Image Processing Apparatus Noise Reduction via Ambient Light Subtraction
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing image processing technologies require multiple lighting devices and expert skills for effective shading adjustment, leading to noise issues and complexity for amateur users, especially in capturing images with balanced shading and reduced noise without the use of multiple lighting devices.
Innovation Solution
An image processing apparatus and method that includes an ambient-light image obtaining section, a cumulative image generation section, and a high-quality image generation section, which captures ambient-light images and cumulative images by pixel value addition, normalizes them based on exposure time, and subtracts ambient-light pixel values to produce high-quality images, allowing for flexible lighting device placement and reduced noise.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Manufacturing precision
If multiple lighting devices are used to create desirable shadows and enhance object appearance, then image quality is improved, but device complexity and operation difficulty increase
Solution Approach 1:
The patent combines multiple lighting device functions into a single integrated unit that can emit light from multiple directions simultaneously. This single device incorporates multiple light sources or reflective surfaces arranged to provide multi-directional illumination, eliminating the need for separate lighting devices while maintaining the shadow-enhancing effects
Solution Approach 2:
The lighting device is designed to perform multiple functions: it provides ambient light, directional light for shadow creation, and can be positioned to illuminate objects from various angles. This multi-functional design replaces what would traditionally require multiple specialized lighting devices, simplifying the overall system while maintaining image quality
2Manufacturing precision
If multiple lighting devices are used to achieve balanced shading, then image quality is improved, but ease of operation deteriorates due to expert skill requirements
Solution Approach 1:
The lighting device incorporates automatic adjustment mechanisms that allow it to self-regulate light distribution and shading balance without requiring expert user intervention. The device can automatically adjust light intensity from different directions to achieve optimal shading balance, making professional-quality imaging accessible to amateur users
Solution Approach 2:
The patent employs automatic control of lighting parameters such as intensity, direction, and timing through image processing algorithms. The system analyzes captured images and adjusts lighting parameters in real-time or post-processing to achieve balanced shading, eliminating the need for manual expert adjustment while maintaining high image quality
3Manufacturing precision
If multiple images are captured and combined to reduce noise, then image quality is improved, but loss of time increases due to multiple captures
Solution Approach 1:
The patent captures multiple images continuously during a single imaging session with the lighting device maintaining stable illumination throughout. By capturing a sequence of images in quick succession under consistent lighting conditions, the system enables effective noise reduction through image combination while minimizing the total time required, as the lighting setup remains active and stable throughout the capture sequence
Data Source
AI summary
There is provided an image processing apparatus that includes an ambient-light image obtaining section, a cumulative image generation section, and a high-quality image generation section. The ambient-light image obtaining section obtains an ambient-light image in a first time range, the ambient-light image being an image of an object captured with a predetermined exposure time. The cumulative image generation section generates a cumulative image in a second time range, the cumulative image being obtained by cumulative addition of each pixel value in a plurality of images, the plurality of images being of the object sequentially captured with the predetermined exposure time. The high-quality image generation section generates a high-quality image, the high-quality image being obtained by subtracting a pixel value in the ambient-light image from a corresponding pixel value in a normalized image, the normalized image being the cumulative image normalized based on a total sum of the exposure time.