Patent ID: 6452635
Filing Date: 2002-09-17
Classification: G06T,H04N

Abstract:
In an image pickup apparatus comprising an image-forming optical system which forms an image of an object; an electronic image pickup device which converts the image into electric signals; and signal processing means for converting the signals obtained from said electronic image pickup device into a displayable image signal,the improvement wherein said image-forming optical system includes a diffraction surface having one of an image-forming action and an action whereby image-forming performance is improved, and wherein in order to reduce a diffraction image formed by an unwanted order of diffracted light, which is unnecessary for image formation, in the image converted into said image signal, said signal processing means has means for storing a point spread function of the unwanted order of diffracted light; means for selecting electric signals having an intensity hi her than a predetermined value from the electric signals obtained from said electronic image pickup device and for calculating a convolution of an object image formed from the selected electric signals with the point spread function o the unwanted order of diffracted light to obtain a flare signal; and means for reducing or removing said flare signal from a signal representing said object image.