Patent ID: 6445831
Filing Date: 2002-09-03
Classification: G06T,H04N

Abstract:
An image processing method, wherein predetermined processing is carried out on an original image signal, which is made up of a series of image signal components defining values of pixels constituting an original image, and a processed image signal is thereby obtained, the method comprising the steps of:i) carrying out graininess suppression image processing on the original image signal, a graininess suppression processing image signal being obtained from said graininess suppression image processing, ii) carrying out sharpness enhancement image processing on the original image signal, a sharpness enhancement processing image signal, a sharpness enhancement processing image signal being obtained from said sharpness enhancement image processing, and iii) carrying out processing for obtaining the processed image signal in accordance with said graininess suppression processing image signal and said sharpness enhancement processing image signal, the processed image signal being obtained with operation processing carried out on image signal components of said graininess suppression processing image signal and said sharpness enhancement processing image signal, which image signal components represent corresponding pixels in two images represented by said graininess suppression processing image signal and said sharpness enhancement processing image signal, wherein a calculation is made to find a difference between image signal components of said graininess suppression processing image signal and the original image signal, which image signal components represent corresponding pixels in two images represented by said graininess suppression processing image signal and the original image signal, the calculated difference and a predetermined threshold value are compared with each other, with respect to pixels, which have been found, as a result of said comparison, to be associated with the difference smaller than said predetermined threshold value, the processed image signal is obtained with said operation processing, and with respect to pixels, which have been found, as a result of said comparison, to be associated with the difference larger than said predetermined threshold value, the original image signal, and enhancement processing signal, which is obtained by carrying out enhancement processing on the original image signal, or said sharpness enhancement processing image signal is taken as the processed image signal.