Patent ID: 7916189
Filing Date: 2011-03-29
Classification: H04N

Abstract:
1. An image processing apparatus comprising: a pixel substitution unit that obtains a color-difference signal based on: a color-difference signal of a target pixel among image signals consist of signals output from an image sensor having a plurality of pixels, a color-difference signal of another pixel residing in an area has been set to include the target pixel, and a pixel-substitution utilization rate, and outputs the obtained color-difference signal as the color-difference signal of the target pixel; a differential-signal generating unit that obtains a chroma-differential signal that represent respective differences between a chroma signal of the target pixel and a chroma signal of the another pixel; and a calculation unit that compares the chroma-differential signal with a first threshold value and that calculates the pixel-substitution utilization rate so that: if the chroma-differential signal is equal to or less than the first threshold value, said pixel substitution unit is to output the color-difference signal of another pixel as the color-difference signal of the target pixel, and if the chroma-differential signal is larger than the first threshold value, said pixel substitution unit is to output a color-difference signal obtained by adding the color-difference signal of the target pixel and the color-difference signal of another pixel, wherein said calculation unit sets the first threshold value such that the higher a sensitivity set to the image sensor is, the larger the first threshold value is.