Solid-state image pickup device

Claim 2

A solid-state image pickup device comprising: a pixel unit in which W pixels, R pixels, G pixels, and B pixels are arranged in rows and columns two-dimensionally, the W pixels, R pixels, G pixels, and B pixels each having photoelectric conversion elements provided with a white (W) filter, a red (R) filter, a green (G) filter, and a blue (B) filter respectively and which outputs W signals, R signals, G signals, and B signals obtained by photoelectrically converting light incident on the W pixels, R pixels, G pixels, and B pixels; an edge detection unit which determines a specific area having a W pixel provided with a white (W) filter as a central pixel in the pixel unit, divides the specific area into a plurality of blocks including the central pixel, and detects edge information as to whether there is an edge of an image in each of the blocks, at least one of the blocks including the central pixel at an end of the block; a block select unit which selects a block with no edge from the edge information detected by the edge detection unit; a ratio calculating unit which calculates ratio coefficients of the R signals, G signals, and B signals from the block selected by the block select unit; and an RGB signal generator unit which generates a new R signal, G signal, and B signal from the W signal of the central pixel using the ratio coefficients calculated by the ratio calculating unit, wherein the ratio calculating unit calculates an additive average value obtained by adding an average value of each of the R signals, G signals, and B signals and the average value of each of the R signals, G signals, and B signals in the block selected by the block select unit to obtain the ratios of the average value of the R signals, the average value of G signals and the average value of B signals to the additive average value as the ratio coefficients.

Claim 3

The solid-state image pickup device according to claim 1 , wherein the edge detection unit includes a difference determination unit which compares the difference between the W signal of the central pixel and the W signal of another W pixel with a specific value in each of said plurality of blocks and determines which is smaller of the two, and performs the logical OR operation using the result of the determination belonging to each of the blocks made by the difference determination unit and determines whether there is an edge of an image in each of the blocks.

Claim 4

The solid-state image pickup device according to claim 1 , wherein the edge detection unit includes a difference determination unit which compares the difference between an addition signal of a plurality of pixels including the central pixel and an addition signal of another plurality of pixels with a specific value in each of said plurality of blocks and determines which is smaller of the two, and performs the logical OR operation using the result of the determination belonging to each of the blocks made by the difference determination unit and determines whether there is an edge of an image in each of the blocks.

Claim 5

The solid-state image pickup device according to claim 1 , wherein the RGB signal generator unit generates a new R signal, G signal, and B signal by multiplying the W signal of the central pixel by the ratio coefficients of the R signal, G signal, and B signal calculated by the ratio calculating unit.

Claim 6

The solid-state image pickup device according to claim 4 , further comprising a Bayer arrangement conversion unit which converts into a Bayer arrangement using the newly generated R signal, G signal, and B signal.

Claim 7

The solid-state image pickup device according to claim 1 , wherein the specific area in the pixel unit is composed of a 7×7 pixel array and said plurality of blocks are composed of four blocks, each having a 4×4 pixel array.

Claim 8

The solid-state image pickup device according to claim 1 , wherein the specific area in the pixel unit is composed of a 5×5 pixel array and said plurality of blocks are composed of four blocks, each having a 3×3 pixel array.

Claim 9

The solid-state image pickup device according to claim 1 , further comprising a signal processing circuit which receives an R signal, a G signal, and a B signal generated by the RGB generator unit and carries out at least one of a white balance process, an edge enhancement process, a gamma correction process, and an RGB matrix circuit process.

Claim 10

The solid-state image pickup device according to claim 1 , wherein the photoelectric conversion elements include photodiodes.

Claim 11

A solid-state image pickup device comprising: a pixel unit in which W pixels, R pixels, G pixels, and B pixels are arranged in rows and columns two-dimensionally, the W pixels, R pixels, G pixels, and B pixels each having photoelectric conversion elements provided with a white (W) filter, a red (R) filter, a green (G) filter, and a blue (B) filter respectively and which outputs W signals, R signals, G signals, and B signals obtained by photoelectrically converting light incident on the W pixels, R pixels, G pixels, and B pixels; an edge detection unit which determines a specific area having a W pixel provided with a white (W) filter as a central pixel in the pixel unit, divides the specific area into a plurality of blocks including the central pixel, and detects edge information as to whether there is an edge of an image in each of the blocks; a block select unit which selects a block with no edge from the edge information detected by the edge detection unit; a ratio calculating unit which calculates ratio coefficients of the R signals, G signals, and B signals from the block selected by the block select unit; and an RGB signal generator unit which generates a new R signal, G signal, and B signal from the W signal of the central pixel using the ratio coefficients calculated by the ratio calculating unit, wherein the edge detection unit includes a difference determination unit which compares the difference between the W signal of the central pixel and the W signal of another W pixel with a specific value in each of said plurality of blocks and determines which is smaller of the two, and performs the logical OR operation using the result of the determination belonging to each of the blocks made by the difference determination unit and determines whether there is an edge of an image in each of the blocks.

