Patent ID: 8269852
Filing Date: 2012-09-18
Classification: G06T,H04N

Abstract:
1. An imaging apparatus comprising: an image sensor having a light receiving surface including a plurality of pixels and a color separation filter of a plurality of colors which is placed on a front surface side of the plurality of pixels, which receives a photographic subject image which enters via an optical system on the light receiving surface via the color separation filter, outputs an pixel output of each pixel, and images the photographic subject image; a pixel output judging section which judges if the pixel output is equal to or more than a predetermined saturation level or not; a pixel output compensation processing section which, in a case where the pixel output of the pixel where a color separation filter of a specific color is placed is judged to be equal to or more than the predetermined saturation level by the pixel output judging section, based on the pixel output of other pixels where the pixel output is less than the predetermined saturation level placed in the vicinity of the pixel where the color separation filter of the specific color is placed and the pixel output is equal to or more than the predetermined saturation level, performs a compensation process to calculate the pixel output for brightness, where the pixel output becomes equal to or more than the predetermined saturation level, of the pixel where the color separation filter of the specific color is placed and the pixel output is equal to or more than the predetermined saturation level, and expands a dynamic range of the image which the image sensor images; and a bit compression converting section having a bit compression conversion characteristic where a data compression rate of the pixel output for brightness which is less than the saturation level is smaller than a data compression rate of the pixel output for brightness which is equal to or more than the saturation level, with the dynamic range expansion, and which reconverts data of the pixel output converted from a first bit number to a second bit number which is larger than the first bit number to the first bit number based on the bit compression conversion characteristic.