based transform, e.g. wavelets

Abstract

An image processing method includes obtaining raw image data of an object by generating the object by an imager that generates an image of the object with color decomposition, decomposing the raw image data into a plurality of color planes such that each of the color planes comprises pixel information of a color pertinent to the color plane, and compressing data of each color plane.

Claims

1. A color imaging device comprising:

an imager to generate an image with color decomposition, the imager producing raw image data as a result of generating the image;

a decomposing unit to decompose the raw image data into a plurality of plane data such that each plane data includes pixel information of the same color;

a compression and encoding unit to compress the plane data of each color divided by the decomposing unit with an irreversible compression process;

a controller to control a compression ratio of the irreversible compression process conducted by the compression and encoding unit for the plane data of each color independently with each other; and

an information acquisition unit to acquire an evaluation value of white-balance from the raw data,

wherein the controller determines whether a proportion of a color component is large or small based on the evaluation value of white-balance acquired by the information acquisition unit, the controller further setting the compression ratio of the color plane to be higher than a standard compression ratio for the color component of which proportion has been determined to be small.

2. A color imaging process comprising:

generating an image with color decomposition, including producing raw image data as a result of generating the image;

a decomposing the raw image data into a plurality of plane data such that each plane data includes pixel information of the same color;

a compressing the plane data of each color with an irreversible compression process;

controlling a compression ratio of the irreversible compression process for the plane data of each color independently with each other; and

acquiring an evaluation value of white-balance from the raw data,

wherein controlling the compression ratio of the irreversible compression process comprises;

determining whether a proportion of a color component is large or small based on the evaluation value of white-balance, and

setting the compression ratio of the color plane to be higher than a standard compression ratio for the color component of which proportion has been determined to be small.