Image processing apparatus and control method thereof

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-2016269705-A1
Application number	US-201615066715-A
Country	US
Kind code	A1
Filing date	Mar 10, 2016
Priority date	Mar 11, 2015
Publication date	Sep 15, 2016
Grant date	—

Abstract

Provided is an image processing apparatus capable of applying a pseudo-illumination effect to an image while suppressing a drop in image quality, and a control method for such an image processing apparatus. The image processing apparatus generates a correction signal for correcting sharpness of an image on the basis of illumination characteristics of the virtual light, and applies the correction signal to the image.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1 . An image processing apparatus comprising:
a correction unit configured to correct the brightness of a pixel included in a virtual light illuminated area of an image; a generating unit configured to generate, on the basis of illumination characteristics of the virtual light, a correction signal for correcting sharpness of the virtual light illuminated area of the image; and an application unit configured to apply the correction signal to the image.

2 . The image processing apparatus according to claim 1 ,
wherein the generating unit generates the correction signal for correcting the sharpness at a strength that corresponds to an intensity of reflected light of the virtual light.

3 . The image processing apparatus according to claim 1 ,
wherein the illumination characteristics are spread characteristics.

4 . The image processing apparatus according to claim 3 ,
wherein the generating unit generates the correction signal for correcting the sharpness at a strength that corresponds to a degree of spread of the virtual light.

5 . The image processing apparatus according to claim 4 ,
wherein in the case where the degree of the spread of the virtual light is a second degree that is greater than a first degree, the generating unit generates the correction signal for correcting the sharpness with more strength in the case of the second degree than in the case of the first degree.

6 . The image processing apparatus according to claim 3 ,
wherein the generating unit generates the correction signal for correcting the sharpness at a strength that corresponds to a straightness of the virtual light.

7 . The image processing apparatus according to claim 6 ,
wherein the case where the straightness of the virtual light is a second straightness that is higher than a first straightness, the generating unit generates the correction signal for correcting the sharpness with more strength in the case of the second straightness than in the case of the first straightness.

8 . The image processing apparatus according to claim 1 , further comprising:
an estimating unit configured to estimate a reflection color component of the virtual light at a pixel included in the virtual light illuminated area, wherein the correction unit corrects the brightness of the pixel included in the virtual light illuminated area by applying the estimated reflection color component to the pixel included in the virtual light illuminated area.

9 . The image processing apparatus according to claim 1 , further comprising:
an image capturing unit, wherein the correction unit corrects the brightness of a pixel, included in the virtual light illuminated area, of an image obtained by the image capturing unit.

10 . A control method of an image processing apparatus, the method comprising:
correcting the brightness of a pixel included in a virtual light illuminated area of an image; generating on the basis of illumination characteristics of the virtual light, a correction signal for correcting sharpness of the virtual light illuminated area of the image; and applying the correction signal to the image.

11 . A non-transitory computer-readable storage medium storing a program that causes at least one processor to function as an image processing apparatus comprising:
a correction unit configured to correct the brightness of a pixel included in a virtual light illuminated area of an image; a generating unit configured to generate, on the basis of illumination characteristics of the virtual light, a correction signal for correcting sharpness of the virtual light illuminated area of the image; and an application unit configured to apply the correction signal to the image.

Assignees

• Canon Kk

Inventors

• Tajima Kaori

Classifications

• H04N9/74

  for obtaining special effects (H04N9/65 - H04N9/73 take precedence) · CPC title

• H04N9/646 Primary

  for image enhancement, e.g. vertical detail restoration, cross-colour elimination, contour correction, chrominance trapping filters · CPC title

• H04N23/80

  Camera processing pipelines; Components thereof · CPC title

• H04N5/2354

  Electricity · mapped topic

• H04N5/2351

  Electricity · mapped topic