45results about How to "High-quality image data" patented technology

An image pickup apparatus includes an image pickup device that has high-sensitivity pixel devices receiving a relatively large amount of light and low-sensitivity pixel devices receiving a relatively small amount of light, an exposure control unit independently controlling exposure periods of the high-sensitivity pixel devices and the low-sensitivity pixel devices, and an image generation unit performing image generation on the basis of an output signal of the image pickup device. The image generation unit compares a high-sensitivity pixel evaluation image generated using data output from the high-sensitivity pixel devices with a low-sensitivity pixel evaluation image generated using data output from the low-sensitivity pixel devices by obtaining a difference or ratio between pixel values of corresponding pixels in the two evaluation images, and performs different types of image processing for a region composed of pixels each having a small difference and a region composed of pixels each having a large difference.

An image pickup apparatus includes an image pickup device that has high-sensitivity pixel devices receiving a relatively large amount of light and low-sensitivity pixel devices receiving a relatively small amount of light, an exposure control unit independently controlling exposure periods of the high-sensitivity pixel devices and the low-sensitivity pixel devices, and an image generation unit performing image generation on the basis of an output signal of the image pickup device. The image generation unit compares a high-sensitivity pixel evaluation image generated using data output from the high-sensitivity pixel devices with a low-sensitivity pixel evaluation image generated using data output from the low-sensitivity pixel devices by obtaining a difference or ratio between pixel values of corresponding pixels in the two evaluation images, and performs different types of image processing for a region composed of pixels each having a small difference and a region composed of pixels each having a large difference.

A plurality of images in which pixels are displaced from each other are obtained by displacing the optical path of light passing an image sensing device. The plurality of images have different exposure amounts in image sensing operations. In order to obtain an image with a high resolution and a broad dynamic range, a pixel of interest which suffers saturation or dark in one image is interpolated by pixels in the vicinity of the pixel of interest in an image sensed in a different exposure amount.

An imaging apparatus includes an imaging unit configured to perform, as an image capturing operation, a process of obtaining captured image data of a subject and save the captured image data; a position detecting unit configured to detect current position information; and a control unit configured to update activity history information on the basis of the position information obtained by the position detecting unit and, when performing image capturing control as an automatic image capturing process not based on a shutter operation performed by a user, set an image capturing operation setting on the basis of the current position information detected by the position detecting unit and the activity history information, and cause the imaging unit to perform an image capturing operation based on the image capturing operation setting.

Upon depression of a shutter key of a key input unit, a sensed image (DATA1) is captured by exposing a CCD for exposure time T1 with a mechanical shutter opened, and a dark frame image (DATA2) is captured by exposing the CCD for exposure time Ta with the mechanical shutter closed. A correction value corresponding to exposure time T1 is then determined by looking up a correction data table stored in a storage area of a data memory, and DATA2 is corrected using the determined correction value. By subtracting the corrected DATA2 from DATA1, a dark output component contained in DATA1 is removed.

There is provided an image signal processing apparatus having a luminance signal producing unit which receives input of a mosaic image of a signal acquired by a wide wavelength range signal acquisition element from signals acquired by a single-plate imaging device having element arrays including a specific wavelength range signal acquisition element for acquiring a visible light signal corresponding to a specific light wavelength range and the wide wavelength range signal acquisition element for acquiring a light signal containing a visible light component and an invisible light component, and produces, as a luminance signal, a wide wavelength range signal demosaic image; and a color difference signal producing unit which receives input of a mosaic image of a signal acquired by the specific wavelength range signal acquisition element, produces a visible light range signal demosaic image, and produces a color difference signal based on the visible light range signal demosaic image.

