Patent ID: 7847838

Claim:
A noise removal apparatus comprising: a noise removal device for removing uncorrelated noise contained in a plurality of types of color image data while maintaining correlativity of each of the items of color image data in the plurality of types of color image data, which represent substantially identical color images of a subject obtained by sensing the image of the same subject using a plurality of solid-state electronic image sensing devices; and a pixel processing device for executing spatial pixel processing with regard to the plurality of types of color image data from which uncorrelated noise has been removed by said noise removal device, wherein the plurality of types of color image data have color components that are different from one another; said noise removal device including: a color image data shifting device for shifting the levels of the plurality of types of color image data in such a manner that an average value of the levels of the plurality of types of color image data will become the position of the origin of color space of the plurality of color components; a filtering device for subjecting color image data, which has been shifted by said color image data shifting device, to processing for removing uncorrelated noise in accordance with the level of this color image data; and a color image data reverse shifting device for returning, in accordance with the amount of shift, the level of the color image data from which uncorrelated noise has been removed by said filtering device.