Image Processing Apparatus Color Space Conversion Thinning
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Solution Overview
Problem
Image pickup elements face deterioration in image quality and color resolution due to demosaicing and color space conversion processes, particularly when signals from Bayer arrays are processed without appropriate color space management.
Innovation Solution
An image processing apparatus that includes a color space converting unit and a thinning processing unit, which convert and process image signals from a first color space into a second color space suitable for conversion into a third color space, thereby preventing image quality deterioration by optimizing frequency bands and noise transfer functions, and ensuring no negative sensitivity in color components with high resolution information.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Adaptability or versatility
If demosaicing and color space conversion are performed on image signals from Bayer array, then image signals for standard color spaces (e.g., sRGB) are generated, but image quality and color resolution deteriorate
Solution Approach 1:
The patent applies preliminary action by performing color space conversion before demosaicing. Specifically, the image signal is first converted from the first color space (e.g., a color space optimized for the sensor) to a second color space (e.g., a color space with broader frequency bands and lower noise transfer), and then demosaicing is performed. This preliminary color space conversion prepares the signal in advance to prevent quality deterioration during subsequent processing steps.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent utilizes parameter changes by transforming the color space parameters of the image signal. The conversion from the first color space to the second color space involves changing the frequency band characteristics and noise transfer properties. The second color space is specifically designed with broader frequency bands for color components and optimized noise transfer functions, which fundamentally alters the signal parameters to prevent quality loss during demosaicing.
2Productivity
If image pickup element is modified to reduce size and increase pixel count, then sensitivity is improved, but image quality deteriorates due to noise and other adverse effects
Solution Approach 1:
The patent applies parameter changes by converting the image signal to a second color space that has optimized noise transfer characteristics. This color space transformation changes the distribution and magnitude of noise components in the signal, effectively reducing the impact of noise while preserving the high pixel count and sensitivity advantages of the compact sensor design.
Data Source
AI summary
A first-color-space converting unit 223 receives the image signal of first color space from a signal processing unit 222 and converts the received image signal into the image signal of second color space which is suitable for conversion into the image signal of third color space as specified. A thinning processing unit 226 performs thinning process on the converted image signal representing each color component of the second color space for each pixel so as to correspond to a processor unit 30 which generates the image signal representing each color component from the image signal representing one color component of color space for each pixel and output the image signal of the third color space, thereby turning it into the image signal representing one color component of the second color space for each pixel. It is possible to prevent the deterioration or the like of the image quality when the image signal representing one color component of the second color space for each pixel is output from an image pickup element 20 and processed by the processor unit 30.