Patent ID: 6760067
Filing Date: 2004-07-06
Classification: H04N

Abstract:
An imaging apparatus comprising:imaging means for accumulating an image signal by an n-times long time accumulation (n is an integer of â€œ1â€  or more); timing control means for controlling to read out the image signal stored in the imaging means according to the n-times long time accumulation; memory means for storing the image signal read out by the timing control means for one frame period or more; memory control means for controlling the memory means; and recursive noise reduction means for performing a noise reduction process on the basis of the image signal read out from the imaging means and the one-frame-period-or-more delayed image signal read out from the memory means to generate a noise-reduction processed image signal, wherein when the imaging means performs a 2n-times long time accumulation, in a vertical scanning period in which the image signal is output from the imaging means, the memory control means writes to the memory means the image signal generated by the recursive noise reduction means, and the recursive noise reduction means outputs the generated image signal as an output signal as it is; and in a vertical scanning period in which the image signal is not output from the imaging means, the memory control means inhibits the writing of the image signal generated by the recursive noise reduction means to the memory means, and the recursive noise reduction means outputs the image signal read out from the memory means, as the output signal as it is.