Image processing device and method

Abstract

The present invention relates to an image processing device and method and, more particularly, to an image processing device and method for compressing an image by referring to a brightness component included in the image and noise processing information of the image. The image processing device according to an embodiment of the present invention comprises: an image capturing unit for generating an original image of a subject by capturing an image of the subject; an image processing unit for generating a modified image by modifying the brightness of the original image; and an image compression unit for compressing the modified image by referring to image capturing information used for generating the original image and modification information used for generating the modified image.

Description

Image processing device and method

[0001] The present invention relates to an image processing device and method, and more particularly, to an image processing device and method for compressing an image by referring to a brightness component included in the image and noise processing information of the image.

[0002] The raw data generated by image sensors can be relatively large, making processing them challenging. For example, transmitting images composed solely of raw data over long distances can consume significant network resources.

[0003] To facilitate image processing, raw data can be compressed. Images created by compressing raw data are relatively small in size, making them easy to transmit and play over networks.

[0004] Raw data can be compressed after image processing. When image processing is performed on raw data generated in a relatively low-light environment, the image may contain significant noise. This noise can hinder the compression ratio.

[0005] Therefore, there is a need for an invention that enables compression at a high compression ratio even for images containing noise.

[0006] The problem to be solved by the present invention is to provide an image processing device and method for compressing an image by referring to brightness components included in the image and noise processing information of the image.

[0007] The objects of the present invention are not limited to the objects mentioned above, and other objects not mentioned will be clearly understood by those skilled in the art from the description below.

[0008] In order to achieve the above task, an image processing device according to an embodiment of the present invention includes an imaging unit that captures a subject and generates an original image of the subject, an image processing unit that generates a modified image by modifying the brightness of the original image, and an image compression unit that compresses the modified image by referring to the imaging information used to generate the original image and the modification information used to generate the modified image.

[0009] The above shooting information includes information about the lighting environment of the shooting site where the original image is generated.

[0010] The above shooting information includes at least one of an aperture value and a shutter speed.

[0011] The above correction information includes information for improving the brightness of the original image.

[0012] The above correction information includes at least one of gain, noise reduction level, and sharpness level.

[0013] The above image compression unit compresses the modified image using quantization parameters determined corresponding to the imaging information and the modification information.

[0014] The above quantization parameters include a global quantization parameter applied to a global region, which is the entire region of the modified image, and a local quantization parameter applied to a local region, which is a part of the modified image.

[0015] The image compression unit compresses the modified image using only the global quantization parameter, compresses the modified image using only the local quantization parameter, or compresses the modified image using the global quantization parameter and the local quantization parameter.

[0016] The image compression unit compresses the local region using a local quantization parameter having a higher value than the global quantization parameter when the brightness of the local region is lower than the average of the global region, and compresses the local region using a local quantization parameter having a lower value than the global quantization parameter when the brightness of the local region is higher than the average of the global region.

[0017] The image processing unit divides the original image into a plurality of blocks, modifies the brightness of each divided block to create a modified block, and the image compression unit performs compression on each modified block to create a compressed block.

[0018] An image processing method according to an embodiment of the present invention includes a step of generating an original image of a subject, a step of generating a modified image by modifying the brightness of the original image, and a step of compressing the modified image by referring to imaging information used to generate the original image and modification information used to generate the modified image.

[0019] The above shooting information includes information about the lighting environment of the shooting site where the original image is generated.

[0020] The above shooting information includes at least one of an aperture value and a shutter speed.

[0021] The above correction information includes information for improving the brightness of the original image.

[0022] The above correction information includes at least one of gain, noise reduction level, and sharpness level.

[0023] The step of compressing the above-mentioned modified image includes the step of compressing the above-mentioned modified image using quantization parameters determined corresponding to the above-mentioned imaging information and the above-mentioned modification information.

[0024] The above quantization parameters include a global quantization parameter applied to a global region, which is the entire region of the modified image, and a local quantization parameter applied to a local region, which is a part of the modified image.

