Imaging apparatus that outputs raw image data and associated metadata and image processing apparatus that uses same

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-9712725-B2
Application number	US-201214367764-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Dec 7, 2012
Priority date	Dec 28, 2011
Publication date	Jul 18, 2017
Grant date	Jul 18, 2017

Abstract

[Object] To quickly and correctly reproduce an image intended by a photographer, a cinematographer, and the like on the occasion of post-production.
[Solving Means] The development apparatus includes: an imaging unit that performs shooting and generates RAW data; a first conversion unit that converts the generated RAW data into image data by interpolation; an acquisition unit that acquires an exposure index value corresponding to an illuminance of a shooting environment; a first correction unit that corrects a value of the image data based on the exposure index value; and an output unit that associates the RAW data and the acquired exposure index value with each other and outputs the associated RAW data and exposure index value.

First claim

The invention claimed is:

1. An imaging apparatus for providing image data to an external image processing device, comprising:
an imager that performs imaging of a subject in a shooting environment and generates RAW data representing an image of the subject being imaged;
a metadata receiver that receives, in real time, a measured illuminance value of the illuminance of the shooting environment of the subject being imaged at the time the subject is imaged, an effective marker having a value that is determined via a user input to identify an area in the image of the subject intended by the user for framing and color correction information corresponding to the image of the subject and converts the measured illuminance value into an exposure index;
an image information acquirer that acquires imaging information representing imaging parameters of the imager at the time the subject is imaged; and
an output that associates metadata with the RAW data of the subject being imaged, the metadata including the exposure index value, the effective marker, the color correction information and the imaging information acquired at the time the subject is imaged and outputs the associated RAW data without change, its associated metadata and the imaging information to the external image processing device for processing the RAW data in accordance with the associated metadata.

2. The imaging apparatus according to claim 1 , wherein
the effective marker comprises information on an effective area for post-production of the image data.

3. The imaging apparatus according to claim 1 , wherein the information for color correction is the American Society of Cinematographers Color Decision List (ASC-CDL).

4. An image processing apparatus for providing image data to an external image processing device, comprising:
an input that inputs RAW data output from an imaging apparatus that images a subject in a shooting environment and metadata associated with the RAW data at the time the subject is imaged, the metadata including an exposure index value of the shooting environment at which the subject was imaged at the time the subject was imaged, an effective marker having a value determined via a user input that identifies an area in the image of the subject intended for framing, color correction information corresponding to the image of the subject and imaging information representing imaging parameters of the imaging apparatus that images the subject at the time the subject was imaged, the RAW data representing the image of the subject;
a converter that converts the RAW data into image data by interpolation; and
an image corrector that adjusts the image data in accordance with the color correction information included in the inputted associated metadata, corrects a value of the image data based on the exposure index value and color correction information included in the inputted associated metadata and performs clipping based on the effective marker.

5. The image processing apparatus according to claim 4 , wherein the image corrector includes a clipper that clips a part corresponding to the effective area from the image data based on the effective marker.

6. The image processing apparatus according to claim 4 , wherein the image corrector includes a color corrector that performs a color correction of the image data based on the information for color correction.

7. The image processing apparatus according to claim 6 , wherein the information for color correction is the American Society of Cinematographers Color Decision List (ASC-CDL).

8. The imaging apparatus according to claim 1 , further comprising;
a converter that converts the RAW data into image data by interpolation.

9. The imaging apparatus according to claim 1 , further comprising;
a corrector that corrects a value of the image data based on the exposure index value to provide corrected image data for display.

10. An imaging apparatus for providing image data to an external image processing device, comprising:
an imager that performs imaging of a subject in a shooting environment and generates RAW data representing an image of the subject being imaged;
an imaging information acquirer that acquires imaging information representing imaging parameters of the imager at the time the subject is imaged;
a metadata receiver that receives color correction information corresponding to the image of the subject;
an effective marker unit that receives an effective marker having a value set by a user to identify an area in the image intended by the user for framing;
a color corrector that receives the color correction information for color correction of the RAW data; and
an output that associates metadata with the RAW data, the metadata including the imaging information representing the imaging parameters at the time the subject is imaged, the effective marker and the color correction information for color correction of the RAW data, and outputs the RAW data without change, its associated metadata and the imaging information to the external image processing device for processing the RAW data in accordance with the associated metadata.

11. An imaging system, comprising:
an imaging apparatus having
an imager that performs imaging of a subject in a shooting environment and generates RAW data representing an image of the subject being imaged,
an acquirer that acquires imaging information representing imaging parameters of the imager at the time the subject is imaged,
a metadata receiver that receives exposure index information representing measured illuminance of the shooting environment of the subject that was imaged at the time the subject was imaged, an effective marker having a value that is determined by a user to identify an area in the image of the subject intended by the user for framing and color correction information corresponding to the image of the subject, and
an output that associates metadata with the RAW data of the subject being imaged, the metadata including the imaging information representing the imaging parameters at the time the subject is imaged, the effective marker, and at least one of the color correction information for color correction of the RAW data or the exposure index information, and outputs the RAW data without change, its associated metadata and the imaging information to an image processing apparatus; and
an image processing apparatus having
an input that inputs the RAW data of the subject and the metadata associated with the RAW data,
a converter that converts the RAW data into image data by interpolation, and
a corrector that corrects a value of the image data based on the associated metadata.

Assignees

• Sony Corp

Inventors

• Ogikubo Junichi

Classifications

• H04N23/76

  by influencing the image signals · CPC title

• H04N23/88

  for colour balance, e.g. white-balance circuits or colour temperature control · CPC title

• H04N23/81 Primary

  for suppressing or minimising disturbance in the image signal generation · CPC title

• H04N23/70

  Circuitry for compensating brightness variation in the scene · CPC title

• G11B27/031

  Electronic editing of digitised analogue information signals, e.g. audio or video signals · CPC title