Patent ID: 7847829

Claim:
An image processing apparatus comprising: A/D converter means for converting an analog signal into a color-and-sensitivity mosaic image; restoration means for generating a restoration image in which sensitivities of pixels are uniformized and each of the pixels has all of a plurality of color components, based on the color-and-sensitivity mosaic image, wherein each of the pixels has one of the plurality of color components and one of a plurality of sensitivity characteristics with respect to intensity of light, a plurality of the pixels which have a same color component and a same sensitivity characteristic are arranged in a checker pattern arrangement, and a plurality of the pixels which have the same color component are arranged in a checker pattern arrangement irrespective of the sensitivity characteristic, wherein the restoration means includes: (a) luminance image production means for producing a luminance image corresponding to the color-and-sensitivity mosaic image based on: (i) sensitivity mosaic pattern information representative of an arrangement of the sensitivity characteristics of the color-and-sensitivity mosaic image; (ii) color mosaic pattern information representative of an arrangement of the color components of the color-and-sensitivity mosaic image; and (iii) the color-and-sensitivity mosaic image; (b) a first monochromatic image production means for producing a first monochromatic image of a first color corresponding to the color-and-sensitivity mosaic image based on: (i) sensitivity mosaic pattern information for the first color; (ii) color mosaic pattern information for the first color; (iii) the luminance image; and (iv) the color-and-sensitivity mosaic image; (c) a second monochromatic image production means for producing a second monochromatic image of a second color corresponding to said color-and-sensitivity mosaic image based on: (i) sensitivity mosaic pattern information for the second color; (ii) color mosaic pattern information for the second color; (iii) the luminance image; and (iv) the color-and-sensitivity mosaic image; and (d) a third monochromatic image production means for producing a third monochromatic image of a third color corresponding to said color-and-sensitivity mosaic image based on: (i) sensitivity mosaic pattern information for the third color; (ii) color mosaic pattern information for the third color; (iii) the luminance image; and (iv) the color-and-sensitivity mosaic image; and wherein the three monochromatic images are different from one another, and the three monochromatic image production means are separate from one another.