[0025] The step of compressing the modified image includes a step of compressing the modified image using only the global quantization parameter, compressing the modified image using only the local quantization parameter, or compressing the modified image using the global quantization parameter and the local quantization parameter.

[0026] The step of compressing the above-mentioned modified image includes the step of compressing the local region using a local quantization parameter having a higher value than the global quantization parameter when the brightness of the local region is lower than the average of the global region, and the step of compressing the local region using a local quantization parameter having a lower value than the global quantization parameter when the brightness of the local region is higher than the average of the global region.

[0027] The step of generating the above-described modified image includes a step of dividing the original image into a plurality of blocks and generating a modified block by modifying brightness for each of the divided blocks, and the step of compressing the above-described modified image includes a step of generating a compressed block by performing compression for each of the above-described modified blocks.

[0028] Specific details of other embodiments are included in the detailed description and drawings.

[0029] According to the image processing device and method of the present invention as described above, there is an advantage of improving the compression ratio of an image because the image is compressed by referring to the brightness component included in the image and the noise processing information of the image.

[0030] The effects of the present invention are not limited to the effects mentioned above, and other effects not mentioned will be clearly understood by those skilled in the art from the description of the claims.

[0031] Figure 1 is a block diagram of an image processing device according to an embodiment of the present invention.

[0032] Figure 2 is a block diagram of the imaging unit shown in Figure 1.

[0033] Figure 3 is a drawing showing the original image.

[0034] Figure 4 is a drawing for explaining the operation of the image compression unit.

[0035] Figure 5 is a diagram showing a quantization parameter table.

[0036] Figure 6 is a diagram for explaining how a modified image is compressed using a global quantization parameter.

[0037] Figure 7 is a diagram for explaining how a modified image is compressed using local quantization parameters.

[0038] Figure 8 is a diagram for explaining how a modified image is compressed using global quantization parameters and local quantization parameters.

[0039] Figure 9 is a drawing showing a modified image with different brightness distributions.

[0040] Figure 10 is a flowchart illustrating an image processing method according to an embodiment of the present invention.

[0041] Hereinafter, preferred embodiments of the present invention will be described in detail with reference to the attached drawings. The advantages and features of the present invention, and methods for achieving them, will become clear with reference to the embodiments described in detail below together with the attached drawings. However, the present invention is not limited to the embodiments disclosed below, but can be implemented in various different forms. These embodiments are provided only to ensure that the disclosure of the present invention is complete and to fully inform those skilled in the art of the scope of the invention, and the present invention is defined only by the scope of the claims. Like reference numerals refer to like elements throughout the specification.

[0042] Unless otherwise defined, all terms (including technical and scientific terms) used herein may be used in their common sense to those of ordinary skill in the art to which the present invention pertains. Furthermore, terms defined in commonly used dictionaries are not to be interpreted ideally or excessively unless explicitly and specifically defined otherwise.

[0043] FIG. 1 is a block diagram of an image processing device according to an embodiment of the present invention, and FIG. 2 is a block diagram of an imaging unit illustrated in FIG. 1.

[0044] Referring to FIG. 1, an image processing device (10) according to an embodiment of the present invention is configured to include an imaging unit (100), a storage unit (200), a control unit (300), an image processing unit (400), an image compression unit (500), and an output unit (600).

[0045] The imaging unit (100) can capture a subject and generate an original image of the subject. To this end, as illustrated in FIG. 2, the imaging unit (100) may include an aperture (110), a lens unit (120), a shutter (130), and an image sensor (140). In the present invention, the original image generated by the imaging unit (100) may be a moving image or a still image.

[0046] The aperture (110) can control the amount of light incident on the imaging unit (100). The aperture (110) can form an aperture hole (not shown) through which light passes. The amount of light incident on the imaging unit (100) can be determined depending on the size of the aperture hole. The size of the aperture hole can be determined by the aperture value described below.

