US7242800B2
Expired / Lapsed
US
⏱️ 0.0 years remaining
Image processing apparatus, image processing system, image processing method, storage medium, and program
Assignee: Canon Inc
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Filing: 2003-03-13
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Granted: 2007-07-10
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Expires: 2023-03-13
Abstract
Abstract In an image processing apparatus which can always provide an excellent processed image, an analysis unit analyzes condition information representing a condition at a time when an image is obtained and being included in image information, and determines an algorithm of an image correction process for the image based on the analyzed result.
Inventors
- 👤 Ryosuke Iguchi
- 👤 Makoto Torigoe
- 👤 Shigeru Mizoguchi
- 👤 Yuji Akiyama
- 👤 Manabu Yamazoe
- 👤 Takashi Fujita
Bibliographic Details
Application Number
—
Jurisdiction
US
Data Source
google_patents
Last Synchronized
2026-11-09 10:05
CPC Classifications
H; H04; H04N; H04N1/00; H04N1/46; H04N1/56; H04N1/60; H04N1/6083; H04N1/6086; H04N1/32; H04N1/32101; H04N1/32128; H04N1/40; H04N1/407; H04N1/4072; H04N1/4074; H04N1/6077; H04N1/608; H04N2201/00; H04N2201/0077; H04N2201/0082; H04N2201/0084; H04N2201/32; H04N2201/3201; H04N2201/3225; H04N2201/3242; H04N2201/3274; H04N2201/3278
Claims Analysis
Total Claims: 22
Claim 1
Independent Claim
98 words
An image processing apparatus which performs an image process to image information including condition information representing a condition at a time when an image is obtained, comprising: analysis means for analyzing the condition information; and processing determination means for obtaining a color correction amount of the image according to a value representing a level of color balance, a lightness correction amount of the image according to a value representing a level of lightness and a smoothing correction amount of the image according to a value concerning zoom, on the basis of an analysis result of said analysis means.
Claim 2
Dependent Claim
98 words
An image processing apparatus which performs an image process to image information including condition information representing a condition at a time when an image is obtained, comprising: analysis means for analyzing the condition information; and processing determination means for obtaining a color correction amount of the image according to a value representing a level of color balance, a lightness correction amount of the image according to a value representing a level of lightness and a smoothing correction amount of the image according to a value concerning zoom, on the basis of an analysis result of said analysis means.
Claim 3
Dependent Claim
26 words
An image processing apparatus according to claim 1 , further comprising output means for outputting the image information which has been processed by said processing means.
Claim 4
Dependent Claim
18 words
An image processing apparatus according to claim 2 , wherein said output means includes a print output function.
Claim 5
Dependent Claim
83 words
An image processing apparatus according to claim 1 , wherein in the process to obtain the color correction amount of the image, lightness of a highlight point of an original image and lightness of a shadow point thereof are detected, and colors of the highlight point and the shadow point are obtained from plural pixels having said lightness, and the color correction process is performed to the original image based on the highlight point, the shadow point and the colors of these points.
Claim 6
Dependent Claim
46 words
An image processing apparatus according to claim 4 , wherein, in the color correction process, a color solid axis of the original image is conformed to an axis indicating the lightness, and contrast adjustment is performed to color components representing the lightness of the original image.
Claim 7
Dependent Claim
37 words
An image processing apparatus according to claim 4 , wherein, in the color correction process, the correction process is performed to color components representing the color of the original image, thereby adjusting saturation of the original image.
Claim 8
Dependent Claim
39 words
An image processing apparatus according to claim 4 , wherein a histogram is created based on color components representing the lightness of the original image, and the highlight point and the shadow point are detected based on said histogram.
Claim 9
Dependent Claim
81 words
An image processing apparatus according to claim 1 , wherein said processing determination means for obtaining the lightness correction amount of the image judges a distribution of the lightness of the image from a histogram concerning the number of pixels of values of components concerning the lightness of the image represented by image data, automatically selects one of plural gradation correction conditions based on a judged distribution, and corrects the components concerning the lightness by using the selected gradation correction condition.