An image processing apparatus includes a replacement unit and interpolation unit. For the pixel value of a pixel that need not be replaced among pixel values contained in original image data, the replacement unit adds replacement information indicating non-replacement of the pixel value to the pixel value, and outputs the pixel value as replacement information-added image data. For the pixel value of a pixel that needs to be replaced, the replacement unit replaces the pixel value by a predetermined pixel value, adds replacement information indicating replacement of the pixel value to the replaced pixel value, and outputs the pixel value as replacement information-added image data. The interpolation unit outputs interpolated pixel values having all color information by interpolating a pixel value at an interpolation point for each color information on the basis of a predetermined arithmetic expression from the pixel values of pixels of the same color falling within a predetermined interpolation region containing the interpolation point among all replacement information-added image data output from the replacement unit. When replacement information of any pixel used for calculation indicates replacement, the interpolation unit uses an arithmetic expression different from the arithmetic expression.

To provide an imaging device capable of obtaining high-quality imaging data. The imaging device includes a first circuit and a second circuit. The first circuit includes a photoelectric conversion element, a first transistor, a second transistor, a third transistor, a fourth transistor, a fifth transistor, a sixth transistor, a seventh transistor, a first capacitor, a second capacitor, and a third capacitor. The second circuit includes an eighth transistor. The imaging device can compensate variation in threshold voltage of an amplifier transistor included in the first circuit.

An imaging device capable of obtaining high-quality imaging data is provided. The imaging device includes a first circuit and a second circuit. The first circuit includes a photoelectric conversion element, a first transistor, a second transistor, a third transistor, a fourth transistor, a fifth transistor, a sixth transistor, a seventh transistor, a first capacitor, a second capacitor, and a third capacitor. The second circuit includes an eighth transistor. Variation in threshold voltage of an amplifier transistor (the fifth transistor) included in the first circuit can be compensated.

When a shooting mode is changed from a non-super-resolution mode to a super-resolution mode, an image pickup apparatus lowers a compression ratio in a compression unit. On the other hand, when the shooting mode is changed from the super-resolution mode to the non-super-resolution mode, the image pickup apparatus raises a compression ratio in the compression unit.

To provide an imaging device capable of obtaining high-quality imaging data. The imaging device includes a first circuit and a second circuit. The first circuit includes a photoelectric conversion element, a first transistor, a second transistor, a third transistor, a fourth transistor, a fifth transistor, a sixth transistor, a first capacitor, a second capacitor, and a third capacitor. The second circuit includes a seventh transistor. The imaging device can compensate variation in electrical characteristics of an amplifier transistor included in the first circuit.

An image processing method, apparatus, and program as well as a printer, a print instructing terminal, and an image processing system, capable of reducing or preventing deterioration of the image quality and achieving binarization at high speeds is provided. An image processing method, by which a multi-grayscale image is divided into two regions. These regions are synthesized after error diffusion processing is applied to each region. Before the original image is divided into two regions, errors of respective pixels on a dividing line are diffused to these two regions. It is thus possible to obtain substantially the same processing result as in a case where the error diffusion processing is applied continuously across the entire original image. Hence, it is thus possible to reduce or eliminate stripes or the like in the joined portion that deteriorate the image quality when the divided regions are synthesized after the error diffusion processing, which enables a high-quality image to be obtained.

An apparatus and a method for efficiently executing correction of false color, such as purple fringe, caused by chromatic aberration and for generating and outputting high-quality image data are provided. A white-saturated pixel is detected from image data, a false-color-pixel detection area is set around the detected white-saturated pixel, and pixels having color corresponding to false color such as purple fringe are detected from the set area. The detected pixels are determined as false-color pixels and correction processing based on the values of the surrounding pixels is performed on the determined false-color pixels. With this configuration, an area of false color such as purple fringe generated in the neighborhood of a white-saturated pixel can be efficiently detected, pixel values can be partially corrected, and high-quality image data can be generated and output without affecting the entire image.