[0047] The lens unit (120) can receive light from a subject. Specifically, the lens unit (120) can receive light that has passed through the aperture hole of the aperture (110). The lens unit (120) can include a plurality of lenses (not shown). The plurality of lenses (111, 112) can be arranged in parallel along the optical axis of the lens unit (120) to sequentially transmit light. The lens unit (120) can include various lenses (111, 112) that focus light, sharpen the boundary of a subject, enhance color, reduce shape distortion of a subject, or magnify a subject. In addition, the lens unit (120) can include a focus lens (112). The focus lens (112) can move in a direction parallel to the optical axis of the lens unit (120). The focal distance from the subject can be changed depending on the position of the focus lens (112).

[0048] The shutter (130) functions to block or allow light incident on the image sensor (140). Light passing through the lens unit (120) can be incident on the image sensor (140) through the shutter (130). The shutter (130) can form a shutter hole (not shown) through which light can be transmitted. The shutter hole can be opened only for a certain period of time, and light can be incident on the image sensor (140) during that period. The opening time of the shutter hole can be determined by the shutter speed described below.

[0049] The image sensor (140) can generate an original image using light incident through the lens unit (120). For example, a charge-coupled device (CCD) or a complementary metal-oxide semiconductor (CMOS) device can serve as the image sensor (140).

[0050] In addition, although not shown, the imaging unit (100) may be equipped with a direction changing means (not shown) for changing the shooting direction. The direction changing means may change the shooting direction of the imaging unit (100) by rotating the imaging unit (100) in a pan direction or a tilt direction. The direction changing means may change the shooting direction of the imaging unit (100) according to a control command set in advance or a user command.

[0051] Referring again to Figure 1, the storage unit (200) can temporarily or permanently store the original image generated by the imaging unit (100). In addition, the storage unit (200) can store the modified image generated by the image processing unit (400) and the compressed image generated by the image compression unit (500). In addition, the storage unit (200) can also store the quantization parameter table described below.

[0052] The image processing unit (400) can generate a modified image by modifying the brightness of the original image. The surrounding environment in which the image capture unit (100) generates the original image may be an environment with relatively low ambient light, such as nighttime (hereinafter referred to as a "low-light environment"). Since the original image generated in such a low-light environment is not clearly recognized by the user, an increase in the overall brightness may be required. The image processing unit (400) can generate a modified image by modifying the overall brightness of the original image.

[0053] The image compression unit (500) can compress a modified image to generate a compressed image. Because the modified image is relatively large in size, transmission and computation over a network may require excessive resources. Because the compressed image generated by the image compression unit (500) has a small capacity, transmission and computation over a network can be easily performed.

[0054] Meanwhile, the modified image may contain noise. In particular, when an original image generated in a low-light environment is modified by the image processing unit (400), a large amount of noise may be included in the modified image. This is because noise also increases as the brightness of the original image generated in a low-light environment increases.

[0055] If the corrected image contains noise, the compression efficiency by the image compression unit (500) may be reduced. In order to improve the compression efficiency, the image compression unit (500) may compress the corrected image by referring to the shooting information used to generate the original image and the correction information used to generate the corrected image. The shooting information and the correction information may include information on the brightness component of the original image. That is, the shooting information may include information on the lighting environment of the shooting site where the original image is generated, and the correction information may include information for improving the brightness of the original image.

[0056] Specifically, the shooting information may include at least one of an aperture value and a shutter speed, and the correction information may include at least one of a gain, a noise reduction level, and a sharpness level. If the lighting environment of the shooting site where the original image is generated is a low-light environment, the imaging unit (100) may reduce the aperture value and the shutter speed to receive more light. As the aperture value decreases, the diameter of the aperture hole increases, and as the shutter speed decreases, the time for which the image sensor (140) is exposed to light may increase. That is, when the aperture value and the shutter speed decrease, the amount of light incident on the image sensor (140) increases.