Claim 10
Dependent Claim
32 words
An image processing apparatus according to claim 8 , wherein the distribution of the lightness of the image is judged based on an accumulated frequency in a predetermined range of the histogram.
Claim 11
Dependent Claim
41 words
An image processing apparatus according to claim 9 , wherein the distribution of the lightness of the image is judged based on a rate of the accumulated frequency in said predetermined range to the number of total pixels of the histogram.
Claim 12
Dependent Claim
37 words
An image processing apparatus according to claim 8 , wherein the gradation correction condition is selected based on a combination of highlight and shadow points of the image and the distribution of the lightness of the image.
Claim 13
Dependent Claim
54 words
An image processing apparatus according to claim 8 , wherein a density is increased if a rate of a highlight range on the histogram is high, the density is decreased if a rate of a shadow range on the histogram is low, and a dynamic range is expanded if a histogram width is narrow.
Claim 14
Dependent Claim
114 words
An image processing apparatus according to claim 12 , wherein in a case where the rate of the highlight range is high, a level of increase of the density is made higher as compared with a case where the rate of the highlight range is low, in a case where the rate of the shadow range is high, a level of decrease of the density is made higher as compared with a case where the rate of the shadow range is low, and in a case where the histogram width is small, a level of expansion of the dynamic range is made higher as compared with a case where the histogram width is large.
Claim 15
Dependent Claim
22 words
An image processing apparatus according to claim 1 , wherein the image information includes image information obtained by a digital still camera.
Claim 16
Dependent Claim
50 words
An image processing apparatus according to claim 1 , wherein the image information includes shot image information, and the condition information includes at least any of exposure information, stroboscopic information, white balance information, shooting mode information and digital zoom information at a time when the shot image information is obtained.
Claim 17
Dependent Claim
20 words
An image processing apparatus according to claim 1 , further comprising presentation means for presenting information concerning the condition information.
Claim 18
Dependent Claim
36 words
An image processing apparatus according to claim 16 , wherein said presentation means presents the information concerning the condition information based on processing timing of the image information to which the condition information has been added.
Claim 19
Dependent Claim
21 words
An image processing apparatus according to claim 1 , wherein said analysis means includes a function to analyze the image information.
Claim 20
Dependent Claim
50 words
An image processing apparatus according to claim 1 , wherein, when said processing determination means obtains the plural kinds of image information and performs the plural processes corresponding to the obtained plural kinds of image information, said processing determination means sets order of priority for each of the plural processes.
Claim 21
Independent Claim
101 words
An apparatus-implemented image processing method which performs an image process to image information including condition information representing a condition at a time when an image is obtained, comprising: an analysis step of analyzing the condition information; and a processing determination step of obtaining a color correction amount of the image according to a value representing a level of color balance, a lightness correction amount of the image according to a value representing a level of lightness and a smoothing correction amount of the image according to a value concerning zoom, on the basis of an analysis result in said analysis step.
Claim 22
Independent Claim
101 words
An apparatus-implemented image processing method which performs an image process to image information including condition information representing a condition at a time when an image is obtained, comprising: an analysis step of analyzing the condition information; and a processing determination step of obtaining a color correction amount of the image according to a value representing a level of color balance, a lightness correction amount of the image according to a value representing a level of lightness and a smoothing correction amount of the image according to a value concerning zoom, on the basis of an analysis result in said analysis step.
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USPTO Annuity & Maintenance Windows
| Annuity Stage | Window Opens | Payment Deadline | Surcharge Period Until | Estimated Fee | Status |
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| 3.5 Years (Year 4) | 2010-07-09 | 2011-01-08 | 2011-07-10 | $2000.00 | Window Closed / Lapsed |
| 7.5 Years (Year 8) | 2014-07-09 | 2015-01-08 | 2015-07-10 | $3760.00 | Window Closed / Lapsed |
| 11.5 Years (Year 12) | 2018-07-09 | 2019-01-08 | 2019-07-10 | $7700.00 | Window Closed / Lapsed |