Image processing apparatus and image processing method

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-2019052791-A1
Application number	US-201816054934-A
Country	US
Kind code	A1
Filing date	Aug 3, 2018
Priority date	Aug 10, 2017
Publication date	Feb 14, 2019
Grant date	—

Abstract

An image processing apparatus includes a data processor configured to perform image processing to image data acquired from an imaging unit. The data processor includes an image acquisition unit configured to sequentially acquire image data from the imaging unit, an image analyzer configured to update a region-specific correction map including correction information on each of regions set for an imaging range of the imaging unit, based on at least two frames of image data acquired by the image acquisition unit, and a recording image data generator configured to generate recording image data in which one frame of image data acquired by the image acquisition unit is corrected based on the region-specific correction map.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1 . An image processing apparatus comprising a data processor configured to perform image processing to image data acquired from an imaging unit, the data processor comprising:
an image acquisition unit configured to sequentially acquire image data from the imaging unit; an image analyzer configured to update a region-specific correction map including correction information on each of regions set for an imaging range of the imaging unit, based on at least two frames of image data acquired by the image acquisition unit; and a recording image data generator configured to generate recording image data in which one frame of image data acquired by the image acquisition unit is corrected based on the region-specific correction map.

2 . The image processing apparatus according to claim 1 wherein the image analyzer includes an adder configured to perform addition processing to the at least two frames of image data, and the image analyzer updates the region-specific correction map based on one frame of image data included in the at least two frames of image data and one frame of image data acquired by addition processing.

3 . The image processing apparatus according to claim 1 wherein the data processor is configured to cause a display to sequentially display an image corresponding to image data sequentially acquired.

4 . The image processing apparatus according to claim 1 wherein the recording image data generator is configured to generate an image file including the recording image data, and the data processor causes a recording unit to record the image file.

5 . The image processing apparatus according to claim 4 , further comprising a clock configured to provide date and time information, and a controller configured to control the data processor, wherein the controller is configured to acquire the date and time information from the clock and cause the recording image data generator to include the acquired date and time information in the image file.

6 . The image processing apparatus according to claim 5 , wherein the controller is configured to cause the recording image data generator to include, in the image file, information of the region-specific correction map including positional information of the regions and correction information applied to each of the regions.

7 . The image processing apparatus according to claim 1 , wherein the data processor is configured to cause the imaging unit to perform photographing while repeatedly modifying a photographic condition and to sequentially output image data in photographing under each photographic condition.

8 . The image processing apparatus according to claim 7 , wherein the image acquisition unit is configured to sequentially acquire image data in the photographing while repeatedly modifying a photographic condition, and the image acquisition unit includes an HDR image data generator configured to generate HDR image data based on image data in photographing under a series of photographic conditions.

9 . The image processing apparatus according to claim 1 , further comprising a display configured to sequentially display images sequentially acquired by the image acquisition unit, and an operation device configured to at least allow a user to instruct recording of images.

10 . The image processing apparatus according to claim 9 , further comprising a recording unit configured to record the recording image data.

11 . The image processing apparatus according to claim 10 , further comprising the imaging unit configured to sequentially output image data.

12 . An image processing method of performing image processing to image data acquired from an imaging unit, the method comprising:
sequentially acquiring image data from the imaging unit; updating a region-specific correction map including correction information on each of regions set for an imaging range of the imaging unit based on at least two frames of image data acquired; and generating recording image data in which one frame of image data acquired is corrected based on the region-specific correction map.

13 . An image processing apparatus comprising a data processor configured to perform image processing to image data acquired from an imaging unit, the data processor including:
an image acquisition unit configured to sequentially acquire image data from the imaging unit; and an image analyzer configured to analyze images for each of regions set for an imaging range of the imaging unit based on at least two frames of image data acquired by the image acquisition unit.

14 . The image processing apparatus according to claim 13 , wherein the data processor is configured to cause the imaging unit to start image data acquisition while modifying a photographic condition based on the region-specific correction map according to an operation of an operation device instructing recording of an image by a user.

15 . The image processing apparatus according to claim 13 , wherein the data processor further includes a recording image data generator configured to generate recording at least one frame of image data based on the image data acquired by the image acquisition unit and correct the recording image data based on the region-specific correction map.

16 . The image processing apparatus according to claim 15 , wherein the recording image data generator is configured to generate an image file including the recording image data, and the data processor is configured to cause a recording unit to record the image file.

17 . The image processing apparatus according to claim 16 further comprising a controller configured to control the data processor, wherein the controller is configured to cause the data processor to include information of the region-specific correction map in the image file.

18 . The image processing apparatus according to claim 13 , wherein the image analyzer further includes an adder configured to perform addition processing to the at least two frames of image data and analyzes the image data based on one frame of image data included in the at least two frames of image data and one frame of image data acquired by addition processing.

19 . The image processing apparatus according to claim 13 , wherein the data processor is configured to cause the imaging unit to perform image data acquisition while repeatedly modifying the photographic condition in order to acquire live view image data and to sequentially output image data in image data acquisition in each photographic condition.

20 . The image processing apparatus according to claim 19 , wherein the image acquisition unit is configured to sequentially acquire image data in the image data acquisition while repeatedly modifying a photographic condition, and wherein the image acquisition unit comprises an HDR image data generator configured to generate HDR image data based on image data in image data acquisition under a series of photographic conditions.

21 . The image processing apparatus according to claim 19 , wherein the data processor is configured to cause the imaging unit to start image data acquisition while modifying a photographic condition based on the region-specific correction map during the acquisition of live view image data.

22 . The image processing apparatus according to claim 13 , wherein the imaging unit is capable of emitting illumination light while switching types of illumination light, and the data processor is configured to cause the imaging unit to em

Assignees

• Olympus Corp

Inventors

• Toyoda Tetsuya
• Osa Kazuhiko
• Nonaka Osamu

Classifications

• H04N23/741 Primary

  by increasing the dynamic range of the image compared to the dynamic range of the electronic image sensors · CPC title

• H04N23/80 Primary

  Camera processing pipelines; Components thereof · CPC title

• H04N23/667 Primary

  Camera operation mode switching, e.g. between still and video, sport and normal or high- and low-resolution modes · CPC title

• H04N23/69

  Control of means for changing angle of the field of view, e.g. optical zoom objectives or electronic zooming · CPC title

• H04N5/23245

  Electricity · mapped topic