[0057] Despite adjusting the aperture value and shutter speed, the original image generated in a low-light environment may not be easily recognized by the user. The image processing unit (400) can modify the brightness of the original image so that it is easily recognized by the user. At this time, the image processing unit (400) can adjust the gain, noise reduction level, and sharpness level. That is, the image processing unit (400) can increase the gain of the original image. As the gain increases, the overall brightness of the original image may increase. Meanwhile, when the gain increases, noise may also increase. Therefore, the image processing unit (400) can increase the noise reduction level to reduce noise. In addition, if the original image has a lot of noise, sharpness may increase. Therefore, the image processing unit (400) can reduce the sharpness level to reduce sharpness. The correction information can be produced by the operation of the image processing unit (400).

[0058] In this way, the shooting information and the correction information are calculated by reflecting the brightness information of the image, and the image compression unit (500) can generate a compressed image by referring to the brightness information of the image. For example, if the original image is generated in a low-light environment, the image compression unit (500) can increase the compression ratio, and if the original image is generated in a high-light environment, the image compression unit (500) can decrease the compression ratio. Through this, the capacity of the compressed image generated by the image compression unit (500) can be formed uniformly. In addition, the shooting information and the correction information can be calculated at the time when the original image and the corrected image are generated. That is, the image compression unit (500) does not need to perform a separate operation to obtain the brightness information included in the corrected image, and the image compression unit (500) can perform fast compression by using the shooting information and the correction information that can be obtained before generating the compressed image.

[0059] The output unit (600) can output the compressed image generated by the image compression unit (500). For example, the output unit (600) can visually display the compressed image. Furthermore, according to some embodiments of the present invention, the output unit (600) can be equipped with a communication function to transmit the compressed image. The user can receive and confirm the image transmitted by the output unit (600) on his / her terminal.

[0060] The control unit (300) can perform overall control over the imaging unit (100), storage unit (200), image processing unit (400), image compression unit (500), and output unit (600). For example, the aperture value and shutter speed of the imaging unit (100) can be calculated by the control unit (300) and transmitted to the imaging unit (100).

[0061] Each component illustrated in FIGS. 1 and 2 may represent software or hardware, such as a field-programmable gate array (FPGA) or an application-specific integrated circuit (ASIC). However, the components are not limited to software or hardware, and may be configured to reside on an addressable storage medium and may be configured to execute one or more processors. The functions provided by these components may be implemented by further subdivided components, or multiple components may be combined to form a single component that performs a specific function.

[0062] Figure 3 is a drawing showing the original image.

[0063] Referring to FIG. 3, the image processing unit (400) can divide the original image (710) into a plurality of blocks (711) and modify the brightness for each divided block (711).

[0064] The image processing unit (400) determines the gain, noise reduction level, and sharpness level for each segmented block (711), and can modify the brightness of each segmented block (711) based on the determined gain, noise reduction level, and sharpness level. Hereinafter, a block generated by modifying a segmented block (711) by the image processing unit (400) is referred to as a modification block (721) (see FIG. 9). For example, the image modification unit can generate a first modification block by modifying a first segmented block, and generate a second modification block by modifying a second segmented block. A modified image can be formed by combining all modified blocks. In the present invention, the size of the segmented block (711) may be 8X8, but the size of the segmented block (711) is not limited to 8X8.

[0065] The image compression unit (500) can perform compression for each modification block (721). Hereinafter, the modification block (721) compressed by the image compression unit (500) is referred to as a compression block. For example, the image compression unit (500) can perform compression on a first modification block to generate a first compression block, and perform compression on a second modification block to generate a second compression block. A compressed image can be formed by combining all compression blocks.

[0066] Fig. 4 is a drawing for explaining the operation of the image compression unit, and Fig. 5 is a drawing showing a quantization parameter table.

[0067] Referring to FIG. 4, the image compression unit (500) can compress a modified image using a quantization parameter (QP) determined corresponding to the shooting information and the modification information.

