Patent ID: 7454134
Filing Date: 2008-11-18
Classification: H04N

Abstract:
1. An image signal processing unit which processes image signals corresponding to an image divided into a plurality of image-areas, comprising: a first detector that detects a sharpness corresponding to how much of said image-area is in focus based on said image signals; a second detector that detects an out-of-focus area, when said sharpness is out of a predetermined permissible range, for said image-area; a blurring processor that carries out a blurring process for an out-of-focus area signal corresponding to said out-of-focus area, wherein said first detector detects a luminance variation of a selected image-area, by calculating a difference between a luminance at said selected image-area and a luminance at another image-area that is neighboring said selected image-area, and said second detector detects said out-of-focus area, when the luminance variation is under a predetermined first threshold value for judging whether to carry out said blurring process, for said image-areas, and wherein said first detector smoothes a first luminance variation of a first image-area with a neighboring luminance variation of another image-area that is neighboring said first image-area, and replaces said first luminance variation with the smoothed luminance variation.