Patent ID: 7894684

Claim:
A visual processing device, comprising: a surrounding image information extraction portion operable to extract, from a pixel group of a pixel area surrounding a target pixel of an input image, surrounding image information including luminance information of the pixel group; a visual processing portion operable to (i) receive a pixel value of the target pixel, (ii) receive the surrounding image information, (iii) obtain a converted pixel value by converting the pixel value of the target pixel according to a conversion characteristic, such that, for a specific pixel value of the target pixel, the converted pixel value of the specific pixel value of the target pixel monotonically decreases as a value of the surrounding image information increases, and (iv) output an output image including a group of converted target pixels, each target pixel of the group of converted target pixels having the converted pixel value; a special image detection portion operable to detect a change in gradation in a predetermined area included in the input image, and output one of (i) an effect adjustment signal that reduces an effect of the visual processing performed by the visual processing portion in the predetermined area as a ratio of (a) part regions of the predetermined area in which the gradation changes, to (b) the predetermined area decreases, and (ii) an effect adjustment signal that reduces the effect of the visual processing performed by the visual processing portion in the predetermined area as a ratio of (c) part regions of the predetermined area in which the gradation does not change, to (d) the predetermined area increases is higher; and an effect adjustment portion operable to control the effect of the visual processing with respect to the input image, in accordance with the output effect adjustment signal.