Claim 12

A solid-state image pickup device comprising: a pixel unit in which W pixels, R pixels, G pixels, and B pixels are arranged in rows and columns two-dimensionally, the W pixels, R pixels, G pixels, and B pixels each having photoelectric conversion elements provided with a white (W) filter, a red (R) filter, a green (G) filter, and a blue (B) filter respectively and which outputs W signals, R signals, G signals, and B signals obtained by photoelectrically converting light incident on the W pixels, R pixels, G pixels, and B pixels; an edge detection unit which determines a specific area having a W pixel provided with a white (W) filter as a central pixel in the pixel unit, divides the specific area into a plurality of blocks including the central pixel, and detects edge information as to whether there is an edge of an image in each of the blocks; a block select unit which selects a block with no edge from the edge information detected by the edge detection unit; a ratio calculating unit which calculates ratio coefficients of the R signals, G signals, and B signals from the block selected by the block select unit; and an RGB signal generator unit which generates a new R signal, G signal, and B signal from the W signal of the central pixel using the ratio coefficients calculated by the ratio calculating unit, wherein the edge detection unit includes a difference determination unit which compares the difference between the W signal of the central pixel and the W signal of another W pixel with a specific value in each of said plurality of blocks and determines which is smaller of the two, and performs the logical OR operation using the result of the determination belonging to each of the blocks made by the difference determination unit and determines whether there is an edge of an image in each of the blocks.

Claim 13

A solid-state image pickup device comprising: a pixel unit in which W pixels, R pixels, G pixels, and B pixels are arranged in rows and columns two-dimensionally, the W pixels, R pixels, G pixels, and B pixels each having photoelectric conversion elements provided with a white (W) filter, a red (R) filter, a green (G) filter, and a blue (B) filter respectively and which outputs W signals, R signals, G signals, and B signals obtained by photoelectrically converting light incident on the W pixels, R pixels, G pixels, and B pixels; an edge detection unit which determines a specific area having a W pixel provided with a white (W) filter as a central pixel in the pixel unit, divides the specific area into a plurality of blocks including the central pixel, and detects edge information as to whether there is an edge of an image in each of the blocks; a block select unit which selects a block with no edge from the edge information detected by the edge detection unit; a ratio calculating unit which calculates ratio coefficients of the R signals, G signals, and B signals from the block selected by the block select unit; and an RGB signal generator unit which generates a new R signal, G signal, and B signal from the W signal of the central pixel using the ratio coefficients calculated by the ratio calculating unit, wherein the edge detection unit includes a difference determination unit which compares the difference between an addition signal of a plurality of pixels including the central pixel and an addition signal of another plurality of pixels with a specific value in each of said plurality of blocks and determines which is smaller of the two, and performs the logical OR operation using the result of the determination belonging to each of the blocks made by the difference determination unit and determines whether there is an edge of an image in each of the blocks.

Claim 14

A solid-state image pickup device comprising: a pixel unit in which W pixels, R pixels, G pixels, and B pixels are arranged in rows and columns two-dimensionally, the W pixels, R pixels, G pixels, and B pixels each having photoelectric conversion elements provided with a white (W) filter, a red (R) filter, a green (G) filter, and a blue (B) filter respectively and which outputs W signals, R signals, G signals, and B signals obtained by photoelectrically converting light incident on the W pixels, R pixels, G pixels, and B pixels; an edge detection unit which determines a specific area having a W pixel provided with a white (W) filter as a central pixel in the pixel unit, divides the specific area into a plurality of blocks including the central pixel, and detects edge information as to whether there is an edge of an image in each of the blocks; a block select unit which selects a block with no edge from the edge information detected by the edge detection unit; a ratio calculating unit which calculates ratio coefficients of the R signals, G signals, and B signals from the block selected by the block select unit; and an RGB signal generator unit which generates a new R signal, G signal, and B signal from the W signal of the central pixel using the ratio coefficients calculated by the ratio calculating unit, wherein the edge detection unit includes a difference determination unit which compares the difference between an addition signal of a plurality of pixels including the central pixel and an addition signal of another plurality of pixels with a specific value in each of said plurality of blocks and determines which is smaller of the two, and performs the logical OR operation using the result of the determination belonging to each of the blocks made by the difference determination unit and determines whether there is an edge of an image in each of the blocks.