Image Capturing Apparatus Encoding Color Planes
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Solution Overview
Problem
RAW image data compression introduces image degradation due to large data sizes, especially when white balance is not considered, leading to misalignment of color components and poor image quality.
Innovation Solution
An image capturing apparatus with an encoding unit that performs frequency conversion, quantization, and encoding on color component planes, with a control unit determining quantization coefficients based on image capturing conditions to minimize image degradation.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Quantity of substance
If RAW image data is compressed to reduce data amount, then storage capacity is improved, but image degradation occurs
Solution Approach 1:
The patent changes the quantization coefficient parameter based on image capturing conditions (such as exposure value, ISO sensitivity, and white balance settings). By dynamically adjusting this parameter, the system optimizes the balance between compression ratio and image quality, reducing degradation while maintaining efficient storage utilization.
2Manufacturing precision
If quantization coefficient is changed to suppress image degradation, then image quality is improved, but color component misalignment occurs when white balance is not considered
Solution Approach 1:
The patent performs preliminary determination of the quantization coefficient based on image capturing conditions before actual compression. By pre-calculating appropriate coefficient values that account for white balance and exposure settings, the system prevents color component misalignment from occurring during compression, ensuring both quality and color accuracy.
Solution Approach 2:
The system dynamically adjusts quantization coefficients based on captured image parameters including white balance settings. This parameter adaptation ensures that color relationships are preserved during compression by selecting coefficients appropriate for the specific capturing conditions.
Data Source
AI summary
An image capturing apparatus has an encoding unit that encodes by generating a plane of each of color components that configure image data, and independently for each of the planes of the color components, performing frequency conversion processing, quantization processing, and entropy encoding, and a control unit that controls the encoding unit. The control unit decide whether or not to correct a quantization coefficient that is used in quantization processing for a plane of each color component obtained by the image sensor based on an ISO sensitivity or exposure information for a time of capturing; and in a case when it decides that a quantization coefficient will be corrected, determines, based on a distribution of a histogram of a plane of each color component, a quantization coefficient used in quantization processing for the respective color component.