Image processing apparatus, image capturing apparatus, and image processing program

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-9854224-B2
Application number	US-201214008838-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Mar 12, 2012
Priority date	Mar 30, 2011
Publication date	Dec 26, 2017
Grant date	Dec 26, 2017

Abstract

Images can be processed using an image processing apparatus including: an image data obtaining section that obtains at least two pieces of parallax image data from an image capturing element that includes color filters and opening masks so that one color filter and one opening mask correspond to one of at least a part of photoelectric conversion elements and outputs the at least two pieces of parallax image data; and a correcting section that corrects color imbalance of a corresponding pixel caused between the at least two pieces of parallax image data, based on at least one of a position of the at least a part of photoelectric conversion elements in the image capturing element and an opening displacement of the opening mask.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. An image processing apparatus, comprising:
a processor configured to perform operations including
obtaining at least a first piece of parallax image data and a second piece of parallax image data from an image capturing element that includes a plurality of pixels, each of which includes, in association with one micro-lens, one photoelectric conversion element that corresponds to only one color filter and to only one opening mask; and
correcting, for each pixel output in the first and second pieces of parallax image data, and based on an angle of light incident to each color filter of the pixels, a color imbalance resulting from differences in an amount of light received by the photoelectric conversion elements of the pixels that are caused by differences of at least one of (i) positions of the photoelectric conversion elements and (ii) opening displacements of the opening masks of the pixels,

wherein the opening masks of the pixels pass regions of incident light, while maintaining a relative positional relation with respect to the image capturing element, and
wherein the first piece of parallax image data and the second piece of parallax image data are from different view points.

2. The image processing apparatus according to claim 1 , wherein:
the processor is further configured to obtain lens information of an image capturing lens at a time of obtaining the first and second pieces of parallax image data, and
correcting the color imbalance includes taking into consideration the lens information.

3. The image processing apparatus according to claim 2 , wherein
the lens information includes pupil position information of the image capturing lens.

4. The image processing apparatus according to claim 2 , wherein
the lens information includes diaphragm information at a time of obtaining the first and second pieces of parallax image data.

5. The image processing apparatus according to claim 2 , wherein
the lens information includes transmittance information with respect to a diameter direction of a pupil of the image capturing lens.

6. The image processing apparatus according to claim 1 , wherein:
the processor is further configured to obtain focus information at a time of obtaining the first and second pieces of parallax image data, and
correcting the color imbalance includes taking into consideration the focus information.

7. The image processing apparatus according to claim 1 , wherein the processor is further configured to
obtain, from the image capturing element, non-parallax image data outputted together with the first and second pieces of parallax image data, and
further correct, for each pixel output in the first and second pieces of parallax image data, the color imbalance by referring to corresponding pixel outputs of the non-parallax image data.

8. An image capturing apparatus comprising an image processing apparatus according to claim 1 and the image capturing element, wherein
in the image capturing element, an opening of each of the opening masks provided to correspond to at least three of n adjacent photoelectric conversion elements (n being an integer equal to or greater than 3) is included in one of color filter patterns constituted by at least two types of the color filters that transmit wavelength regions different from each other, and is located to pass each of light fluxes from partial regions different from each other in a sectional area of incident light, and a group of photoelectric conversion elements made of the n adjacent photoelectric conversion elements are arranged periodically, and
the image capturing apparatus outputs at least the first piece of parallax image data and the second piece of parallax image data based on an output signal of the photoelectric conversion elements for which the opening masks are provided.

9. An image processing apparatus comprising:
a processor configured to perform operations including
obtaining at least a first piece of parallax image data and a second piece of parallax image data from an image capturing element that is at least partly constituted by parallax pixels, each of which includes, in association with one micro-lens, one photoelectric conversion element that corresponds to only one color filter and to only one opening mask; and
correcting, for each pixel output in the first and second pieces of parallax image data, and based on an angle of light incident to each color filter of the parallax pixels, a color imbalance resulting from differences in an amount of light received by the photoelectric conversion elements of the parallax pixels that are caused by differences of at least one of (i) positions of the parallax pixels and (ii) the angle of the light incident on the parallax pixels,

wherein the opening masks of the parallax pixels pass regions of incident light, while maintaining a relative positional relation with respect to the image capturing element, and
wherein the first piece of parallax image data and the second piece of parallax image data are from different view points.

10. The image processing apparatus according to claim 9 , wherein
the incident angle for each of the parallax pixels is defined by an opening displacement of its opening mask.

11. The image processing apparatus according to claim 1 , wherein the image capturing element includes at least two opening masks that each pass a different partial region of incident light.

12. The image processing apparatus according to claim 11 , wherein the different partial regions of incident light include a left partial region and a right partial region.

13. The image processing apparatus according to claim 1 , wherein a pixel output of the first piece of parallax image data and a corresponding pixel output of the second piece of parallax image data are output from a single minute region of the image capturing element.

14. The image processing apparatus according to claim 13 , wherein the opening mask of the pixel outputting the pixel output of the first piece of parallax image data is adjacent to the opening mask of the pixel outputting the corresponding pixel output of the second piece of parallax image data.

15. The image processing apparatus according to claim 1 , wherein the differences in the amount of light are based on a difference in the angle of incident light between a pixel outputting for the first piece of parallax image data and a corresponding pixel outputting for the second piece of parallax image data.

16. The image processing apparatus according to claim 15 , wherein the processor is further configured to correct the color imbalance based on a thickness and an absorbing coefficient of the color filter of the pixel outputting for the first piece of parallax image data.

Assignees

• Mori Susumu
• Hamashima Muneki
• Shibazaki Kiyoshige
• Nippon Kogaku Kk

Inventors

• Mori Susumu
• Hamashima Muneki
• Shibazaki Kiyoshige

Classifications

• H04N23/672

  based on the phase difference signals · CPC title

• H04N25/00

  Circuitry of solid-state image sensors [SSIS]; Control thereof · CPC title

• H04N25/68

  applied to defects · CPC title

• H04N23/843

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

• H04N25/134

  based on three different wavelength filter elements · CPC title