An imaging system is provided, configured for providing three-dimensional data of a region of interest. The system comprising: an optical unit and a control unit. The optical unit comprises a radiation collection unit and a detection unit. The radiation collection unit comprises at least two mask arrangement defining at least two radiation collection regions respectively, the mask arrangements are configured to sequentially apply a plurality of a predetermined number of spatial filtering patterns formed by a predetermined arrangement of apertures applied on radiation collected thereby generating at least two elemental image data pieces corresponding to the collected radiation from said at least two collection regions. The control unit comprising is configured for receiving and processing said at least two elemental image data pieces and determining a plurality of at least two restored elemental images respectively being together indicative of a three dimensional arrangement of the region being imaged.

An image processing apparatus for processing first image data into second image data having a higher quality includes the following elements. A determination unit determines whether broadcast image data is up-converted image data generated by up-converting different image data by increasing the number of pixels forming the different image data. A down-converter down-converts the broadcast image data into down-converted image data by decreasing the number of pixels forming the broadcast image data. A first image converter converts, if the broadcast image data is not the up-converted image data, the first image data into the second image data by using the down-converted image data and the broadcast image data as the first image data. A second image converter converts, if the broadcast image data is the up-converted image data, the first image data into the second image data by using the down-converted image data as the first image data.

An image processing method, apparatus, and program as well as a printer, a print instructing terminal, and an image processing system, capable of reducing or preventing deterioration of the image quality and achieving binarization at high speeds is provided. An image processing method, by which a multi-grayscale image is divided into two regions. These regions are synthesized after error diffusion processing is applied to each region. Before the original image is divided into two regions, errors of respective pixels on a dividing line are diffused to these two regions. It is thus possible to obtain substantially the same processing result as in a case where the error diffusion processing is applied continuously across the entire original image. Hence, it is thus possible to reduce or eliminate stripes or the like in the joined portion that deteriorate the image quality when the divided regions are synthesized after the error diffusion processing, which enables a high-quality image to be obtained.

Noise in RAW image data is reduced. Parameters including pixels used as a target area and reference pixels are determined in the RAW image data, based on color filter information for the RAW image data. The RAW image data is corrected based on the parameters thus determined.

A digital encoding and decoding method of high bit-depth gray scale medical images allows standard 3-channel color image compression algorithms to be used to compress and de-compress such encoded high bit-depth gray scale images without significant image quality loss. The digital encoding and decoding method may be used to improve the network transmission, storage and rendering of such gray scale images in a standard web browser.

An imaging apparatus includes an imaging unit configured to perform, as an image capturing operation, a process of obtaining captured image data of a subject and save the captured image data; a position detecting unit configured to detect current position information; and a control unit configured to update activity history information on the basis of the position information obtained by the position detecting unit and, when performing image capturing control as an automatic image capturing process not based on a shutter operation performed by a user, set an image capturing operation setting on the basis of the current position information detected by the position detecting unit and the activity history information, and cause the imaging unit to perform an image capturing operation based on the image capturing operation setting.

Noise in RAW image data is reduced by determining parameters including pixels used as a target area and reference pixels in the RAW image data, based on color filter information for the RAW image data. The RAW image data is corrected based on the parameters thus determined.

A solid-state imaging device including a number of pixels, each of which having a photoelectric converting portion, and which are arranged one-dimensionally or in a two-dimensional matrix. The solid-state imaging device includes a peripheral wiring portion with a multilayer structure provided around at least part of the photoelectric converting portion in each of the number of pixels and a light-shielding interlayer connecting material connecting layers of the multilayer structure to each other at least part of the peripheral wiring portion. The light-shielding interlayer connecting material is capable of reflecting or absorbing visible light.

An imaging system is provided, configured for providing three-dimensional data of a region of interest. The system comprising: an optical unit and a control unit. The optical unit comprises a radiation collection unit and a detection unit. The radiation collection unit comprises at least two mask arrangement defining at least two radiation collection regions respectively, the mask arrangements are configured to sequentially apply a plurality of a predetermined number of spatial filtering patterns formed by a predetermined arrangement of apertures applied on radiation collected thereby generating at least two elemental image data pieces corresponding to the collected radiation from said at least two collection regions. The control unit comprising is configured for receiving and processing said at least two elemental image data pieces and determining a plurality of at least two restored elemental images respectively being together indicative of a three dimensional arrangement of the region being imaged.

