Patent ID: 8013914
Filing Date: 2011-09-06
Classification: H04N

Abstract:
1. An imaging apparatus in which a noise suppression circuit performs predetermined signal processing with respect to image signals output from an imaging section where a plurality of pixels formed of photoelectric conversion elements are two-dimensionally arranged and a color filter arrangement has a cross of five pixels of a same color, wherein the noise suppression circuit includes: sorting processing of sorting one signal of a central pixel as a target and four signals of peripheral pixels having the same color which are close to the central pixel in the image signals in order of magnitude; average value calculation processing of calculating a first average value from the one signal of the central pixel and the four signals of the peripheral pixels; difference value calculation processing of calculating a first difference value from a maximum value and a minimum value of the one signal of the central pixel and the four signals of the peripheral pixels sorted in order of magnitude; comparison processing of comparing the first difference value with an assumed noise level; and substitution processing of substituting the one signal of the central pixel by an average value of two or more pixel values excluding at least the maximum value or the minimum value when the first difference value is larger than the noise level, and wherein the noise suppression circuit calculates a second average value and a second difference value from two signals having large levels in three signals indicating intermediate values excluding the maximum value and the minimum value, calculates a third average value and a third difference value from two signals having small levels in the same, judges a magnitude relationship between the second difference value and the third difference value, substitutes the one signal of the central pixel by the second average value if the second difference value is smaller than the third difference value, and substitutes the one signal of the central pixel by the third average value if the third difference value is smaller than the second difference value.