Patent ID: 8325241
Filing Date: 2012-12-04
Classification: H04N

Abstract:
1. An image pickup apparatus comprising: an image pickup lens; an image pickup device obtaining image pickup data based on light received; a microlens array including a plurality of microlenses, and arranged on a focal plane of the image pickup lens between the image pickup lens and the image pickup device, each of the microlenses being provided corresponding to a plurality of pixels of the image pickup device, the plurality of pixels for each of the plurality of microlenses is arranged in an x-y matrix of pixel positions where x and y are integers of at least 3; an image processing section performing predetermined image processing so as to produce a reconstructed image based on the image pickup data obtained from the image pickup device; and a data storage section for storing image pickup data during image processing by the image processing section, wherein when the image processing section produces a refocus image as a reconstructed image set from an arbitrary focal point based on the image pickup data, a plurality of arbitrary viewpoint images are produced based on the image pickup data by synthesizing pixel data extracted from pixels located at the same position in image regions each of which corresponds to each of the microlenses, and the arbitrary viewpoint images are stored in the data storage section and are arranged in a m-n matrix of arbitrary viewpoint image locations where m and n are integers of at least two, a plurality of pixel data recorded at pixel positions adjacent and contiguous to one another are collectively read out as a read-out unit from each of the arbitrary viewpoint images stored in the data storage section, a first read-out unit associated with a first arbitrary viewpoint image located at a a predetermined sorting process a predetermined integration process are performed on the pixel data read out, thereby the refocus image is produced.