Imaging device and signal correcting method

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-9264636-B2
Application number	US-201414535908-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Nov 7, 2014
Priority date	May 10, 2012
Publication date	Feb 16, 2016
Grant date	Feb 16, 2016

Abstract

A digital signal processing unit 17 of a digital camera which includes a solid-state imaging element 5 having an imaging pixel cell 30 and a pair of focus detecting pixel cells 31 R and 31 L determines whether a captured image signal obtained by imaging by the imaging element 5 has a region affected by at least one of the flare and the ghost. And, when it is determined that there is the region, the digital signal processing unit 17 performs correction processing by signal interpolation using an output signal of imaging pixel cells around the focus detecting pixel cell included in the captured image signal on an output signal of all the focus detecting pixel cells included in the captured image signal.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. An imaging device including an imaging element which includes a plurality of first pixel cells for imaging and a plurality of pairs configured by plural types of second pixel cells for focus detection which receive light passing through different pupil regions of a photographing lens, the device comprising:
a determining unit which determines whether a captured image signal is affected by at least one of a flare and a ghost using the captured image signal obtained by imaging by the solid-state imaging element;
a correction processing unit which performs one of interpolation correction processing and gain correction processing on an output signal of the second pixel cell included in the captured image signal, where the interpolation correction processing corrects the output signal of the second pixel cell by signal interpolation using an output signal of the plurality of first pixel cells around the second pixel included in the captured image signal, and the gain correction processing corrects the output signal of the second pixel cell by multiplying the output signal with a gain value; and
an image data generating unit which processes the captured image signal after the correction processing by the correction processing unit to generate captured image data,
wherein the correction processing unit determines as to whether which one of the interpolation correction processing and the gain correction processing is to be performed on the output signal of the second pixel cell on the basis of a determination result by the determining unit.

2. The imaging device of claim 1 , wherein
when it is determined that the captured image signal is not affected by at least one of the flare and the ghost, the correction processing unit performs one of the interpolation correction processing and the gain correction processing on the output signal of the second pixel cell, and
when it is determined that the captured image signal is affected by at least one of the flare and the ghost, the correction processing unit performs the interpolation correction processing on the output signal of the second pixel cell.

3. The imaging device of claim 1 , wherein
the determining unit determines a region in the captured image signal which is affected by at least one of the flare and the ghost using the captured image signal,
the correction processing unit performs the interpolation correction processing on the output signal of the second pixel cell which is included in the region of the captured image signal affected by at least one of the flare and the ghost, and
the correction processing unit performs one of the interpolation correction processing and the gain correction processing on the output signal of the second pixel cell which is included in the region of the captured image signal which is not affected by at least one of the flare and the ghost.

4. The imaging device of claim 3 , wherein
the determining unit divides a region where the second pixel cells are disposed into a plurality of blocks,
the determining unit calculates an imaging block gain value which is a gain value required to correct the output signal of the second pixel cell in each block by the gain correction processing using the captured image signal, and
the determining unit determines a region which is affected by at least one of the flare and the ghost using the imaging block gain value.

5. The imaging device of claim 4 , wherein
the determining unit calculates an average of differences between the imaging block gain value and a gain value of blocks adjacent in a direction perpendicular to a direction where two image signals detected by the second pixel cells are off-centered, and
the determining unit determines a signal corresponding to a block in which the average exceeds a predetermined value as a region affected by at least one of the flare and the ghost.

6. The imaging device of claim 4 , further comprising:
a storing unit which stores a reference block gain value which is a gain value for each block calculated by a reference captured image signal obtained by imaging a reference image by the solid-state imaging element under a condition that at least one of the flare and the ghost is not generated,
wherein the determining region determines a signal corresponding to a block in which a difference between the reference block gain value and the imaging block gain value exceeds a predetermined value as a region affected by at least one of the flare and the ghost.

7. The imaging device of claim 1 , wherein
the determining unit divides a region where the second pixel cells are disposed into a plurality of blocks,
the determining unit calculates an imaging block gain value which is a gain value required to correct the output signal of the second pixel cell in each block by the gain correction processing using the captured image signal, and
the determining unit determines whether the captured image signal affected by at least one of the flare and the ghost using the imaging block gain value.

8. The imaging device of claim 7 , wherein
when a difference between a maximum value and a minimum value of an adjacent block gain difference which is a difference between imaging block gain values calculated for two adjacent blocks in a direction where two image signals detected by the second pixel cells are off-centered exceeds a predetermined value, the determining unit determines that the captured image signal is affected by at least one of the flare and the ghost.

9. The imaging device of claim 7 , further comprising:
a storing unit which stores a reference block gain value which is a gain value for each block calculated by using a reference captured image signal obtained by imaging a reference image by the solid-state imaging element under a condition that at least one of the flare and the ghost is not generated,
wherein the determining unit calculates a reference block gain value difference which is a difference between the reference block gain values and the imaging block gain values, and
when a difference between a maximum value and a minimum value of the reference block gain value difference calculated for two adjacent blocks in a direction where two image signals detected by the second pixel cells are off-centered exceeds a predetermined value, the determining unit determines that the captured image signal is affected by at least one of the flare and the ghost.

10. A signal correcting method which corrects a captured image signal output from an imaging element including a plurality of first pixel cells for imaging and a plurality of pairs configured by plural types of second pixel cells for focus detection which receive light passing through different pupil regions of a photographing lens which are two dimensionally arranged, the method comprising:
a determining step which determines whether a captured image signal is affected by at least one of a flare and a ghost using the captured image signal obtained by imaging by the solid-state imaging element;
a correction processing step which performs one of interpolation correction processing and gain correction processing on an output signal of the second pixel cell included in the captured image signal, where the interpolation correction processing corrects the output signal of the second pixel cell by signal interpolation using an output signal of the plurality of first pixel cells around the second pixel included in the captured image signal, and the gain correction processing corrects the output signal of the second pixel cell by multiplying the output signal with a gain value; and
an image data generating step which processes the captured image signal after the correction processing by

Assignees

• Fujifilm Corp

Inventors

• Sugawara Kazufumi

Classifications

• H04N23/672

  based on the phase difference signals · CPC title

• H04N25/134

  based on three different wavelength filter elements · CPC title

• G02B7/34 Primary

  using different areas in a pupil plane · CPC title

• H04N23/843 Primary

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

• H04N23/76

  by influencing the image signals · CPC title