Image processing device, image processing method, and program

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-8948506-B2
Application number	US-201113581784-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Jan 5, 2011
Priority date	Mar 4, 2010
Publication date	Feb 3, 2015
Grant date	Feb 3, 2015

Abstract

A device and method for generating RGB arrangement data from an imaging signal by a photograph imaging device having an RGBW arrangement are provided. An edge detection unit analyzes an output signal in the RGBW arrangement from the imaging device, and thus obtains edge information corresponding to each pixel, and a texture detection unit generates texture information. Furthermore, a parameter calculation unit performs an interpolation process of converting an application pixel position according to the edge direction corresponding to a conversion pixel. A blend process unit inputs a parameter which the parameter calculation unit generates, edge information and texture information, and determines a conversion pixel value by performing a blend process by changing a blend ratio of the parameter which the parameter calculation unit calculates, according to the edge information corresponding to the conversion pixel and the texture information.

First claim

The invention claimed is:

1. An image processing device, comprising:
a data conversion process unit performing pixel conversion by interpreting a two-dimensional RGBW pixel arrangement signal in which pixels which are main components of a brightness signal are arranged in a checkered state, and pixels of a plurality of colors which are color information components are arranged in the remaining region,
wherein the data conversion process unit includes a parameter calculation unit calculating a parameter which is applied to a pixel conversion process by interpreting the two-dimensional RGBW pixel arrangement signal and the parameter calculation process unit performs a calculation process of calculating the parameter using at least of one of first correlation information for a correlation between the pixel which is the main component of the brightness signal included in the two-dimensional pixel RGBW arrangement signal and the color information component of the pixel after conversion, and second correlation information for a correlation between one color information component selected from among the color information components and the color information component of the pixel after the conversion, in the calculation process of the parameters which are applied to the pixel conversion process;
wherein the parameter calculation unit selects which one of first correlation information on a correlation between a white (W) pixel configuring the RGBW pixel arrangement signal and the color information component of the pixel after the conversion and second correlation information on a correlation between a green (G) pixel configuring the RGBW arrangement and the color information component of the pixel after the conversion is used, according to 4 kinds of edge directions, longitudinal, traverse, left gradient upward, and right gradient upward, which an edge detection unit detects.

2. The image processing device according to claim 1 ,
wherein the parameter calculation unit uses the correlation information on a correlation between the color information component having the highest distribution rate among the color information components and the color information component of the pixel after the conversion, as the second correlation information.

3. The imaging processing device according to claim 1 or claim 2 ,
wherein the data conversion process unit includes an edge detection unit generating edge information by interpreting the two-dimensional pixel arrangement signal, and
the parameter calculation unit performs the calculation process of calculating the parameter by selectively using any of the first correlation information and the second correlation information, according to an edge direction which the edge detection unit detects.

4. The image processing device according to claim 3 ,
wherein a color of the main component of the brightness signal is white, and the color information component of which the distribution rate is the highest is green, and
the parameter calculation unit performs the calculation process of calculating the parameter using any of the first correlation information on a correlation between white and the color information component of the pixel after the conversion and the second correlation information on a correlation between green and the color information component of the pixel after the conversion, according to the edge direction which the edge detection unit detects, in the calculation process of calculating the parameter which is applied to the pixel conversion process.

5. The image processing device according to claim 3 or claim 4 ,
wherein the data conversion process unit includes
a texture detection unit generating texture information by interpreting the two-dimensional pixel arrangement signal, and
a blend process unit inputting the parameter which the parameter calculation unit calculates, the edge information and the texture information, and determining a conversion pixel value by performing a blend process by changing a blend ratio of the parameter which the parameter calculation unit calculates, according to the edge information and the texture information corresponding to the conversion pixel.

6. The image processing device according to claim 5 ,
wherein the edge detection unit generates the edge information including edge direction and strength information corresponding to each pixel by interpreting an RGBW arrangement signal which is generated from an RGB pixel and a white (W) pixel,
the texture detection unit generates texture information indicating texture extent corresponding to each pixel by interpreting the RGBW arrangement signal,
the parameter calculation unit is a parameter calculation unit which calculates a parameter for converting the RGBW arrangement to the RGB arrangement, and generates the parameter corresponding to an interpolation pixel value calculated by an interpolation process of changing an application pixel position according to the edge direction corresponding to the conversion pixel, and
the blend process unit inputs the parameter which the parameter calculation unit calculates, the edge information and the texture information and performs the process of determining the conversion pixel value by performing the blend process by changing the blend ratio of the parameter which the parameter calculation unit calculates, according to the edge information and the texture information corresponding to the conversion pixel.

7. The image processing device according to claim 6 ,
wherein the parameter calculation unit has a configuration which generates the parameter by the interpolation process of defining the pixel position which is applied to the interpolation process as the pixel position which is along the edge direction.

8. The image processing device according to claim 6 or claim 7 ,
wherein the parameter calculation unit has a configuration which generates the parameter by the interpolation process of using any of a correlation in a local region between the W pixel configuring the RGBW arrangement or the other RGB pixel or a correlation in the local region between the G pixel configuring the RGBW arrangement and the other RGB pixel.

9. The image processing device according to any of claims 6 to 8 ,
wherein the image processing device further includes a temporary pixel setting unit setting the pixel value of the pixel of any of RGB to a W pixel position by the interpolation process of using the correlation in the local region between the W pixel configuring the RGBW arrangement and the other RGB pixel, and
the parameter calculation unit has a configuration which generates the parameter by the interpolation process of applying temporary pixel setting data.

10. The image processing device according to any of claims 6 to 9 ,
wherein the parameter calculation unit selects which one of first correlation information on a correlation between the W pixel configuring the RGBW arrangement and the color information component of the pixel after the conversion and second correlation information on a correlation between the G pixel configuring the RGBW arrangement and the color information component of the pixel after the conversion is used, according to 4 kinds of edge directions, longitudinal, traverse, left gradient upward, and right gradient upward, which the edge detection unit detects.

11. The image processing device according to claim 10 ,
wherein the parameter calculation unit generates a plurality of parameters by setting a reference pixel position to the pixel position along the edge direction and using the first correlation information and the second correlation information, and
the blend process unit performs the blend proc

Assignees

• Saito Yasushi
• Hirota Isao
• Sony Corp

Inventors

• Saito Yasushi
• Hirota Isao

Classifications

• G06T3/4015 Primary

  Image demosaicing, e.g. colour filter arrays [CFA] or Bayer patterns · CPC title

• H04N23/843

  Demosaicing, e.g. interpolating colour pixel values · CPC title

• H04N25/135

  based on four or more different wavelength filter elements · CPC title

• H04N25/133

  including elements passing panchromatic light, e.g. filters passing white light · CPC title

• H04N9/045

  Electricity · mapped topic