Patent ID: 7479990

Claim:
An image processing unit for performing image processing on a signal that represents the picked-up image of an object, comprising: a programmable circuit unit that is reconfigured based on selected circuit data in order to construct a circuit which performs signal processing on the image pickup signal; a circuit data holding unit that holds a plurality kinds of circuit data; and a control unit that controls such that a first circuit is programmably constructed by selecting, based on a directive signal that directs switching, a first circuit data that is different from a second circuit data used in a second circuit, from among the circuit data items held in the circuit data holding unit, and controls such that a tentative image is outputted when the second circuit is being programmably constructed; wherein after the first circuit data is selected from among the circuit data items held in the circuit data holding unit, when the programmable circuit unit is reconstructed based on the first circuit data in order to construct the first circuit, the control unit transmits the tentative image.