[0068] As the quantization parameter increases, the image quality may decrease and the compression ratio may increase. As the quantization parameter decreases, the image quality may increase and the compression ratio may decrease. If the original image (710) is generated in a low-light environment, the image compression unit (500) may apply a relatively high quantization parameter to increase the compression ratio, and if the original image (710) is generated in a high-light environment, the image compression unit (500) may apply a relatively small quantization parameter to decrease the compression ratio.

[0069] The original image (710) generated in a low-light environment may contain a lot of noise. Increasing the compression ratio can reduce the noise and prevent an increase in the size of the compressed image. The original image (710) generated in a high-light environment may contain less noise. Decreasing the compression ratio can improve the image quality. Furthermore, since compression is performed on a modified image with less noise, the size of the compressed image can be formed to be relatively small.

[0070] Quantization parameters may be provided in the form of a table (quantization parameter table). The image compression unit (500) may extract quantization parameters by referring to the quantization parameter table (800).

[0071] Referring to FIG. 5, the quantization parameter table (800) may include an aperture value field (810), a shutter speed field (820), a gain field (830), a noise reduction level field (840), a sharpness level field (850), and a quantization parameter field (860).

[0072] The aperture value field (810) may specify an aperture value that determines the diameter of the aperture hole. The shutter speed field (820) may specify a shutter speed that determines the speed of opening and closing the shutter (130). The gain field (830) may specify a gain that adjusts the brightness of the original image (710). The noise reduction level field (840) may specify a noise reduction level that indicates the degree to which noise included in the original image (710) is reduced. The sharpness level field (850) may specify a sharpness level that adjusts the sharpness reflected in the original image (710). The quantization parameter field (860) may specify a quantization parameter that determines a compression ratio.

[0073] The image compression unit (500) can apply the aperture value, shutter speed, gain, noise reduction level, and sharpness level received from the image capture unit (100) and the image processing unit (400) to the quantization parameter table (800) to extract the corresponding quantization parameter. In addition, the image compression unit (500) can apply the quantization parameter to the modified image to generate a compressed image.

[0074] FIG. 6 is a drawing for explaining that a modified image is compressed using a global quantization parameter, FIG. 7 is a drawing for explaining that a modified image is compressed using a local quantization parameter, FIG. 8 is a drawing for explaining that a modified image is compressed using a global quantization parameter and a local quantization parameter, and FIG. 9 is a drawing showing modified images having different brightness distributions.

[0075] In the present invention, the quantization parameters may include global quantization parameters and local quantization parameters. The global quantization parameters represent quantization parameters applied to the entire region of the modified image (720) (hereinafter referred to as the global region), and the local quantization parameters represent quantization parameters applied to a portion of the modified image (720) (hereinafter referred to as the local region).

[0076] Referring to FIGS. 6 to 8, the image compression unit (500) can compress the modified image (720) using only the global quantization parameter, compress the modified image (720) using only the local quantization parameter, or compress the modified image (720) using the global quantization parameter and the local quantization parameter.

[0077] When only the global quantization parameter is used, the image compression unit (500) can generate a compressed image (730) by applying the same global quantization parameter to all modification blocks (721) included in the modified image (720). The image compression unit (500) can extract one quantization parameter using the representative values ​​of the gain, noise reduction level, and sharpness level determined for all modification blocks (721), and perform compression on the entire modification block (721) using the corresponding quantization parameter. Here, the representative value may be the average value or median value of each item. For example, the representative value of the gain may be the average value or median value of the sum of the gains of the entire modification blocks (721).

[0078] When only local quantization parameters are used, the image compression unit (500) can generate a compressed image (730) by applying local quantization parameters to each modification block (721) included in the modified image (720). The image compression unit (500) can extract quantization parameters for each modification block (721) using representative values ​​of gain, noise reduction level, and sharpness level determined for each modification block (721), and perform compression on the corresponding modification block (721) using the extracted quantization parameters.

