Patent ID: 7898581
Filing Date: 2011-03-01
Classification: H04N

Abstract:
1. An image pickup apparatus comprising: an image pickup element that includes a plurality of photoelectric conversion elements, and is operable in a first drive mode for reading a low resolution image based on an output of the photoelectric conversion elements or a second drive mode for reading a higher resolution image than the low resolution image; a drive unit that drives the image pickup element; a frame memory that stores image data read by the image pickup element in the first drive mode; an image enlarging portion that enlarges an image size of the image data read by the image pickup element in the first drive mode and stored in the frame memory; and a noise reduction unit that performs noise reduction on image data read by the image pickup element in the second drive mode, based on image data obtained by the image data read by the image pickup element in the first drive mode being enlarged by the image enlarging portion.