An imaging device capable of obtaining high-quality imaging data is provided. The imaging device can correct variation in the threshold voltage of amplifier transistors included in pixel circuits. The amplifier transistor includes two gates facing each other with a channel formation region provided therebetween. The amplifier transistor operates in such a manner that one of the gates holds a potential for correcting variation in the threshold voltage and the other thereof is supplied with a potential corresponding to imaging data.

An image processing apparatus including an image restoration unit configured to acquire classification information indicating classifying variations in optical performance of an image pickup apparatus which picks up image data into a plurality of patterns, and generate restored image data by using a restoration filter generated based on the classification information is provided.

An imaging device capable of obtaining high-quality imaging data is provided. The imaging device includes a first circuit and a second circuit. The first circuit includes a photoelectric conversion element, a first transistor, a second transistor, a third transistor, a fourth transistor, a fifth transistor, a sixth transistor, a seventh transistor, a first capacitor, a second capacitor, and a third capacitor. The second circuit includes an eighth transistor. Variation in threshold voltage of an amplifier transistor (the fifth transistor) included in the first circuit can be compensated.

An imaging device capable of obtaining high-quality imaging data is provided. The imaging device includes a first circuit, a second circuit and a third circuit. The first circuit includes a photoelectric conversion element, a plurality of transistors including an amplifier transistor, and a plurality of capacitors. The second circuit includes a transistor. The third circuit includes a resistor and a transistor for controlling a current flowing in the resistor. The output signal of the imaging device is determined in accordance with the current flowing in the resistor. Variations in electrical characteristics of the amplifier transistor included in the first circuit can be compensated.

An image processing apparatus includes a down-converter and an image converter converting first image data into higher quality second image data. The image converter includes a prediction tap extracting unit extracting, as prediction taps, a plurality of pixels used for predicting a subject pixel of the second image data from the first image data, a class tap extracting unit extracting, as class taps, a plurality of pixels used for classifying the subject pixel from the first image data, a classification unit classifying the subject pixel based on the class taps, a coefficient output unit outputting a coefficient corresponding to a class of the subject pixel from among coefficients, determined beforehand by learning, corresponding to the plurality of classes, and a calculator determining the subject pixel by performing prediction calculations by using the coefficient corresponding to the class of the subject pixel and the prediction taps.

To provide an imaging device capable of obtaining high-quality imaging data. The imaging device includes a first circuit and a second circuit. The first circuit includes a photoelectric conversion element, a first transistor, a second transistor, a third transistor, a fourth transistor, a fifth transistor, a sixth transistor, a seventh transistor, a first capacitor, a second capacitor, and a third capacitor. The second circuit includes an eighth transistor. The imaging device can compensate variation in threshold voltage of an amplifier transistor included in the first circuit.

The invention discloses a mobile phone auxiliary portable photographing device with a simplified structure. The portable photographing device comprises an image collection module, a data transmission module and a second power supply module. The image collection module comprises a lens optical unit, an imaging unit and a collection controller which are connected. The lens optical unit is a lens system with multi-level lens cones. The imaging unit is a CMOS system. The data transmission module comprises an AD converter, a temporary memory and a transmission controller. Through detachable connection between a connection port and a connector, the detachable connection between the temporary memory and a mobile phone data storage module, and the detachable connection between a mobile phone power supply, and the second power supply module are formed. Compared with a traditional portable camera, the device has the advantages that the data storage and processing system is simplified, and the device is lighter and is more portable. Compared with a built-in camera of a mobile phone, the device has the advantage that better image data is provided.