[0079] When using global quantization parameters and local quantization parameters, the image compression unit (500) can apply global quantization parameters to the global region, which is the entire region of the modified image (720), and apply local quantization parameters to the local region, which is a partial region. Here, the global quantization parameters may be extracted using representative values ​​of gain, noise reduction level, and sharpness level determined for all modified blocks (721).

[0080] A local area may be a set of multiple correction blocks (721) having similar brightness. For example, if correction blocks (721) having a preset range of brightness are grouped and placed adjacently, the group may be a local area.

[0081] Referring to FIG. 9, the modified image (720) may include at least one local region. The image compression unit (500) may compress the global region using a global quantization parameter, and compress the local region using a local quantization parameter.

[0082] The image compression unit (500) can perform compression for each local area. The image compression unit (500) can extract quantization parameters using representative values ​​of the gain, noise reduction level, and sharpness level determined for the correction block (721) included in the local area, and perform compression for the local area using the quantization parameters.

[0083] The image compression unit (500) can compress the local region using a local quantization parameter having a higher value than the global quantization parameter when the brightness of the local region is lower than the average of the global region, and can compress the local region using a local quantization parameter having a lower value than the global quantization parameter when the brightness of the local region is higher than the average of the global region.

[0084] Fig. 9 illustrates a modified image (720) including a first local area (LA1) having a lower brightness than the average of the entire modified block (721) and a second local area (LA2) having a higher brightness. The image compression unit (500) can extract a local quantization parameter having a higher value than the global quantization parameter for the first local area (LA1) and can extract a local quantization parameter having a lower value than the global quantization parameter for the second local area (LA2). Accordingly, the first local area (LA1) can be compressed at a high compression ratio, and the second local area (LA2) can be compressed at a low compression ratio.

[0085] The first local area (LA1) may contain a relatively large amount of noise. By compressing at a high compression ratio, the noise contained in the first local area (LA1) is suppressed, and an increase in the capacity of the compressed data generated for the first local area (LA1) can be prevented.

[0086] The second local area (LA2) contains relatively little noise and may contain visually recognizable objects. The image quality of the second local area (LA2) may be enhanced by compression at a low compression ratio.

[0087] Figure 10 is a flowchart illustrating an image processing method according to an embodiment of the present invention.

[0088] Referring to FIG. 10, the imaging unit (100) of the image processing device (10) according to an embodiment of the present invention captures a subject to generate an original image (710) of the subject (S910), the image processing unit (400) modifies the brightness of the original image (710) to generate a modified image (720) (S920), and the image compression unit (500) can compress the modified image (720) by referring to the imaging information used to generate the original image (710) and the modification information used to generate the modified image (720) to generate a compressed image (730) (S930).

[0089] The imaging unit (100) can generate an original image (710) by adjusting at least one of the aperture value and the shutter speed according to the lighting environment at the time when the subject is captured. The image processing unit (400) can generate a modified image (720) by adjusting at least one of the gain, noise reduction level, and sharpness level of the original image (710). At this time, the image processing unit (400) can divide the original image (710) into a plurality of blocks and perform brightness, noise, and sharpness adjustments for each divided block (711). The image compression unit (500) can extract a quantization parameter by referring to the aperture value, shutter speed, gain, noise reduction level, and sharpness level, and compress the modified image (720) based on the extracted quantization parameter. In the present invention, the quantization parameter can include a global quantization parameter and a local quantization parameter. The image compression unit (500) can compress the modified image (720) using only the global quantization parameter, compress the modified image (720) using only the local quantization parameter, or compress the modified image (720) using the global quantization parameter and the local quantization parameter.

[0090] Although the embodiments of the present invention have been described above with reference to the accompanying drawings, those skilled in the art will appreciate that the present invention can be implemented in other specific forms without altering the technical concept or essential features thereof. Therefore, the embodiments described above should be understood to be illustrative in all respects and not restrictive.

Claims

1. An imaging unit that photographs a subject and creates an original image of the subject; An image processing unit that generates a modified image by modifying the brightness of the original image; and An image processing device including an image compression unit that compresses the modified image by referring to the shooting information used to generate the original image and the modification information used to generate the modified image.

2. In paragraph 1, An image processing device wherein the above-mentioned shooting information includes information about the lighting environment of the shooting scene where the above-mentioned original image is generated.

3. In paragraph 2, An image processing device wherein the above-mentioned shooting information includes at least one of an aperture value and a shutter speed.

4. In paragraph 1, An image processing device wherein the above correction information includes information for improving the brightness of the original image.

5. In paragraph 4, An image processing device wherein the above correction information includes at least one of gain, noise reduction level, and sharpness level.

6. In paragraph 1, The above image compression unit is an image processing device that compresses the modified image using quantization parameters determined corresponding to the imaging information and the modification information.

7. In paragraph 6, The above quantization parameters are, A global quantization parameter applied to the entire region of the above modified image; and An image processing device including a local quantization parameter applied to a local region, which is a part of the above modified image.

8. In paragraph 7, The above video compression unit, Compressing the modified image using only the above global quantization parameters, or Compressing the modified image using only the local quantization parameters, or An image processing device that compresses the modified image using the global quantization parameter and the local quantization parameter.

9. In paragraph 7, The above video compression unit, If the brightness of the local region is lower than the average of the global region, the local region is compressed using a local quantization parameter having a higher value than the global quantization parameter. An image processing device that compresses the local region by using a local quantization parameter having a lower value than the global quantization parameter when the brightness of the local region is higher than the average of the global region.

10. In paragraph 1, The above image processing unit divides the original image into multiple blocks, and creates a modified block by modifying the brightness of each divided block. The above image compression unit is an image processing device that performs compression for each of the above modification blocks to generate a compression block.

11. Step of creating original images of the subject; A step of generating a modified image by modifying the brightness of the original image; and An image processing method comprising a step of compressing the modified image by referring to the shooting information used to generate the original image and the modification information used to generate the modified image.

12. In paragraph 11, An image processing method in which the above-mentioned shooting information includes information on the lighting environment of the shooting scene where the above-mentioned original image is generated.

13. In paragraph 12, An image processing method wherein the above-mentioned shooting information includes at least one of an aperture value and a shutter speed.

14. In paragraph 11, An image processing method wherein the above correction information includes information for improving the brightness of the original image.

15. In paragraph 14, An image processing method wherein the above modification information includes at least one of gain, noise reduction level, and sharpness level.

16. In paragraph 11, An image processing method, wherein the step of compressing the modified image includes the step of compressing the modified image using quantization parameters determined corresponding to the shooting information and the modification information.

17. In paragraph 16, The above quantization parameters are, A global quantization parameter applied to the entire region of the above modified image; and An image processing method including a local quantization parameter applied to a local region, which is a part of the above modified image.

18. In paragraph 17, The step of compressing the above modified image is: Compressing the modified image using only the above global quantization parameters, or Compressing the modified image using only the local quantization parameters, or An image processing method comprising a step of compressing the modified image using the global quantization parameter and the local quantization parameter.

19. In paragraph 17, The step of compressing the above modified image is: If the brightness of the local region is lower than the average of the global region, the local region is compressed using a local quantization parameter having a higher value than the global quantization parameter. An image processing method comprising the step of compressing the local region by using a local quantization parameter having a lower value than the global quantization parameter when the brightness of the local region is higher than the average of the global region.

20. In paragraph 11, The step of generating the above-mentioned modified image includes the step of dividing the original image into a plurality of blocks and generating a modified block by modifying the brightness of each of the divided blocks. An image processing method, wherein the step of compressing the above-mentioned modified image includes a step of performing compression for each of the above-mentioned modified blocks to generate a compressed block.

Images